In this actiui4t, tlte corners of the room are labeled.

Students
respond to a question przmpt 0r statement and go to tlte cor- When to Use lt
ner that corresponds to their Answer. Students in each group
. To raise students' interest in a topic
I J! activare students'background
discuss why they responded the way they did. Possible corner
knowledge about a particular topic
labels: A, B, C, D; 1,2,3,4; Strongb Disagree, Disagree, r ll energize a class
Agree, Strongly Agree. r Ji1 divide the class inro groups
I 'Jf get a sens of how much students know
Preparation about a topic
Prepare the labels for rhe four corners and the way they will be sub-
divided. E.g., for controversial statemenrs, prepare the statement;
for numbers or letters, prepare the categories, etc.
Level WV V
Procedure
1. Put the iabels up in the four corners.
Skiils :' ry
2. Write the statement or question prompt on the board.
3. Instruct students to identi$'which category they are in based on
Practice fri
their opinion or expe rie nce. Materials
4. Have students move to the relevant corners. Statement or instructions for the four divisions
5. Provide additional questions for students to discuss in their
groups while in the corners. Preparation fime
6. After the designated time, have a group member in each corner 5 minutes
summarize the discussion.
Activity Time
Variations 10-30 minutes
1. Students couid discuss their opinions in groups, collect
arguments if they're based on a controversial statement, and
Possible Corners to Use
write an essay on the topic using the arguments in the discussion.
Strongly Agree * Strongly Disagree Corners:
Prepare controversia-l sraremenrs for students to
2. The four corners could be regrouped into rwo for agree v.
agree/disagree with relared ro the theme of the
disagree and the groups could prepare argumenrs for a debate.
class (song, text, movie, etc.)
3. The instructor could change the question prompt or srarement
to have students move around as their opinions change based on Numbers:
the question/statement presented. If the statements are related to Prepare the range of numbers and categories
the same theme, it could provide additional discussion to show Number of siblings: 0, l-2,3-4, 5+
how opinions about one portion of a theme are different for Number of years studying English:
different individuals. <1, I-2,2-5, 5+
Favorites:
Music hip-hop, pop rock, classical, jazz ,

Seasons: summer, fall, winter, spring

Movies: drama, scary comedy, docurnenrary
Emotions: love, like, dislike, hate

Contributor: David Malatesta, Spanish teacher, Niles West High School, Chicago, lllinois

78
Sample Questions for Four Corners

1. ln what month is your birthdaY? 2. How many years have you been a teacher?
a) January - March a) Less than 2 years
b) April - June b) 2-5 years
c) July - September c) 5-1 0 years
d) October - December d) More than 10 years

3. How many siblings do you have? 4. My favorite activity or hobby is..

a) 0 a) athletic
b) 1 b) musical
c\2 c) intellectual
d) 3 or more d) artistic

5. How many grandparents do you still have 6. Have you ever traveled to the U.S.?
living? a) Yes
a) o b) No
b) 1 c) Almost
c)2 d) No, but l've traveled to another English-
d) 3or4 speaking country.

7. What kind of students do you generally B. What kind of pet do you have?
teach? a) Cat or dog
a) Beginning students b) Bird or fish
b) Low intermediate students c) Another kind of pet
c) High intermediate students d) I don't have a pet
d) Advanced students

10. How do you like to spend your

9. What is your favorite season?
vacations?
a) SPring a) Traveling
b) Summer b) Relaxing
c) Fall
c) Doing activities I don't normally do
d) Winter d) Visiting with family

1 1. How many hours of TV do you watch a 12. lf you could choose to have any power,
week? which power would you choose?
a) 1-5 a) lnvisibility
b) s-10 b) Flying
c) More than 10 c) Reading people's minds
d) I don't generally watch TV d) Seeing the future

79
 This actiui4t is goodfor short conuersations, either patterned
expressions orfree discussion (see uariationsfor the latter). When to Use lt
I Jf consolidate expressions
Preparation I |s practice conversadons
Select the conversation for practice. Write the srems on the board.
r Jf get students up and moving
Havc students move desks if necessary ro leave a big space in the
fi'ont or center of the room. Level VVV
Procedure
l.
2.
Divide the class in half.
Studer.rts form rwo equal circles, one inside the other. The inr.rer
Skills &$
circle fr:rces out and the outer circle faces in (so the students are Practice @ i-i
ficing or.re another).
3. Studer-rts exchange a patterncd conversarion (generallv one ques- Materials
tion and one answer each) before rotating to their left to a new Slips of paper
partner and repeating the exchar-rge.
Preparation Time
Variations 5 minutes
This activity can be used for free discussion with just topics or ques-
ActivityTime
tions writtcn on a piece of paper and put in between the students.
l0-15 minutes
\flhen students rorare, the paper srays on the floor for the next pair.
Stude nts car.r provide the topics or questions on pieces of paper to be
distriburcd [or use in rhe acriviry.

(.ontributor: David Malatesta, Spanish teacher, Niles West High School, Chicago, lllinois; additional ideas contributed by Fulbright English
Teaching Assistants in Brazil

BO
In this actiuity,
students are promPted to include functions
and uocabulary in a discussion/conuers/1tion. When to Use lt
o le reviewvocabulary and functions
Preparation o J[ practice fuency
Select a topic for discussion, preferably a current event or a subject
. To energize a class
familiar to the students. Prepare slips of paper with the functions
and/or vocabularv to be practiced. Identifr the best cue to prompt Level VVV
srudents to "fish" for functions to include in their discussion. The
cue could be a hand signal, whistle, turning off the lights, or thc
pausing of background music.

Procedure
Skirrs

Practice
&
@
$
q
ut :l=
ata

lla
1. Place slips of paper with selected functions in a small fish bowl or
container. Materials
2. Depending on class size, split students into two/three discussion List of vocabulary items and functions; bowl or
groups. If multiple groups take part in the activity, prepare the other conrainer
same set of functions and place them in different containers for
each additional group. Each group should have their own set.
Preparation Time
10 minutes
3. Vrite the statement or conversation prompt on the board.
4. Instruct students to take one item each from the fishbowl and
Activity Time
explain that those functions and/or vocabulary items must be
l0-15 minutes
included in rheir discussion.
5. Tell students that they need to "go fishing" for new func- Possi ble Functions/Vocabu lary
tions and vocabulary when vou give them the selected I couldnl agree more.
signal. I agree with...
6. Teacher (or students) can assign monitor roles to members of
the groups to make sure everyone "goes fishing" and that items In my opinion...
"fished out" are included in the discussion. I belieue that...
I feel that...
Variations I rhink...
'I
. The instructor could prompt the discussion bv showing a brief
news segment or video on the topic to be discussed. That may be mte, but...
2. After the activiry students could be grouped based on their views You might be right, but...
ofthe issue being discussed and have a debate. Im afraid I haue t0 disagree with you.
3. Students could write a paragraph or essay (depending on their
How d.o youfeel about...?
level) as a follow-up to the in-class discussion.
\Vhere do you stand on. .. (issue)?
4. Students could conduct and record interviews with their class-
What are your uiews on. ..?
mates as a ltollow-up activiry.

Contributor: Monica Wiesmann-Hirchert, Senior English Language Fellow, Brazil, 201 1

8l
 This actiuity is good for helping students recall uocabulary
words and can be used as a fun competition.
When to Use lt
o Jf review language points
. To create a lively learning experience
Preparation . To practice speaking
Identify categories ofvocabulary for review (nouns, verbs, adjectives
or vocabulary related to food, clothing, etc.). Prepare bubble mix-
ture (plastic container with bubble solution and wand). If doing this Level g VV
activity with groups, prepare one bubble mixture per group.

Procedure Skills &$

Practice q
1. Divide the class into teams.
2. Distribute bubble solution. Choose a team to blow bubbles first.
3. The teacher (or another student) calls out a category of nouns,
adjectives, or verbs as a str.rdent begins to blow bubbles.
Materials
Bubble jars with wands (one for each group)
4. A me mber of the bubble-blowing tean tries to say as many words
as s/he can that pertain to that category before all the bubbles
Preparation fime
disappear.
5 minutes
5. The tearn that is able to say the most words receives a point.
Activity Time
Variations 10+ minutes
The categories need not be limited to lists of words; this activity can
be used with sentences to describe a class member, a famous person,
or an image: He's tall, He'.s blonde, He's a politician. It could also be
played with different verb conjugations, reported speech, etc.

Contribubr: David Malatesta, Spanish teacher, Niles West High School, Chicago, lllinois

82
This actiui4t helps students with fluency and asking ques-
tions. Students tryt to interrupt the speaker\ story by ask- When to Use lt
. To warm the students up
ing for more information about the details of the speaker's . To review some lexical content at the end
statements. of the day
r 16 practice speaking
Preparation . To practice question formation
Pian a simple story that you want to tell the students. It can be fac-
tual or made up.
Lever A gV
Procedure
1. Tell the students that you are going to tell them a story' Their
goal is to intcrrupt you as much as possible to ask you questions
Skills &$
about what you saicl, and to get more information.
2. Begin telling the story. The first time around, you may have
Practice @
ro prompt them to ask questions or demonstrate with just one
Materials
student.
None
3. Students will interrupt you frequently and ask questions about
the details in the story. Continue until you reach a good stopping Preparation Time
plrce, usually after fiue or so minutes. 5 minutes

Variations ActivityTime
1. Divide students into teams. The students who ask you the most 5-8 minutes
questions win. (Note: The questions must be logical and relating
to what you just said, not silly or random questions.)
2. Students can work in pairs or small groups. One student tells
the story while the partner or teammates ask questions'
3. Instead of asking questions, have a studenr contribute an object verball,v, so that the storyteller must incorporate the object
into his/her story.

Example
Teacher: Yesterday,

Student: \Yhat time was it?

Teacher: 8:00. Yesterday, at 8:00, I was riding rhe subway to work whcn
Student: Which subway line?

Tlacher: The red line. I was riding the red line to worh when the train suddenly stopped and eueryone nashed into each other.

Student: Did anyone get hurt?

tc.

Contributor: Elizabeth Crockett, English Language Fellou', Brazil, 2010

83
 In this actiui4t,
students listen to a news report or watch a
short uideo segment to report to otlter students. When to Use lt
r fi1 practice reported speech
Preparation r Ji1 review question/answer format
Select wvo short podcasts or video segments on current events or a
r J[promptconversarionldiscussion
topic of interesr to your students.
o Jf introduce current events
o Jf listen for general ideas as well as
Procedure detailed information
1. Divide the students into rwo groups.
2. Instruct one of the groups to leave the classroom and compile a
list of ge neral a,/r-questions ro ask the students who wili remain
revel wVV
in class about the listening selection.
3. Play the listening selection to the students in class.
4. The IN-group should take notes while listening to facilitate
Skiils &$ .t
the
reporting. Practice @
5. Bring the OUT-group back into rhe classroom and pair them up
with the ones who remained. Materials
6. The OUT-group asks the lisr of wh-questions; the IN-group re- Current news video segment, podcast,
recor.ded radio segment
ports on what they listened to/watched.
7. Play the segment again, so students can compare the report they
Preparation Time
were given with the actual piece of news.
15 minutes
8. Switch groups and play the second listening/video segmenr.
ActivityTime
Variations l5-35 minwes
1. Students create questions to ask for additional information and
further clarification, to be submitted to a news site. Possible Resources
2. Students write paragraphs on the issue to submir ro a newspaper Voice ofAmerica (VOA)
or blog. www.voanews.com
3. Students research and provide a follow-up reporr on the story/
National Public Radio (NPR)
news rePort.
wwwnpr.ofg
4. Students compare/contrast rhe issue being reported ro previous
events or similar events in other countries. News broadcast

Contributor: Monica Wiesmann-Hirchert, Senior English Language Fellow, Brazil, 201 1

B4
This actiuity inuolues fue to eight uolunteers who speak on a
predefned subject, but they can only create their statements When to Use lt
. To pracdce and build oral fluency
with each participant contributing one word. It's challeng- o fi practice/review lexical items
ing and good practice in uord order and grammar, plus the o f! practice discrete listening
statements ofren end up quite entertaining.

Preparation
Level V V
Select a topic. (A1te rnatcly', you can ask the students For one.)

Procedure
Skills &$
depending on the size ofyour
1. Ask for five to eight volunteers,
class. The volunteers form a line at the front of the room, Facing
Practice @
the rest ofthe class. Materials
2. TeIl these volunteers that they are the members of the expert A chalkboard or whiteboard could be helpful
panel invited to present at the 29th Annual Conference on
(whatever your topic is). Preparation Time
3. The rest of the class is the audience. They will ftormulate and ask None
questions of the panelists.
4. The panelists, however, will each answer with just one word, one Activity Time
after the other, going down and back up the line. They must l0-20 minutes
make sentences in order to answer the audience members' ques-
tions, but speaking only one panelist at a time and only one
word :rt a time.
5. While you explain the above rules in detail to the panelists, ask the audience to write (or just fornrulate in their minds)
questions for the panelists on the chosen topic.
6. After a few minutcs, begin the panel discussion. Students in the audience take turns asking questions and the panelists
respond.

Variations
I . This activiry for the panelists the first few times. If they are struggling to re member what their fellow panelists
is a challenge
say just one word, you can write the words in boxes (one word per box) as they say them
said, or if they are forgetting to
on a nearby rvhiteboard or chalkboard.
2. Audience members can also participate in the same manner, by forming the questions word by word.

Contri butor: El izabeth Crockett, Engl ish Language Fel low, Brazil, 201 0

85
 This actiui4t gets students to mingle and ask one anotlter
questions using "Can you... " structure.
When to Use lt
. To practice oral fuency
Preparation
I J[ promote class rapport
Very little preparation is necessary. The facilitator could prepare a list
e 16 energize the class
of physical tasks that could be performed in the classroom.

Procedure
Level rV VV
& t
i. \Write on the board a list of
physical tasks that are dilhcult to do
(i.e., cross your eyes, roll your rongue, kiss your elbow, touch skills lD
your toes, say hello in four languages, etc.) g. a.
2. Nurnber the list. Practice @ TT
3. Tell the class that they need to find out whether their classmates
can do these things. Materials
4. On a piece of paper, they will number the lines (if there are ren None
actions on the board, they will number ten lines on their paper.)
Preparation Time
5. They must then go around the room and ask each other "Can
5 minutes
you. . . ?"
6. If the person says "yes," they must ask them to "prove it." Activity lime
7. If thc person proves they can do it, the student will write that l0-15 minutes
person's name next to the number on their paper that corre-
sponds to the action.
8. They win when they fill everv line with a name.

Variations
A differer.rt list can be drawn up if the class is outside (dunk a basketball, kick a goal, do a carrwheel, stand on your head, etc.).

Sample List
Touch your toes
Say"How are you" in five different languages
Do five push-ups (on your toes)
Cross vour eyes
Imitate an animal
Curl your tongue
Snap your fingers on both hands
Vhistle
\frite your name in cursive with your non-dominant hand.
Text "The quick browr.r fbx jumps over the lazy dog" in less than 60 seconds.

Contributor: Julie Holaway, English Languagc Fellow, Brazil, 2010

86
Tbis is an oldfauorite actiui4t that gets students out of their
seats and changes uP the dynamics of the classroom. One stu'
When to Use lt
. To review vocabulary
dent is trying to fnd the answer and the remaining students o lf review yes/no questions if used in
become the '\eacher." combination with 20 questions

Preparation
'lhis activity requires virtually no preparation' However, if there are Level W VV
particular concepts that are to be reviewed, the teacher could usc
photos ofconcepts and post them around the room for more guess-
ir.rg options.
skills &
Practice
Procedure
1. Select one student to go out ofthe room (or turn hisiher back to
Materials
the class). Photos/images if class is usingthem
2. The rest of the class identifies an obiect in the class for the stu-
dent to "find" (the object is in the open and could be anywhere Preparation Time
within the room). None
3. Have the student return and walk around the room trying to
identify the object bv name. The other students givc clues as to Activity lime
whether s/he is "hot," "warm/er," "cool/er," or "cold" ir.r relation 5-10 minutes
to the selected obiect.
4. When the object is correctly identified, s/he must use it in a

sentence.

Variations
1. Students can give cryptic clues so more vocabulary is used in the activiry. E.g., if the object is a clock: It has aface. It has

tu,o l.tands.
2. The activity could be run as a twenry-questions game, with the selected student asking only yes/no questions of the others.
Is it on rhe wall? Is it red? etc. The selected student must identify the object within 20 questions or s/he loses.
3. In more adr.anced classes, students could be required to say what they woulcl do if they had the object using the conditional
tense. (If I had a br.rs, I would give my friends a ride to school.)
4. Avariationofhot/coldirtour.clappingsignalstoindicatehorvclosethestudentistotheobject."lhcclosers/hegets,the
lou{er the clapping becomes, and the furthcr arvay s/he moves, the quieter the clapping becomes.

conrribr-rtor: David Malatesta, spanish te.rchet Niles west High school, Chicago, lllinois

B7
 This actiui4t is a quich and easy speahing game that requires
little preparation and can be used to emphasize simple uerb When ts Use lt
I o J[ reinforce simple verb structules
structures (I can/can't; like/donI like; I haue/don't haue;
r J[ provide fuenry practice of simple verb
etc.)
structures
o fe build class rapporr
Procedure
1. Have students stand in a circle
@V
.

2. Start the activiry by saying something about yourself (i.e., I can

swim).
Level V
3. If the next srudent in the
sentence.
circle can swim, s/he repeats the
Skiils & t
4. The sentence will continue to be repeated and will travel around
the circle until someone says the opposite. (I cant swim.) Practice @ eq fri
5. \When that happens, the student who "broke"
the chain will say
a new sentence (i.e., I like chocolate,) and the senrence will travel
Materials
None
back in the other direction until someone says the opposite. (I
don't like chocolate.)
Preparation Time
6. The goal is to find something that everyone has in common and
None
that can travel all the way around the classroom.
Activity Time
Variations 10+ minutes
1. For big classes, have the students stand up and let the sentence
travel row by row.
2. For very big classes, the class can be divided into smaller groups.

Contributor: Julie Holarvay, English Language Fellow, Brazil, 2Ol0

88
Clap Snap has been around for many )tears and has been
When to Use It
used with natiue speakers as a mubi-tasking think-fast . lo revlew vocabulary
game for kids in school yards and at camp. Students clap e Ji1 add a kinesthetic element to the learning
and snap out a rhythm that goes in this order: o Ji1 add competition and time pressure
clap hands
slap lefi thigh aith lefi hand Level VVV
slap right thigh with right hand
snap with lefi hand Skills &$
snap with right hand
re?edt Practice
qf,i
Preparation Materials
Select appropriate categories to review (names, colors, verbs, cloth- None
ing, cities, etc.).
Preparation Time
Procedure A few minutes to go over rules
1. Demonstrate the rhythm and have students imitate.
Activity Time
2. Instruct students on the rules: All students do the rhvthm. Some-
5-10 minutes
one calls out the category and the playing begins. As the garne
starts, one student calls out an appropriate word (depending on
category or sequence chosen) during the snaps when it's his/her
turn. The next student needs to select another appropriate worcl during the next snap part. To change di{ficulty lcvel, the
pattern rate can be slowed down or increased'
:. bl"y a round. A round consists of everyone calling out an appropriate word during thc snap portion of the pattern when
itt their turn.

Variations
1 . Change up the speed as new rounds are started or change tl're category after one round is comple ted.
2. Allow students to change the pattern or add to it.

contributor: David Malatesta, spanish teacher, Niles west High school, chicago, lllinois

89
 Tbis actiuiry, is meant to mllke tbe most of the uisit oJ'an English
speaker to tlte classroom and to go beyond the 'Ash our uisitor When to Use lt
some questions" dpproach. 7he timeline actiuit)l giaes focus to the r Ji1 coincide with a guest speakerlvisitor
uhit and helps students direct their questions appropriately. r Ji1 practice asking questions
o Ji1 fesh out a timeline
Preparation
Belore the guesr :pc.rkcr
.
' visir:
Announce the guesr speaker's visit in advance. Give students somc in-
Level Vg V
&g
lormation about him/her and ask groups ro think of five questions they
would like to ask hin-r/l-rer in order to compile a timeline. Have them fo-
cus on his/her job, hobbies, and travel experiences rather than on personal
skirrs .'
questions, such as marital status, etc.
. Encourage self-/pecr-correction as you move about the classroom in Practice @l
case there is any mistake on question formarion.
Materials
Procedure Timeline description
During the visit:
1. Tell students that thcy will need ro rake nores
theylisten to the speaker.
as
Preparation Time
2. Have group speakers take turns asking questions to the speaker. l5 minutes
3. Time the activiry so as to keep the pace going.
4. Record the interview ifpossible. Activity Time
10-15 minutes in class
Afier thc visit: 20 minures to write the timeline
. As homework, students compile a timeline . Here is a sample of
my rtudentr' prodrrcti,,n:
Create timelines online linle: http://www.readwritethink. org/fles/
re s o u rc es / i nte ra c t i u es / t i m e li n e/

!+qa' b tsc"l
dlNtt
rn,:,*
,iil{,"
^rr,;,,r:_
..|AJ+'...1
,;id-; ,
^..,r?X.:
T,'.L: I' 'll#rt'
:r -^--2a^
_
tca\ t4q' z6t z@' ttc. t*t zat torc eut\

' ln class, students read their timelines and comparc them in groups. Thev might double-check information, add details, change dates,
etc. Encourage discussion as you walk around the classroom. Every group appoints a secrerarv rvho will be in charge of compiling
the final draft.
. Secretaries submit the final versions on the following class or by email.
' Put Ltp the final production or-r the bulletin board lor everyone to share the ir work.

Variations
l. into an opportunity to have students write narratives or interviews rather than a timeline.
Ti,rrn the visit
2. As you listen to your students cngage in conr.ersation with the guest speaker, jot dorvn their mistakes or phrases that need some kind of
editing or fine-tuning. After the guest speaker's visit, rvrite them on the board lor students to identif, the errors.
3. Choose otre excerpt from the rccorded intervies'that n-ray have proved to be challcnging lor your students and prepare a cloze or true/
lalse statements.
4. Ifyourguestspeakeriswell-travelled,useaworldmaptotakestudentsonanimaginarytripbylocatingall thecitiesandplacesthatare
mentiorred during rhe intervicw.
5. Ask students to make oral prese ntations expanding on any topic that was addresscd during the interview.
6. Choose one particular item from the interview and ask students to think of lurther tluestions lor a second visit (if possible).
7. Prepare a trivia question on one oFthe many exotic places brought up during the inrerview.

Contributors: Maria lsabel Freyre, ICANA, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Jennifer Herrin, Senior English Language Fellow, ICANA, Buenos
Aires, Argentina

90
 This is a reflectiue actiui4t to help teaclters get a sense of the
percentage of teacher talh u. student talk in the classroom. If When to Use lt
. To determine balance of classroom activi-
the objectiue in the language class is to get students speaking
ties, especially if the performance ob.iectives
the language, this is a good actiuit! to judge hou mucb time state speaking as one of the objectives
is actually dedicated to that objectiue. r lie give teachers feedback on classroom
activities
Preparation o Ji1 get a sense of classroom atmosphere of a
This is not an activiry that is easy to undertake on onet own. It's Program
much more effective if an observer comes in to note the timing of
teacher talk v. student talk. The distinction is not so easy to de{ine
it is not one or the other, since many other activities could be
Level VVV
-taking place.

Procedure
skills $
1. The observer should be available for the full class period and use
Practice
the observation sheet below It's better if the observer has a watch
with a timer on it and is clear on how to use it. Materials
2. The observer should pay close attention to logging the timing of Timer, otrservation sheet
activities in thc class and not get sidetracked by other possible
foci. Preparation fime
enough time to get familiar with
5 minutes
The sample observation sheet provided below is just one way to col- -
observation sheet
lect information about who is doing the talking in the classroom. It is
laid out with each row representing one minute of class time. A longer Activig fime
sheet with 45 minutes is available for photocopying in the appendix. Full class period whatever it might be
The sheet is meant to be fiiled out each minute to identifi, who is
-
speaking and for what purpose. Possible purposes include: taking at-
tendance, giving instructions, disciplining, pair work activiry group
work, presenting, responding etc. Thlking should be considered more than one-word answers. (see Appendix, page 216)
ltMr I)IJRPOSE Teachcr Talk Srudent liik
To Ti) To To To To
All Group C)ne ,A1l Croup ()n e

l
4

)
6

9
l0
lt
12

1l
l4
r5

Contributor: David Malatesta, Spanish teacher, Niles West High School, Chicago, Illinors

91
 Tbis actiui4t is meant to giue participants a quick oueruiew
of sometbing a book, an article, a magazine, a teach- When to Use lt
- r ff introduce a resource
ing idea, etc. The dctiuiql is "quick" because the skills used r f[ practice skimming & scanning skills
are skimming and scanning, typically for discrete Answers r fo give a sense ofresponsibiliqy to
to a list of questions (approximateb tt"). Participants fnd participanm
the answers to a list of questions written specrfcally about
the particular resource. This skimming and scanning can be Level & W
done as indiuidual work or in groups, with an element of
competition or not. TVte questions should be tailored to the skills {
resource and the information lou taant participants to know
: llN
:;3
about the resource. This is an excellent dctiaiq/ to use wlten Practice
introducing new content, but it is also useful for practicing
Materials
reading skills. Handouts with questions; resource

Preparation Preparation Time

The teacher should prepare a list ofquestions related to the resource 30 minures
(see sample questions on the next page). Enough copies should be
made for the method to be used (one for each individual, one for Activity fime
each group, etc.), or the teacher could write the questions on the l5 minures
board or a flip chart for all to use from there.
Text
Procedure New book website, handou!, article, issue of
1. Either distribute the handout to individuals or put students in FORUM
groups and distribute one handout per group.
2. Be sure students have whatever resource the handout goes with.
3. Give participants an overview of the instructions. (Answer the list of questions as quickly and accurately as you can.)
4. Announce the time limit to the students.
5. Watch the time and go over answers as a class or provide answers for students to check.

Variations
1. Have students write the questions for various resources in groups or as individuals to exchange with other groups/
individuals.
2. Have questions on a screen or overhead. Reveal one question at a time and give groups a limited amount of time to find
and write rhe answer. \7hen the time is up, you can hide that question and move on to the next. Groups will learn to
strategize on writing the gist of the question down to ensure they have it before it disappears.
3. Read the questions to the students and give them a time limit. You can go through each question and see how much time
passes before one group declares they have all the answers.

Contributor: Maria Snarski, RELO Brazil

94
Sample Questions
Below is a generic list of questions that could be used for this exercise. lt's best to tailor the
questions tJ flt the resource and the purpose for introducing the resource. For example, the
following aspects could be helpful to emphasize in the questions: a review section, summary
section, inswer key, charts, graphs, discussion questions, workbook problems, origin of mate-
rial, website references, etc.

1. List the authors of the book.

2. What are their credentials for writing this book?

What year was the book published?

4. What edition is th is?

5. How many chapters are there?

6. Name the standard sections in each chapter.

7. What is the first entry in the index?

o. Who is this book intended for?

9. Find the first image/picture. What does the image show?

10. What chapter appeals to you the most? Why?

95
 This actiui4t helps students improue their reading rates. 7be
gist of the actiuity is to read and reread the text a few times, When to Use lt
r Ji1 promore increa.sed reading rare
trling to train students to readfaster andfurther eacb time. r J[ encourage reading in chunks
7he students are thereby rereading familiar material and o ]e help studenr focus on main ideas over
extending beyond it with subsequent readings. 7he exercise details
does not really emphasize mouing tlte eyes quickly; instead,
the material should be processed and comprehended more Level VVV
fficiently. As students participat in this rate-building ac- Depends on texr chosen

tiuiry, they learn that indeed they can increase their reading
'ry
rates. Skills
Preparation
Identify a text that is at a suitable level for your students. The text
Practice @ =t=
should not include too many new words and grammar beyond their Materials
level. The text should also be at least 700 words in length. Text

Procedure Preparation Time

1. Distribute the text and tell studenrs you will give them one min- l0 minutes
ute to read. They should read for general comprehension, but try
to read quickly. fime
2. At the one-minure mark, instruct students to stop, mark the l0 minutes
place where they stopped, and think about what they read. No
discussion is necessary; students can think about what they read
individually.
3. Tell students they will have another 60 seconds to read the text again from the beginning. They should rry to read more
material during the second 60-second period than the first. -
4. Have students repeat this up to four times, instructing them ro srop berween each reading to reflect on the topic.
5. Have students reflect on their different stopping points to see the degree to which their reading rates increased.

Variations
1. Include comprehension questions.
2. Passages could be scallolded so that the exercise starts with a simple text and the subsequent texts include additional details
which might normally slow down the readers, but should help students distinguish between main ideas and details.

Acknorvledgement: Core activity based on Anderson, N. 1999. lmproving Reading Speed: Activities for the Classroom. English Teaching
Forum 37 11).

96
 Tltis actiuity has been around for a while and is ueryl use-
When to Use lt
ful to get students focused on A new topic for class. Students r f[ set the students' schema before a new
focus on what they know about the tzpic, what they want t0 topic is starrcd
learn, andfnally reflect on what they learned. r Jf help demonstrate to students that they
bring knowledge to class
Preparation r Ji1 encourage students to refect on their
Very iittle preparation is needed for this activiry. The teacher can
coursework
draw the K\ML chart on the board to elicit information from the
students the first time.

K \(/ L
VVV
Level

Skills ry.P
(what I know about this (rvhat I want to krow (what I just learned
subject) about this subject) about this subject)

Practice tf :t:
llt
lil

Materials,
Paper fbr eiart
Procedure Preparation Time
1. Teacher gives the topic ofthe day (for a reading, a unit, a project, None
etc.).
2. Instruct students to create a three-column chart on a papet ActivityTime
labeling the columns K, \7, and L. l0-15 minutes for KW; 10-20 minutes for L
3. In the first column, students should write down builet points of
all the things they know related to the theme introduced.
4. In the second column, they should write down what they want
to learn either to dispel a myth they might have about the theme or expand on what they already know.
5.
-
The nexr srep can be as simple as a reading about the topic, a mor.ie, or even extensive project work.
6. After step five is finished, students revisit their K\[L charts and u.rite down what they learned about the subject.

Variations
i . Students can each be assigned different topics, create KWL charts, and then present their findings to the class orally or in
a poster format as a final step of the project work.

Contributor: Maria Snarski. RELO Brazil

97
 This actiui4t helps prepare students reading by getting
for
tbem to predict details ofthe text througb the title.
When to Use lt
r Jf promote predictions and schema
setting
Preparation o J! give students practice preparing to read
Identify a text that is at a suitable level for your students. Ntlake sure
the text has a title.

Procedure
revel SVV
1. \X/rite the title of the text on the board. ,ry
2. Have students writc five questions they believe a text with this Skills
title should answer.
3. Instruct them to also write at least five vocabulary words they Practice
believe would also be found in a text with this title. Clarify that
the words should be beyond the, a, and, etc.
Materials
Text
4. Disrribute the text for students to read and check their
predictions.
Preparation Time
5. Go over students' predictions and discuss the results and the
5 minutes
main idea of the text.
Activity Time
Variations 15-20 minutes
1. Selected questions and vocabulary words could be u'ritten on the
board and the predictions could be done as a plenary with the
whole class prior to the reading.
2. Students could be grouped to foster collaboration.
3. Ilthetitleisaplayonwords,itcouldbeamodel forstudentstocreatetitlesfbrtextsthatarealsoaplayonwords.

Acknorvledgment: C--orc activitv based on Sequero, W. 1998. A Ready-Made Reading Class: Warming Up for Reading. English Teaching forum
36 (4).

9u
In this actiuity, tlte sentences of a story are cut into sePardte
strips ofpaper, which students need to put into correct order When to Use It
o fi1 practice sequencing
t0 reconstruct the story. Tltis actiuity requires students to Pql o fi review transition words
attention to discourse features such as transition words, use o 16 encourag cooperative learning
of articles and pronouns, and uerb tense. This actiuity ap'
peak to anafittic, holistic, kinesthetic, and uisual learners. Level VVV
Preparation ,ry
The teacher will need to find a text with enough discourse mark- Skills
ers to make the ordering of sentences as unambiguous as possible.
The text should be reryped so that each sentence begins on a neu'
line; the sentences are cut into strips and mixed up before being dis-
Practice @ =il=
tributed to studcnts. Enough copies nced to be made so that every Materials
group can work on the story at the same time. Handour with words blanked out

Procedure Preparation Time

l. Srudents dre put into pairs or groups. 10-45 minutes, depending on text selected
2. Each group is given a set ofstrips.
3. Groups are instructed to put the strips ir-rto order to create a
Activity Tirne
10-20 minutes
complete story.
4. They may be instructed to pay attention to particular discourse
Text
markers, pronouns, or repeated references.
A paragraph, or approximately 50-100 words
5. When students are finished, they can call the teacl.rer to the
group to check.
6. The teacher may need to guide the students to discover any sen-
tences that need to be reordered.

Variations
l. Students can work individually, in pairs, or in groups.
2. Students can be given one particular strip and tasked with one of the options below:
a. They can be asked to jigsaw. In the first group, they work with other students who have the same strip to identifv
relevant discourse features and make predictions about what elements in the story likely precede and follow their par-
ticular sentence. They then break into new groups where each student has a different sentence.
b. Students can be asked to physically move into a line to present the correct order ofthe story. Students can read aloud
their version ofthe story with each student reading his/her particular sentence in turn.
3. Instead of senrences, students can be given drawings or comic strip frames with the words deleted. Students decide on a
good order for the drawings and create a narrative to explain the story behind that order. This activity would not ensure
that the target discourse markers would be used without direct instruction to do so. The final stories could be shared in
writing, orally or visually (displayed in the classroom).

Contributors: Staff at Haw,aii Pacific Universit.v and the Office of English Language Programs

99
 This actiui4t is called a jigsaw afier the popular jigsaw puzzle, in
wbich dffirent pieces with a uarieqt of shapes and colors are ftted When to Use lt
toget/ter to make a complete picture. A jigsatu lzctiuit)r is a coop-
o Ji1 introduce new content
r J[ break up a complex task
eratiue actiuit! tbat inuolues authentic communication in groups
r Jf encourage all students to participate in
for gathering and sharing information. In the frst group, students class discussions
fnd the Answers to particular questions. Students tlten moue to a . lo mlnlmrze teacher talk dme
new grouP where they teach the information or ltnstuers they al- r Ji1 promore crirical rhinking
ready prepared and /earn new information from other members. o J[ introduce longer texts
This is an excellent actiuity to use wben introducing new content,
but it has many otber uses as well. Level V V
Preparation
The teacher must prepare two sets of materials (Sets #1 and #2). The
first set is composed of nvo or more handouts, each with different con-
Skiils & $ 'ry
Content and information processing; critical
tent for each group. The second set is a chart, a set of questions, or a thinkine
handout where students can take notes and compile the inlormation
from all ofthe groups into one place. Practice ttr :l:
llt
ata
1. Set #1 can simply be different paragraphs in a reading. All students
have the reading, but the teacher assigns a particular paragraph to Materials
each group. The group's task is to remember the content from their Multiple handouts
paragraph to compile with information from the other groups later.
In this simple version the teacher doesn't have to prepare anything Preparation Time
special. In activities that require more preparation, the teacher can 30 minutes
photocopy texts from different sources or prepare information
sheets. Students can also bring in information that they have re- ActivityTime
searched to create readings For Set # I . 40-60 minutes: 20+ minutes for Set #l;
2. Set #1 may also include prompts or questions fbr the students to l0+ minutes for Set #2
-lhese
answer as they discuss their texts. questions may be in the
textbook, or the teacher or students may create them. Suggested Text
3. Set #2 can include a chart or a compilation of the separate group R."di"g with 3+ paragraphs
questions. it is possible to create no materials and just ask the stu-
dents to discuss the different information that each brings to the
group with basic guiding instructions (e.g., "Find rhe main idea and
most important details," or 'Answer the six zr,/-questions").

Procedure
1 . Detennine before class how groups will be assigned:
For example, ifthere are 15 students in the class, they could be divided into three groups offive students each to read and discuss
the materials in Set #1. (e.g., Set #1 materials could be three different paragraphs from a three-paragraph text.)
Set #1 reading:
(three groups offive students)
e.s., Pl P2 P3
2. After students are finished reading and discussing, take one student from each group ro form nerv groups. In this example, there
would be five groups of three students. Eacl-r nerv group would now have the complete thrce-paragraph text.
P1. P2. P3 P1, P2, P3 Pl, P2, P3 PI, P2, P3 Pl, P2, P3

3. All studcnts in these new groups get the same Set #2 handout to help them compile the different inFormarion

C-ontributors: Staff at Hawaii Pacific University and the Office of English Language Programs

100
Tltis ls a pre-text actiuity. The aim of this actiuity is to pre'
pare students a text by actiuating their preul-
reading When to Use lt
for r J6 activate students' schema before reading
ous knowledge of tbe topic as wellas language. It is also an
atext
enjoyble actiuity that will make the approach to the text . To work with others
more memornble and therefore will engage learners with tbe
text more successfully. It is a useful kick+tart to top-down rever gV
reading.

Preparation skiils &! Y

Make copies of the text you have selected for your lesson. This can
be authentic or taken from the course book you are currently using Practice tf :l:
all

lla

with your class. Cut up each text any which way (similar to a jigsaw
puzzle), making sure there is one piece of text for every member of Materials
each group. One copy of text (authentic or from course
book) per group of 4-6 students. Scissors.
Procedure
1. Divide learners into groups with the number of students to Preparation Time
5 minutes
match the number ol puzzle pieces. Each group will work with
one text that is cut up.
Activity Time
2. Each group member reads his/her part of the text alone and
Abour l5 minutes (depends on number of stu-
brainstorms the rype oftext, purpose, source, content, etc.
dents/groups in your class)
3. Students in each group discuss what they think the text will be
about based on their piece ofthe whole.
4. If all groups have the same text, thev can report out to the whole
class to compare ideas. The teacher or a student writes the suggestions on the board.
5. Members of e ach group put their bits of text together to recreate the whole text.
6. Students read the whole text in order to refute or confirm predictions they made in Step 2.
7. Students discuss the text and compare them to the predictions on the board'
8. Direct students to the relevant page in the course book or distribute the authentic text to begin with more detailed reading.

Variations
1. Dictate some sentences from the text in random orde r and ask students to try to sequence them and speculate on the con-
tent ofthe text.
2. Crx up the title of the text into separate words. Have groups seqLrence words in the title and predict the content.

Contributors: Silvana Cim6nez Amadeo, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Colegio Mallinckrodt Martinez, Florida Day School, lnternational
House, San lsidro

101
 This is a time-pressured lead-in for a more extensiue actiu-
ity. Studenx are sltotun a list of statements (fact or fction, When to Use lt
. To set students' schema
depending on wltat the lead-in is) and haue 30 seconds to r J! memorize short information to share
memorize assigned portions of the list. Afier the time is up, with orhers
they share their portions with others to put the whole to- . To order information (if statements
getlter. The whole can be the beginning of the more extensiue comprise a srory our of order)
actiuit!.
Level g VV
Preparation
Select the staremenrs to be memorized and creare a numbered list.
Prepare an even number of sraremenrs and prepare to divide the
class into groups containing half the number there are srarements.
Skills & $rf
E.g., if there are ten sraremenrs, tell students ro get in groups of Practice
five and number off one through five. (See sample sratements in
Appendix, page 217.) Materials
Statemenm
Procedure
1. Have students
Preparation Time
get into groups (groups should contain the num-
l0 minutes
ber of students equal to half the total number of statements).
E.g., Five students if there are l0 srarements
2. Have students number offin groups, e.g., one through five. mlnutes
3. Instruct students that they will see ten numbered srarements
on the board. They will have 30 seconds ro memorize their rwo

a. 1s should memorize 1 and 6;

b. 2s should memorize sraremenrs 2 andT;
c. 3s memorize 3 and 8;
d. 4s memorize 4 and 9;
e. 5s memorize 5 and 10.
4. Check the instructions with the students to see if they understand "What are you to memorize?" "How much time do
you have," etc. -
5. Project the statements on the screen. Time the activiry.
6. When the time is up, have groups share their statemenrs orally with each other to put the story together.
7. Move on to the extended activiry reading a longer text, determining if rhe sraremenrs are true/false, e tc.
-
Variations
1. Thestatementscouldtellashortstory;theycouldbeoutoforderwhenprojectedandthestudentscouidtrytoreorderrhe
story after memorizing.
2. The statements could include information about a text that the students will then read, and they could to determine
lvhether the statements are true or false according to the text.

Contributor: Based on the Disappearing Song activity

107
This actiuity is a writing actiuity based on reading. Students
sbare their comments on A text, but build of of preuious When to Use lt
r Ji1 promote interacdon with a text
comments. . To.encourage students to communicate
oplnrons
Preparation r Jf help students learn how to respond to
Identify a text that is at a suitable level for your students. \'XAile
opinions in writing
students could write comments based on iust about any text, the . To practice stating one's opinion and
teacher should be prepared ifthe text chosen is too controversial'
supporting it with examPles

Procedure
I . Divide the class into working groups oF four to seven. Appoint a Level W VV
leader.
2. All students within a group read the same text.
Skins $ 'ilt.t
3. The leader of the group will write the first comment about the
text on a piece ofpaper (or in a notebook or online).
4. The "diary" is passed on to a second member' who will respond Practice Gtr =ii=
to the comment above and the text as well.
Materials
5. The diary passes to each team member in turn for response.
Text

Variations Preparation Time

1. Groups could select their own text under supervision and ap-
5 minutes
proval of the facilitator.
2. Individual entries could be feshed out into longer essays. Activity Time
3. The comments could be done as a wiki/blog entry with team l0 minutes each day or for homework; orally,
members able to add comments in any order. the debate could last for 15-30 minutes
4. The comments could be done orally initially or after the diary
has gone around the group in order to give extra practice.

(3).
Acknowleclgement: Core activity based on Yen-Ren, T. 1 996. Croup Reading Diary. English Teaching Forum 34

103
 In this actiui4t, students are inuited to add dialogue to a
story to change tlte outcome. It focuses on emotional lntell; When to Use lt
o J[ raise awareness of emotional
gence and giues students a chance to imagine hota a storyline
intelligence
could go dffirently. The focus can be on wltat the others . To promore appropriate responses to
could haue said or done to mahe a particular character sensitive situations
feel
better and what the cltaracter could haue said to the otbers r f! practice how co respond to negative
to let them know how he or she utasfeeling. comments

Preparation
Identifl, a text that includes dialogues with bullying, arguing,
Level V V
etc.
Texts can vary greatly from stories for children to novel excerpts or
even song lyrics. skius {,
Procedure Practice
. I Distribute the text (if it is short and will be read in ciass).
2. Go through various key characters from the text. Materials
3. Focus on the character(s) who are involved in the bullying or Text
insulting, or one that is a witness to the incident.
4. Elicit the types of emotions for the character(s) being bullied or
Preparation Time
10 minutes
insulted and have students justi$, their answers.
5. Put the relevant dialogue on the board and elicit some rvays in
Activity Time
which the characrers could change their reactions to the incident 20-40 minutes
to be more positive or helpful.

Variations
1. Have students do the exercise in groups and compare the answers.
2. For more advanced students, news reporrs or transcripts could be used
3. Students could act the situations out with the new scriprs.

Acknorvledgment: Core activity based on Chosn, l. 2001 . Nurturing Emotional lntelligence through Literature. EnglishTeaching Forum 39 (i)

104