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Classroom Activities

In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 4 Format(s): Text

This section presents three stand-alone learning activities related to the theme of bowling. A game for upper beginners is useful for sentence formation and vocabulary review on any topic. Intermediate learners can practice with imperatives by giving and following instructions on how to bowl. The final activity asks intermediate learners to engage in focused listening or reading. Extension possibilities are included for each of the three activities.

Listen Up! Using Audio Books for English Teaching

In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text, Video

"Listen Up! Using Audio Books for English Teaching" features a webinar recording, a downloadable presentation, and classic American literature like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, along with additional resources.

Fun with Weather

In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 2 Format(s): Text

This three-part weather-themed lesson for young learners connects weather, clothing, and feelings vocabulary. The target structures covered are: asking about the weather; comparing weather; using the modal auxiliary, should; and the question word, when. The lessons utilize all four skills and include such activities as going outside, singing, journaling, dressing a toy puppy, role play, and letter writing. Flashcards, riddles, a song, reading material, a listening script, and a sample letter are included.

Developing Dynamic Units for EFL

In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 2 Format(s): Text

“Developing Dynamic Units for EFL” describes how to develop a thematic unit that integrates skills in context, provides opportunities for learner autonomy, and is project-based and experiential. Planning includes identifying curriculum standards, thinking of a meaningful topic, brainstorming tasks, organizing the activities, and making use of learner choice. The sample unit “Eating Out with Friends” includes the topics of inviting friends; choosing a restaurant and making a reservation; finding and communicating directions; ordering and requesting the bill; and thanking friends and retelling the story.

Promoting Genre Awareness in the EFL Classroom

In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 2 Format(s): Text

The author introduces genre awareness, a concept from ESP (English for Specific Purposes) and EAP (English for Academic Purposes), and relates it to its potential use in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom. She explains genre awareness as the ability to use the communication tool that is most appropriate for the purpose and audience. She recognizes several challenges to using genre awareness curriculum in the EFL classroom. Finally, she presents several useful genre awareness classroom exercises.

Building Fluency through the Repeated Reading Method

In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 3 Format(s): Text

This article discusses the success of Repeated Reading (RR) within EFL classrooms, illustrating three techniques of RR that can be used to develop students’ fluency, comprehension skills, and reading self-esteem. After providing a background on the RR method, the author explains the techniques step by step and suggests activities. The techniques include classic oral repeated reading (ORR), Paired repeated reading (PRR), and Reader’s Theater (RT).

A Questionnaire Project: Integrating the Four Macro Skills with Critical Thinking

In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 1 Format(s): Text

This article describes the steps of a questionnaire project that uses listening, speaking, reading and writing while developing interpretation skills and self-regulation. The project creates survey questions, collects and analyzes data, and reports results. While students work in groups, they have opportunities to brainstorm, express opinions, and ask for clarification. The article includes tips on time constraints, evaluation of data, participation, and topic selection.

Beyond Film: Exploring the Content of Movies

In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 1 Format(s): Text

This article looks at the use of movies in the language-learning classroom. The author promotes the use of the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird” due to its content, which involves poverty, racial inequality and mental illness, and to the availability of websites related to its use in English classrooms. The author highlights six scenes for understanding the movie, pre-viewing, while viewing, and post-viewing activities, as well as suggestions for Internet follow-up. An example WebQuest is included.

Using Replacement Performance Role-Plays in the Language Classroom

In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 4 Format(s): Text

Replacement performance role plays are a different type of role play. Rather than memorizing or writing a dialogue, this activity asks learners to listen and consider other possible responses. Students decide which character will be replaced and what they will do differently. Even shy learners or ones with lower proficiency levels can be involved because it is less overwhelming than writing a dialogue. The activity develops pragmatic competence and critical thinking skills. Popular TV shows can be used.

Proverbs & Quotables: Using Very Short Texts in Language Learning