We put this into practice ourselves with a listening on some research about the "Benefits of Reading". Reading a book for just 3.5 hours a week could help you live longer.
(Funnily enough I read the story on the net not long ago, it was an article from The Independent that has gone viral in facebook on this topic: how reading contributes to longevity.)
After listening to the research the students get together and compare notes. After that there are several possibilities to create activities technology driven: text jumble, sentence building, jumbled sentences, gap filling
"Listen a minute" is a site with examples of these type of activities.
The pros of the activity: reasons for listening and taking notes, and after that good way of recycling vocabulary and structures.
Possible follow up tasks: Students get together and are requested
- to design a class survey
- to create a storyboard about the books they have just read (WallWisher)
- to recommend a book they have just read (
- to write a book review
- to find some research on internet and present statistics
Breaking News English another interesting website .
Dictogloss: a type of activity that glamorizes dictation. The teacher reads a story once while students take notes, teacher reads the text again, students take more notes and compare in pairs, then in little groups have to rewrite the whole text. Finally they compare with the original.
Here is a good story I found in the British Council to be used for this kind of activity. It is a listening activity with a vocabulary purpose as it focuses on learning some collocations that upper-intermediate students are expected to learn.
I met my ex-husband in 1995; we fell in love at first sight. We had a fantastic relationship for three happy years. Then, on our third anniversary, he proposed and we got married six months later. At first, everything was perfect; we both did the housework together; I did the washing-up and made the beds and he did the cooking and the shopping. He always made a mess when he did the cooking, but I didn’t mind because the dinners were always delicious.
Everything changed after a few years when he got a new job in
Manchester; we made the decision to move there, so he wouldn’t have to
take the train to work every day. He started working later and paying
less attention to me. He stopped doing the housework, so I had to do
everything. He made a lot of promises but then he would break them. He
was very stressed and he started to go bald, he got very depressed about
this and started getting drunk after work. I was getting very worried
about him. He would always come home drunk and make a mess. Then, one
day, while I was cleaning his clothes, something caught my attention. It
was a lipstick stain on his shirt. I got very angry; he was keeping a
secret from me! That night when he came home, I confronted him and he
broke the news to me: he had been having an affair. It broke my heart. I
kicked him out of the house and we got divorced two weeks later.
Text with gaps:
I met my ex-husband in 1995; we ____ in love at first sight. We ___ a fantastic relationship for three happy years. Then, on our third anniversary, he proposed and we ___ married six months later. At first, everything was perfect; we both ___ the housework together; I ___ the washing-up and ____ the beds and he ___ the cooking and the _______. He always ____ a mess when he ___ the cooking, but I didn’t mind because the dinners were always delicious.
Everything changed after a few years when he ___ a new job in Manchester; we ____ the decision to move there, so he wouldn’t have to ____ the train to work every day. He started working later and ______ less attention to me. He stopped _____ the housework, so I had to __ everything. He ____ a lot of ______ but then he would _____ them. He was very stressed and he started to ___ bald, he ___ very depressed about this and started ______ drunk after work. I was ______ very worried about him. He would always come home drunk and ____ a mess. Then, one day, while I was cleaning his clothes, something ______ my attention. It was a lipstick stain on his shirt. I ___ very angry; he was _____ a secret from me! That night when he ____ home, I confronted him and he _____ the news to me: he had been ______ an affair. It _____ my heart. I kicked him out of the house and we ___ divorced two weeks later.
Text with gaps:
I met my ex-husband in 1995; we ____ in love at first sight. We ___ a fantastic relationship for three happy years. Then, on our third anniversary, he proposed and we ___ married six months later. At first, everything was perfect; we both ___ the housework together; I ___ the washing-up and ____ the beds and he ___ the cooking and the _______. He always ____ a mess when he ___ the cooking, but I didn’t mind because the dinners were always delicious.
Everything changed after a few years when he ___ a new job in Manchester; we ____ the decision to move there, so he wouldn’t have to ____ the train to work every day. He started working later and ______ less attention to me. He stopped _____ the housework, so I had to __ everything. He ____ a lot of ______ but then he would _____ them. He was very stressed and he started to ___ bald, he ___ very depressed about this and started ______ drunk after work. I was ______ very worried about him. He would always come home drunk and ____ a mess. Then, one day, while I was cleaning his clothes, something ______ my attention. It was a lipstick stain on his shirt. I ___ very angry; he was _____ a secret from me! That night when he ____ home, I confronted him and he _____ the news to me: he had been ______ an affair. It _____ my heart. I kicked him out of the house and we ___ divorced two weeks later.
Lecture Programme
Today is Wednesday so this is a much shorter session as in the evening there is a talk by a guest speaker. Today, Jeremy Harmer on coursebooks "Back between covers". Watch the talk at Nile online library.
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