1000_Ideas_and_Activities_for_Language_Teachers
.pdf1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
DOING IT ALL AGAIN:
(a) Write down three major events / mistakes / regrets in your life that you wish you could do again. (b) Make notes on why you want to do these things again – what was so bad about them. (c) Make notes on what you would do differently second time round. (d) Make notes on how you think your life might be better now.
REGRET |
WHY SO BAD |
DO DIFFERENTLY |
HOW BETTER NOW |
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In pairs / groups, talk to each other about your regrets. Try to convince your partner(s) that the regrets were probably fate and were necessary to bring them to this point in their lives.
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
SOCIAL PROBLEMS: RACISM
Look at the examples of racism in the first column. Write a number in the “Your Country” column for how serious these problems are in your country (1 = very serious, 10 non-existent). In pairs / groups, discuss possible solutions to tackle these problems. What punishments could be imposed to deter such racism? How long do you think these problems might exist in your country?
PROBLEM |
SCALE |
SOLUTIONS |
DETERRENTS |
HOW LONG? |
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A TV company only allows people |
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of one skin color to read the |
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news. |
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Police officers arrest an |
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unusually large percentage of a |
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certain race of people. |
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A shop customer uses a |
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derogatory and racist term to a |
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sales assistant of a different |
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race. |
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Parents disown their child for |
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dating someone of a different |
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color. |
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Sports fans chant racial abuse at |
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players who belong to a different |
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race. |
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A bar / café refuses someone |
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entry because of their |
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nationality. |
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A landlord prevents someone |
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from renting an apartment |
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because of their skin color. |
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People wear badges or clothing |
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with slogans that incite racial |
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hatred. |
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A rock group produces a CD with |
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lyrics full of racial hatred. |
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A politician makes a suggestion |
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that people from other countries |
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are inferior. |
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Change partners and compare what you talked about. Who has the best solutions?
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
THE FUTURE OF X
In pairs / groups, talk about the future of ___________________. How different will it / they be next year or in 5, 10, 25, 50 year’s time?
Next year |
5 years’ time |
20 years’ time 50 years’ time |
Better
Looks
Price
Function
Popularity
Users
Global reach
Other
Change partners and compare what you talked about with your original partners.
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
AT THE SCENE
You are a news reporter at the scene. Create your news report. You will soon have to give it in front of TV cameras (to a different group). Your new partners will ask you questions about your story. The following table may help you piece together your news item:
FACTORS |
WHAT I HAVE TO SAY |
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What is the story? |
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Where are you? |
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What is happening |
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around you? |
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What can you hear |
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/ see /smell? |
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What are the |
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events that have |
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happened in the |
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past few hours / |
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days? |
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Who are the |
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people central to |
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your story? |
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Who have you |
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found to tell you |
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about what’s |
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happening? |
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What are other |
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people there telling |
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you? |
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What’s your take |
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on the situation? |
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How do you think |
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this story will |
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develop over the |
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coming hours / |
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days? |
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
GOODBYE WAR
Your task is to end a war by the finish of this lesson. You have all the power in the world you need to achieve this. Whatever you decide will take place when you leave class. Decide on one conflict in the world. Discuss what needs to be done to end that conflict within the next 30 minutes. Some of the following may need to be changed:
CHANGES |
MY DECISIONS |
Leaders
Borders
Armies
Weapons
POWs
Economic aid
Promises
Refugees
Flags
Capital cities
Elections
Rebuilding
Money and stamps
Statues of past leaders…
After you have ended the war, tell another partner / group what you decided. Your partner(s) will give you feedback on your decisions.
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
JOB TRAINING
Interview two different people about their suitability for the job of
_____________________. In pairs / groups, write the questions for the interview in the spaces provided:
QUESTIONS |
INTERVIEWEE A |
INTERVIEWEE B |
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Tell each of the people you interviewed how they did and whether they would be good at the job.
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
PAST TIME
With your partner(s), speculate on what happened in the moments, days and weeks before the story in the news item happened.
TIME BEFORE |
EVENTS |
Five minutes
One hour
One day
Three days
One week
Two weeks
Three weeks
One month
Change partners and compare what you wrote. Discuss what would be different now if the events described above hadn’t happened, or were greatly changed.
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
FUTURE TIME
With your partner(s), speculate on will happen with events in the news story from now.
TIME EVENTS
Today
Tomorrow
The day after tomorrow
Three days from now
A week’s time
Two weeks’ time
Three weeks’ time
A month’s time
Change partners and compare what you wrote. Discuss what would be different now if the events described above hadn’t happened, or were greatly changed.
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
STUDENT TEACHERS
With your partner(s), look at the article and create a new lesson plan from it. Write your reasons for deciding on the kind of language and activities:
ACTIVITIES
Warm up
Grammar
Vocabulary
Listening
Discussion
Role play
Speaking activity
Homework
Change partners and compare your lesson plans. Give each other advice.
Return to your original partners and compare your feedback. Revise your plan to make it better.
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1000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers – Sean Banville
MY PROBLEM
The problem in the article is now your problem. Write some notes on the problem in preparation to ask other students for advice.
NOTES
Background
The main problem
Other problems
Things I’ve tried to solve the problem
Things I’m worried about
Answers I need
People affected
Change partners and compare your problems. Give each other advice.
Return to your original partners and compare your feedback. Re-discuss your problems and decide what to do about it in the future.
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