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1. Student-Centered Speaking Activities to Increase Fluency and Accuracy

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

   This session, "Student-Centered Speaking Activities to Increase Fluency and Accuracy," focuses on activities that participants can use in teaching speaking in multi-level classes with students of all ages.

2. Target Language Use in the Classroom: Teaching Speaking Differently

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

   This session, "Target Language Use in the Classroom: Teaching Speaking Differently," shares engaging strategies for effectively incorporating authentic target language in EFL lessons: in classroom routines, in language practice, as well as in assessments of speaking gains.

3. Adaptable Speaking Activities for Pairs and Groups

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

   This session, “Adaptable Speaking Activities for Pairs and Groups,” explores several motivating speaking-focused activities that can be easily modified for different levels, student interests, and teaching contexts.

4. Authentic Video in the Beginning ESOL Classroom: Using a Full-Length Feature Film for Listening and Speaking Strategy Practice

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

   Using film in the classroom can be effective with beginning English learners. A full-length film offers continuous context to discuss humor, culture, and language functions, real-life communication with images and non-verbal cues, increased retention due to activating the right hemisphere of the brain, and the lowering of students’ affective filters. The authors include a lesson based on their experience teaching listening and speaking skills using the movie “What about Bob.” Assessment techniques and potential problems are considered.

5. A Lesson Plan Speaking (and Writing) of Sports

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan offers several sports-related photographs and classroom activities that use the pictures for individual, pair, or group work. The activities include a sentence-combination task, structured writing questions, open-ended writing tasks, a charting task, and questions for a whole-class discussion. The author gives suggestions for making the tasks easier or more difficult for multiple levels.

6. Integrated Skills: Combining Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Grammar

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

   This session, "Integrated Skills: Combining Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Grammar," addresses an integrated approach to teaching speaking, reading, listening, writing, and grammar skills. First, we will identify some challenges associated with combining language skill areas, and we will discuss options for overcoming these challenges. Next, we will explore how to develop and implement a variety of multi-skill instructional options including meaningful grammar activities, dynamic reading relays and jigsaws, interactive writing games, engaging speaking activities, and high-interest listening tasks. By the end of the session, participants will have developed a toolkit for conducting more interactive, learner-centered lessons that motivate students and hold their interest—teachers will be ready to adapt and use these innovative ideas immediately!

7. “What would happen if…?” Chain Stories

   In: Teacher's Corner: Conditionals Format(s): Text

   Students use oral or written conditionals to develop a series of related “cause and effect” events. The chain of events will create a short, often funny, story!

8. Podcasting in the Classroom

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

   This webinar explores an alternative solution to the challenge of providing students enough speaking and listening time in the class.

9. Poetry Corner: Reading and Reacting to a Michigan Poem

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   “Poetry Corner: Reading and Reacting to a Michigan Poem” consists of activities targeting reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills using a Michigan poem called “How Is It That the Snow,” written by poet Robert Haight, who lives in Michigan.

10. A Judicious Lesson: A Whole-learning Reading Activity

    In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    This article discusses the use of whole-reading activities in a university level reading and speaking course. The author used a magazine article about a murder and a trial to develop a four-week unit in which students investigated ideas about crime, punishment, rhetorical strategies, idiomatic language, and the United States' judicial system. Through the use of this unit, the author advocates for readings and activities that challenge students to move beyond comprehension of a text.

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