Reading+2


 * Lluís Miquel Bennàssar Rosselló**

Presents for the President – Read, listen and learn a little English!
 * Activity:**

Students of English III at CFA
 * Level:**

I have come across a blog called Tiny Texts in English. The level is a bit high for elementary learners of English but for my part the texts are adequate for students of English III. I ask students if they have ever received any weird presents. Then I tell them about some weird presents I got. I ask students to make a list of gifts suitable for president Obama. I write it up on the blackboard. I tell students they are going to read a short article about gifts president Obama has been given. They have to read quickly and make a list of presents. Students read the article quickly and make a list, then they compare lists in pairs. Finally we check out the lists and explain the meaning of the items they don’t know. Which of these gifts would the students like to get? Can they think of anybody suitable for any of these presents? Then students read and listen to the text read out loud by a girl with Australian accent. Now they have to read the text in pairs. One student reads the text and the other one listens. They mark each other’s pronunciation. I take it for granted there is a lot of vocabulary they don’t know (apart from the vocabulary referring to the gifts). However, I tell them not to worry about it. We focus on difficult words to pronounce and make a list. I write up the phonetic transcription of the words we’ve focused on and students make cards. On the cards they write down the phonetic transcription. In groups of four or in pairs they pick up a card and pronounce the phonetic transcription. Do the other students recognise the __#|word__? Next I present students with scrambled words, in pairs they unscramble the words from the text. At this point is when I clarify the meaning of the words. So far, I haven’t allowed students to ask about the meaning of words (other than the ones referring to the gifts). Now they make a list of words from the text they like best and another with words from the text they don’t like. They compare with a partner and look for similarities. I ask the class to give me feedback and draw up a list of words students like and another of words they don’t like. We vote on the most popular words and the least popular. Finally I tell students to create a collage of words from the text they like and don’t like.
 * Short description:**

Not to worry about vocabulary they don’t know <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To practise skimming
 * Objectives:**

Since the aim of the activity is to help students reduce their anxiety about knowing the meaning of every single word they come across, no formal assessment is required. The outcome of activities like this must be seen in the long run in the shape of a change in attitude towards words they don't know.
 * Assessment:**

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 * <range type="comment" id="440163990_1">Link:</range id="440163990_1">**

=Add your comments:= Nuria I have some ideas about what to ask to Lluís Miquel, but you should be making comments, too!

Maria Ascensión It looks attractive. I have never tried something like that.


 * Marisa**

It seems to me a little bit difficult to develop it with my young students, I can do the first part, but then<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> the phonetic transcription of the words... But in my opinion it is a good way to encourage pupils to read.


 * Cristina**

it seems very interesting activity, but I am not sure if this kind of activities are ok to reduce anxiety about meaning of words. Does it really work, Lluis???


 * Sònia **

Quite interesting. It's a different way to work with new vocabulary in context. However, I agree that this is a more suitable activity for higher levels, maybe BTX.


 * Lluís**

A single activity like this doesn't have much effect. However, insisting throughout the course with activities like this or different ones that there is no need to know the meaning of all the words in a text can help students realise that it's not the end of the world if they don't know the meaning of a word. Here the emphasis is on developing a strategic competence and being able to eventually undertstand that much of the meaning must be inferred from context.