Advanced Search: Resources

1. Softening Short Requests

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

   This lesson aims to introduce students to a range of different ways in which native speakers soften their requests and to develop their awareness of how these are used by different speakers and in different situations within the speech community.

2. The Texas Airport Cookies: Pragmatic Variation from an Urban Legend

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

   This aims to enhance awareness of pragmatic variation with respect to setting and participant characteristics in an airport scenario.

3. In the Mood: Introducing Pragmatic Awareness at Low Levels

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Website

   This lesson in Teaching Pragmatics focuses on raising pragmatic awareness in students using the concept of "mood."

4. Promoting Solidarity in Short Interactions

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

   This lesson in Teaching Pragmatics aims to raise awareness of and give practice in using strategies of relexicalisation for descriptive accounts and for promoting solidarity in short interactions. A sub-goal is to provide students with interesting and natural vehicles for vocabulary development, recycling and revision.

5. Polite Ways of Correcting or Contradicting our Conversation's Partner's Assumptions

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

   This lesson aims to raise learners' pragmatic awareness towards an important conversational function and to help them to be aware of the negative impression brought about by the non-use of actually (or other softeners of contradiction or correction) and for students to learn to produce corrections or contradictions prefaced by actually.

6. Are You Listening? (Backchannel Behaviors)

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

   This lesson aims to promote awareness of short responses during conversations such as uh-huh and yeah known as backchannel behaviors; to increase awareness of cultural differences in backchannel behaviors; to allow students to practice behaviors that indicate active listening.

7. VOA Podcast: 1890’s Gold Rush!

   In: VOA Podcasts: Shows in Special English Format(s): Website

   Listen to Voice of America (VOA) Podcast: 1890's Gold Rush! Podcast from VOA Learning English: Explorations in Special English. Stories are written at the intermediate and upper-beginner level and are read one-third slower than regular VOA English.

8. Trace Effects Manual - Chapter 5

   In: Trace Effects Teacher's Manual Format(s): Text

   The manual provides information on teaching using online games and gives ideas for extending beyond the game using easy, interactive tasks for Chapter 5 of Trace Effects.

9. Kids.gov

   Format(s): Website

   The official kids' portal to student and teacher pages for U.S. Government agencies.

10. Natural and Cultural Resources in the USA

    Format(s): Website

    This site provides teachers’ resources, kids’ resources, an interior library and an interior museum.

Pages