No-prep warm up activities Warm-up activities play a crucial role in the English language classroom. Students often arrive to class feeling tired or preoccupied, making it important to gently transition them into the learning environment rather than diving straight into challenging grammar or vocabulary tasks. A well-designed warm-up can engage students, sparking their interest and encouraging active participation. It can also serve as a review of previously taught material or as an introduction to a new topic. The great thing about the activities on this page is that they all require no preparation at all. Teaching Online We have an accompanying online-focused website LearnHip where you will discover lots more online activities which work well as warmers and fillers. No-preparation ESL Warm-up Activities Below, you’ll find a selection of warm-up activities that require no prior preparation. Quick questions Begin your lesson by writing two or three questions on the board that introduce the theme of the lesson.
Which variety of English should you speak? Ahead of UN English Language Day on 23 April, English language and linguistics specialist Dr Urszula Clark presents research on variations in the use of English and what these could mean for education policy and teachers of English. Her live-streamed British Council seminar is later today from 19:00 to 20:00 BST. You are what you speak: place of origin most important identity factor My research took place in the West Midlands region of the UK and looked at variations in the use of English in creative spoken performance such as comedy, drama and poetry, as well as in written texts such as letters to local newspapers, stories and poems written in dialect. The results suggest that people are increasingly and deliberately using English in a way that identifies them with a particular place. Is there a ‘correct’ variety of English? The research highlights how dynamic, fragmented and mobile the English language has become. Which variety of English should we teach?
Discussion Social networking can be too dangerous for young people and should only be available to adults. Examiner: So, now we’re going to have a short discussion. You’ve got one minute to take notes and prepare together for a two-minute discussion. Remember to listen, take turns and explain your opinions. Kelvin: So, shall I start first? Melissa: Sure. Kelvin: Yeah, so we need to discuss whether social networking can be dangerous for young people and whether they should be only available to adults. Melissa: I disagree with that statement because I think young people can keep contact with old or new friends on their social network and it can develop their good relationships and it can increase their self-esteem. Melissa: I see your point, but I think it can give the teenagers a chance to notice who is good and who is bad and to try to learn how to protect themselves from these guys. Kelvin: That’s true, yes. Kelvin: Yes.
Culture - How Americanisms are killing the English language So it turns out I can no longer speak English. This was the alarming realisation foisted upon me by Matthew Engel’s witty, cantankerous yet nonetheless persuasive polemic That’s the Way it Crumbles: The American Conquest of English. Because by English, I mean British English. Despite having been born, raised and educated on British shores, it seems my mother tongue has been irreparably corrupted by the linguistic equivalent of the grey squirrel. And I’m not alone. Whether you’re a lover or a loather of phrases like “Can I get a decaf soy latte to go?” Speaking on the wireless in 1935, Alistair Cooke declared that “Every Englishman listening to me now unconsciously uses 30 or 40 Americanisms a day”. As a nation we’ve been both invaded and invader, and our language is all the richer for it But how did this happen and why should we care? The first American words to make it across the pond were largely utilitarian – signifiers for flora and fauna that didn’t exist back in Merrie England.
Agree or disagree (and why?) Scaffolding discussions for quiet students Some of my new classes this term have students who either whisper, speak in L1 or stay completely silent during speaking activities (even at int/upper int level). Part of this reluctance to speak seems to stem from having no knowledge or strong opinions about the topics being discussed, or not having enough time to think about an answer before a more confident student dominates the conversation. This activity was designed for quiet and shy students by helping them start from expressing a single opinion to engaging fully in a debate. This activity includes two sets of worksheets for Intermediate and Upper-intermediate classes which can be downloaded here as a powerpoint file or as a PDF. The following plan is based on an intermediate level class of 10 to 12 students. Stage 1 – Agree or disagree The students are given a handout with 12 statements. In this example the statements are all in the passive to revise the grammar from the previous lesson.
American English Dialects North American English Dialects, Based on Pronunciation Patterns Small-Scale Dialect Map The small map below is the same as the Full-Scale Dialect Map that follows, but shows the entire width of the map (on most monitors). 24-Aug.-2010 Click on any part of this map to move to the equivalent part of the Full-Scale Dialect Map. Full-Scale Dialect Map Instructions For many of the cities or towns on this map, you can listen to an audio or video sample of speech of a native (more specifically, someone who was raised there, though not necessarily born there, and whose dialect clearly represents that place). The cities and towns with a large dot are those which are larger or more important in each state or province. Use the scroll bars to move around on this map, or, even simpler, start at the tiny map above and click the country (U.S. or Canada) that you want to look at. The entire map is clickable, taking you to the list of samples for that state or province. Help! Map Notes Other Sources 1. 2.
Information gap activity Examiner: So, you’re planning a trip to the cinema together. You’ve got some information about films but your information’s not complete. Ask your partner to find out the missing information. Kelvin: So, the first film is Karemon but I don’t know the show times for it. Melissa: Let me see, it’s at one o’clock in the afternoon and 6:30. Kelvin: So, what is the ticket price for adults? Melissa: It’s 80 dollars. Kelvin: And the next one is Mr and Mrs Jones. Melissa: They are both international spies. Kelvin: International spies, wow! Melissa: It’s a comedy. Kelvin: Comedy. Melissa: The robot has taken over the world. Kelvin: Taken over the world, wow. Melissa: The ticket price is 75 dollars. Kelvin: 75 dollars. Melissa: It’s my turn. Kelvin: It’s a romance film. Melissa: I see. Kelvin: As you know, his country’s under attack so he has to fight and save his country. Melissa: He’s very brave. Kelvin: It shows how King Robert V became England’s greatest king. Kelvin: It is a horror film. Melissa: Yeah.
The History of the English Language, Animated By Maria Popova The history of language, that peculiar human faculty that Darwin believed was half art and half instinct, is intricately intertwined with the evolution of our species, our capacity for invention, our understanding of human biology, and even the progress of our gender politics. From the fine folks at Open University — who previously gave us these delightful 60-second animated syntheses of the world’s major religions, philosophy’s greatest thought experiments, and the major creative movements in design — comes this infinitely entertaining and illuminating animated history of the English language in 10 minutes: Complement with these 5 essential reads on language and the only surviving recording of Virginia Woolf’s voice, in which she explores the beauty of the English language.
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