Here’s a brief description of ten online videos for teachers of foreign languages to watch. All these videos were chosen because they are free, easily accessible, engaging and informative to teachers of a foreign language.
1 The Sims teach German
The sims is one of the most commercially successful PC games, notable because of its popularity with female [...]
This game walkthrough is annotated with links from difficult words to a page with images of the object.
Level: Intermediate & above
Location: Computer room
Topic: Reading and dictionary work
Language Focus: Non defining relative clauses
Game: Anika’s Odyssey
This is a fun walkthrough reading activity for the computer room followed by a writing activity using non defining relative clauses. You [...]
The idea of mobile learning (or M-Learning) is starting to become more and more popular as more people get access to smart phones and other devices that allow them to learn wherever they are.
Although only a small part of m-learning, the apps available for the iphone/ipod touch show what some people are using at the [...]
Level: Upper-Intermediate
Location: Connected classroom
Skills focus: Note Taking
Game: 3rd World Farmer
SCREENSHOT
Preparation
Download a copy of the 3rd World Farmer Worksheet (which contains learner worksheet and teachers’ notes).
Play
Hand out a copy of the student worksheetUse the teacher’s notes to play the game. The interesting thing about this game is that is purposely designed to be difficult to win [...]
English Attack is a new way of learning English through videos, games and other online entertainment platforms. Aimed at the 15-35 year-olds and claimed by the founders to be “the world’s first 100% entertainment-focused online resource for improving English language skills”, it is now open for beta testing (you can request an account here) and [...]
Here’s a brief description of ten key words to make your online search for games to use more effective. They should help you find some free, easily accessible, engaging and fun activities for your English Language Learners.
1 “free online games”
Learn a bit about boolean search techniques. An example of one of these is to put [...]
Lesser controlled computer room writing activity. This activity can be adapted to the level and grammar area of your choice.
Level: Intermediate & above
Location: Computer room
Topic: Writing direct speech in a cartoon
Language Focus: Direct speech, present tenses etc
Time: 30 minutes
Game: Zimmer Twins
Screenshot of Zimmer Twins game
Preparation
1 Play the game yourself and make a note [...]
Level: Intermediate
Location: Computer room
Skills focus: Reading
Game: Treasure of Big Totem
PREPARATION
Two possibilities:
1 CLASSROOM – Print off a copy of the story and read the tale in class. Learners predict the most important elements of the story needed to play the game and underline them. They then use dictionaries to check up any difficult vocabulary.
2 COMPUTER ROOM [...]
Level: Advanced / Proficiency
Location: Computer room / homework
Language skill: Reading
The Game: Avalon is a text based role playing fantasy adventure game based on Dungeons and dragons, the stories of Tolkien and the Ancient Greek myths. You read the story and make choices in the fantasy world as they are made available to you (e.g. how to [...]