1000_Ideas_and_Activities_for_Language_Teachers

1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Which areas of the world are you interested in (or not)?

Write a value of 1 (not interested) to 10 (very interested) in the “value” column for each of the categories in the left column.

In pairs / groups, share and compare your values. Ask each other to explain in full, with examples, exactly why you chose your scores.

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

NEWSPAPER QUALITY

What things are important to you in a newspaper?

Write a value of 1 (not at all important) to 10 (very, very important) in the middle column for each of the “categories” in the left column.

In pairs / groups, share and compare your values. Ask each other to explain in full, with examples, exactly why you chose your scores.

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

MEDIA

Which is the best way to get news?

Compare the different media in the top row with the points in the left column to decide which is the best medium for receiving news.

Speed of reporting

Quality of reporting

Convenience

Background information

The news in

English

Accessibility

Impact

Chance to get the news again

Other

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

JOURNALISM JOBS

Which of the following jobs in journalism would you like to do / hate to do?

Talk about the different jobs in the left column in terms of the points in the top row.

Reporter

Photographer

Editor

Newscaster

Columnist

Newspaper delivery person

Web designer

Radio commentator

Other

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Do you look at, read or listen to the news in English?

Ask your partner about his / her experiences with news media in English.

First time

Last time

How often

Problems

Solutions to problems

Biggest success

What stories?

Study hints?

How different to your language’s media?

Other

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

ENGLISH MEDIA / MY MEDIA

What are the big differences between English news reporting and that in your country? Discuss this with your partner(s).

Quality

Number

Bias

Propaganda

Primary focus

Commercials

Humor

Truth

Entertainment

Other

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

AGREED OPINIONS:

Write the names of the opinion makers (cats, buildings, house dust, real people…) in the top row. Write down keywords for which the opinion formers must make an opinion on in the left column. Agree on what the opinions would be.

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

NATIONALITY OPINIONS:

Write different nationalities in the top row. Write down keywords for which the different nationalities must make an opinion on in the left column. Agree on what the opinions would be.

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

CELEBRITY OPINIONS:

Write the names of celebrities in the top row. Write down keywords for which the celebrities must make an opinion on in the left column. Agree on what the opinions would be.

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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville

LIFE OPINIONS:

Write down keywords for which the different ages of opinion formers must make an opinion on in the left column. Agree on what the opinions would be.

Change partners and report what you heard from your first partners. Are there any similarities between different students’ answers?

© www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com. 2005.

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