Talking about paintings – Norman Rockwell – a .PPT cooler, warmer or filler

Here’s another PowerPoint warmer, filler or cooler for your English lesson. If you can’t be bothered to read the short blog – download the ppt file here. 

http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/rockwell.ppt

This week I’ve been talking about the paintings of the American painter Norman Rockwell. His pictures are great for generating conversation and speculation, although they are quite culturally ‘American’.

You can just show the ppt to your students, but it’s much better if you put students in pairs and ask them to answer the following questions.

- Describe what you see in the picture.

- Can you tell each other the ‘story’ in the picture?

Lots of these pictures reveal more about themselves the more you look at them and the story comes to life the more questions you ask. For example, why is the huge sailor getting another girl’s name tattooed on his arm? What is the expression on his face, it’s not happiness, is it?

Have fun

Create your own Superhero! - A computer room lesson using PPT for teenagers and younger learners.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="315" caption="Thanks to mhealthwatch.com for the image"][/caption]

I've been teaching functional skills IT this year to my pre-intermediate teenage ESOL learners and the materials we have to use with them are fightningly dull. Here's a lesson I knocked up for them on designing your own superhero using PowerPoint and the superb super hero generator   http://www.ugo.com/games/superhero-generator-heromachine-2-5 . The worksheet asks them to design a PowerPoint show around a superhero that they create or research,and broadly speaking, covers their IT requirements as well. Getting students to work in pairs and to present their show to the rest of the class adds a bit more fun and well-meaning speaking practise.

Here the worksheet: Make your own Superhero http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/make-your-own-superhero.docx

How to run the lesson.
For this pre-intermediate – intermediate lesson you will need.
- Computers that can connect to the internet with PowerPoint installed, preferably one between two students.
- Some way to show the student PowerPoint presentations to the class, such as a projector or and IAWB.

1. Write the name of a superhero you like on the board, like Spiderman or Superman. Ask students to tell you about him. Ask ‘What can he do?’ Generate discussion on what powers the person has, where they live, who they fight and so on. You might also like to show students something from youtube.com

2. Now explain that students are going to make a PowerPoint presentation about a superhero they create, they are then going to show this to the rest of the class and answer any questions asked.

3. Pass students a copy of the worksheet and ask them to read through before they start. Make sure students understand what you want them to do before they start.

4. Now ask students to work in pairs to create a superhero. Set a time limit of 20 minutes and make this the deadline for students to email you the presentation. Monitor students constantly to make sure they are on task and to discuss any superhero problems they might have.
***Some students might not have the creative spirit to do this, in this case you can ask them to make the same presentation about an existing Superhero from this list: Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Wolverine, Iron Man or any other superhero they like!***

5. After the time is up or everyone has finished, ask each pair to come to the front of the class and explain/show their presentations to everyone. If time, encourage questions and ask a few yourself.

*This lesson will only work if students are familiar with the concept of a superhero as a western ‘hero’. Many cultures across the world do enjoy American films and students who are familiar with the genre will find this task easy to understand. Students not familiar with the genre will be confused and this won’t be a good task for them.

*If you think that creating a super hero will be too much of a difficult task them you could ask students to research an existing superhero that they already know.

Here's the worksheet again http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/make-your-own-superhero.docx

Riddles for the English classroom

I've just found these old riddles on my hard drive and thought I'd share them.

Click here for the PowerPoint show http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/riddles-for-the-english-classroom.ppt

They'll provide a quick bit of speaking practice for pre-intermediate to intermediate EFL, ESOL or ESL students and you'll need to have an Interactive whiteboard or a projector to show the PPT show.

Put your students into pairs and ask them to discuss the riddles one by one before you reveal the answers. You might also find that students have their own riddles they would like to share with you and the rest of the class.

I can't remember where I found all of these, but three of them (numbers 3,7 and 8) come from the amazing and seminal English teaching book 'Challenge to Think' by Christine Frank, Mario Rinvolucri and Marge Berer' first published in 1982.

Here's the ppt file again http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/riddles-for-the-english-classroom.ppt

for more of the same visit

www.englishlanguagespacestation.com

Valentine's Day and Relationships - complete PowerPoint Lesson

Valentine's Day soon...

complete lessons using only PowerPoint slides.

Can't be bothered to read the post? Get the lesson here

http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/powerpoint%20lessons/Relationships.pps

I think this lesson on relationships fits in really nicely with Valentine's Day, especially since the audio features a lady dumping her boyfriend. It's for pre-intermediate learners and should take about an hour. You only need the PowerPoint show above and working speakers to play the audio, students only need a pen and some paper.

Slide 2

Elicit different types of relationship from the class before you show the slide - mother, father etc. Now show the slide, students have to write their own explanation for each word.

Slide 3

Students match the phrasal verbs to the meaning.

Slide 4

Ask and answer the pre-listening questions as a class before listening to the girl dumping her boyfriend. Students answer the gist question.

Slide 5

Now students listen again and answer the more detailed questions

Slide 6

Students ask and answer these questions in pairs or small groups. You can monitor and give feedback at the end.

Here's the PowerPoint lesson again

http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/powerpoint%20lessons/Relationships.pps

You can find more lessons like this at http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm

More complete lessons using PowerPoint - Health and Doctors

I love PowerPoint. It's easy to make and use and yet still powerful. If you can' t be bothered to read the blog post (which to be honest, is pathetically short) then click below for the lesson.

http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/Health%20and%20illness.ppt

Here's yet another lesson from my endless back catalogue of complete PowerPoint sessions. This time focusing on health and visiting the doctor. You don't need any photocopies, only a projector that can play the show. http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/Health%20and%20illness.ppt

See, told you it was short.

If you liked this lesson then you can download loads more from the English Language Space Station.com or you could leave some feedback. http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm

Simple powerpoint lesson - present simple/continuous - low level grammar

Don't have the time/need/desire to read the blog? Get the lesson here:

http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/presentsimplecontinuous.ppt

Here's a really simple PowerPoint lesson helping students to understand the difference between the present simple (I play the guitar) and the present continuous (I am playing the guitar).



How to use it.
I used this as part of a wider lesson comparing these tenses.
1. Ask students to explain the difference between these questions? 'What are you doing?' and 'What do you do?'. Hopefully they will explain that the first question is present continuous and is asking about an action happenign right now and the second asks about what you do every day - in other words, your job.

2. Show students the ppt and get them to write (or just shout out) two sentences. One in the present continuous for now and one in the present simple for always.

3. There are many possible answers that are correct and I added the most obvious ones on the last slide of the poweroint presentation.

Going further

Making your own powerpoint lesson with pictures is stupidly easy. Head to www.google.com/images and type in the name of the image you want, for example 'man driving a car'. You'll get a huge variety of images. Choose the one you would like to import into your presentation, click it, then, when it opens in its own window right click on it and choose 'copy'. Now, back in you powerpoint presentation right click and choose 'paste'.

If you've got a computer room, asking students to make their own powerpoint presentations either as part of a group or alone is a lot of fun. Especially when they have to present it to the rest of the class.

If you liked this lesson then get on down to www.englishlanguagespacestation.com for more of the same.

Complete Powerpoint lessons for ESOL/ESL and IELTS - Chatting with friends/ social interaction

Can't be bothered to read the post? Download the lesson here http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/chatting-with-friends.ppt



Here's yet another complete powerpoint lesson to use with your ielts/ ESOL or ESL class. It follows the same formula as my previous powerpoint lessons

This lesson focuses on social interaction and how people chat with each other often telling each other stories or anecdotes. It's pretty straight forward and has all the answers built in. If you do like it and use it, let us know how you got on.

If you'd like more of the same, please visit my previously bad but now quite good webiste and download some more www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm

Prezi.com - A great alternative to PowerPoint

I stumbled on my first Prezi.com presentation while looking through classroom 201X  blog, here's the link: http://classroom201x.wordpress.com/ I was shocked at how easy it is to make really great presentations and set about making a very simple 'correct the mistakes' presentation to show to my ESOL students. I tried to embed the file below but I'm afraid you'll have to click the link under it to get the prezi to play.

Correct the Sentences for ESOL, ESL and EFL on Prezi

Here's the link to watch the presentation at Prezi.com                                                                                                                                                            http://prezi.com/wmdto1doshgy/correct-the-sentences-for-esol-esl-and-efl/

Futher ideas

- next I'll be asking my students to make their own prezi by signing up to www.prezi.com and following the online instructions and watching the video. Look out for it in my next blog.

Check out these other blogs about using Prezi

http://e-blahblah.com/index.php/2010/01/prezi-killed-powerpoint-how-to-integrate-prezi-in-the-classroom/ - introduction to Prezi

http://classroom201x.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/prezi-vs-powerpoint/ - which is best PowerPoint or Prezi?

Another Great PowerPoint Lesson - Real speaking situations

Here's an old favourite, a powerpoint lesson that you can show with a projector or on your interactive whiteboard. It focuses on students responding to visual prompts asking them what they would say in cetain situations.

Can't be bothered to read the post - download the lesson here.

Level: A2- B1 / Entry 3 / Pre-intermediate

Time: 30 mins

Technology needed: IAWB or projector to show the show.

How to run the lesson:

1. Before showing the ppt show, write these phrases up on the board. 'Cheers/excuse me/ take care/' and ask students to tell you what they mean and in what situations they would be used. 'Cheers' in modern English means 'thank you' as well as 'to your health' when drinking, 'excuse me' can be used to say sorry, or to express shock or concern at something if said with rising intonation as a questions. 'Take care' is something we say instead of goodbye and is a very nice thing to say.

2. Ask students to number a sheet of paper one to ten. As you show each picture ask students to write down what they think should be the response.

3. When you have done all ten elicit feedback from the students. You might like to look at the suggested answers on slide 11. 

Here's the lesson again -http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/speaking-prompts-suggested-answers-at-the-end.ppt

If you like this kind of lesson, check out the English Language Space Station's complete powerpoint page http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm

Quick PowerPoint lessons for ESOL / ESL/ IELTS - Quick Questions

Here's the first in a series of quick activities you can show on you IAWB or projector as part of a warm up, cool down or just a filler.

Can't be bothered to read the post download the lesson here.

Quick Questions

This is a pre intermediate - intermediate lesson and involves students answering questions as quick as they can. It should take about twenty minutes depending on the level of feedback and discussion after the main task.

1. ask students to write the numbers 1-30 (or less if you don't want to use all the slides). They are going to try and answer the questions they see on the screen as fast as they can.

2. Now run this powerpoint. Click the screen for the next question to appear. Allow students just enough time to read the question and write a brief answer.

3. When you've finished all the questions ask students to feedback their answers either to each other in pairs or groups or the whole class (I guess this depends on your class size).



Click here to download the 'Quick Questions' PowerPoint

Further ideas

This lesson works brilliantly in a computer room with all the students linked up to the same chat room and the questions either shown on interactive whiteboard or even just read out aloud- students can instantly see each other's answers and there's a great buzz as everyone fights to write what they want to say.

I originally designed this lesson for use with Nintendo DS machines as part of a Molenet project. By using the chatroom function, each student armed with their own Nintendo DS can read the questions and write in their answer. What they have written is instantly visible to the other students and the results were hilarious and genuine fun for the learners. For more on using the DS for teaching, check out my blog here. You can also visit the Molenet website where they have loads of ideas for students using mobile technology.

For more great powerpoint lessons go to http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm

More Complete Lessons Using PowerPoint - Money and Banks

If you can't be bothered to read the post then download the lesson here. http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/money-and-banks.ppt

Here's another Complete Lesson Using PowerPoint following on from what the two I've done already, Complete PowerPoint Lesson - Relationships, Complete PowerPoint Lesson - Technology

This time I've gone for Money and Banks. The lesson is aimed at Pre-intermediate to intermediate students and is pretty straightforward to run with the answers already embedded in the files.

You will need a projector or an interactive whiteboard to show the presentation but your students don't need any text books and you don't need any photocopied handouts - watch and follow the instructions for a great lesson. Download the lesson here http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/money-and-banks.ppt

You can find more lessons like this and indeed more worksheets and ideas for teaching ESOL/ESL/IELTS and English at my trusty old website http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm

Using Digital Cameras in the ESOL / ESL / IELTS classroom Part 2

Can't be bothered to read the blog? Download the lesson here http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/telling-stories-with-photographs.doc

This is the second time I've blogged about using digital cameras in the language classroom, so if you missed it, here's a link to my first effort. http://chrisspeck.wordpress.com/category/using-digital-cameras/

Last time I got students to take photos of different nouns, and also some abstract nouns like happiness and sadness. This worked well and generated lots of language between the students as they did the task as well as more  when they presented their pictures to the rest of the class via a slideshow on PowerPoint

This time I wanted students to really communicate with each other and try to tell a story using pictures and themselves as actors. This would generate huge and meaningful discussion as they did the task as a group and would also provide opportunities for presentation. I knew it would be hard for lots of students to understand a visualize what they had to do, so I found my own picture slide show for them to watch first.

Lesson Plan

I used this lesson with a group of older teenagers from various parts of the world.  To carry out the lesson we used: Digital Camera (many students used their phones), computers that we could upload the photos onto, an interactive whiteboard or projector so that students could show their work to the class. You also need a copy of the worksheet - which you cut up into four sections and distibute seperately: Get the worksheet here - http://chrisspeck.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/telling-stories-with-photographs.doc

1. Ask students if they read comics or picture stories in the newspaper or anywhere else. Elicit their views on them, do they think they are good way to tell a story?

2. Show them the first comic slide show - snoopy and ask what them to tell each other the story.

3. Now pass them the second picture slide show. Ask them to tell the story to each other once again.

4. Explain that they are going to try and make their own picture story using digital cameras. Before they do this, it's a good idea to go through the language section in Part 3 so that students are aware and have the tools to be able to make a story together.

5. Put students into groups and get them to do Activity 4. It might be tough for students who aren't very creative but remind them that it doesn't have to be a masterpiece. Indeed, this is an English class and not a photography or film class so the real task is not making a photo story but using English to do so.

6. Ask students to work in their groups, uploading their photos to software that will allow them to show their images and write some captions. Perhaps the easiest program to use is PowerPoint, but there many more avaliable including Picasa, Windows PhotoStory, Windows Moviemaker or even Flickr. They could also audio commentary.



7. Have students display their photo stories to the rest of the class. Encourage feedback and questions.

- When I did this lesson I was unsure whether students would 'rise to the challenge' and make a story, but they were very creative and surpassed my expectations.

Further Reading

21st Teaching has some good ideas on using photo stories http://21stcenturyteaching.pbworks.com/Ideas-for-Photostory-3-Projects

Complete Lessons using PowerPoint for IELTS / EFL / ESOL - Valentine's Day and Relationships

Here's the second edition of my complete lessons using only PowerPoint slides. Can't be bothered to read the post? Get the lesson here

http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/powerpoint%20lessons/Relationships.pps



I think this lesson on relationships fits in really nicely with Valentine's Day, especially since the audio features a lady dumping her boyfriend. It's for pre-intermediate learners and should take about an hour. You only need the PowerPoint show above and working speakers to play the audio, students only need a pen and some paper.

Slide 2

Elicit different types of relationship from the class before you show the slide - mother, father etc. Now show the slide, students have to write their own explanation for each word.

Slide 3

Students match the phrasal verbs to the meaning.

Slide 4

Ask and annswer the pre-listening questions as a class before listening to the girl dumping her boyfriend. Students answer the gist question.

Slide 5

Now students listen again and answer the more detailed questions

Slide 6

Students ask and answer these questions in pairs or small groups. You can monitor and give feedback at the end.

Here's the PowerPoint lesson again

http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/powerpoint%20lessons/Relationships.pps

You can find more lessons like this at http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm

Complete Lessons Using PowerPoint for ESOL /ESL/

      

 

Years ago, I made some simple PowerPoint lessons that cover a range of different vocabulary sets.

They're currently housed on a very old and rusty website but they're free - so please use, change or copy them.

To get the audio working, you have to make the document a 'trusted document' or 'enable macros'.

The only material students need are paper, a pen or a pencil and their voices.

1. Technology PowerPoint Lesson

2. Relationship PowerPoint Lesson

3. Crime PowerPoint Lesson

4. Food and Drink PowrPoint Lesson

5. Giving Advice PowerPoint Lesson

6. Chatting with Friends PowerPoint Lesson

7. Health and Illness PowerPoint Lesson

8. House and Home PowerPoint Lesson

9. Money and Banks PowerPoint Lesson

10. Sport and Keeping Fit PowerPoint Lesson

Loving PowerPoint - Using presentation software in your ESOL / EFL classroom

Apart from having a capital letter in the middle of it, PowerPoint is easy, quick and looks great. Here are some quick ideas on how to use this presentation software with your EFL or ESOL students.

Get your students chatting with PowerPoint.

Getting students to ask each other questions and chat with each other is the cornerstone of modern language teaching. Using PowerPoint, you can easily display questions or points for students to discuss, or reveal them one by one.

Click here for some great shows from English Language Space Station

Picture shows for lower level students

Find a picture you want in  http://images.google.co.uk/. Copy and paste the image into PowerPoint and make your own slide show. If pictures aren't clear enough, use the advanced Image search to look for only large images (http://images.google.co.uk/advanced_image_search?hl=en) You can make slide shows about any vocab area, things in the kitchen, places in town, jobs, vehicles... any vocab set.

Check out these examples  Parts of a car and Things in the Kitchen and Things in a house

Get your students using PowerPoint as well

If your students have access to computers then why not let them have a go at making a show. They could research a famous person, their hometown, a capital city they like, a country etc and then give a presentation on using their own PowerPoint show. Student confidentiality prevents us showing some student example, but they are great!

This isn't new...

We know. But sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees

Other people using PowerPoint in quirky ways...

Tim Key's PowerPoint Poetry

How I fell in love with PowerPoint - David Gaffney

Great PowerPoint Lessons

http://www.englishlanguagespacestation.com/complete_PowerPoint_Lessons.htm