eltportal

How about a little fire, Scarecrow?

bobp — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:37:00 +0000

If you like to supplement your English classes with video content, you’re going to love this site. MovieClips.com contains a repository of over 12,000 popular movie clips, and the list is growing.

At the site’s core is a big search box that lets you query its database by actor, title, genre, and several other parameters, including dialogue. Not every movie is represented, of course. But you’ll be surprised at how many scenes turn up when you enter a famous quote. I got positive hits with “I’ll be back,” “Here’s looking at you, kid,” and of course, “How about a little fire, Scarecrow.?”.

The beauty is that the work of ripping films into segments and converting them to flash has been done for you. And the developers have apparently cleared copyright hurdles by keeping each clip under 2.5 minutes in length.

In the past I’ve created a number of listening and writing activities based on standard movie trailers. But I think that short, single-scene clips could provide more latitude in focusing on specific language forms and expressions, and cultural elements as well. In this sense I think MovieClips has loads of potential.

Little Casanova

bobp — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Once in a blue moon, a video clip comes out that has seemingly universal appeal. Case in point is Little Casanova. The main actor, whoever he is, may well become the next Justin Bieber with his ability to woo and charm the ladies.

This clip could be used with ESL students of almost any English proficiency. One reason: there is no audible dialogue, nor is any needed –everything is visual except for the background music. (Actually, when trying to read lips, it appears that everyone is mouthing French.)

For lower-level learners, the clip offers golden opportunities to introduce, describe, and practice vocabulary related to physical appearance. The characters range from small to large, and youngish to oldish, and there are differences in skin, eye, and hair color as well. Present progressive forms of basic verbs such as wear, look, carry, smile, laugh, etc., could also be practiced. How about having students create or rearrange a timeline of what takes place during the video? If nothing else, just watching the story would be a great class opener.

How to use in more advanced classes? You could go in any number of directions, I think. You could have students:

Define and discuss “charm”
Draw parallels between the little boy and the real Casanova (based on a reading assignment)
Discuss similarities and differences in body language, depending on culture
Write a paragraph about what might happen next in the lives of the little boy and girl, based on the initial meeting

Nine Million Bicycles

bobp — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:04:00 +0000

Listen to this beautiful song by Katie Melua and fill in the blanks. Enjoy!

Worksheet (MS Word) MP3 Audio

Discovery Life: Stalk-Eyed Fly

bobp — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:51:00 +0000

And you thought the Japanese Mudskipper was strange? Check out this odd-looking critter that evolves from a “pupa” into a, well, fly of sorts with eyes that look like telescopes!
Download the printed activity. Then, listen carefully to the person reading the story, and correct the mistakes on the printed page.
Download activity (MS Word)

Discovery Life: Japanese Mudskipper

bobp — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Here is a gap-fill listening activity about the Japanese Mudskipper created by the Discovery Life team. Download the activity sheet and fill in the gaps as you watch and listen to a short story about this strange creature that lives in the ocean.

Activity Sheet (MS Word)

Yellow Submarine

bobp — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Here is a gap-fill listening activity seemingly custom made for low-level EFL/ESL learners. The language is simple, the melody is catchy, and the characters are animated.

Download activity (MS Word)

Discovery Life: Rufous sengi

bobp — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:41:00 +0000

A video clip from the superb Discovery Life series narrated by Oprah Winfrey. Download the activity sheet, then watch/listen to the video and correct the mistakes on the sheet.

ELI Teacher

bobp — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:14:00 +0000

What’s it like to teach at the University of Delaware English Language Institute? Articles, pictures, short lesson plans await EFL/ESL teachers at ELITeacher.org.

At ELI Teacher, you will find:

A video overview of the site layout and features
Posts on new or innovative teaching techniques or strategies
Short lesson plans and fillers, including video clips with downloadable exercises
Links to teaching and teacher collaboration tools
Polls, comment blocks, and other ways to interact with fellow teachers
Training videos, slideshows, and podcasts
Space to organize and teach a workshop or mini-course online, complete with chat and forum discussion
Efficiency-enhancing tips and suggestions
News feeds from other ESL/EFL teachers offering ideas, resources, and teaching with technology tips

Yesterday Once More

bobp — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:21:00 +0000

A pleasant gap-fill listening activity built around The Carpenters’ classic hit from the past.

Activity sheet (MS Word)

Grow Old With You

bobp — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:43:00 +0000

Watch this video clip from The Wedding Singer and fill in the blanks where you hear speech reductions.

Activity sheet (MS Word)