TEFL TIPS – Warm-ups

Written By: admin on December 24, 2008 No Comment

Many of these activities are intended for five- to ten-minute bursts of activity, although many could be used for extended fluency practice.

WORDS BRAINSTORM: Teacher writes a keyword related to the news article on the board. Students spend one minute brainstorming all of the words they associate with that keyword. Students talk about the words in pairs / groups. Try to make categories and put them into lists. Swap partners and write down unknown words.

CHAT: Take a selection of keywords from the article and ask students to chat about them. Students could decide which of the words seem interesting (or otherwise) before choosing the ones they want to talk about. Students could also create spidergrams from each word to open up other possibilities for conversation.

LINKED CHAT: Students chat about two keywords from the above activity that are placed next to each other. They must create as many links as they can between the words. They then move on and do the same with the next pair of words.

DECISIONS: Using the list of keywords from the “chat” activity above, each student decides on the three topics he / she wants to talk about. Students explain to their partner(s) why they want to talk about those three words and not the others.

FACTS: Whatever the theme of the article, find an interesting collection of facts or trivia for students to talk about. This is an example from the lesson “New study says coffee is good for you” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0508/050829-coffee.html).

FACTS: Talk with your partner about these coffee facts:

a. The word coffee was originally Arabic and means “excitement.”
b. Coffee is the second most traded product in the world after
petroleum.
c. One coffee tree yields just half a kilo of roasted coffee.
d. Brazil is the largest coffee-producing nation, accounting for 40
per cent of total world output.
e. Over 53 countries grow coffee worldwide.
f. We use the term “coffee beans” even though they come from
berries. Each coffee berry has two beans.
g. 27 per cent of U.S. coffee drinkers and 43 per cent of German
drinkers add a sweetener to their coffee.
h. October 1st is the official Coffee Day in Japan.
i. 25 million families around the world work in coffee fields.

HISTORY: If the article is about a historical event, provide a list of other facts or similar or related events for students to talk about. A lesson on war might be accompanied by a list of wars students remember or know about. This is an example from the lesson “US-Vietnam mark end of war” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0505/050502-vietnam-e.html).

WARS

Wars are horrific and brutal events in our history and present day. Somehow nations move on and live together. Talk about how the following wars reshaped or changed the world and how peoples have moved on:

World War II (1939-45)
Korean War (1950-53)
Indo-Pakistan War (1965)
The Six-Day War (1967)
The Vietnam War (1965-75)
Cambodia (1975-79)
Soviet-Afghan War (1979-89)
Iran-Iraq War (1980-89)
El Salvador (1980-92)
Nicaragua (1980s)
Gulf War (1991)
Rwandan Genocide (1994)
Balkan Wars (1992-95)
Afghanistan (2001)

TABLE FACTS: Provide students with a table of facts based on the article for students to talk about.

FAVORITES: Students decide on their three favourite and three least favorite things related to the theme of the news item. Talk to other students about why these are favorites, or otherwise. (E.g. If the lesson is on games, students choose and talk about their three favorite and least-liked games.)

IMPORTANT POINTS: Students decide on the three most important points / key issues regarding the subject or theme of the article. Students discuss these points and try to persuade other their points are more important than their partner’s points.

EAST – WEST: Students talk about the lesson theme according to different geopolitical spheres.

EXAMPLE: Is the West always right? Is the West guilty of any wrongdoing? In pairs / groups, talk about whether the West has the right to try to enforce its values and systems on other countries and societies. Find three examples of the West being right and three examples of the West being wrong on these topics: the nuclear issue, human rights, democracy, free and fair trade, oil, terror, the axis of evil, and WMD.

MY COUNTRY: Students talk about the theme of the topic in relation to their own countries and the views held by their government and compatriots.

How is this topic viewed or treated in your own country?
How different (better / worse) is your country’s attitude towards this subject?
How would this story be reported in your country?
How much media attention would it receive?
Do the things that happened in the article occur to the same degree in you own country?
Would this piece of news be newsworthy in your country?
Do different generations or different sexes have different views on this topic?
Would this topic ever be considered taboo or be censored in your country?
Would there be sympathy towards this topic in your country?
Are citizens of your country generally interested in this kind of news?
Other.

OLD NEWS: Students decide whether the news story is old and tired or new and exciting. Is it something they have talked about before? Would they like to talk about it again?

ORDER: The teacher writes a short list of items that are related to the text. Students have to put them in order of which is best / worst / most desirable / etc. This is an example from the lesson “Smog sparks emergency in Malaysia” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0508/050812-smog.html).

SMOG PROBLEMS: In pairs / groups, talk about which of the following smog problems would bother you most. List them in order of most serious:

Polluted air
Poor visibility in the streets
Not being able to see the sun
Having to wear a facemask outdoors
Being told by your government to stay indoors
The thought that illegal loggers make big profits and cause smog
The sudden closure of schools, hospitals and other services
The terrible smell
The potential for becoming ill

EXPERIENCE LIST: Teacher prepares a list of items related to the article that students talk about their experiences of. This is an example from the lesson “Chocolate bars poisoned in Australia” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0507/050702-chocolate.html).

YUM: In pairs / groups, talk about which of these chocolaty things would get you licking your lips and make your mouth water.

Mars or Snickers bar
Chicken in spicy chocolate sauce (Mexico)
Chocolate ice cream
Chocolate cake
Chocolate and mustard bar (Japan)
Chocolate milk shake
Chocolate fondue
Hot chocolate drink
Chocolate coated banana
Other

SCALES: Teacher creates a list of items related to the article that students have to assign a score from one to ten (or another system of grading – highly likely to highly unlikely, etc.). This is an example from the lesson “Four dead in Indian ‘diamond’ hunt” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0506/050630-diamonds.html).

GULLIBILITY: How gullible are you? Do you believe everything anyone says? In pairs / groups, talk about how much you trust these people (10 = absolute, total trust; 1 = no trust at all):

Your doctor
A used car salesman
An English school consultant telling you his/her study system is best
A jeweler on a beach in Mumbai, India
Your best friend
Your next-door neighbor
A lawyer
A McDonald’s spokesperson telling you hamburgers are nutritious

MONEY-RELATED: If the article is related to a large amount of money (or other things of value) use the amount(s) involved to get students into a spending spree of one kind or the other. E.g. What would / could / should you do with $XXX? or to whom would you donate the money? This is an example from the lesson “Forty million credit cards hacked” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0506/050619-creditcard.html).

SHOPPING EXPEDITION: Imagine you have a millionaire’s credit card and full authority to spend as much as you like in one day. In pairs / groups, talk about the following shopping expedition details

Who with?
Which shop first?
Where to have lunch?
What you need most?
A present for a friend
Where?
What to buy first?
What to eat?
Where to relax or have some fun?
What to buy your English teacher?

EITHER / OR: Create a set of choices that are related to the article. Students have an either / or decision to make.

SENTENCE STARTERS: The teacher creates a sentence starter (or several) that could initiate a wide variety of responses. Students complete their sentences, then walk around the class talking about them. An example is seen here from the lesson – “British food best in the world” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0504/050422-britishfood.html).

British food is _______________________.
The best cuisine in the world is _______________________.
The most delicious dessert is _______________________.
Egg and bacon ice cream sounds _______________________.
Microwave dinners are _______________________.
Vegetarian fare is _______________________.
The best drink to accompany a meal is _______________________.
Dining out is _______________________.
McDonalds hamburgers are _______________________.
Life without restaurants would be _______________________.

LOVE / NOT LOVE: Students decide whether they love or do not love the subject of the article. Talk to each other about why they have these particular feelings. They must write down five reasons why they love or do not love the subject. Change partners and report on what previous partners said.

AWKWARD TOPICS: There are many topics that are often not talked about in the ESL classroom, which students actually might want to discuss.

EXAMPLE: In pairs / groups, talk your feelings on the topics of conversation below. Would you feel comfortable talking about these topics with people?

Breast cancer
Death
Bad breath and B.O. (body odor)
Salaries
Sexual problems
Choice of election candidates
Feelings towards other ethnic groups
Toilet habits
Other __________________________

BIG DECISIONS: If the news item is about decisions, students talk about their own decisions. Students ask each other if they have made many big or momentous decisions in their lives. Talk about the decisions you have made regarding the following:

Career
Family
Shopping
Relationships
English
Studying
Hairstyle
Health
Home
Other

Change partners and compare what you talked about.

MEMORIES: Students write down memories they have of past news events.

TERROR MEMORIES In pairs / groups, write down five different terror attacks that you can remember.

Where were you and what were you doing at the time you heard the news of these attacks?
What details can you remember about the attacks?
Did the attacks make you think the world was changing?
What other feelings did you have?
Who did you blame?
Were you angry?
How do you feel about the attacks now?

Change partners and compare what you talked about.

MY STRUGGLES: If the news item is about struggle, students talk about their own struggles.

EXAMPLE: Do you have to struggle to do things every day? Is it a struggle to get out of bed in the morning? Is it a struggle to do your homework / the housework. In pairs / groups, brainstorm the things you struggle with every day. Talk about each of these struggles. Do you also struggle with the things brainstormed?

TWO-MINUTE DEBATES: Stand students in two rows facing each other. The teacher assigns sides of the debates (Instructions: “This side thinks…. And this side believes that….). The teacher allows two minutes before moving one student to the other end of their line and moving the other students up so everyone faces a new partner. The teacher then introduces the next debate. This is an example from the lesson “Korean gamer dies after 50 hours online” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0508/050811-gaming.html).

TWO-MINUTE DEBATES: Debate each of the arguments below with a partner for just two minutes, before moving on to the next partner and debate. Student A agrees with the first argument, Student B, the second.

PlayStation 3 is best. vs. Xbox is best.
Gaming is anti-social. vs. Gaming means you have lots of friends.
Gaming sharpens your mind. vs. Gaming makes you less intelligent.
Gaming will be an Olympic sport one day. vs. Gaming will always be just a game.
Fantasy games are dangerous. vs. Fantasy games are harmless fun.
People should play real sports, not video games. vs. Gaming activates the brain.
Top graphic designers are real artists, just like Picasso. vs. How ridiculous.
Gaming will become a social disease. vs. People said the same about television.
Interactive gaming is best. vs. Playing alone is best.

STUDENT LISTS: Students write down their own list of events, products, examples, etc., that are related to the theme of the article and talk about them. Change partners and compare lists.

REASONS FOR INERTIA: Write a list of world leaders (political, business, economic, cultural…) on the board. Discuss who has the greatest degree of responsibility. Discuss what that leader should do to help the situation in the article. Discuss the internal or external pressures that might be preventing that person from doing the right thing.

SHOPKEEPERS: The teacher takes the characters from the article (and perhaps adds one or two) and changes their professions to shopkeepers. Students must talk about what kind of stores they have, what they sell, how the prices are, the quality of the merchandise, etc. They then change partners and compare their ideas.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES: Students talk about the advantages and disadvantages or pros and cons of the article’s subject matter. Rank the advantages and disadvantages. Students change partners and relate what they discussed with their previous partners. Change partners again and discuss again. Return to original partners and decide which are the top advantages and disadvantages.

ROLE CHANGES: Students change roles to become the characters in the text. After the activity, students talk about whether they liked being in that role. Students could also play the role of inanimate things.

THE PEOPLE / THINGS IN MY LIFE: Students write down the people they know or the things with which they are familiar that are similar to those in the text (smokers, 80-year-olds, televisions, etc). Students talk about and compare the character or attributes of each person or thing.

COMPLAINTS: Students brainstorm a list of complaints against the subject matter of the article. They must discuss how strongly they feel about those complaints. Rank them in order or most serious. Discuss how they might be rectified. Change partners and compare ideas. Were all of the complaints and solutions similar?

DIFFERENT WITHOUT IT: Students write down five ways in which life would be different without the subject of the article (PlayStation 2, dogs…). They discuss the desirability of these things disappearing and what people could do to compensate. Change partners and share ideas. Which ideas to compensate for life without the subject were best?

LIFE WITH IT: For articles that are about a new development or proposed development, students talk about how life would be different with it.

Is it desirable?
Would you like it?
How much money would you pay for it?
Are there any dangers of using / having it?
Will everyone be able to have one?
Would there be any damage to the environment?
Do you need it?
Will you still be using it ten years from now?
How would it affect your life?
What do you do without it now?

MUSTS: Depending on the nature of the article, students write down five “musts” and talk about them (must haves, must do’s, must go’s, must see’s, must buy’s etc.). Change partners and report on what previous partners said.

EFFECTS ON ME: Students talk about the effects the measures, events, items, products, etc. from the article would have on them, the world, their village, town, city or country. They write down three changes and tell other students.

ALL THE SAME: If the story is about a famous person (or even non-famous) all of the students in the class become that same person and get together for a chat. It can be amusing for students to pretend to be the person to whom they are also talking.

I DID THAT: Students pretend they are responsible for the inventing, creating, doing… of the subject matter in the article. They tell their partners all about it, from conception to fruition. An alternative might be for students to argue over who “did the doing” in the article, with both claiming responsibility.

FANTASTIC NEWS / TERRIBLE NEWS: Students must come up with three reasons why the news is fantastic or terrible. They then talk to other students to see who thought the news was the most fantastic or terrible.

MY HISTORY: Students talk about the history of the subject of the article as it relates to their lives. If the article is about the dentist, students talk about the entire history of their dental visits; if the story is about chocolate, their affiliation with chocolate, etc.

PEOPLE I KNOW WHO’D LIKE THIS NEWS: Students talk about three people they know who they think would like the news in the article and why they would like it. They also talk about three people they know who would not like it.

THIS NEWS IS USEFUL: Students talk about whether or not the news article is useful or interesting to them. If it isn’t, their partner must try to persuade them why the news is useful and interesting.

THE ROLE IN MY LIFE: Students talk to each other about the role the subject of the headline or article plays in their everyday lives and cultures. Students describe in detail what it means to them. (E.g. the role tea, television, a bicycle, etc. plays in their lives). They have to think of and talk about more than five different roles. Change partners and compare roles.

LIFE-CHANGING: Students talk about how the item, product, consequences, etc. will potentially change their lives. They must write down five changes and tell other students. Do all students agree on how the subject will change their lives?

AGES: Students talk about how the news affects people of different ages. Teacher writes the different age brackets on the board.

INCOME BRACKETS: Students talk about how this news affects people from different income brackets (a homeless person, a family barely able to survive, a low income family, average income, middle class, well-to-do, very rich, filthy rich…).

MALE OR FEMALE: Students talk about whether the news in the article would be read more by men or women and why. Write down three reasons why the article would appeal to men and three reasons why the article would appeal to women. Repeat for why the article would not appeal. Students compare and discuss what they wrote down.

HISTORY OF INTEREST: Students talk about their history of interest in the news in the article. They pinpoint when they first became aware of it, the key players from when they first followed it, the major events over the years, and their level of interest now.

IN THE NEWS: Tell students that the classroom is now in the middle of the actual news situation. Students talk about their new environment.

HERE’S MINE: If the article is about something that students are likely to have, let them talk about it. If it is about mobile phone technology, fashion, etc., students talk about their phones or fashion items. It might be useful to have a show and tell.

HYPOTHESES: Teacher briefly explains the nature of the article and writes a number of hypotheses that students have to respond to or give a number from 1 to 10 to rank them. This is an example from the lesson “India’s drumming tax collectors” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0503/050314-tax drummers.html). An Indian local government devised a scheme to send drumming troupes to the homes of tax avoiders. The drummers made a noise until the residents paid their taxes.

RAT-A-TAT-TAX: Discuss with your partner which of the following you would / would not do if the tax drummers came to your house. On a scale of 1 (impossible) to 10 (definitely) give a score for each point and explain why you have given that score.

Pay up immediately.
Buy lots of earplugs.
Turn your TV / stereo up really loud.
Take the drums away from the drummers and smash them.
Take the drums away from the drummers and keep them in your house.
Lie – promise the drummer you will go to the bank and pay.
Take your guitar outside and jam with the drummers.
Take your garden chair outside, sit down, and enjoy the free music.
Telephone the city government to complain.
Ask the drummers for drumming lessons.

PINNED FACTS: Pin different facts about the subject of the article around the room. Students have to visit each fact with a partner and talk about it.

UNTRUE: The teacher places a number of comments and facts on the wall around the classroom. Students have to decide which of the “facts” are not true and comment on the ones that are true.

SIMPLIFIED TEXT: Teacher creates a simplified text based on the one to be used in class. Sentences are cut up and pinned on the wall. Students must visit and talk about each in turn and then try to put them in order.

REGIONAL DISCUSSIONS: Students talk to other students to find out as much information as they can about the region in the news.

EXAMPLE:

MIDDLE EAST: Talk to many students and find out as much information as you can on the items listed below. After you have finished, talk in pairs / groups about what you found out.

Ariel Sharon
Gaza
Settlers
Mahmoud Abbas
Hamas
The 1967 Six-Day War
Palestinians
The “Roadmap for Peace”

FUTURE ON THIS DAY: Students speculate what people will be saying about the news item or how it will be viewed 5, 10 or 20 years from now. Write down three things for each time period. Change partners and share and compare opinions.

SIMILAR EVENTS: Write down a list of events similar to that in the article. Students must compare the article event to the ones on the list. E.g. if the article is about a royal wedding or a Tom Cruise movie, make a list of other royal weddings or Tom Cruise movies for students to chat about.

ADVERTISERS: Students talk about what kind of companies or advertisers might be interested in having their ads placed next to the article. Think of three advertisers each. Students share and compare their advertisers and decide which three would be best suited.

MAKE THE LAWS: Before students have read the text or have been shown the headline, they have to write down a number of laws relating to the content of the article. Students then compare their laws and discuss any differences.

EXAMPLES:

Laws relating to abortion
Same sex marriage
Animal testing
Sugar in soft drinks
etc.

TOTALLY UNRELATED: The teacher writes a number of words on the board (more than five) that are totally unrelated to the story. Students have to speculate how they might be connected with the story. Students change partners and share and compare how they fit the words into the story.

THE IMPROVISED QUESTIONNAIRE: Tell students you accidentally brought the wrong questionnaire for the article. Give the “wrong” questionnaire to the students and tell them they have to change every question to fit the theme of the article.

BRANDS: If brand names are the subject of the article, brainstorm other brands for students to talk about. Put the following comments on the board and ask students to discuss whether they apply to the brands:

That’s a brand I’d never buy.
Last year’s fashion.
OK for old people.
Totally ridiculous.
OK for David Beckham / Britney Spears, but not for me.
The fake ones are just as good.
I’d rather have a nice meal at a restaurant.
My friends would laugh at me if I bought it.
When I’m really rich.
Not worth the money.

FACT SHEETS / POSTERS: Teachers make or print off a poster of facts concerning a topic (drugs, the death penalty, etc.). Students look at and comment on the information. Encourage students to respond to each fact with one of these exponents:

Wow. I didn’t know that.
That cannot be true.
That’s really interesting.
That should be changed immediately.
You learn something new every day.
People can be so cruel.
I don’t want to think about it.
There ought to be a law against it.
That’s outrageous.
The world is an amazing place.

FOR KIDS: Students have to think about how to explain the news from a particular headline to a group of children who are wholly unfamiliar with world events but who have a million questions. They then have to make the million (or five) questions the children might ask, and ask them.

GOOGLE SEARCH: Give students various phrases taken from the article. They have to do a “Google search” and ask other students for information related to the search phrase. The other students are search engines.

THE OTHERS: If the article is about a winner of something, students become the people or things that did not win. Students talk to each other about their feelings at having been beaten by the winner, whether the winner was worthy, whether they should have won, etc.

IN A ROOM: Choose three or four of the main characters from or related to the article. Students take a character each. Each set of characters is grouped together in a room. It is up to the students to start and continue the conversation. Change partners and report how the previous conversations went.

EVERYDAY QUESTIONNAIRES: Use the standard, generic questionnaires found in ESL course books and ask them to the main characters in the article. Students play the main character.

YOUR NEW TEACHER: Students talk about whether they would like the characters from the story as their new teacher. What attributes would the characters excel at and why? Here are some words that could be talked about:

patient
knowledgeable
fun
strict
fair
punctual
well-dressed
handsome
explains things well
interesting

WHAT KIND OF JOB? Give students a list of jobs or roles. Students ask each other what kind of teacher / lawyer / nurse / mother / boyfriend / son / etc. a person from the article might be / have been. Students change partners and compare and share what they heard from their first partners.

WHAT KIND OF STUDENT WAS THIS PERSON: Students speculate about the school life of the person from the article. Give students the following areas to be assessed:

Punctuality
Bullying
Homework
Popularity with other students
Attire
Attitude
Discipline record
Sports
Art
Other (Teacher decides other fun topics related to the person)

WHAT WOULD THIS PERSON DO ABOUT…? Write a list of current events topics on the board. Students ask each other what they imagine the main character from the article thinks or would do about each topic. Students change partners and compare and share what they heard from their first partners.

SHOPPING: Students imagine they go shopping with a person from the article. Talk about what that person would buy in a:

Supermarket
Clothes store
Florists
Home center
Jewelry store
Pharmacy
Toy store
Electrical goods store
Furniture store
Duty free store

AGREED: Write the beginnings of different sentences related to the article. In pairs / groups, students have to complete the sentences so that everyone agrees. This is an example from the lesson “Landmine elephant gets new foot” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0508/050830-motala.html).

AGREED: In pairs / groups, agree on a word or sentence ending to finish the following sentences. Change partners and repeat (it is unlikely new partner answers will be the same, therefore lots more agreeing to do).

Elephants are ___________________________________________.
Landmines ______________________________________________.
Logging is ______________________________________________.
Landmine victims should __________________________________.
Working elephants _______________________________________.
Losing a limb ____________________________________________.

FROM THE PAST: If the article is technology related, students imagine they are from another time. They have to talk about the curious invention. Their partners must bring them up to date on the history of the technology and its uses and functions.

BOTH SIDES: If there are two people or groups of people that are central to the news story, students pretend to play them. They are sitting next to each other at the bus stop. They must talk together about the news item and the part they each play in it. Endangered gorillas might want to have a discussion with poachers or children might want to confront their smoking parents.

BREAKTHROUGHS: If the article is technology related, brainstorm other similar innovations or potential inventions. Students talk about the desirability and likelihood of the brainstormed breakthroughs becoming real. Students change partners and share and compare what they talked about previously. (E.g. For a newly discovered dental cream that automatically fills pin-sized cavities – www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0502/25.toothpaste.html – other inventions could be automatic teeth straighteners, 100% effective fresh breath pills, non-smelling garlic, tooth whitener, everlasting-flavor gum etc.)

INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES: Students A are experts in the new invention or discovery, Students B are eager to know all about it. Students A gather together and brainstorm everything they know about the invention or discovery and try to predict the kind of questions they will be asked by Students B. Students B pool all of the questions they can think of for students A. After the Q & A session, students sit in groups and talk about how the discussion went.

SKILLS TRANSFERRED: If the article is related to skills or abilities of other people, animals or inanimate things, ask students to imagine they now have those skills. How will their lives change? This is an example from the lesson “Hibernation on demand” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0504/050423-hibernation.html). Hibernation is a basic survival function for many animals. Which of the following animal abilities would you like scientists to make available for humans:

Hibernation
The longevity of tortoises (150 years)
The sonar of a bat
The speed of a cheetah
The hearing of a dog
Flight
Breathing underwater like fish
Changing colors like a chameleon
Others?

MYSTERY SOLVERS: If there is an element of mystery in the article, students write down possible explanations for those mysteries. Pool the explanations and talk about which are most or least likely. Pairs of students must choose the likeliest and try to convince other students of their choice. An example can be seen in the following lesson on why dogs were jumping to their deaths at a particular beauty spot – “Canine suicide puzzle” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0503/06-canine_suicide.html).

ANSWERS: Which of the following reasons do you think is the answer to this mystery? Please add your own reason to the list before you begin. Give a mark of 1 to 10 for each reason: 1 = very probable, 10 = no way.

A ghost dog from the haunted house is telling the dogs to jump.
The dogs have had enough of the stresses of modern life and decided to end it all.
A wicked person is standing beneath the bridge with the biggest, most aromatic juicy bone they’ve ever smelled.
The dogs were abused by their owners and couldn’t take any more.
There are trees below the bridge. The tops of the trees look like solid ground to the dogs when they jump into thin air.
A mysterious virus has got into the dog food that gives dogs suicidal tendencies.
Scottish dogs want to start canine bungee jumping.
Dogs can smell or hear something that humans can’t, that makes them leap from the bridge.
Each dog has recently lost its partner and is too sad to continue living.
The dogs are part of a canine suicide cult.

COLLOCATES: Choose a keyword from the article and create a list of collocates. Turn the list into a ranking exercise. An example can be seen here from the lesson “Exploding Toad Mystery” (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0504/050425-toads.html).

TO DEATH: Swelling or expanding to death must be a terrible and painful way to meet your end. Look at these other “to death” causes for dying. Talk about the circumstances which might lead to each death:

freeze to death / starve to death / choke to death / crushed to death / worked to death / clubbed to death / kicked to death / scared to death / bleed to death / strangled to death / tortured to death / stabbed to death / mauled to death / stoned to death

Rank each according to the following scale:

5 – That must be the worst way to go.

4 – I’d hate to die like that.

3 – That’s a really bad way to die.

2 – It doesn’t seem too bad.

1 – This one seems pretty painless.

MATCHING QUIZZES: Create a quiz related to the article for students to match the questions and answers. An example can be seen here: “Japanese Emperor and anthem” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0504/050426-anthem.html).

FLAG QUIZ: Match the (nick)names of these flags to their countries:

The Cedar Tree
Five Stars Red Flag
Tricolore
Hinomaru
Union Jack
Maple Leaf
Stars and Stripes
The Hammer and Sickle
The Southern Cross
Star of David

Ex-Soviet Union
Australia / New Zealand
United Kingdom
China
France
United States of America
Israel
Lebanon
Japan
Canada

NATIONAL SYMBOLS: If the article is based on a particular country, use the national symbols, images, historical events, products, places, people, etc. of that country to create conversations. You could create a ranking or sentence starter exercise.

STEREOTYPES: If the article is based on a particular country, use stereotypes of that country as an opinion-based activity.

Are the stereotypes true?
Are they slightly fair?
Where do they come from?
What would the people from that country think of their being stereotyped in that manner?
Is there an element of racism in the stereotype?
Are the stereotypes universal?
Are you prepared to let go of the stereotype?
What kinds of characters are behind the stereotypes?
Have you met people from that country who confirm of dispel the stereotype?
What are the characteristics or personalities of the stereotypes?

MY RECENT ACTIONS: Students write down three actions they have taken that are similar to the ones in the article. This is especially useful if the article is based on feelings or emotions, such as kindness, anger, fear, joy, etc. This is an example from the lesson “Surrogate mother donates 5 boys” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0504/050428-surrogate-e.html).

KINDNESS: Write down some kind things you have done recently and some of the kindest things you have ever done. Talk with your partner about these acts of kindness. Repeat the activity by writing down the kind (or unkind) things people have done for you.

THE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH…: If the article is based on something useful, students brainstorm as many uses for it as they can think of. In pairs / groups, students decide which are the most useful uses.

INTERNATIONAL VARIATION: If the subject of the article has many international varieties, list them for students to talk about. An example can be seen in a lesson on rice – “Chinese thumbs-up for GM rice” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0504/050430-chinarice.html).

VERSATILE: Rice is one of the most versatile foods in the world. Write down the different ways you know of using rice in food. Add them to the list below. Which of them sound delicious or otherwise to you?

Boiled rice mixed with hot tea (a Japanese dish)
Rice for breakfast
Rice and curry
Savory rice crackers
Rice cakes
Rice balls with a pickled plum inside
Paella / risotto / gratin
Sake
Rice baked in milk and sugar (English dessert)
A strawberry encased in sweetened pounded rice (Japanese sweet)
Other

“IS THIS YOU?” Write some scenarios related to the article on the board. Students must ask each other: “Is this you?” Students then answer the question and discuss whether the scenarios are in any way representative of their feelings, thoughts, opinions, etc. This is an example from the lesson “Two dead, 10 injured in Cairo attacks” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0505/050501-cairo.html).

IS THIS YOU? Read one of the comments below to your partner and follow the comment with the question, “Is this you?” Your partner can use one of the following responses, before providing more details:

“Yes. That’s me through and through.”
“Yes. That’s me down to a T.”
“Yes. That’s most definitely me.”
“Yes. That’s me. That’s me.”
“Yes. That’s me sometimes.”
“Hmmm… That’s not really me.”
“No. That’s not me. Not at all”

COMMENTS:

I’m on a constant state of alert. I worry about terrorism all the time.
I never worry about terrorism. It’s a waste of energy.
If I see an unattended bag at the train station, I move away from it”.
I get suspicious when I see foreigners in groups talking to each other.
Terrorists or no terrorists, I’ll go where I want in the world.
I check every Internet site for safety alerts before deciding where to go on vacation.
I like adventure. I want to visit the places other people think are dangerous.
I’m 100% safe. Terrorism will never affect my life.
Terrorists don’t frighten me. I’ll wear a T-Shirt with my country’s flag on it anywhere in the world.
At the airport I can’t stop looking at suitcases and wondering what’s inside.

SCANDALMONGERS: If the article is about a scandal of some sort, students talk to each other and add to the scandal, speculating and embellishing on the “facts”. Change partners. Share and compare gossip and add more to the scandal. After the students have finished milling around, seat them in pairs / groups. They then talk about the gossip they heard and discuss the likelihood of there being any truth in it.

WHAT IS IT? If the article is about an abstract topic, create some examples of that topic for students to talk about. This is an example from the lesson “Chimpanzee art up for sale” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0505/050513-chimpanzee.html).

ART: What kind of art is your cup of tea? Are you interested in modern art? Do you painting? Do you have any paintings on your wall? What is art? Look at this list and decide which of these pieces of modern art is art:

A pile of house bricks arranged in a rectangular shape
Different colored photographs of a can of soup
Foul language painted on a vase
Splashes and lines of color made by a chimpanzee
A dead cow cut in half and preserved in a transparent plastic case
An empty room in which the ceiling light turns on and off at random intervals
A cartoon comic strip
An all black painting

THE YOUNG: Students talk about the news in the article and what it means for today’s children and their future.

Will this news be continuing when today’s children grow up?
How will this news affect today’s children?
What legacies of this news will children have to deal with when they grow up?
Will today’s children harbor the same fears, insecurities and animosities that their parents and grandparents felt?
Will today’s children make a better world for the future?
What kind of world will today’s children inherit when they are adults?
Will today’s children forgive the present generation of adults?
Will today’s children be more sensible than the present generation of world leaders?
etc.

MINI-PRESENTATIONS: Students have 5 minutes to put together a mini presentation based on the theme of the article. Present mini-presentations to the rest of the class. Have a question and answer session after each presentation. In pairs / groups, students talk about each of the presentations and vote on which one they thought was best. In plenary, a pair / group spokesperson tells the class which presentation was best and why.

IMAGE CONJURING: Put a list of keywords related to the article on cards, face down on the table. In pairs / groups, students turn over one card and read it to their partners, who have to write down the first thing that comes into their mind. Students then look at the things that were written and talk about the relationships or meanings of the associations.

WHAT THEY CAN DO: Write down the names of some world famous people. Students must talk about what these people could do to help in a particular situation or problem.

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur
Global warming
AIDs
The threat of nuclear proliferation
The price of oil
The fact that high profile US religious leaders can openly call for the assassination of democratically elected world leaders and not be punished.
The impasse over the Iraqi constitution
etc.

PARTNERSHIPS: Write down a list of world famous people. Students talk about how effective a partnership between any of these people might be in resolving the subject matter of the article. How could they resolve a dispute or make a situation better?

REPORTER WARM UPS: Students pretend to be reporters at the scene of the events taking place in the article. They talk to each other the conditions, what’s happened, who they’ve met, any dangers they’ve encountered, etc.

VICTIMS REPORTERS: Students pretend to be victims-turned-reporters. They tell the story from their side, explaining the history, the feelings of the people, what the outside world should do, etc.

PERPETRATOR REPORTERS: Students pretend to be the perpetrator of any wrongdoing in the article. That person is now a reporter and is reporting on his/her version of events. He/She talks about the differing opinions the world has on him/her.

DELEGATE: The teacher decides on a variety of jobs directly related to the news story. Students have to delegate different jobs to different students in the class. They must discuss who would be best in the particular roles. Once the jobs have been assigned, the delegated students says whether or not he / she would be good at the job.

RECORDS: If the news item is connected with record setting, create an activity in which students talk about various records.

EXAMPLE: In pairs / groups, talk about the difficulties involved in breaking the following “longest time” records. Which ones would you like to try and why?

Being in space
Kissing
Not sleeping
Being alone
Being married
Speaking English only
Away from your country
Other

PERCENT STATEMENTS: In pairs / groups, students give a percentage to statements on a given topic, to show how far they agree with them. This is an example from the lesson “World record 80 years of marriage” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0506/050602-married.html).

PERCENT STATEMENTS: In pairs/ groups, give a percentage to each of these statements to show how far you agree with them. (E.g. “I 80 per cent agree with the first one”; “I only 10 per cent agree with the last one.” etc.)

I would totally, totally love to be married for 80 years.
Eighty different partners in 80 years would be nice.
I would get sick to death of being with the same person for 80 years.
Marriage sounds like / is too much hard work. Staying free and single is the way to go.
I want a congratulatory card from the British Queen.
After 80 years of marriage, there’s nothing new to discover. How boring.
Staying married for 80 years means a match made in heaven.
Love is the most important thing in the world.

TIME FRAMES: Provide students with a range of time frames. They have to talk about an item of language from the article with reference to that time frame and their own lives, as in this lesson on marriage and feeling “Everest wedding” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0506/050604- everest.html).

ON TOP OF THE WORLD: In pairs/ groups, tell each other a time you were on top of the world (or just very happy)….

Earlier today
Yesterday
Last week
Last month
Last year

WHAT MAKES YOU XXX ABOUT XXX? Students talk about their feelings about a particular issue. Provide a variety of adjectives and issues.

RUNNING THROUGH ONE’S MIND: Give students things that would run through their minds if they were in a particular situation, as in the lesson on a kidnapping, “Italian hostage freed in Iraq” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0506/050610-hostage.html).

HOSTAGE: Pairs / Groups. What would it be like to be kidnapped? What kinds of feelings would you have? What kinds of thoughts would run through your mind? What would you think about these things: My future / My past / My government / Sleep / Pain / My family / Food / Freedom.

STAGES: Outline the different stages in the development of an issue, person’s career, political situation, etc. for students to talk about.

REASONS: The teacher provides a number of reasons or justifications for why something has happened. They have to talk about them or rank them in order of credibility.

NATIONALITY HYPOTHESES / STEREOTYPES: Teacher writes the situation of the article on the board. Students hypothesize about what people of different nationalities might think of the situation.

PERCEPTIONS AND REALITY: Students talk about the common perceptions of the subject of the article, (or the teacher writes them down) such as old age, homelessness, Americans, etc. Students discuss these perceptions with regard to how real they are. Students discuss how far a gap there is between the perceptions and realities.

THE BEST WAY: Teacher provides a list of the best ways of doing something. Students could also discuss the best way(s) of doing something and then share and compare their ideas. Students must then rank or discuss the pros and cons of the items on the list. This is an example from the lesson “Tom Cruise proposes in Paris” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0506/050618-cruise.html).

PROPOSALS: Talk with your partner(s) about the best way to propose / be proposed to. Agree on a score from 1 – 10 (10 is best) for each of the following. Try talking to both male and female students. And then talk about reality and what happened to you / might happen to you regarding proposing.

At the Eiffel Tower
In moonlight
With champagne
And chocolates and strawberries
The guy down on one knee
A rented string quartet playing slushy music in the background
A huge diamond engagement ring at the ready
Fireworks when she/he says yes
A stroll along the Champs Elysees
A penthouse hotel suite after

BEST COUNTRY: Students talk about or compare which country is/ has / produces / etc. the best / worst of something connected with the article.

EVERYDAY EXPEDITIONS: Tell students they are going on an everyday expedition – shopping, to the library, to a sports event (anything related to the article). They have to talk about the details – Who with? Where? Which? What to do first? etc.

EXTREMES: Present students with a list of extremes (extreme weather, poverty, hunger, etc.). They must talk about or rank teacher-provided conditions regarding these extremes

ABSURDITIES: Present students with a list of absurdities related to the theme of the article. Students must talk about these. Examples:

Snow in the dessert
Everlasting chocolate bars
People learn to fly
Sexual equality realized
Men can now give birth
Time travel invented
No more war
Pollution: A thing of the past
Money grows on trees
USA follows United Nations

CONTROVERSIAL BENEFITS: Teacher writes down a list of possible “benefits” of a controversial issue. Students A play devil’s advocate in supporting these. Students B argue against the “benefits”. Change partners and roles. After doing this for a second time, students talk in pairs / groups (not in roles) about how much of what they talked about they actually believed.

POLAR DIFFERENCES: In pairs / groups, talk about the opinions people from the opposite ends of different might have on the article’s subject matter. Example groups may be based on:

North / South divide
Religion (Christians and Muslims)
Race (Blacks and Whites)
Class (Working class and the aristocracy)
Linguistic differences
Haves and have-nots
Ethnic background (mainstream and minority)
Education (highly educated and those who left school at fifteen)
Gender

THINGS: Put a list of “things” on the board for students to talk about (scary things, furry things, fake things…).

VERSUS: Students A are given one thing to argue for. Students B are given another thing to argue for. Students chat to as many people as they can, trying to defend their given “thing”.

OK OR NOT OK: Teacher writes a list of things that students must argue are OK or not OK. This is an example from the lesson “Spain legalizes same sex marriage” – (http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0507/050701- samesex.html).

SAME SEX SOCIETY: In pairs / groups, talk about which of these things are “OK” for same sex partners to do in your society.

Get married
Kiss in public
Adopt children
Hold hands in public
Live together
Tell people they are a gay couple
Wear matching clothes
Join the army together
Inherit property
Other

MY SITUATION: Students talk about the advantages and disadvantages of their own situation compared to the one described in the article. They must write down and then talk about five ways in which they are better off than the situation described in the article. They must then write down five ways in which they could help the people in the article to improve on their situation. Students change partners and compare ideas.

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