WebEnglish.se has tried a method to get all the students in a diverse class (abilities in A2-B1) to follow the lesson and improve their English without getting bored either way. No preparation time needed.
In BreakingNewsEnglish.com the news items are presented on several levels, starting from 0 (year 5-6) upwards.
1. Choose a news item that has starting level 0 and that will interest your class.
2. Listen to the level 0 text (medium speed or lower) while projecting it on the board.
3. Discuss and make notes of the key vocabulary.
4. You may want to listen to it again (without the text).
5. Listen to level 1 of the same text in the same way (points 2-4) (Challenge the B1 students to spot the differences)
6. Do the matching exercise below the text.
7. Listen to level 2 of the same text in the same way (points 2-4)
8. And finally, listen to level 3 first with the same speed as before, and then faster (in an American accent).
9. Now ask the students to write as much as they remember, retelling the story. They can use the vocabulary collected at each level. Give them about 10-15 min to do this.
10. You can use peer assessment and/or walk around and see the students’ writing while they are at it.
P.S. There is a 26-page activity pack, online activities, quizzes, etc for each lesson that will require more preparation.
WebEnglish.se does also have a few links to specific activities from BreakingNewsEnglish.com in some of the themes we present.
For English (ELL) Teachers
