Voa Learning English Reading and Listening News

Editor's Note: This written report is part of a series about how to utilise the VOA Learning English website for group activities. Such activities can be fantabulous tools for classroom learning and English language language exercise groups. For a printable, extended list of activities, directions and suggestions, click here.

In this Education Tips report, we explore ways to use the VOA Learning English website for listening activities to help students learning American English.

While these activities require an Internet connection in the planning stage, most exercise not crave you to utilize the internet in the classroom.

For instance, the text from our written serial can exist printed and read aloud to students. Yous can read more near materials needed for each activity by downloading the printable guide.

Now, let'south start with two activities for beginning English language learners.

Activities for Beginners

Activity #one

For the first action, you tin utilise audio from our popular civilization program, What'southward Trending Today, or the news-related stories from As It Is. Or try using a video from News Words, a series about terms in the news.

Before the activity, choose your audio or video. Also, develop three to iv questions to examination listener agreement.

From the What's Trending Today story: 'Americans Shocked by Simple Mistake on TV Game Show."

To brainstorm the activity, divide students into groups of three or four. Hand out the questions for the story or write them on a board or shared screen. Ask the students to read the questions before listening to the audio or watching the video. Then, play the video or recording.

Accept each group work together on the answer to one question. They should write complete sentence answers. Set up a limit of no more than than 3 sentences per question. And then, have each group share their answers to the questions with the class.

Activity #ii:

Some other group listening activity for start English learners uses the video series Let's Learn English language.

For this activity, teachers will need response paddles (epitome below). These interactive paddles were developed past Bill Pellowe and Paul Shimizu, two professors based in Japan. You lot can click on the prototype of the paddles for a downloadable version that yous can print, copy, and requite to students. For more than details, download the printable guide.

Educatee Response Paddle

Students at a university in Nihon use interactive response paddles during an activeness.

Before the activity, cull the Let's Learn English episode you plan to show. To brainstorm, separate students into pairs -- groups of two. Play the main video at the top of the page. After playing the video, show the online quiz on the shared screen. For each question, play the video and so let students talk over their answers. Then, ask them to raise their response paddles to show which answers they chose.​

Let's Learn English comes with an online quiz that you can brandish on a shared screen for practice groups or in classrooms.

For more on this activity, download the printable guide.

Now, allow's explore activities for intermediate level English learners.

Activities for Intermediate Learners

Activity #1

For this activity, y'all can choose from a broad variety of English learning serial, such as English in a Infinitesimal, English at the Movies, Words and Their Stories and Personal Technology. In improver, many of the Every bit It Is stories are perfect for intermediate learners.

Before the activity, choose the video or audio you'd like to employ and prepare five questions about the material.

To begin, divide students into v groups. Pairs will work well if the class has 10 students or less. Hand out copies of the questions or write them on the board or shared screen. Ask each group to exist responsible for answering one question. If the class is large, two groups can respond one question and compare their answers.

Activity #ii:

For some other activity, intermediate level learners can turn to our Health & Lifestyle and Science in the News serial.

Before the activity, choose the story you would similar to use. Yous may observe that some health and science reports seem more complex than others; some may be better for intermediate activities, while others are better for advanced activities.

To brainstorm the activity, organize students into modest groups. Play the audio or have one or 2 students have turns reading parts of the story text aloud. Later, show the online quiz on the shared screen.

From the Health & Lifestyles study: 'Tin can Burnt Toast Give Yous Cancer?'

Ask students to raise their response paddles to show which options they chose.

Now, let's expect at two activities for advanced learners.

Activities for Advanced Learners

Activity #ane

The VOA Learning English language programs People in America and American Stories likewise come with online quizzes. (In addition, American Stories besides comes with a detailed, downloadable lesson programme each week.)

For the first activity, organize students into pairs or modest groups. Play the video or audio for the program you take chosen. So, show the online quiz on a shared screen. For each question, have students raise their response paddles to show the answers they chose.

For details on additional listening activities for the ii series, download the printable guide.

Iraqi-born and D.C.-based eating house possessor, artist, and activist Andy Shallal was featured in People in America. The video series takes a await into the lives of many Americans

Action #two

Our series Health & Lifestyle and Science in the News tin also be useful as group listening activities for advanced-level English learners. Recall that some of these stories work well for advanced learners, while others are better for intermediate learners.

Earlier the action, choose the story you'd similar to use. To brainstorm the activity, organize students into pairs or pocket-sized groups. Play the audio or ask one or two volunteers to read the story aloud. Then, display the quiz on a shared screen. Enquire student to raise their response paddles to show which answers they chose.

Later on the quiz, there are additional learner-centered activities y'all can practice. For example, you lot tin can:

• Have students pretend to question a scientist or health expert about the subject area of the story.
• Write a letter or 'call' the main scientist named in the report. Ask a question or give advice related to the subject of the story. Create a word web of the main terms you lot need to know to understand the story.
• Take the story a few years into the future. How will this bear on the boilerplate person? What developments practise you predict will take place as a result of this scientific research or breakthrough in health understanding? Tell a story or write a 'news' story on the same issue equally information technology would be treated 10 years in the time to come.

In coming weeks, we will look at more on creative ways to utilise our website for classroom or grouping practice activities. You can find those reports and others on learningenglish.voanews.com.

And, don't forget to download the printable, extended guide of activities and directions by clicking on the document below or to the right of the folio.

I'm Jill Robbins.

And I'1000 Alice Bryant.

Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Do you teach English language? Have you used our website in your classroom? Tell usa what you've done and what you've enjoyed. We want to hear from you lot. Write to us in the Comments Department or email the Education team.

Click on the image below for the printable guide to the listening activities from this story.

How to Use VOA Learning English to Meliorate Listening Skills

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Words in This Story

text - north. the original words of a slice of writing or a speech communication

print - v. to cause words, images, etc.) to appear on newspaper or textile by using a machine (called a printer)

board - n. a apartment slice of material (such equally wood or cardboard) that is used for a special purpose

screen - n. the unremarkably apartment part of a goggle box or estimator monitor that shows the images or text

interactive - adj. designed to respond to the deportment, commands, etc., of a user

paddle - n. any one of various tools or devices that are wide, flat and sparse

intermediate - adj. relating to or having the knowledge or skill of someone who is more advanced than a beginner merely not notwithstanding an expert

variety - n. a number or drove of different things or people

pretend - v. to act every bit if something is true when it is not truthful

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