Internet Research for ESOL / ESL / IELTS Part 2- Clothes Shopping

Despite the dot com boom and bust and the fear of criminals using ones credit card number, internet shopping continues to be big business reducing shopping streets across the world to ghost towns.  Next, www.marksandspencer.com , Topman and even Ebay have bright, engaging websites to sell their clothes. As always, there is opportunity to exploit these well designed resources with your English language students.

 

Download the lesson here. Clothes Shopping on the Net: http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/clothes-shopping-on-the-net1.doc

Materials Needed: 1 copy of the worksheet per student /One computer with the internet for each pair of students/ Interactive Whiteboard (optional)

Level: Entry 3+ / B1 + / Pre Intermediate +

What it's good for: Scanning, pair work, discussion, clothes, shopping

How long will it take: 40 minutes including introduction and feedback

Lesson Notes

**Note** The key to this lesson is making the introduction and the feedback after the worksheet meaningful. The task in itself is very straight forward scan reading from the internet but to make it more communicative you can use the front and back end of the lesson. It could also be intergrated into a section of your course on shopping and clothes.

1. Introduction. You might like to start by showing some pictures of clothes on the interactive whiteboard. The Leo Network has some nice images here here: http://www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/clothes.htm

2.  Ask students where they buy their clothes. Do they ever use the internet to buy clothes? What websites do they use? Show a glossy website like M and S and ask students what they'd like to buy. Search for the item using the search box and choose the item together.

2. Have students complete the worksheet  by searching on the internet for the items they want. It might be better to put girls together Circulate round the room loking at what students are doing offering comments, suggestions or help. Don't just leave them to it.

3. Feedback. Ask pairs to tell you how much they spent, also ask them to say what they liked and why. This might also lead onto a discussion on fashion or men and women's clothing, download my powerpoint for this here: Shopping Discussion for Interactive Whiteboard: http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/clothes-discussion.ppt

Using Google Maps for ESOL / ESL / IELTS

If you're ever in need of directions or need to know where the nearest pizza shop is, then you don't need to look further than Google Maps. It's a map of the entire world which can be viewed either as a traditional road map, a satellite snapshot or a hybrid of the two. There is also the new streetview which lets you zoom right into the street for a close up view of what it looks like at ground level.  Not only that but it's a great resource for ESOL / ESL/ IELTS students at whatever level.



 

I used this with a group of Pre- Intermediate learners (B1 / Entry 3) in a room where students had access to a computer each. There was also an Interactive Whiteboard that I used to display examples and Google Maps.

1. Ask students these questions and spark up genuine conversation with them about where they live and the area they live in. There might be some really bad (or good) areas around where you live which you could discuss as a group : 'Where do you live?' 'Where's that near? 'Is it a good area?' ' 'Do you like living there?

2.   Show google maps and the functionality on the whiteboard. Explain how students can use the search box to find streets, the zoom features, the buttons at the top to switch between satelitte and map. Ask someone to offer their street and then find it using the search box. Zoom in on where they live if they are happy with this.

3. Pass out the work sheet and have students search through google maps to find the answers - some of the answers they might need to look on the map for. My worksheet is only a suggestion, you might like to change it with places of interest in your country and area.

Street Name	Town	Postcode	Extra Question:
Tiger Lane.			What’s the name of the big park near here?
Gawber Road.			What’s opposite this road?
Jack Straw’s Lane			Which streets come off this?
Downing Street	London		Who lives in this street?
Daisy Street	Glasgow

Click here for the full worksheet

http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/maps-on-the-internet-e3.doc

4. Encourage students to help each other and discuss anything of interest they have found. Don't leave them alone to do - this might allow them chance to catch up on their email - worse, it might make them think you don't care what they're doing. Circulate round the room look at what they are doing, offering advise or help.

5. When students have finished, make sure they turn off their computer screens so they listen to you and each other, before running through the answers together.

For more on this and other lessons visit http://s132633050.websitehome.co.uk/Computer%20lessons.htm

Mobile Phones in Class

Last week I had the regular yearly inspection with a well meaning, rule following inspector. I had a class of around twelve adult learners from many different parts of the world studying intermediate English. Everything was going fine, students were engaged in various tasks at their level, they were working together and the classroom was a peaceful buzz. Then, one of my students get a call on their mobile, and, as always, I asked them to take the call outside the classroom.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="...taking a call in class"][/caption]

In my feedback with same well meaning inspector I was told that students should be reminded to turn their phones off before class and should not use them. I was struck at how much of a point was made. I have never banned the use of mobiles in class, or asked anyone to turn them off. I simply ask that students take the call outside. Of course if a student persistently takes calls then I will ask them not to bring their phone or talk to them individually about if they really want to be in class. Most people, especialy adult learners, tend to be very polite in any case.

I know that some teachers are vehemently against the use of mobiles in their classes, but I don't see it as too much of a problem in the modern world, where students have more to worry about than just being in class.

How do you deal with mobile/cell phones going off in your class? What do you do? Leave us a comment.