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1. An Integrated Skills Lesson Plan for "A Postcard from America" by Robert Olen Butler

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 1 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan is based on the feature article, “Postcards from America” by Robert Olen Butler. It is appropriate for high intermediate to advanced students. The lesson integrates the four skills and has five parts: Preparing to Read, Reading the Text, Understanding the Text, Making Connections Beyond the Text, and Integrating Language Skills. The lesson includes group discussion of comprehension questions, scanning for vocabulary, and using the dictionary.

2. Reading to Speak: Integrating Oral Communication Skills

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Although students want to practice speaking English, they do not have many opportunities to do so in the Chinese EFL system. This often results in something called 'mute English.' This article suggests a greater integration of skills through reading to speak activities. The author includes activities for reading to act, reading to debate, and reading to interview. These activities move students away from a focus on form, allowing students to be creative and build fluency.

3. Livening Up College English Classes with Games

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the use of games in teaching college-level English as a second language (ESL) classes. It describes how teachers can use games such as Taboo to change the direction of teaching from being teacher-centered to student-centered. The article addresses problems such as classroom management and the time spent adapting or creating games and presents useful tips for teachers to consider related to the use of games as a teaching tool.

4. Cooperative Listening as a Means to Promote Strategic Listening Comprehension

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article argues for the use of a cooperative listening technique and describes the steps involved in using this approach. The author describes a five-step procedure for teaching listening strategies, and then uses his own experience to show how this approach can help learners develop listening comprehension. The author also discusses his perspectives on potential issues of this cooperative listening approach.

5. Houseboats

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

   This lesson uses a text about the houseboats of Kashmir to give students practice with descriptions, compound words, and participles. The lesson plan could be adapted to tourist destinations familiar to the students. Students are asked to write a description of their homes and create a tourism brochure for their own cities or towns.

6. Classroom Activities

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   Three stand-alone language-learning activities related to the theme of spring.

7. Eyes On English

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

   The author discusses a school-wide campaign to promote the use of English. This six-week campaign, called Eyes on English, was created for Early Childhood and Elementary divisions, but is noted to be flexible for other grade levels. Throughout the article, the author expresses the importance of this program as well as provides a basic activity that can help teachers increase English usage.

8. Article with Activity: More Women Are Needed in Technology Fields

   In: VOA Articles with Activities Format(s): Website

   Test Your Academic Vocabulary! Listen to and read the article. Then, test your vocabulary with activities and exercises. Level: Advanced

9. Using Pop Songs to Teach English to Young Adults: Principles Derived from an Outreach Project

   In: English Teaching Forum 2024, Volume 62, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   Authors Enrique Alejandro Basabe and Mary Beringause present clear, practical suggestions for using pop songs—which most young adults listen to regularly—to teach English and to do much more. The authors argue that “using pop songs in the EFL classroom should follow the principles of meaningfulness, focus on language, criticality, active consumption, and personal growth, and it should encourage the creation of communities of knowledge.” Numerous examples of current and recent pop songs illustrate how teachers can achieve these goals.

10. Teacher's Corner: Prepositions

    Format(s): Text

    Prepositions can be tricky for English language learners. This week’s Teacher’s Corner introduces two activities during which students practice the prepositions in, at, and on.

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