Listening Videos

Here’s what you do:
Click on the video below.
Watch the video, and pay attention to it! (You can pause and rewind the video.)
Answer the listening comprehension questions below the video.

QUESTIONS:

1. At the beginning of the clip, one of the boys tells his friend _____________.
to stop the car
to walk into the supermarket
a joke

2. The woman who is chasing her shopping cart yells out for someone to ______________.
call the police
grab the cart
stop the boys

3. What does the teddy bear supposedly “tell” the girl?
To be cool
To go get her parents
To stay in school

4. What does the boy with the sunglasses want to do?
To make the other boy crash into something
To pull the gum out of the other boy’s mouth
To scare the other boy

5. After the boys start running, one of them wonders ______________.
why they’re running
why they did what they did
why they keep filming what they do

Check your answers. (http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/eslvideo/)

Listening Videos

Here’s what you do:
Click on the video below.
Watch the video, and pay attention to it! (You can pause and rewind the video.)
Answer the listening comprehension questions below the video.

QUESTIONS:

1. Loki is ______________ the “cage” he’s in.
not impressed by
ambivalent to
impressed by

2. The cage was supposedly built for ______________.
someone as strong as Loki
someone stronger than Loki
someone much weaker than Loki

3. Loki refers to the Hulk as a “mindless ______________”.
man
creature
beast

4. Which of the following does Nick (the man with the eye patch) NOT accuse Loki of?
Killing for financial profit
Threatening to start a war
Stealing

5. Loki _____________ Nick’s plans for humanity.
respects
mocks
wants to understand

Check your answers.(http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/eslvideo/)

Listening Video

Here’s what you do:
Click on the video below.
Watch the video, and pay attention to it! (You can pause and rewind the video.)
Answer the listening comprehension questions below the video.

QUESTIONS:

1. According to the black cat, how often does Bolt (the dog) leave the movie set?
Two times a week
Never
Once a month

2. Are the cats really evil?
No, they’re just pretending to be evil to have fun with Bolt
Yes
The skinny one is evil, but the fat one isn’t

3. Who is the cats’ boss?
The “green man”
The “green eyed man”
Bolt

4. The black cat thinks that Bolt’s message to the “green eyed man” _____________________.
is too long
is not very nice
is not necessary

5. What does the term “she’s a goner” mean?
She is not around
She is not reliable
She’s doomed

Check your answers.(http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/eslvideo/)

Listening Video.

Here’s what you do:
Click on the video below.
Watch the video, and pay attention to it! (You can pause and rewind the video.)
Answer the listening comprehension questions below the video.

QUESTIONS:

1. How many giant pandas is James allowed to give away?
Two per day
None
Three per day

2. Which department does James want to work in?
rides
games
food

3. When the man says that James looks like more like a “games guy”, he means that ____________________.
James looks like he plays a lot of video games
James would fit in better in the games “section”
James looks like he plays mind games with people

4. The general rule at the amusement park is that ___________________.
nothing is free
you can let your friends ride for free
you can let family members ride for free

5. The man ______________________.
seems somewhat interested in James’ resume
wants to take a look at James’ resume
doesn’t really care about James’ resume

Check your answers.(http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/eslvideo/)

Information gaps – ESL speaking activities

Award interview speaking activity – Here, students interview each other in order to give out awards. The teacher does not control the information gap so students are free to ask about past experiences, habits, etc. This freer practice is far more motivating than many rigid information gaps because the students control the discourse.

Raiders of the Lost Ark info – I use this one when using my Raiders of the Lost Ark lesson plans which replace New Interchange 2 unit 11. This information gap practices passive and active voice (mostly past simple passive, 1 past simple active, 1 past perfect, 2 present simple questions).

Tigers – This activity is a warmer for the retelling of a Korean folk story (can be changed to any type of folk story), which practices the narrative tenses.

TESOL evaluation for speaking activities

Oral exam rubric – I used to use this rubric when giving oral tests to college freshmen. Grammar, vocabulary, fluency, listening & discourse, voice & pronunciation are covered.

ESL oral test guide – This helped students understand how they would be graded during oral exams.

Group discussion topic speaking activities

Gender roles discussion questions – Discussion questions (following an information gap warm-up) about sex-typing and gender roles.

Christmas discussion questions – Questions to facilitate discussing Christmas in groups.

Find someone who… ESL speaking activities

Find Someone Who… had a good summer vacation – definitely best for students coming back from summer break.

likes and dislikes – practices question formation, talking about likes and dislikes, enjoy +ing, like +infinitive, and like +noun.

vacations like you! – This activity can be used with New Interchange 2 unit 5 and practices question forms (Have you ever…? Do you like…?). This is a warmer for a communicative internet activity in which students plan vacations in pairs.

is like Indiana Jones – grammar wise, this works well with New Interchange 2 unit 4 but I use this one when showing clips from Raiders of the Lost Ark. This Find someone who… practices present perfect and follow up questions.

is continuously progressing! – This one was designed to go with New Interchange 2 unit 12 and practices question forms with the progressive (continuous) forms of the past perfect, past, and present.

is continuously progressing (updated) – Very similar to the speaking activity listed directly above but with some changes I feel make it a little better.

is interested or interesting – This activity can work with New Interchange 2 unit 13 to practice relative clauses, -ing and -ed adjectives, and follow up questions.

thinks about Korea. – This activity works especially well with Korean students doing New Interchange 3 unit 15. It practices question forms, expressing opinions, and passive modals.

manages time well – This practices question formation but is also important in that it gets students talking about time management.

converses with you – I use this activity to supplement Conversation Strategies unit 1 and practice question forms, rejoinders, and follow up questions.

Find someone who… – A general find someone who that I use with new classes.

Role-plays – ESL speaking activities

Intercultural communication conflict resolution – a roleplay for introducing and practicing the 4 cross cultural conflict resolution steps.

Personal questions – students practice conflict resolution when one asks questions that are considered personal in the other’s culture.

Eating in Korea – an American is surprised to find that in Korea people share one bowl of soup.

First date – A Canadian man and a Korean woman face some cultural differences about who should pay for he first date.

Neighbors at odds – this roleplay helps students practice complaining, making requests, making excuses, and denying requests.

Unbelievable story – This activity helps students practice narrative tenses, story telling, and expressing disbelief.

Taxi court – This works well with Culture Watch unit 3 and practices past simple, past continuous, making complaints, and defending oneself. It can be used outside the context of the book and is best suited for college students and older.

Restaurant interview – This speaking activity works well with New Interchange 2 unit 10 and helps students practice present perfect, interviewing, and being interviewed.

Land mine press conference (opens a new window) – This one practices asking questions, and helps to raise awareness about land mines.

Writing Topics for Grades 9-12

The next wave of personal communication
Greed
Alone on a desert island
Let’s push alternative sources of energy.
______ is like a boomerang.
How it would feel to walk in space
ItÂ’s a rule, so it’s right . . . right?
What invention would you like to see in your lifetime?
Why appearance is not so important
How I express myself artistically
Is pollution a necessary evil?
What different colors mean to me
Why are soap operas so popular?
I take some things too seriously.
How do people who are in constant pain cope?
Is this love?
Foods I love, foods I hate
Tools I’ll need in my intended profession
Why are some people so cruel?
What animals can teach humans
Self-esteem
Sometimes, adults seem . . .
My dream car
The idea hit me like a tornado.
My Web site
If I were a superhero, I’d be . . .
Something this school really needs is . . .
What do I do to break routine?
My craziest experience in a restaurant or shopping mall
The hardest thing I’ve ever done
My first encounter with a bully
Let’s hear it for my favorite senior citizen.
The toys I’ll never give up
A friend who moved away
I couldn’t believe that my mother volunteered me for that job.
Putting my foot in my mouth
What if school sports were dropped?
Who knows me best?
What do I worry about?
My muscles were so sore after . . .
What do we Americans do well?
“Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”
I admit it; I enjoy professional wrestling.
An unforgettable dream
My worst vacation
A “visit” to a hospital, doctor’s office, or dentist’s office
Coping with brothers and sisters
A typical evening at home
Morning madness
When I was a discipline problem
A meaningful gift I’ve given or received
We all make mistakes.
Why do I deserve the job?
My brother (or sister) made me so mad!
Hanging out
Something this school really needs is . . .
Why are soap operas so popular?
I take some things too seriously.
What do I do to break routine?

Writing Topics for Grades 6-8

Here’s what a new student needs to know about my school.
Why weekends should be longer
A narrow escape from trouble
What I’ve broken or lost that belongs to someone else
My first friend
A visit to a relative’s house
My chores
A dedicated teacher or coach
When I was lost
My idea of a fun weekend
A school field trip
I’ve done something no one else has done.
I’m principal for the day. Here’s my schedule of events.
A typical lunch hour
If only I would have listened!
How could TV be better?
My favorite neighbor
My bedroom from top to bottom
A memorable bus ride
My best class ever
My first concert
Finally, a good assembly
If I could be someone else, I would be . . .
The most fun I’ve had recently
A toy I’ve held onto all these years
A trip to a space station
The wildest hairstyle I’ve ever seen
What’s good about hard work?
A cool store
Why parents should be honest with their kids
Dear Senator:
Why school fund-raisers are important
My favorite singer(s)
Rights that kids in my grade should have
What a house of the future will look like
My participation in an outside-of-school activity
How I picture myself four years from now
Can farmers grow enough food for everyone?
The worst food I ever ate
Summer in a cabin by a lake
How I can change the way I look
We couldn’t stop laughing!
We got caught!
A toy, stuffed animal, or game that once meant a lot to me
Why I deserve a larger allowance
The book that got me hooked on reading
This really bugs me.
One thing I want to do by the time I finish 8th grade
I would like to have lived during this time in history.

Writing Topics for Grade 4-5

Building a fort
Going to the dentist
What it’s like to use a wheelchair
Looking at a globe
An excellent birthday party
Gone fishing!
Rings on her fingers
Pizza is . . .
Why my mom and dad are the greatest
Getting my first pair of glasses
Summer games
What I use a computer for
My favorite form of exercise
How to stop hiccups
A trip in a submarine
A special photograph
Creatures that live in the ocean
A cartoon character I like
Things I see when I take a walk
Why I like/dislike playing team sports
Discovering a new friend
How we divide the chores at my house
Grandma’s attic
I’d like to invent a machine that . . .
My favorite clothes
Staying at a friend’s house
A special secret place
When I was upside down
What if we suddenly had to move?
My most embarrassing moment
Talk about being scared!
Do I want to be famous?
Creepy, crawly things
What if I were the teacher?
I’ll never eat another . . .
My biggest surprise
This school really needs . . .
The first day of school is the worst/best.
A pet sitter needs special instructions to care for my pet.
Doing homework
A song that means a lot to me
My best day
A day in the life of my pet
I don’t understand why . . .
Dirt bikes and in-line skates
A visit to a friend’s school
What is important to me?
A terrible storm
Me and the outdoors
My first school memories