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1. Explore the Google website below and pretend you will visit one of those places next Summer.
2. Write padlet sentences about what you will do there.
3. Click on the storyboard link.
4. Scroll down and create a free account
5. Select three slides and create a storyboard
6. Share it in the padlet.

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Explore all Collections on Google Arts & Culture.

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Free Storyboarding Software — Online Storyboard Creator

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Storyboard That: Easy online storyboard creation! Perfect for filmmakers, teachers, and students. Create storyboards and comics with Storyboard That today!

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Share your share your activity in the padlet. (10 Min)

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Share your share your activity in the padlet. (10 Min)

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https://padlet.com/csanroma/our-collaboration-paddlet-osjfw0rxbwflgxvb

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1. Discuss the difference between collaborative and cooperative learning. (Chat or mic)
2. Create a sample  Churro and Chocolate
and the travel partner card following the instructions.
3. Scan the article and select an extra pairing idea.
4. Share in the Padlet: Travel Partner Card, Churro, and Chocolate, and one more pairing idea.

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1. Analyze the cartoon and share your opinion in the chat or microphone. (3 min)
2. Read the articles or watch the video below .
2. Take notes  using one of the templates or your own
3. Share a one-sentence AHA moment in the chat or microphone.
(5 Min)

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What is the difference between cooperative and collaborative learning?  (1 Min)

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What is the difference between cooperative and collaborative learning?  (1 Min)

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The Why: To give all students opportunities to succeed. (1 Min)

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The Why: To give all students opportunities to succeed. (1 Min)

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1.  Take Notes
2. Share speaking ideas

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1.  Read, and take notes for yourself.
2. Select one activity for your class.
2. Share it with your colleagues in the padlet.

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15 Minutes 4K Animal Dance Party with Party Dance Mix 🤘🎵

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Collaborative  Learning-My Travel Partner  (10 Min)

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Collaborative  Learning-My Travel Partner  (10 Min)

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Materials:
One index card and Markers

Instructions:
1. Draw a cross in the middle of your card
2. Write the four countries you see on the board

Create your example (4 countries, regions, or places) and share it in the chat. You can use an index card, Canva, etc...

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Classroomscreen | The #1 online whiteboard for teachers | www-production-classroomscreen-com

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Manage your classroom in a fun and engaging way. Classroomscreen is packed with widgets for teachers: timers, group makers, interactive polls and much more…

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Assign one role to each member to maximize participation

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Number, 1,2,3,4

letter: a,b,c,d

color conversations (questions in different colors and students selecting one color).

Role-play activities

Discussion activities

Debates

Describing a picture

Telling a short story

Conducting interviews

Reporting the news, weather...

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1. Read the agenda and the schedule .
2. Be present and participate in the learning session.
3. Raise your hand to participate and ask questions.

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ImmerseMe - Using virtual reality to learn languages

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ImmerseMe - Using virtual reality to learn languages

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Harnessing the power of virtual reality to immerse users in language learning scenarios. ImmerseMe is filmed all around the world to give travellers, students and business people a broad range of content to learn.

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Let go

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"A choice board is a graphic organizer that allows students to choose how they will learn a concept. The choice board below has nine squares. (There is no minimum or maximum, however nine seems to be a good number.) Inside each square is an activity. Students can choose one or several activities to complete. Choice boards can be organized so students need to finish one square before moving to the next, they can be random, or can be organized in a specific way. The level of difficulty of the activities can vary or stay consistent."

Tic-Tac-Toe Boards and Menus are two different types of choice boards.

"A menu offers students a way to make decisions about what they will do in order to meet class requirements. A menu could be for a single lesson, a week-long lesson, or even a month-long period of study. Once the teacher has decided on what the essential understandings and/or skills are, she/he can begin to create a menu."

"Tic-Tac-Toe choice boards give students the opportunity to participate in multiple tasks that allow them to practice skills they've learned in class or to demonstrate and extend their understanding of concepts. From the board, students either choose or are assigned three adjacent or diagonal tasks to complete.

Choice boards address student readiness, interest, or learning preferences. They are easily adapted to a subject area."

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Choice Boards, Menus, & Tic-Tac-Toe by Sarah Dillard

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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1. Watch the video in Edpuzzle (5 min) using the code : pugebju
2. Answer the questions
3. Share a listening activity in the chat or microphone.
4. Read the article and select one activity you can implement.

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1. Enjoy your break
2. Return on time, we will miss you.

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Ms. Talbert felt great about the lessons she had planned for her high school seniors using Universal Design for Learning, a framework for differentiating learning experiences. Her learning intentions were for students to evaluate sources of evidence and use evidence they gathered to support claims. The lessons built from activities like combing through social media and news sources to find claims that weren't adequately supported to making their own claims supported by evidence. Ms. Talbert included issues and topics that were on students' minds. She clarified vocabulary and used multimedia, print, and audio as ways to access the content.

Later in the year, her students explored and analyzed the effects of baseless claims made online through fast-spreading social media. Finally, the class moved into discussions and debates. The class discussion became close to tense at times when students had conflicting opinions, all supported by evidence they deemed credible. But with Ms. Talbert's feedback and guidance, the groups used the class norms of collaboration to work through the dialogue in a productive manner. She beamed with pride as she watched the groups navigate difficult topics, strong opinions, and conflicting evidence.

Not everyone spoke in class or led discussions-but Ms. Talbert knew some students showed their best work by writing, others by speaking, and others through producing a creative product. She provided all these options for students to show their learning over time and was open to students' additional ideas of how that learning could be shown.

Why We Need Universal Design for Learning

Like Ms. Talbert's, every classroom is filled with individuals who vary wildly-and interestingly-in who they are as people. Their many experiences and genetics make them who they are-each one unique and wonderful. Some are strong with math, others are talented artists; some light up when it's time for science, and others love nothing more than getting lost in a fictional work. Some students speak multiple languages, but struggle in the language of instruction that is new to them.

For every student who loves a particular subject, there is another who is afraid of it, and another who finds it uninteresting.

Students not only vary in their skill level and preferences for academic content, but also in their social-emotional skills, development, and learning. This diversity in our classroom can pose instructional challenges, but it's also an asset! It presents the opportunity for students to learn from and with one another, gain an understanding of the interdependence within society, and celebrate one another's unique qualities. Diversity is in no way a limitation as long as we keep it top of mind when designing instruction and assessment.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), originally designed by the organization CAST, is a framework that guides proactive design of classroom instruction and learning opportunities to make them effective for a broad range of learners (see ). UDL offers guidelines on how we can make our instruction and classroom environments welcoming, responsive, supportive, and flexible, so that the fewest students possible require additional support or adaptations.

The developers of the framework organized UDL strategies into three categories: (1) multiple means of engagement-how we engage and sustain students' interest and persistence; (2) multiple means of representation-how we ensure our instruction is accessible and improves students' understanding; and (3) multiple means of action and expression-how we support students to show their learning in multiple ways. Such strategies, individually, are neither new nor revolutionary. But UDL, informed by these three principles and connected to neurological and educational research, offers an actionable framework that educators can use to increase the accessibility and power of every lesson we design.

Planning for Multiple Means of Engagement

Every teacher can relate to occasional difficulty in gaining students' interest. What if, when a student is having trouble engaging in the classroom, instead of attributing the problem to the student, we reframed it as our problem with engagement, asking ourselves what the students' behavior might say about our teaching?

If we presume variability in students' interest and plan our engagement strategies with the least engaged student in mind, we'll probably engage all the students in the class. Figure 1 shows some smart strategies for universal engagement.

Figure 1: Strategies for Engagement

1. Start by connecting with students using positive interaction.

2. Demonstrate clarity of intentions and criteria for success.

3. Connect the purpose of the lesson to something of current relevance and value to students.

4. Provide students choices-from simple to significant-for their learning.

5. Make the learning space safe for taking risks and making mistakes.

6. Use novelty to gain students' interest.

7. Design activities that involve active exploration.

Include opportunities to investigate, reflect, make, create, or dialogue.

Have students move about the room during learning.

8. Design for small group instruction.

9. Use strategies to balance participation.

10. Offer strategies for students to cope with frustration, anxiety, and low confidence.

Planning for Multiple Means of Representation

Fifteen years ago, you may have had a phone, a camera, a calendar, a video recorder, a device for listening to music, and a computer for accessing the Internet. For traveling, you may have used a GPS or map and books for translating languages. Now, all these needs are met with one device. Because we have a customizable device with many options and functions, fewer people need specialized equipment. And while some still may prefer a physical calendar, say, we'd be hard pressed to find many people who own and use all those items.

Think of multiple means of representation-how we make our instruction accessible to all students-as a smartphone with many features and apps. Without a base of multiple means of representation planned into each lesson, teachers become exhausted trying to continually figure out how to differentiate content and deliver support to meet individual needs and maximize strengths. By investing effort in multiple means of representation during lesson planning, we minimize special adaptations, because we've designed up front for many types of variability. Figure 2 shows some strategies for doing so.

Giving options for multiple ways you present information to students is not the same as segmenting students using the long-debunked notion of different learning styles. It simply means that, in instruction, you always present content in various ways that resonate with students' different strengths and preferences for processing information-based on what you know of each learner and what you've seen in their learning experiences.

Figure 2: Strategies for Multiple Means of Representation

1. Teach metacognitive strategies for learning within context of this concept or skill.

Use analogies and metaphors.

Teach notetaking and study strategies.

Present a mnemonic orally and visually to help students remember new information-or help students create a mnemonic, such as a song.

Connect the concept to something students already know, using several modalities.

Chunk material into smaller pieces.

Create study guides with strategies for learning embedded.

2. Use multiple means to represent content, concepts, and skills.

3. Provide help with vocabulary, syntax, notations, and symbols.

4. Gradually release support to promote independence.

5. Create experiences for deliberate practice, spaced over time.

6. Give formative feedback.

Provide clear, ungraded feedback on products of learning and the process of learning.

Guide students to evaluate their own learning.

Conference with individual students about a product or process; help them generate a plan for what to do next.

Share feedback in ways that show confidence in the student's ability to learn.

Connect feedback to specific learning goals.

7. Use formative assessment to change instruction.

Use formative assessment of students' work and learning to:

Planning for Multiple Means of Action and Expression

There are many ways to measure a student's learning of any given skill or understanding. But too often, we use a single, teacher-designed assessment for all students. The premise is that a standardized assessment makes for a fairer assessment. In fact, giving a single option for showing learning advantages those students with strengths in that option. Some of our students are talented presenters but lack confidence as "test takers." Some find tests easy but are afraid of speaking in front of the class. Some have strengths in writing or graphic design. For many, the idea of something being timed produces a great deal of stress and interferes with showing their learning.

This variability in performance under different conditions affects educators' ability to see what students understand and can do if they only use a single type of assessment. For example, if the only option we give is a timed test, then students who have test anxiety or need more time for processing can't show what they know. The validity of the test is compromised because we didn't offer another option. The assessment is less fair because it's standardized.

This isn't to suggest that we give students options for the level of proficiency they show, only for the way they show it. We can have the same expectations for skills and understanding shown through a class presentation, say, as through a paper, test, or other measure. (Note that even when we use alternative measures, it's still important to document the need for extended time for students with disabilities, who will need this accommodation for state or national testing.)

Figure 3 shows many of the nearly countless ways we can have students demonstrate their understanding and skills. If the idea of giving students many different options for showing their learning feels overwhelming, teachers can start by identifying the typical assessment for an upcoming unit and selecting one alternative. Regardless of whether educators take this on full force or start small, the need for this practice is pressing.

Figure 3: Strategies for Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Ways Students Can Demonstrate Their Learning

Videorecorded presentation

Live presentation to the class-or to a teacher or external audience

Individual conference with a teacher

Written answers to given questions

Lesson taught live to another person

Physical model student constructs

Illustration or other visual art product

Essay, story, or other written product

Revision or improvement of an existing product

Solutions to given problems

Service activity related to the content/skill

Being interviewed on the content

Verbal response to given questions, or responding with a gesture or image

Realizing Their Brilliance

Many teachers recognize that each of their students is (wondrously) different, in how they take in information, how they practice and engage with content to learn it, and in how they show their learning. UDL gives teachers a way to present information in many formats, as Ms. Talbert did in her unit, so instruction can hit as many students' preferred ways of learning as possible. And UDL strategies make the most of assessment, since the purpose of our day-to-day classroom assessment is to inform teaching and learning. Providing students with options for how to express their learning gives each student the chance to show their best work. The resulting assessment types lend much more valid information and give teachers more precise direction on how to maximize learning for each child.

Without providing multiple means of presenting concepts and information, we won't reach all students. And without providing options for expression, we may never fully realize the brilliance many of our students have-brilliance often disguised by a counterfeit definition of how success in school must look.

Author's note: "Ms. Talbert" is a hypothetical teacher and situation. The strategies outlined here for engagement, representation, and expression are drawn from UDL resources, the professional research literature, strategies I've used, and my observations within classrooms. For additional strategies for applying UDL in lesson planning, visit http://udlguidelines.cast.org/ .

Copyright © 2021 Lee Ann Jung

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Lesson Planning with Universal Design for Learning

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Using UDL principles upfront means making fewer adaptations later-and reaching more students.

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Checking for Understanding: Kahoot Time 

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Checking for Understanding: Kahoot Time 

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https://kahoot.it/

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Watch this video - or read the article below.         (5 Min)

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Watch this video - or read the article below.         (5 Min)

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https://www.weareteachers.com/ways-to-check-for-understanding/

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It's so important to stop frequently during your lessons to check for understanding with your students. After all, is there a worse feeling than being met with blank faces after you've delivered an entire lesson? Use these strategies throughout the day to make sure everyone is on track. Here are twenty fun and simple ways to see who's good to go, who's almost there and who needs some one-on-one.

1. Use technology.

Source: The Primary Peach

One of the quickest ways to check for understanding is to have your kids hop on their device and use one of the awesome tech tools like Quizlet, Kahoot or Google forms to show what they know.

2. Ask open-ended questions.

Source: Ciara O'Neal

If you ask yes/no questions to check for understanding, some students may default to yes because they don't want to admit that they're not quite there yet. Asking open-ended questions requires a little more thought and helps draw out where they really are.

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3. Ask students to give a physical response.

Image source: YouTube

This can be a fun way to end a lesson, and students love it! Ask students to do something like put their hands on their head for yes and stand on one leg for no. Or ask a question and tell students to clap once if the answer is true and do jazz hands if it is false. Use your imagination and change it up each time.

4. Use emojis.

Source: Teach and Shoot

Prepare cards to leave at students' desks like the one above. Let students attach their clips to show their level of understanding.

5. Ask questions "on the fly."

Stop frequently to ask questions as you go through your lesson. See if students can make connections, define words, answer questions and explain concepts. Make it a natural part of your process so that your students will know they are coming and pay attention.

6. Use checkmarks.

Source: Mrs. Beattie's Classroom

Take a page out of The Daily Five 's book and create these checkmarks to help your students remember to check for understanding as they read.

7. Show your thumbs.

Source: Shutterstock

Sometimes all it takes is a quick thumbs up or thumbs down (or even thumbs sideways) to make sure your students are all still on board. Stop frequently to check in and have your students hold them up high so you can take account.

8. Use exit tickets.

Source: Mr. Elementary Math

Download this cute freebie to create these exit tickets. Students can write the question of the day at the top and turn in their responses on the way out.

9. Flash whiteboards.

Image source: Pinterest

Ask one quick question that shows students are keeping up and have them write their answers on individual whiteboards. Do a quick sweep before they put them down. Pull any students together that still need more and re-teach.

10. Give it a four-finger rating.

Source: Mrs. Wheeler's First Grade Tidbits

Teach your students this quick check method and check in often to see where everyone stands. Pair up students who flash a 3 or 4 with students who flash a 1 or 2.

11. Do a Quick Write.

Source: Sly Flourish

Ask just one question and have students jot a quick paragraph on an index card to show that they understand. Have them share their answer with a partner or collect the cards to review for the next day.

12. Post your name on the stop sign.

Source: Musings From the Middle School

This teacher blogger asks students to check for understanding by writing their name on a post-it, then attaching it to the stoplight on the appropriate color. She then groups students who need re-teaching and advises students who are ready to move on.

13. Give them a Yes/No question.

Check for understanding by asking students to flash a red piece of construction paper for no (they need a little more explanation) or a green piece of construction paper for yes (they get it and are ready to move on). Alternatively, laminate squares of red and green construction paper and glue them back to back to large popsicle sticks to make paddles for your students to show.

14. Do a self-assessment.

Source: Not So Wimpy Teacher

Download this free resource and print up a stack of self-assessment cards in different colors for different subjects. Pass them out as exit tickets to plan for the next lesson period.

15. Draw a T-chart.

Ask your students to tell you five (or whatever number you think is sufficient) things they learned from the lesson. Have them make a T-chart and on the left-hand side write a fact or opinion, and on the right side, give evidence to support their fact or opinion.

16. Do a quick sort.

Source: The Science Penguin

Ask one question that you feel shows an understanding of the concept you are teaching. Have students write their answers on cards and collect them. Sort cards into piles: Got it, Almost There, and Re-Teaching Needed. Divide students into groups based on their answers and keep teaching.

17. Pick a card, any card.

Source: Upper Elementary Snapshots

Print these free cards, laminate them, and connect them together with a ring or twist tie. Give one copy to each student to keep on their desk. When it comes time to check for understanding, students can just flip to the appropriate card, and you can do a quick check by color to see who still needs help.

18. Display mini flip charts.

Source: The Elementary Math Maniac

Make your own or if you're not the crafty sort, buy 12 of these desktop flip charts for $16.49 from Really Great Stuff.

19. Use cooperative learning structures.

Source: 4th Grade Racers

This teacher/blogger uses cooperative learning structures to check for understanding in a fun and engaging way.

20. Reference this chart.

Source: Mia MacMeekin

This amazing infographic shows all kinds of imaginative ways to check for understanding. Print out a copy and display it in your classroom for inspiration.

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Avoid the sea of blank faces at the end of a lesson with these teacher-tested and easy-to-use ways to check for understanding.

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We have launched the new ReadWriteThink.org and we would love to get your feedback: Give Feedback

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Write an article about today's news. (5 min)

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Write an article about today's news. (5 min)

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Select  a graphic organizer  to take notes          (3 Min)

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Select  a graphic organizer  to take notes          (3 Min)

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Summary Organizer

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1. Take the learning style quiz
4. Share in our collaboration Padlet with a screenshot of your results or type them.

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What type of learner are you? (10 Min) Answer and post your results in the padlet.

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What type of learner are you? (10 Min) Answer and post your results in the padlet.

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Auditory

If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and listening. You understand and remember things you have heard. You store information by the way it sounds, and you have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. You often learn by reading out loud because you have to hear it or speak it in order to know it.

As an auditory learner, you probably hum or talk to yourself or others if you become bored. People may think you are not paying attention, even though you may be hearing and understanding everything being said.

Here are some things that auditory learners like you can do to learn better.

Sit where you can hear.

Have your hearing checked on a regular basis.

Use flashcards to learn new words; read them out loud.

Read stories, assignments, or directions out loud.

Record yourself spelling words and then listen to the recording.

Have test questions read to you out loud.

Study new material by reading it out loud.

Remember that you need to hear things, not just see things, in order to learn well.

Visual

If you are a visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures. You understand and remember things by sight. You can picture what you are learning in your head, and you learn best by using methods that are primarily visual. You like to see what you are learning.

As a visual learner, you are usually neat and clean. You often close your eyes to visualize or remember something, and you will find something to watch if you become bored. You may have difficulty with spoken directions and may be easily distracted by sounds. You are attracted to color and to spoken language (like stories) that is rich in imagery.

Here are some things that visual learners like you can do to learn better:

Sit near the front of the classroom. (It won't mean you're the teacher's pet!)

Have your eyesight checked on a regular basis.

Use flashcards to learn new words.

Try to visualize things that you hear or things that are read to you.

Write down key words, ideas, or instructions.

Draw pictures to help explain new concepts and then explain the pictures.

Color code things.

Avoid distractions during study times.

Remember that you need to see things, not just hear things, to learn well.

Tactile

If you are a tactile learner, you learn by touching and doing. You understand and remember things through physical movement. You are a "hands-on" learner who prefers to touch, move, build, or draw what you learn, and you tend to learn better when some type of physical activity is involved. You need to be active and take frequent breaks, you often speak with your hands and with gestures, and you may have difficulty sitting still.

As a tactile learner, you like to take things apart and put things together, and you tend to find reasons to tinker or move around when you become bored. You may be very well coordinated and have good athletic ability. You can easily remember things that were done but may have difficulty remembering what you saw or heard in the process. You often communicate by touching, and you appreciate physically expressed forms of encouragement, such as a pat on the back.

Here are some things that tactile learners like you can do to learn better:

Participate in activities that involve touching, building, moving, or drawing.

Do lots of hands-on activities like completing art projects, taking walks, or acting out stories.

It's OK to chew gum, walk around, or rock in a chair while reading or studying.

Use flashcards and arrange them in groups to show relationships between ideas.

Trace words with your finger to learn spelling (finger spelling).

Take frequent breaks during reading or studying periods (frequent, but not long).

It's OK to tap a pencil, shake your foot, or hold on to something while learning.

Use a computer to reinforce learning through the sense of touch.

Remember that you learn best by doing, not just by reading, seeing, or hearing.

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What's Your Learning Style? 20 Questions

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Auditory If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and listening. You understand and remember things you have heard. You store information by the way it sounds, and you have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones.

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Partners, Group Pairings, and Planning for Cooperative Learning

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Planning tools for putting your students in pairs, triads, and table teams for cooperative learning groups.

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Let's Share: What is your learning style, and how does the UDL intentional framework benefit our students?  (5  Min)

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Let's Share: What is your learning style, and how does the UDL intentional framework benefit our students?  (5  Min)

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https://padlet.com/csanroma/our-collaboration-paddlet-osjfw0rxbwflgxvb

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Edpuzzle:  Sign up for my class using the code: pugebju and take a comprehension quiz as you listen to the video. (15 Min)

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Edpuzzle:  Sign up for my class using the code: pugebju and take a comprehension quiz as you listen to the video. (15 Min)

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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(Reflect) How can we adapt the same video to a level 1 and advanced class?

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(Reflect) How can we adapt the same video to a level 1 and advanced class?

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by Claudia Pesce 231,123 views

Why do we give ESL learners listening exercises?

To boost listening comprehension, of course. Our ultimate goal is to help students understand native English speakers, not only for the mere purpose of comprehension, but also so they may respond accordingly and interact with others. Without listening comprehension, there can be no conversation, no communication.

Now listening comprehension involves a lot more than simply understanding the vocabulary and expressions used. Students must also be able to understand the speaker's accent and grasp his or her meaning and intention. So, it is clear to see that in the ESL classroom we simply do not listen for the sake of listening. We listen with a purpose. And what exactly is this purpose? Well, there can be several, so as you plan a listening activity, make sure the purpose is clear.

7 Types of Activities for Listening with a Purpose

1. Listening for the Main Idea

The purpose of this type of listening is to train students to grasp the main points or general information presented in the audio. Students often get stuck on a detail, a word or phrase they don't understand and fail to see the bigger picture. So, this is a great exercise for this type of student.

Listening Exercise: Choose a short audio track that presents information that may be easily summarized, like a news report. Breaking News English offers some excellent audio tracks for different levels, like this one for example on bilingualism. Have students summarize the main points in one or two sentences. It is important to clarify that students aren't expected to deliver details, like numbers, names or statistics but rather express the main point in a concise manner.

2. Listening for Detail

Here, the purpose is to train students to grasp specific information, details that are relevant, important or necessary. The goal is to help students obtain the detailed information they may need like hours, dates, names, etc...

Listening Exercise: Biographies tend to have lots of great details. Choose an interesting one - ManyThings.org has several in their People page, as well as cool Places to learn about. Prepare a short list of questions they must read before listening, of the what, when, where, how type. Students listen for these details, then report their answers after the listening.

3. Listening for a Sequence

Quite often, students receive instructions in English, information they will need to act on or orders they will need to follow. It is vital that they get the order right, that they understand the sequence correctly and what each step entails.

Listening Exercise: VideoJug has great how to videos, like How to Clean Your Microwave with a Lemon or this interesting one on How to Stop Being Lazy. Have students listen as they write the series of steps, or give them the steps and have them put them in the right order.

4. Listening for Specific Vocabulary

Listening activities offer great opportunities to teach new words or review vocabulary previously taught. Here, the purpose is to identify and remember a series of words, which are usually easily categorized, like types of food, sports, animals, etc...

Listening Exercise: Choose an audio track or song that lists words that may be included in a category, like Ylvis' The Fox (great song for young learners and teens!) You can ask students to listen and write down all of the animals they hear mentioned, as well as the sounds they make. Or create a matching exercise.

5. Listening for Cultural Interest

With a carefully selected listening activity, you also have the opportunity to teach students about a special holiday or tradition that is popular with another culture. The purpose is to expose the class to this cultural aspect through a listening activity.

Listening Exercise: Choose an audio track that speaks about a popular American holiday like Thanksgiving. Have students listen and answer some comprehension questions. Then ask: Is this holiday celebrated in their country of origin? If not, is there a festivity that is similar in their country?

6. Listening for Attitude and Opinions

Sometimes students have to listen for what someone is really saying, not what they're literally saying, but what they actually mean. Attitudes, opinions and feelings can all be conveyed in varying degrees from strong disagreement to mild criticism. Advanced students should be able to discern different attitudes and positions, as well as identify how the speaker feels.

Listening Exercise: Listen to this conversation regarding a man's personal problem. Apart from the actual loss of hair, what else concerns him? (Enduring ridicule, not being accepted as he his, being made fun of, etc...) How does his friend react to this problem? (She's not concerned, doesn't think it's a big deal, etc...)

7. Listening for Functional Language

Very often, we teach functional language in the ESL classroom, expressions students can use to accept/decline invitations, give suggestions, give advice, etc... The purpose is to show students how these expressions are used in a conversation.

Listening Exercise: Listen to this conversation between a man whose father has passed away and a friend. What words/expressions does the woman use to express her condolences? ( I'm really sorry to hear about your dad...) What else does she say? ( My heart really goes out to her.) After the listening, students can practice these expressions in similar conversations.

In most cases, every listening exercise you give your class has its own purpose.

But in most cases, this purpose is clear to you and you alone. Make sure you share what the purpose is with your students. It will give them a fresh outlook on the whole listening experience.

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.

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Listening with a Purpose: 7 Types of ESL Activities

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Why do we give ESL learners listening exercises? To boost listening comprehension, of course. Our ultimate goal is to help students understand native English speakers, not only for the mere

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 Verifying that students are learning what is being taught while it is being taught.

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 Verifying that students are learning what is being taught while it is being taught.

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Teach Back Strategy: Repeating the directions or clarifying a task.

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Teach Back Strategy: Repeating the directions or clarifying a task.

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Students are asked to internalize instructions given and relay them, in their own words, to classmates.
1. Teacher asks one student to repeat the instructions just given (in their own words).
2. That student calls another student and asks the same question
3. Repeat until 3-4 different students answer.

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All in the target language:

Draw a Monster: I will describe a nightmare...students draw

Simon Says:  I am eating, I am jumping ...students mimic doing it

Broken Telephone: (Whispering in one's ear) I like school ...

Popcorn Storytelling: Once upon a time...students call on each other to complete a story

Audio/ Video Stories: (Listen and take notes/draw...) *Always use close captions in the target language.

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Dancing Squirrel | 15 Minute Countdown | Electronic Music

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Let's Share: What pairing activity will you likely implement in your classroom and why? (5 Min) 

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Let's Share: What pairing activity will you likely implement in your classroom and why? (5 Min) 

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https://padlet.com/csanroma/our-collaboration-paddlet-osjfw0rxbwflgxvb

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https://padlet.com/csanroma/our-collaboration-paddlet-osjfw0rxbwflgxvb

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We express ourselves in different ways. On Flip, you can use our simple and fun built-in camera to record your thoughts, add effects and share within your Flip group as video, audio only or text in your web browser or mobile app.

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Flip is a video discussion and sharing app, free from Microsoft.

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Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a video discussion and video sharing app, free from Microsoft, built for classrooms and beyond. Learn more.

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https://padlet.com/csanroma/our-collaboration-paddlet-osjfw0rxbwflgxvb

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https://padlet.com/csanroma/our-collaboration-paddlet-osjfw0rxbwflgxvb

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Let's Share! What is the best way to check for understanding? (5 Min)  

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Let's Share! What is the best way to check for understanding? (5 Min)  

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https://padlet.com/csanroma/our-collaboration-paddlet-osjfw0rxbwflgxvb

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AM Session Attendance Link:
https://forms.office.com/r/fiuGtSKXLb

PM Session Attendance Link:
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