Teaching Current Events in the EFL Classroom

************David Burns

Peace Corps ResponseIST – Tico 27

San Jose, Costa Rica29 August 2014

Peace Corps Response

• David Burns – Santa Cruz, Guanacaste

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If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.

Ice-breaker!

• Introduction name/memory game.• Organize your students in a standing circle and

explain the game.• Each student will give their name, followed by an

imaginary profession that starts with the same letter as the 1st letter of their name.

• “My name is David and I am a ____________.• The following student must first remember all

the previous names and jobs and then introduce themselves.

Where Do You Get Your News?

International (English)• CNN• New York Times• Washington Post• BBC• The Guardian• Al-Jazeera English• VOA (VOA 60)• NPR

Costa Rica

• La Nacion• Tico Times• TeleTica• TV/Radio

American English On-line

• http://exchanges.state.gov/americanenglishonline/index.html

• Sing Out Loud

http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/resforteach/pubcat/classtext/iskills/solts.html

• Shaping the Way We Teach English

http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/resforteach/pubcat/teach-res-mat/teachtech/shapingway.html

www.elprograms.org

Contact information:

• U.S. Embassy in San Jose

• IRC (Information Resource Center)

• Ligia Alpizar – IRC Director

• alpizarlm@state.gov

• http://sanjose.usembassy.gov

• https://www.facebook.com/sanjose.usembassy

www.slideshare.net

www.soundcloud.com

Writing & Speaking Prompts

• CreativeWritingPrompts.com

• WritersDigest.com

• Creative-Writing-Solutions.com

• Quick exercise using any prompt from one of the above websites.

en.islcollective.com/

Selecting Articles

• There is news about everything. • Plan by level:

– Level 1: personal information, transportation.– Level 2: geographical places, qualities &

attributes of people, recycling, sports.– Level 3: Nationalities, music, lifestyle.– Level 4: World problems, environment.– Level 5: Family concept, mass media, human

rights, democracy, philosophy, religion, etc.

Selecting Articles

• Select and translate.• For English articles: even those with complex

vocabulary can be modified.• Simplify the language;

shorten the article.• Or – if not modified,

use the vocabulary; use the article for a longer period of time.

Useful Activities• World Map/Geo• Reading / Writing• Poetry/Photos• Speaking/Role

Play/Theater

• Translation• Audience & bias• Videos/PBL/

Listening

Speaking - Reading - Writing• Reading + Writing =

increased fluency.• Building vocabulary• Free writing• Personal writing• Reading response• News journal• Writing/speaking with

prompts• Group storytelling

Acronyms: What does____ stand for?

• News sources:• AP• UPI• CNN• BBC• NPR• AFP• RAI• TVE

• Famous groups:• UNICEF• UNESCO• UNHCR• MSF• FBI, CIA, Interpol• NASA• WWF• GATT, WTO

World Map• www.printableworldmap

.net• Start with a blank map.• Use colors to identify

countries.• Label the map as you

read articles.• Specific geographical

regions.• World history, travel,

capital cities, languages.

Activity!Geography – Map

• Teachers needs to have one large world map on the wall (or multiple, smaller printable maps – free online)!

• Divide class into small groups; give each group the name of a country.

• Explain that they need to locate the country on the map, then write the name of the capital city, and then the name of the bordering countries.

• PBL and homework (languages, religion, etc).

Practice with Reported Speech

• Newspaper, magazine, and internet articles are perfect for direct/indirect speech practice with your students.

• Change from Direct Indirect Speech

• President Barack Obama said, “We want to congratulate Costa Rica on the anniversary of their independence.”

Or change from indirect direct speech

• President Barack Obama asked if we were going to visit the White House the following day.

Practice locating grammar

• Adaptable for all levels

• Print out from English news article from a web-site, VOA, etc.

• Have students underline all the adjectives, proper nouns, adverbs, etc.

• Then ask students to give synonyms and antonyms for each underlined word.

Poetry from News• Ask students to create a poem based on a news

article.• Higher level: The content of the poem must

accurately represent the content of the article.• Mid level: use key

words to make poem.

• Lower level: acrostic poem.

• All levels: Haiku

HAIKU

• Ancient form of written poetry from Japan.

• Simple 3-line pattern based on syllables.

• 5-7-5

Sample Haiku poem

My Tico country (5 syllables)

I love my beautiful home (7 syllables)

Please come visit me (5 syllables)

Haiku: Current Events (sports, politics, etc).

************************

Soccer is my sport

La Liga is the best team

Sorry Saprissa.

************************

Try to write a ‘current events’ haiku.

Acrostic Poem

Use the first letters of a word to create a poem.

Students should think of words that start with each letter of the word. Encourage creativity! Great for vocabulary building!

Let’s Try One!• If I gave you an article using the word TICO, what

would your acrostic poem look like?

• T

• I

• C

• O

Poetry from News

• Writing: revision exercises without intimidation.

• Reading comprehension.• Vocabulary.• Creativity & interest.

Warmer/stretch/break Activity!

• Students standing. Review human body parts.

• Gets students moving, following directions.

• Solicit the easier words. End with the ‘tongue’.

• Go into ‘Tongue-Twisters’ activity.

Tongue-Twisters

Fun phrases in English – often using alliteration – repetitive sounds that are often difficult (but fun!) to pronounce when spoken quickly.

Peter Piper

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

• How many pecks of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

Woodchuck

•How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Write a Tongue-Twister

• Use as many words beginning with “T” as possible to create a tongue-twister about TICOS

• And one with STUDENTS using ‘S’ words

TICOS

• Twenty tall, tired, timid and terrific Ticos tangled and tumbled too many times to take the tawdry train to Tennessee.

Translation• For higher-level students.• Ask students to translate from

Spanish to English (written and oral).• This allows them to see the differences in

grammar and vocabulary.• You may also ask them to read an article in

Spanish and write a similar article in English without translation.

• Simultaneous translation activity• Write & translate ads in magazines

Audience & Bias

• Which newspapers are biased?

• Do news sites have particular audiences in mind?

• Considering audience helps students with critical thinking.

• Pick articles of the same topic that are aimed at different audiences.

• Students can pick out subtle differences in language.

GREAT places to find current events and articles!• www.breakingnewsenglish.com• www.economist.com• www.voa.com• www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook• www.cnnfyi.com• www.convert-me.com• www.elibrary.com• www.britannica.com• www.factmonster.com• www.gallup.com• www.hoovers.com• www.infoplease.com• www.ipl.org• www.itools.com• www.loc.gov• www.archives.gov• www.si.edu• www.census.gov• http://stats.bls.gov• www.fedstats.gov• https://www.facebook.com/voa60•  

•  

BINGO SongThere was a farmerwho had a dog,and Bingo was his name-oh!

B-I-N-G-O (x3)

And Bingo was his name-oh!

Itsy-Bitsy Spider

Itsy-bitsy spiderwent up the water spout.Down came the rainand washed the spider out.Out came the sunand dried up all the rain.Itsy-bitsy spiderwent up the spout again!

Muchas gracias!Thank you very much!

And a big GRACIAS for the support from APCD Kevin Brown!Have fun in COLOMBIA!