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Oxford University Press 2004 how to use news websites with Intermediate students
natural
English
www.oup.com/elt/naturalenglish
how to
use news websites with
Intermediate students
For any teacher wishing to use news items with their class, the Internet provides
access to literally hundreds of online news sources. In addition to news websites,
such as BBC News Online (news.bbc.co.uk/), and news search engines, such as
Google (news.google.co.uk), many newspapers now offer online versions, and a
number of TV and radio news programmes are now broadcast on the Internet.
Online newspapers are a mixture of newspapers produced in English-speaking
countries, for example The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk) and The Australian
(www.theaustralian.com.au), and local English-language papers, for example The
Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.co.th/), which is produced in Thailand, and the
English edition of the Greek newspaper Kathimerini (www.ekathimerini.com). Locally
published online English-language newspapers are particularly useful for students
studying English in their own country, as they will be familiar with the newspapers
content.
An advantage of many online news websites is that they are updated continuously,
providing access to up-to-date news from around the world. Furthermore,
improvements in technology mean that, as well as being able to read the latest
news, students can use the Internet to watch and/or listen to news programmes,
such as those made by the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/radio).
In this pack, youll nd two ready-made lessons that show you how to use news
websites with Intermediate students.
introduction
overview
level intermediate and above
timing 90 minutes
aim to read and summarize news articles, and
to produce a radio / TV news broadcast
students will
read a news article in depth, and take notes
use notes to create a summary of the original article
work together to create and record a radio / TV
news broadcast
preparation
before the lesson
Make copies of worksheets 1 and 2 for each student.
Choose a selection of news websites, one website for
each pair of students (see below).
technical checklist
one computer per two to three students
also read:
tips for success
searching
selecting and evaluating websites
copyright
useful websites
news.bbc.co.uk
BBC News website.
www.guardian.co.uk
Online version of The Guardian newspaper.
www.iht.com
Online version of The International Herald Tribune
newspaper.
www.ft.com
Online version of The Financial Times newspaper.
www.elgazette.com
Online version of The EL Gazette (English-language
journal).
www.ipl.org/div/news
The Internet Public Library, which contains details of
online newspapers from around the world.
www.thebigproject.co.uk/news/
The Big Project, which has a list of UK news resources.
procedure
Hand out worksheet 1 and ask students to match
the news headlines to the relevant topics (the news
headlines on the worksheet could be replaced with
real headlines selected by the teacher).
Encourage students to think of other topics that
might appear on a news website, such as: local,
national and international news; show-business
gossip; education; travel; world affairs. Allocate one
topic to each pair of students.
Hand out copies of worksheet 2 to each student and
explain that they are going to work in pairs. Direct
each pair of students to a news website and ask them
to nd one story that falls within their topic.
Tell students to read their chosen story carefully and
to complete worksheet 2.
Ask students to use the completed worksheet to
practise retelling their story in pairs without
referring back to the full online version.
Explain to the students that they are going to work
together in groups to produce a TV / radio news
broadcast based on the information they have
collected. They will need to choose an anchor
person and prepare interviews to accompany the
stories.
Give the students time to order the stories, prepare
their script, and rehearse their interviews before
recording the news broadcast.
follow-up ideas
Students produce written summaries of their news
stories.
If the news site selected has audio and / or video,
students can listen to or watch their news stories and
compare their versions with the class news broadcast.
Students research their news stories on different
news websites and compare how the story is treated.
natural
English
www.oup.com/elt/naturalenglish
how to
use news websites with
Intermediate students
the news teachers notes
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Oxford University Press 2004 how to use news websites with Intermediate students
natural
English
www.oup.com/elt/naturalenglish
how to
use news websites with
Intermediate students
the news worksheet 1
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Oxford University Press 2004 how to use news websites with Intermediate students
Company shares rise again
Box ofce success for new Johnny Depp movie
England win World Cup
Lose weight and live longer
Breakthrough in research for cancer drug
Train strike causes chaos for commuters
Snow alert for Scotland
Election date set
a sport
b health
c news
d politics
e business
f weather
g science
h entertainment
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Match the headlines to the topics.
Use this worksheet to make notes.
headline
Where does the story take place?
When does it take place?
Who is involved?
What happened / is going to happen?
(list the main facts in order)
key vocabulary
natural
English
www.oup.com/elt/naturalenglish
how to
use news websites with
Intermediate students
the news worksheet 2
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Oxford University Press 2004 how to use news websites with Intermediate students
overview
level intermediate and above
timing 6075 minutes
aim to compare how news is reported in
national and local online newspapers
students will
compare the content of two online newspapers
summarize the main details of two headline stories
preparation
before the lesson
Make copies of worksheets 1 and 2 for each student.
Choose a selection of online newspapers, one for
each pair of students (see below).
technical checklist
one computer for per two to three students
speakers for each computer, or headphones for each
student
Windows Media Player and / or Real Player plug-
ins downloaded from the Internet, installed, and
tested before the lesson
also read:
tips for success
selecting and evaluating websites
downloading plug-ins
useful websites
www.ipl.org/div/news
The Internet Public Library, which contains details of
online newspapers from around the world.
www.thebigproject.co.uk/news/
The Big Project, which has a list of UK news resources.
procedure
Elicit what types of news resources are available on
the Internet, e.g. news search engines, news
websites, online newspapers, online TV, and radio
news broadcasts.
Establish that students know the difference between
local and national newspapers, and ask them to list
the sort of content they might expect to nd on
online versions of each.
Hand out a copy of worksheet 1 to each student, go
through the items, and encourage students to try to
predict the answers and to compare their predictions
with their partner.
Refer students to the two newspaper websites, and
ask them to compare their predictions with what the
online newspapers actually contain.
Hand out a copy of worksheet 2 to each student,
and ask them, in pairs, to return to the two
newspaper websites and to use the worksheet to
summarize the main details of two headline stories.
follow-up ideas
Replace the Scarborough Evening News website with
the students local newspaper, if they are studying in
an English-speaking country, or with an English-
language version of a local newspaper in their own
country.
Divide the class into two groups and ask each group
to prepare a websearch for the other group to
complete, based on one of the two news websites
used in the lesson plan. Visit the natural English
Reading for Fun pages to nd examples of
websearch worksheets: www.oup.com/elt/global/
teachersclub/products/nehome/ne_afterclass/weblinks/
Many local news websites have contact details, and
invite letters and e-mails from readers. Ask students
to put together a letter / e-mail in response to an
article, or to investigate the possibility of submitting
their own article to the editor for publication.
Use stories from the local newspaper website to
produce and record a local radio / TV news
programme in class.
natural
English
www.oup.com/elt/naturalenglish
how to
use news websites with
Intermediate students
comparing online newspapers teachers notes
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Oxford University Press 2004 how to use news websites with Intermediate students
Which website do you think will have the following context? Write yes or no and give examples.
national newspaper local newspaper
The Guardian Scarborough Evening News
http://www.guardian.co.uk www.scarboroughtoday.co.uk
international news Yes a lot of articles about politics
national news
sports news
entertainment information
business news
jobs
property for sale
weather
advertisements
horoscopes
video reports
pictures
sound
Can you nd two more differences?
natural
English
www.oup.com/elt/naturalenglish
how to
use news websites with
Intermediate students
comparing online newspapers worksheet 1
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Oxford University Press 2004 how to use news websites with Intermediate students
Use this worksheet to make notes.
national newspaper local newspaper
The Guardian Scarborough Evening News
http://www.guardian.co.uk www.scarboroughtoday.co.uk
headline
Who is the news story about?
When did it take place?
Where did it take place?
What happened?
List the main points.
natural
English
www.oup.com/elt/naturalenglish
how to
use news websites with
Intermediate students
comparing online newspapers worksheet 2
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Oxford University Press 2004 how to use news websites with Intermediate students