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1. Lesson Plan: Be a Good Sport

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan, targeted at upper-beginner and lower-intermediate learners, includes listening, speaking, and writing activities centered on the sport of lacrosse. At least two activities are included for each skill, such as a mini-presentation and a discussion of why being a good sport is a good way to practice speaking.

2. Lesson Plan: Baseball Stories, Cards,and Interviews

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan offers an opportunity for students to practice their language skills and learn more about the sport of baseball. There are three activities (that will take at least one class period each) aimed at a variety of levels. Students create baseball cards of themselves and flash cards about the sport, and participate in interview role-plays as famous baseball players. Extension activities are included.

3. Mind Mirror Projects: A Tool for Integrating Critical Thinking into the English Language Classroom

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

   Students often have difficulty 'reading between the lines.' This article suggests the use of mind mirror activities as a tool to improve students' critical thinking and learning skills (e.g., analysis, categorization, clarification, inferencing). The author describes a successful five-day group project from his own classroom that ended in students sharing their work through poster presentations.

4. 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.

5. Lesson Plan: Cultural Crossroads: Hawaii and Beyond

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

   This content-based lesson plan is about ethnic/cultural heritage and diversity in Hawaii. It also encourages students to explore their own cultures. The author includes four activities (listening and speaking, small group discussion, place-based group work, and role play). Ideas are also provided for multi-session lessons that encourage students to revise and communicate.

6. The Formeaning Response Approach: Poetry in the EFL Classroom

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

   This article discusses the use of poetry-based activities in the English as foreign language (EFL) classroom. It claims that poetry exposes learners to content-rich materials. It presents the Formeaning Response approach, which combines language elements with personal responses to poetry, and offers activities that motivate students to attend and respond to both the form and the overall meaning.

7. Lesson Plan: Exploring Michigan

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

   The lesson plan “Exploring Michigan” provides information on things to see and do in Michigan. It has three parts: a warm-up, the main activities that cover the four skills, and follow-up activities to further practice the content of main activities. The lesson aims to practice expressions of preference and persuasion. At the same time, the learners plan things to do on a trip to Michigan while creating and presenting an itinerary for a trip to Michigan, and then for a visit to their own country.

8. Using Anecdotes in Language Class

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the usefulness of anecdotes as a technique to stimulate learners’ interest and thus create a meaningful learning context in the second language classroom. It describes the pattern of an anecdote and how it should be formed as well as the different types of anecdotes. The article offers tips to successfully implement this technique.

9. Lesson Plan: Exploring New York City

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan is based on the article that describes New York City. It includes a fact sheet to gain more detailed information about the city. The plan consists of several activities that ask students to scan for specific information as a reading skill, oral presentations skills, and writing.

10. English Magazines = Motivation + Improved ESL Writing Skills

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

    Creating and editing a magazine in English is a challenging and motivating type of portfolio assessment. It encourages student fluency and freedom by allowing students to choose their own topics for writing. It is real communication for a real audience and requires students to take responsibility for their own writing. It can also make the teacher’s job more enjoyable. The article describes a magazine-editing project for an intermediate university writing class. The students performed well on the national writing examination.

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