Teaching Skills

LISTENING ACTIVITY FOR COMPREHENSION                

Use dialogues in our ESL classes, are very good idea, not only for listening pronunciation and practice as a role play to help students in their orals skills but also are very good improving comprehension.  The following activity is an example of that, and fits very well with intermediate levels. Hope you like it and use it.

The first thing to do, in this activity is to write on the board o paste in colorful papers the following sentences: DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT? , Mmm, LITTLE RELIEVED, I GOTTA SAY!, WHO ELSE WHERE IN THIS CLUB?,  I SWEAR I DIDN’T.  WELL, WE DID MORE THAN THAT.

Let’s talk about this questions above and share your ideas.  What do class think is the topic about?  Give some time to students to think and guess what the topic is.

Then, explain to the class that they are going to watch a video where they have to recognize those sentences in the dialogue.

Play the video: http://youtu.be/1lMIh9dYNb8

After watch the video and recognize the sentences, teacher gives the script of the full dialogue in 3 o 4 chunks. Students are going to listen again the dialogue and they will try to put in order each part of it.

Finally, they have to answer the following comprehension questions. (Feel free to play the video again)

a.        What angers Rachel so much?

b.      Was “I love Rachel” the name of the club?

c.       For how long were dating Rachel and Ross?

d.      What was the rumor about Rachel?

e.      What does Joey say at the end?

Divide the group in teams of four to complete this activity and discussed the answers.

At the end, ask to the class, “Well, What was the topic today”” ………..exactly: Rumors! 

Monologue Listening Exercise

    Use the following activity to improve your students' listening skills. Suitable for Upper-Intermediate or Advanced skill builders. The monologue contains a script of 500 words, which comes to 4-5 minutes of spoken text. 

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: You will listen to an article about coffee, specifically its history and health benefits. The article is a little more than 4 minutes long. Listen only, and don't worry about understanding everything.

Step 2: Read and understand the questions, then listen again. As you are listening, try to answer the questions in your head. Don't write the answers yet. Next, listen again and write the answers this time. Check your answers with a partner.

Step 3: Read the article. Check in your dictionary any unknown words. Now listen again. Can you understand more?

Step 4: Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen to the article on the train or in your free time. Each time you listen, you will slowly improve!. Each time you listen, you will slowly improve!

LISTEN NOW!

QUESTIONS

Answer the questions to check your comprehension. If you don't know an answer, don't worry. Skip it, then try to answer it when after you listen again.

1: According to the article, do Americans drink a lot off coffee? If yes, how much? 

2: When did coffee first begin to spread outside of Africa? 

3: Has coffee ever been illegal? If yes, where and why? 

4: When and where did coffee first enter the English language?

5: Can you explain how coffee was discovered? 

6: Why was coffee first drunk? 

7: According to the article, what are some of coffee's recently discovered health benefits? 

8: What kind of drink has coffee always been considered? 

9: Which two famous places in England began as coffee houses? 

10: What can be said about the increased popularity of coffee shops?

THE ARTICLE

People drink coffee all around the world, and do so in vast quantities. Take the United States and Europe for instance, where one third of all tap water goes to brew coffee. And as for caffeine consumption, it accounts for 71% of Americans' total intake, followed by soft drinks and tea.

Although knowledge of the plant must surely be far older, the first documented record of coffee comes from the ninth century. The beans were eaten rather than ground and brewed into a drink, though, and the practice was generally unknown outside of Ethiopia. Not until Arab trade began to spread through Africa and the Middle East did coffee then fan outwards, carried on the backs of camels. But religious leaders didn't meet the beverage with fanfare as it spread through the Arab world, and it was briefly outlawed as an immoral drug. The populace largely ignored the ban, and coffee eventually spread northwards in the Arab world, to Mecca and Medina. As other metropolises began to grow, brew, and drink coffee, too, it then spread into Europe via Venice. The word first entered the English language at the end of the sixteenth century from the Italian, café. The first coffeehouse opened in London at roughly the same time.

Historians know with some degree of certainty when and where the plant was first cultivated, but no one really knows the origins of coffee as a drink. Some scholars believe Ethiopians first brewed it, while others attribute the process to a traveling mystic. As the story goes, the mystic accidentally stumbled across the plant when he observed a herd of goats with an unusual amount of energy. The animals had fed on the plant's berries. There exists yet another, similar story that relates how Ethiopian goat herders first developed the berry into

a beverage.

Early imbibers believed that coffee cured a variety of illnesses, most likely because of the caffeine content. It soothed the stomach and cleared the head, for example. Recent research suggests that coffee does have some beneficial properties. Coffee may lower the risk of diabetes and liver damage, as well as even combat certain types of cancer. What's more, people who regularly drink coffee demonstrate improved ability on cognitive tests, with their short-term memory and IQ both receiving a boost.

Coffee has almost always been considered a social drink, with people going to coffeehouses to discuss business and exchange news. In the past, people of all levels of society flocked there, and so the establishments were considered bastions of equality. Lloyd's of London, the world-famous insurance house, began as a coffeehouse where sailors and merchants met to discuss risk and the necessary insurance for overseas ventures. And the London Stock Exchange began humbly as Jonathan's Coffee House, where they listed stock and commodity prices. Even today, coffeehouses serve as a meeting point among friends of all classes and races, and business yet gets regularly conducted over a cup as well. And with the recent proliferation of coffee chains around the globe, it appears as though coffee will have a long and prosperous future.

Role Play Exercise

This is another very good option for practicing role plays.

Link the next page: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxUm-2x-2dM

With this video you can ask to your students to watch it  and to act it later.

Role Play Activity

Do it with your students.

Time: 45-90 minutes, depending on the size of your class

Preparation: 5 minutes (Print this page, cut the cards into strips, make copies of the Classroom Handout and at least glance at what the cards have to say.)

Level: Intermediate+

Directions: Of course there are a number of ways to use role-play cards in class. For these particular cards, we recommend the following:

Place two chairs back to back at the front of the classroom. Explain to the class that students will be coming up to these chairs to perform impromptu role-plays. Because these role-plays take place on the telephone, they will not be able to see their partner. Divide the class into pairs. While each pair is performing, the other pairs should fill out the Classroom Handout. Choose two students from the class to come and sit in the chairs. Hand each one a card (one "A," one "B"). (You can pretend to be the telephone and ring here .) Allow the students to act out their role-play as the rest of the class listens and takes notes. Once the role-play is finished, give all the pairs a couple of minutes to compare their answers to the questions. Then, ask for whole class feedback on the answers and provide any useful telephone expressions and reformulations. Now, ask the first pair to select the next pair. Have these next two students come to the front of the room and repeat the process.

Once you have gone through all the cards, you could pass out all the cards again. (Make sure each pair receives a different situation from the one they performed for the whole class.) Remind the students to use the new expressions (Hopefully, these are still on the board.) Then give the class a few minutes to act out the role-plays simultaneously. (If they are into this activity and you still have some time to kill, you might want to have pairs trade situations and do it again.) Finally, bring the class together and select a few students to report back on the simultaneous role-play(s).

Note: There are enough role-plays for 18 students.

Role-plays: Telephone Skills
A: You are calling your friend Ken. You want to invite him to a party this Friday.	B: You answer the phone. The person on the other end of the line wants to speak to Ken. You don't know anyone named Ken.
A: You want to reserve a table for five at a restaurant called the Slanted Door. Call the restaurant and make a reservation for 8:00 this Saturday.	B: You work at a restaurant called the Slanted Door. Answer the phone. (The restaurant is completely booked for Friday and Saturday nights this week.)
A: You need to make a doctor's appointment because you hurt your back while you were cleaning the house. Call the doctor's office and make the appointment.	B: You work in a pediatrician's office answering the phones. (Note: a pediatrician is a doctor for children.)
A: Your friend just borrowed your car to go get some more beer. Call him (on his cell phone) to remind him to get some chips and salsa.	B: You borrowed your friend's car to buy more beer. You have just driven into a lamppost. You're not hurt, but the car is badly damaged. Your cell phone rings.
A: You're on vacation with your friend in Las Vegas. You have just spent all your money. Your friend is upstairs in the hotel room. Call your friend and ask to borrow $60.	B: You're asleep in your Las Vegas hotel room. Your friend is still downstairs in the casino. It's four o'clock in the morning. The phone rings.
A: Call your girlfriend/boyfriend to let them* know that you'll be home very late because you have to work. *them=him or her (informal)	B: Your girlfriend/boyfriend always stays out late. You suspect that they* are having an affair. The phone rings. *they=he or she (informal)
A: You promised your mother that you would water her plants while she was away on vacation. You forgot. The plants are dead. The phone rings.	B: You are away on vacation in San Francisco. You have a lot of beautiful plants. Call your son/daughter to find out how your plants are doing.
A: You have not finished writing your English essay. Call your teacher and ask if you can turn it in late.	B: You are an English teacher. The phone rings. It's one of your students.
You live in an old flat. Things break all the time. This time, your toilet is flooding the bathroom. Call your landlady and demand that she fix it.	You own a beautiful old apartment building. You have one tenant who is always calling you to complain. The phone rings.

RoLe pLaY

The next activity is very good for practicing role play.  Please get in to the next link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd6LshVU8A

According to the video seen in this link ask to your students to act the same story.  The topic is about food, so use it when your topic be about it.

Comprehension Listening

The next story have the purpose of practicing listening comprehension, which  concerns with decoding of a speech, that involves continual mental processing, concentrated attention, and memory. In other words it represents a perceptive and mental mnemonic activity.  You can read it before listening in order of having an idea of what it is about.

The missing cat

The owner of a missing cat is asking for help. “My baby has been missing for over a month now, and I want him back so badly,” said Mrs. Brown, a 56-year-old woman. Mrs. Brown lives by herself in a trailer park near Clovis. She said that Clyde, her 7-year-old cat, didn’t come home for dinner more than a month ago. The next morning he didn’t appear for breakfast either. After Clyde missed an extra-special lunch, she called the police.

When the policeman asked her to describe Clyde, she told him that Clyde had beautiful green eyes, had all his teeth but was missing half of his left ear, and was seven years old and completely white. She then told the officer that Clyde was about a foot high.

A bell went off. “Is Clyde your child or your pet?” the officer suspiciously asked. “Well, he’s my cat, of course,” Mrs. Brown replied. “Lady, you’re supposed to report missing PERSONS, not missing CATS,” said the irritated policeman. “Well, who can I report this to?” she asked. “You can’t. You have to ask around your neighborhood or put up flyers,” replied the officer.

Mrs. Brown figured that a billboard would work a lot better than an 8”x11” piece of paper on a telephone pole. There was an empty billboard at the end of her street just off the interstate highway. The billboard had a phone number on it. She called that number, and they told her they could blow up a picture of Clyde (from Mrs. Brown’s family album) and put it on the billboard for all to see.

“But how can people see it when they whiz by on the interstate?” she asked. “Oh, don’t worry, ma’am, they only whiz by between 2 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. The rest of the day, the interstate is so full of commuters that no one moves.” They told her it would cost only $3,000 a month. So she took most of the money out of her savings account and rented the billboard for a month.

The month has passed, but Clyde has not appeared. Because she has almost no money in savings, Mrs. Brown called the local newspaper to see if anyone could help her rent the billboard for just one more month. She is waiting but, so far, no one has stepped forward.

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.
 
EXERCISE, Let's see if listening you can get the missing words, link the next page:

http://www.rong-chang.com/qa2/stories/story011.htm

JUST GIVE A CLICK IN THE LISTENING AND FILL IN THE BLANKS OF THE STORY ABOVE.

The owner of a missing cat is asking________help. “My baby has been missing for over_________month now, and I want him back so__________,” said Mrs. Brown, a 56-year-old woman. Mrs. Brown___________by herself in a trailer park near Clovis.____________said that Clyde, her 7-year-old cat, didn’t come_____________for dinner more than a month ago. The_____________morning he didn’t appear for breakfast either. After__________missed an extra-special lunch, she called the police. ________________ the policeman asked her to describe Clyde, she__________him that Clyde had beautiful green eyes, had____________his teeth but was missing half of his____________ear, and was seven years old and completely____________. She then told the officer that Clyde was____________a foot high.
A bell went off. “Is­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________your child or your pet?” the officer suspiciously___________. “Well, he’s my cat, of course,” Mrs. Brown____________. “Lady, you’re supposed to report missing PERSONS, not____________CATS,” said the irritated policeman. “Well, who can___________report this to?” she asked. “You can’t. You__________to ask around your neighborhood or put up___________,” replied the officer.
Mrs. Brown figured that a_____________would work a lot better than an 8”x11”____________of ______________off the interstate highway. The billboard had a_____________number on it. She called that number, and______________told her they could blow up a picture____________Clyde (from Mrs. Brown’s family album) and put______________on the billboard for all to see.
“But______________can people see it when they whiz by______________the interstate?” she asked. “Oh, don’t worry, ma’am,______________only whiz by between 2 a.m. and 5:30___________.m. The rest of the day, the interstate is_______________full of commuters that no one moves.” They____________her it would cost only $3,000 a month._____________she took most of the money out of_______________savings account and rented the billboard for a___________. The month has passed, but Clyde has not____________. Because she has almost no money in savings,_____________. Brown called the local newspaper to see if____________could help her rent the billboard for just____________more month. She is waiting but, so far,____________one has stepped forward.

Mini-lecture

The following activity can be used to teaching listening skills with a mini-lecture.

Emotional Eating

In this segment, let’s discusses what’s eating you.

The reality is there should be one reason why you eat and that is because you are hungry, however many people use food to cope with bored, stress, anger or other negative  triggers such  a divorce or born of a child.

Your emotions can be so connected to food that you don’t even notice it. The differences are emotional eaters eat eating when full and crapes specific food.

Find out if you’re emotional eater,

How? by keeping a food journal.

Write down what food are eating, how much and how you are feeling when you ate such as when you are actually hungry or tired, lonely, stressed, bored, etc.

After one week, evaluate your journal and look for a pattern, did you always eat sweets after a fight with your husband? Recognizing emotional eating habits and the foods the theater them is the first step to stop emotional eating.

Recommendations to stop emotional eating include

1)    Deming your stress with a walk instead.

2)   Ask yourself if you are really hungry.

3)   Reducing portions sizes unhealthy food and replaced junk food with healthy food.

Now is time to test your IQ with

my ever so difficult trivial questions:

Emotional eating can lead to

a)    Neurological problems

b)   Cardiac Problems

c)    Mental Health Issues

The correct answer is C

Sometimes emotional eating signs more serious mental health issues such a depression if you feel your habit is be under control, seek the advice of a quality healthy professional.

Reference

GO HEALTHY (emotional eating) 3-12-desktop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY8l8k6IHeE

 LISTENING ACTIVITIES

 1.-Listen and complete with the correct verb.

Emotional Eating

In this segment, let’s discusses what’s eating you.

The reality is there should be one reason why you ________ and that is because you are hungry, however many people _______food to cope with bored, stress, anger or other negative triggers such a divorce or born of a child.

Your emotions ______ so connected to food that you don’t even notice it. The differences _______ emotional eaters eat eating when full and crapes specific food.

_____________ if you’re emotional eater,

How? by keeping a food journal.

_____________ what food are eating, how much and how you are feeling when you ate such as when you are actually hungry or tired, lonely, stressed, bored, etc.

After one week, _____________ your journal and ________ a pattern, did you always eat sweets after a fight with your husband? Recognizing emotional eating habits and the foods the theater them is the first step to __________ emotional eating.

Recommendations to stop emotional eating include

1)    Deming your stress with a ________ instead.

2)   _________ yourself if you are really hungry.

3)   Reducing portions sizes unhealthy food and replaced junk food with healthy food.

Now is time to test your IQ with my ever so difficult trivial questions:

Emotional eating can ________ to

d)   Neurological problems

e)   Cardiac Problems

f)    Mental Health Issues

The correct answer is C

Sometimes emotional eating signs more serious mental health issues such a depression if you _________ your habit is be under control, ______ the advice of a quality healthy professional.

2.-Listen and put in order the text.

Emotional Eating

In this segment, let’s discusses what’s eating you.

__________Find out if you’re emotional eater,

How? by keeping a food journal.

Write down what food are eating, how much and how you are feeling when you ate such as when you are actually hungry or tired, lonely, stressed, bored, etc.

________ Recommendations to stop emotional eating include

1)  Deming your stress with a walk instead.

2)  Ask yourself if you are really hungry.

3)  Reducing portions sizes unhealthy food and replaced junk food with healthy food.

_________The reality is there should be one reason why you eat and that is because you are hungry, however many people use food to cope with bored, stress, anger or other negative  triggers such  a divorce or born of a child.

Your emotions can be so connected to food that you don’t even notice it. The differences are emotional eaters eat eating when full and crapes specific food.

__________After one week, evaluate your journal and look for a pattern, did you always eat sweets after a fight with your husband? Recognizing emotional eating habits and the foods the theater them is the first step to stop emotional eating.

__________ Now is time to test your IQ with my ever so difficult trivial questions:

Emotional eating can lead to

a)   Neurological problems

b)  Cardiac Problems

c)   Mental Health Issues

The correct answer is C

Sometimes emotional eating signs more serious mental health issues such a depression if you feel your habit is be under control, seek the advice of a quality healthy professional.