Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers CLIPS

Level: Intermediate/Advanced Age: Above 12 Subject: Vocabulary

Make your students find any English words in local newspapers or magazines. The idea is to make them identify the use of these words in the local press. They will be surprised at the quantity of English words used in financial newspapers clips, magazine advertisements or recipes. Make them look up the meaning in the dictionary and make them think why those words are used instead of the local language equivalents.

Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers COLOURING TEXTS

Level: Beginner/Intermediate Age: Under 12 Subject: Reading, skimming and scanning

Distribute copies of any kind of reading text according to the level of the class. First, let the students read the text. Then, ask them to take a coloured marker and colour as many ocurrences of a certain consonant blend as possible (for example, "sp"). Give them two or three minutes to perform this task. Make them count the ocurrences. The student with the correct amount wins a point. Repeat the activity with another consonant blend and using a different colour. A variation if this activity consists of making the students mark all the nouns with one colour, then the verbs with another colours, the adjectives with a third colour and the adverbs with a fourth colour. Again, make them count each category and the student who gets the correct amount wins

Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers MEANINGS

Level: Beginner/Intermediate Age: All Subject: Guessing the meaning

The teacher looks up a word in the dictionary that nobody knows what it means and writes it on the board. Each student (or in pairs) has to write a definition for the word on a slip of paper. All papers are handed to the teacher. The teacher reads aloud all definitions written by the students. The one that is closest to the dictionary definition wins the game.

NO VOWELS
Level: Beginner/Intermediate Age: Under 12 Subject: Reading

This is a very simple activity to improve reading comprehension. Write a phrase on the board leaving out all the vowels. Students have to fill in the missing letters to guess the phrase. For example: L-t's r--d th- n-wsp-p-r Wh- -s th- m--n ch-r-ct-r -n th-s b--k?

You can also write orders and the students have to perform the action. The first one to do it correctly wins a point. For example: -p-n y--r b--ks R--s- y--r l-ft h-nd

PREDICTION
Level: Beginner/Intermediate Age: All Subject: Reading, predicting

You can use any kind of reading material for this activity. However, short stories have better results. The teacher reads aloud a part of the story and suddenly stops at a certain point. It may be the end of the page, the end of a phrase or the end of a chapter. The students have to guess what happens next in the story. Let their imagination fly! The student who guesses wins a point. You can also distribute a copy of the story but do not give out the last page. The students have to imagine the ending and write it. Then, give them the remaining page for them to read the real ending.

THE CORRECT ORDER

Level: Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Age: Above 12 Subject: Logical connectors in a text

Take a reading text from a course book, newspaper, magazine or Internet. Make copies for every two students. Cut the paragraphs into chunks. Make an introduction to the subject of the article. Distribute the chunks to each pair of students. They have to rearrange the text in order. Try to look for a text with easy-to-find connectors or with a logical structure that would make rearranging the texts a useful task.

Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers

Level: Intermediate Age: Above 12 We thank Francisco Cerrillo (a teacher from Madrid, Spain) for sending this activity.

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THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGGS

A Man and his Wife had the good fortune to possess a Goose which laid a Golden Egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough, and, imagining the bird must be made of gold inside, they decided to kill it in order to secure the whole store of precious metal at once. But when they cut it open they found it was just like any other goose. Thus, they neither got rich all at once, as they had hoped, nor enjoyed any longer the daily addition to their wealth. Much wants more and loses all.

Verdadero o Falso? A man and his wife had a good fortune. The goose laid a golden egg, every week. The goose was of solid gold inside. The goose was like any other goose. His wife wanted to kill the goose to obtain all the eggs at once. The eggs, the goose laid were of solid gold.

The man did not want to kill the goose. The man and his wife wanted to became rich. Gold is a precious metal. The man and his wife kill the goose. The man and his wife had many animals. The man and his wife wanted to be rich quickly. The man and his wife thought the goose was made of solid gold. The goose was like any other goose. The man and his wife were poor. The goose laid more than one egg every day. The goose possessed a lot of metal eggs. The goose cut it self open. The goose had a store of golden eggs. The man and his wife got rich when they cut the goose open.

Relaciona las siguientes palabras con algo que recuerdes del texto. bird cut daily decided egg fortune gold golden goose hoped imagining kill laid longer lucky metal once other possess precious rich think wants wealth whole wife

Separa el siguiente texto. AMANANDHISWIFEHADTHEGOODFORTUNETOPOSSESSAGOOSE WHICHLAIDAGOLDENEGGEVERYDAY LUCKYTHOUGHTHEYWERETHEYSOONBEGANTOTHINK THEYWERENOTGETTINGRICHFASTENOUGH ANDIMAGININGTHEBIRDMUSTBEMADEOFGOLDINSIDE THEYDECIDEDTOKILLIT INORDERTOSECURETHEWHOLESTOREOFPRECIOUSMETALATONCE BUTWHENTHEYCUTITOPEN THEYFOUNDITWASJUSTLIKEANYOTHERGOOSE THUSTHEYNEITHERGOTRICHALLATONCEASTHEYHADHOPED NORENJOYEDANYLONGERTHEDAILYADDITIONTOTHEIRWEALTH

Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers

Level: Intermediate Age: Above 12 We thank Francisco Cerrillo (a teacher from Madrid, Spain) for sending this activity.

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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA CHAPTER 1

Who said this: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, C.S Lewis? Allow me to introduce myself.

And who are you to say when I'm to go to bed? But I've never seen a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve before. But you are - forgive me - you are what they call a girl? But they aren't countries at all, almost laughing. By the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. Daughter of Eve from the far land of Spare Oom, how would it be if you had tea with me? Farewell, Daughter of Eve, perhaps I may keep the handkerchief? Good evening. Go to bed yourself. Goodness gracious me! I don't want to be inquisitive. I am delighted. Delighted, delighted, it went on. I wrote this story for you. I think you are a very good Faun. You are the nicest Faun I've ever met. I'm here, she shouted. I'm here. I've come back, I'm all right. I'm going to explore in the house. I don't think you're a bad Faun at all. It's she who makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that! It's only just back there - at least - I'm not sure. It is summer there. Meanwhile, it is winter in Narnia, and has been for ever so long. No, I'm a bad Faun. I don't suppose there ever was a worse Faun since the beginning of the world. Of course it would be raining! Oh - oh - you wouldn't say that if you knew. That's what I am. I'm in the pay of the White Witch. The White Witch? Who is she? This is the land of Narnia. Trying to talk like Mother. We must go as quietly as we can. What do you mean? What's that noise? Why, it is she who has got all Narnia under her thumb. You are already too old for fairy tales. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. You are the child.

Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers

Level: Beginner Age: Above 12 We thank Francisco Cerrillo (a teacher from Madrid, Spain) for sending this idea.

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ADVERBS OF TIME
Choose the word from the list that matches the definition. after always before during lately never often rarely recently sometimes soon today tomorrow usually yesterday

At all times. At no time. At times; now and then. Behind in place or order. Earlier in time. In the recent past. In the near future. Many times; frequently. Not long ago; recently. Not often; infrequently. On or for the day following today. On the day before the present day.

The present day, time, or age. Throughout the course or duration of. Under normal conditions.

Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers

Level: Beginner/Intermediate Age: Above 12

We offer some activities based on the lyrics of this song. We thank Francisco Cerrillo (a teacher from Madrid, Spain) for sending this idea.

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ANNIE LENOX - HEAVEN

Find the words in the song that mean: 1. A difficulty that is likely to impede operation, as in a plan or system. 2. An eternal state of communion with God. 3. The muscular organ in vertebrates that pumps blood. 4. A place where one lives; a residence. 5. The inhabitants of the earth; the human race. 6. A deep place in a body of water. 7. A star that is the basis of the solar system. 8. A source of regularly occurring pulses used to measure the passage of time. 9. A brief composition written or adapted for singing. 10. The surface of the front of the head from the top of the forehead to the base of the chin and from ear to ear. 11. A drinking vessel. 12. Water frozen solid. 13. A series of connected railroad cars pulled or pushed by one or more locomotives. 14. An upright structure of wood, plaster, or other building material serving to enclose, divide, or protect an area. 15. An airplane or hydroplane.

Here are the lyrics: Annie Lenox - Heaven Heaven is the home of the hearts. And heaven don't tear you apart. There's too many kinks, wanna hold you down. And the world is a window gone underground. There's a hole in the sky where the sun don't shine. And a clock on the wall and it counts my time. There's a song on the air with a love-you-line. And a face in a glass and it looks like mine. And I'm standing on ice when I say that I don't hear planes. And I scream at the fools, wanna jump my train. Heaven can take you up, take you high, Take you up to the place Where you're gonna find peace. Peace in your heart. You don't have to suffer.

Ideas and tips for EFL/ESL teachers

Level: Intermediate/Advanced Age: Above 16 We thank Francisco Cerrillo (a teacher from Madrid, Spain) for sending this idea.

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BRAINTEASERS
Add 1 or 2 letters or just put the word given in order to form a new word that matches the definition. Used to indicate a specified place or time as a starting point. WAY Having the qualities that are desirable or distinguishing in a particular thing. DOG One, some, every, or all without specification. AN In no particular direction. BOAT In a circle or with a circular motion. ROUND To desire greatly; wish for. ANT In what state or condition. WHO To regard as true beyond doubt. NOW To place in a specified location; set. UP In addition; also. TO To get into one's possession by force, skill, or artifice. ATE At or in what place. HERE Each and all members of a group without exception. VERY The fourth in a set or sequence. FOR At or to a distance in space or time. WAY Having lived or existed for a relatively long time. DO Used as a modifier before a noun. HEIR At or in this place. HER To say in a loud voice; announce. ALL Behind in place or order. AFT In a good or proper manner. WE To decide by reasoning, reflection, or pondering. THIN To give assistance to; aid. HE

To cause to exist or happen; bring about. ME To be in the state of sleep. SEE The cardinal number equal to 5 + 1. IS