Getting your students to read

iPod, do you?, originally uploaded by Carlos Noboro.

I thought I'd talk again about a teaching idea that has really been a major help to my students. It combines the two great traits of any good idea; it's easy and it's quick. As most language art teachers know one of best routes to proficiency in a language, be it a foreign one or your own is extensive reading.

The problem is that for many students the idea of reading literature, on top of all the other stuff they have to do sounds more like punishment than anything else. Over the years I've pleaded, begged, threatened, demanded and any number of other verbs my students to read outside the curriculum, often to no effect. However, last year I hit upon a method that gets my students to read more. Instead of asking them to read, say a chapter (WHATTTTT, ARE YOU KIDDING????) I simply say I want them to do 20 minutes per week extra work. Hardly, a huge sacrifice, even for my over stretched, time - famished teenage students.

Basically, the idea is that the students listen to an audio book whilst following it in printed form. In this way, even a chapter can be done in less than half an hour. Also, it can be done anywhere, if you have an mp3 player or mobile phone with mp3 capability the you can listen on the bus, in bed, lounged out in front of the TV etc. Also for foreign language students the ability to see what is being said as well as listen to it makes the whole task much easier.

The audio books can be downloaded from any number of sources. For those of you interested in the likes of Dickens, Austin, Wilde and the like, go to Librivox or Gutenberg.

For those of you with more modern tastes then a quick visit to TorrentSpy and the like via BitComet is more likely to get you what you want.

Just remember to make sure you are downloading the full, unabridged version.

EFL/ESL story telling

While looking for stuff to do with Arestidis, one of my students, I came across this wonderful site at the British Council web page. The site allows students to create their own fairy tale, horror story or science fiction opus from a list of colourful alternatives.Basically, it is an electronic version of a drama exercise I once saw years ago while teaching summer school in England. I'm going to try it today. I'll let you know how the lesson went.

Set books for FCE

I was just over at FCE Blog and I came across this link which is a PDF file by Penguin with some interesting ideas about how to use set books for FCE students.

Claudia says;

"This is a possible reading path:

Useful pages for students
Pages 6, 7 and 8 include brief descriptions of the type of text you will produce, style, target reader, organisation and content. A detailed analysis of your response to the book as well as exam tips.

Useful worksheets for students
2- FCE question types. The 10 examples given are taken from UCLES 1997- 1998 sessions.

3- A sample essay. Based on Wuthering Heights, it includes questions to analyse how the task was achieved.

5- Analysis of the plot. A chart to take your notes while reading.

10- Personality chart. There is a collection of adjectives to help you describe main characters.

14- Evaluating the book. Set of model sentences to include your opinion of the book."

I don't usually prepare students for the set book but I do like the idea of them reading extensively and always give my students audio books in MP3 format as a way of getting exposure to literature. If you would like a copy of a DVD with audio books (I have dozens) email me here with an address and I'll send it.