Damaged text
Aim of the activity
To promote the development of intensive reading skills and raise awareness of text organisation. To check comprehension.
Preparation
Choose a piece of text and make one copy for each student or pair of students with the ending of each line missing. You can do this by photocopying the text and then cutting the
page off down the right-hand side or by concealing the endings on the master copy with a piece of paper. (The more you cut off, the more difficult this exercise becomes.)
Choose a piece of text and make one copy for each student or pair of students with the ending of each line missing. You can do this by photocopying the text and then cutting the
page off down the right-hand side or by concealing the endings on the master copy with a piece of paper. (The more you cut off, the more difficult this exercise becomes.)
Procedure
Tell the students that they are going to read a passage, but that you have accidentally cut off the endings of each line. Their job is to finish off the lines so that the text makes sense.
When they have done that, they should compare results.
Check answers open class. Compare the students’ answers with the actual words missing from the text.
Discuss mistakes as well as any acceptable variations the students may offer.
Story reordering
Tell the students that they are going to read a passage, but that you have accidentally cut off the endings of each line. Their job is to finish off the lines so that the text makes sense.
When they have done that, they should compare results.
Check answers open class. Compare the students’ answers with the actual words missing from the text.
Discuss mistakes as well as any acceptable variations the students may offer.
Story reordering
Aim of the activity
To raise awareness of text organisation through the use of cohesive and lexical devices.
Preparation
You could use the example reading text about ‘Shopping for jeans’ from English File 2 workbook, given out in the session. However, any story with clear development can be used. Chop up copies of the article into segments. For clarity, don’t have any more than 7 sections. Split the class into groups and hand out a chopped up copy to each group. Make sure each student has one or two parts of the story and tell them to keep the segment hidden from other members of their group.
You could use the example reading text about ‘Shopping for jeans’ from English File 2 workbook, given out in the session. However, any story with clear development can be used. Chop up copies of the article into segments. For clarity, don’t have any more than 7 sections. Split the class into groups and hand out a chopped up copy to each group. Make sure each student has one or two parts of the story and tell them to keep the segment hidden from other members of their group.
Procedure
Students take turns to read the sections they have and then re-assemble the text by standing in the correct order and then reading aloud to the class to check. Students still must not look at other students’ segments! Checking at this stage should only be oral. The first group to stand in the right order is the winner. The correct order is then placed on the OHP for all students to check and references and linkers between paragraphs can be highlighted.
Students take turns to read the sections they have and then re-assemble the text by standing in the correct order and then reading aloud to the class to check. Students still must not look at other students’ segments! Checking at this stage should only be oral. The first group to stand in the right order is the winner. The correct order is then placed on the OHP for all students to check and references and linkers between paragraphs can be highlighted.
10 questions
Aim of the activity
A pre-reading task creating student interest in the topic.
Preparation
You just need a text with an interesting title in front of you.
You just need a text with an interesting title in front of you.
Procedure
Put the title on the board. The students must now ask you 10 ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to find out what the article is about. You keep a record of how many questions they have asked and if the activity becomes too difficult you can add key words from the article to guide them. The aim is to beat the teacher and get the gist of the article before the 10 questions are finished.
Put the title on the board. The students must now ask you 10 ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to find out what the article is about. You keep a record of how many questions they have asked and if the activity becomes too difficult you can add key words from the article to guide them. The aim is to beat the teacher and get the gist of the article before the 10 questions are finished.
Word bingo
Aim of the activity
To set the scene and raise students’ interest in the article. To help students choose, listen for and identify key words in a text.
Preparation
Text in front of you and copies for the students.
Text in front of you and copies for the students.
Procedure
Students firstly should have a general idea of what the article is about. Hence this activity is a good follow-on from “10 questions”. Students predict and write down 9 nouns that they think will appear in the text, in a bingo grid.
The teacher then reads out part of the text and when students hear their word they can cross it out. The first student with 3 in a line shouts bingo, the game continues and the first student to get all 9 words then shouts bingo. If you want the game to be more controlled the teacher can put a selection of words up on the board for the students to choose from. Afterwards the text is handed out and students can check it by reading through.
Students firstly should have a general idea of what the article is about. Hence this activity is a good follow-on from “10 questions”. Students predict and write down 9 nouns that they think will appear in the text, in a bingo grid.
The teacher then reads out part of the text and when students hear their word they can cross it out. The first student with 3 in a line shouts bingo, the game continues and the first student to get all 9 words then shouts bingo. If you want the game to be more controlled the teacher can put a selection of words up on the board for the students to choose from. Afterwards the text is handed out and students can check it by reading through.
Text prediction
Aim of the activity
A pre-reading task to engage the students’ interest. Formulating questions and skimming an article.
Preparation
Copies of the text for you and the students.
Copies of the text for you and the students.
Put the article title or headline on the board. I use Russian survives snooze on train track as an example. The students write 5 questions they hope will be answered when the read the article. For instance: Why was the Russian snoozing?
How long did he sleep for? Did he get hit by a train? Students check the grammatical accuracy of their questions in pairs and then the article can be handed out for them to check if their questions were answered.
Whispering dictation
Aim of the activity
A fun multi-skilled activity that helps students to focus on listening, pronunciation, writing and spelling.
A fun multi-skilled activity that helps students to focus on listening, pronunciation, writing and spelling.
Preparation
A short, fun text is needed for this activity. One of the above pre-reading tasks should be done as a lead-in.
A short, fun text is needed for this activity. One of the above pre-reading tasks should be done as a lead-in.
Procedure
Students are put into pairs. One from each pair takes the article and keeps it hidden at all times from their partner. They then sit directly facing their partner and whisper the text to their partner as clearly as they can. The other student must write down what they hear. The whispering student can stop, clarify and repeat words and segments. The aim of the activity is for the other student to write down the complete text as accurately as possible.
After 5 minutes the teacher says ‘change’ and the students must swap roles. The first pair to finish with the fewest mistakes is the winner.
This whispering dictation is a good way of bringing noise levels down in a loud classroom.
Alternative procedures include:
Running dictation, where the article is posted up on the walls and student A runs back and forth from student B remembering and dictating chunks of the sentences. Student A cannot remove the article from its position on the other side of the classroom.
Shouting dictation this activity is very noisy and suitable for classes of shy and quiet students who don’t like speaking loudly in English. Student A stands with the text against the far wall and Student B stands against the nearest wall with notepad and pen. Student A then shouts the text at his opposite partner and s/he writes down what s/he hears asking for clarification as necessary. It’s best if there are two or three different texts being dictated at the same time otherwise it becomes too difficult for the students to focus on their partner’s voice! Have fun!
Students are put into pairs. One from each pair takes the article and keeps it hidden at all times from their partner. They then sit directly facing their partner and whisper the text to their partner as clearly as they can. The other student must write down what they hear. The whispering student can stop, clarify and repeat words and segments. The aim of the activity is for the other student to write down the complete text as accurately as possible.
After 5 minutes the teacher says ‘change’ and the students must swap roles. The first pair to finish with the fewest mistakes is the winner.
This whispering dictation is a good way of bringing noise levels down in a loud classroom.
Alternative procedures include:
Running dictation, where the article is posted up on the walls and student A runs back and forth from student B remembering and dictating chunks of the sentences. Student A cannot remove the article from its position on the other side of the classroom.
Shouting dictation this activity is very noisy and suitable for classes of shy and quiet students who don’t like speaking loudly in English. Student A stands with the text against the far wall and Student B stands against the nearest wall with notepad and pen. Student A then shouts the text at his opposite partner and s/he writes down what s/he hears asking for clarification as necessary. It’s best if there are two or three different texts being dictated at the same time otherwise it becomes too difficult for the students to focus on their partner’s voice! Have fun!
Collocation deletion activity
Aim of activity
Noticing the importance of strong and weak collocations in texts.
Photocopies of text A and text B. Descriptions of holiday destinations are good because they are rich in collocation. Thick black pens or correction fluid is also needed.
Procedure
Half the class gets text A and the other half gets text B. In A and B groups the students must black or white out half of a strong collocation within the text. After 10 words have been deleted from view the students then swap their texts. Groups A and B now have a word gap activity created for them by the other group and now they have to write the correct word back into the gaps. The aim of the activity is to get as many words correct as possible. Afterwards hand out a complete copy of the texts for students to check. The teacher can write up on the board any disparities and see if these alternative collocations are also valid.
Half the class gets text A and the other half gets text B. In A and B groups the students must black or white out half of a strong collocation within the text. After 10 words have been deleted from view the students then swap their texts. Groups A and B now have a word gap activity created for them by the other group and now they have to write the correct word back into the gaps. The aim of the activity is to get as many words correct as possible. Afterwards hand out a complete copy of the texts for students to check. The teacher can write up on the board any disparities and see if these alternative collocations are also valid.
Punctuate a text
Aim of the activity
To focus on sentence structure and punctuation.
Preparation
Choose a short text. Rewrite it with all punctuation taken out.
Choose a short text. Rewrite it with all punctuation taken out.
Procedure
Ask the students to work in pairs.
Give each pair of students a copy of the text and ask them to punctuate it.
Compare results.
Give each pair of students a copy of the original text and ask them to correct their own version.
Ask the students to work in pairs.
Give each pair of students a copy of the text and ask them to punctuate it.
Compare results.
Give each pair of students a copy of the original text and ask them to correct their own version.
Best guess/ Funny guess!
Aim
To heighten motivation for reading an article of interest.
Preparation
Cut out a number of headlines (at least one for every two learners). In each one choose an interesting word to remove. For example “Schools flush out cheating ”) Glue the gapped headline at the top of a piece of paper with two columns.
Procedure
1) The pages are passed around the class.
2) In the first column pairs should write their best guess at a possible word for each gap; in the second column they write a funny guess.
3) Students pass their piece of paper to the next pair who has to fill in the gaps with their own ideas.
4) Once the students have completed all the gapped headlines, they can compare answers
Cut out a number of headlines (at least one for every two learners). In each one choose an interesting word to remove. For example “Schools flush out cheating ”) Glue the gapped headline at the top of a piece of paper with two columns.
Procedure
1) The pages are passed around the class.
2) In the first column pairs should write their best guess at a possible word for each gap; in the second column they write a funny guess.
3) Students pass their piece of paper to the next pair who has to fill in the gaps with their own ideas.
4) Once the students have completed all the gapped headlines, they can compare answers
and choose the best or funniest choices.
5) The class could go on to predict the contents of the articles and maybe read a whole article of their choice.
5) The class could go on to predict the contents of the articles and maybe read a whole article of their choice.
Scrunched-up stories
Aim
A fun group activity to encourage students to make reasoned guesses about the content of an article.
Preparation
Choose and cut out a number of longer stories of at least half a page in length. Scrunch up the pages into a ball so that’s it’s impossible to read everything.
Procedure
1) Give one of these text-balls to each group, who can look all around it but may not touch or open it.
2) Their task is to guess what the story is and write a one sentence summary of what they
1) Give one of these text-balls to each group, who can look all around it but may not touch or open it.
2) Their task is to guess what the story is and write a one sentence summary of what they
think their article is about.
3) Collect these summaries in and then redistribute them.
4) Groups now look at different texts around the room trying to work out which summary goes with each text.
5) Text-balls could be un-scrunched to find out how well the students guessed the full stories.
3) Collect these summaries in and then redistribute them.
4) Groups now look at different texts around the room trying to work out which summary goes with each text.
5) Text-balls could be un-scrunched to find out how well the students guessed the full stories.
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