The American Thanksgiving on Time Out with Rita

This adult ESL podcast, The American Thanksgiving, complete with comprehension questions, focuses on the history and traditions of the American Thanksgiving. Retired educator, Jeanne Angel, Ph.D., who has dedicated her career to teaching and administrating primarily ESOL language classes, is our guest speaker. Join us!

Here are the listening questions plus a few more for discussion.

Labor Day in the U.S.A. and Canada

Do your students know why they don’t have classes on Labor Day? They may appreciate their day off more if they know the history of the holiday here in the United States. Unionizing has been in the news a lot in the United States in the past few years. This could be a great discussion topic in your classes. I hope this exercise will help generate that conversation whether it is managed as a classroom activity or assigned to the students individually.

Students working independently should click on this EDpuzzle link to watch the video about Labor Day with the accompanying oral questions. They will have to stop the video from time to time or the oral questions will overlap with the video’s audio. Next, have the students look at the questions and the directions for each on the Google Form below. Then, when they are ready, they should play the video again and answer the oral questions, stopping and starting the video as necessary or as assigned.

Memorial Day, a U.S. Holiday

Memorial Day, a U.S. Holiday

Here’s a great site for learning more about the American holiday, Memorial Day, when we remember and celebrate those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the American people and the American dream.  We remember and salute you.

A “Thriller” of a Listening Activity using Google Docs Forms

Just in time for Halloween, a remake of a listening activity for ESL/EFL students of an old favorite, Thriller, by Michael Jackson.  Start the video, then click on the correct lyrics in the listening exercise below it.  Happy haunting, and happy Halloween!

Cinco de Mayo on Glogster

In a few weeks, my college will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo sponsored by the United Hispanic Students Club of which I am an adviser.  My charge was to send out an invitation to the faculty.  Now, what type of invitation could I send that would include music, a history of the event, a map, and literally any other information I wanted?  The answer was Glogster. If you have never tried using Glogster, I suggest you take a look at Traci Blazosky’s Glogster Tutorial to help yourself get started.  Click here to see my full size Cinco de Mayo 2010 glog.

I hope you and your students will try using Glogster.  It is a lot of fun and allows you to be as creative as you’d like.  I’m still a beginner, but as with all things, practice makes perfect.  One more thing, happy Cinco de Mayo!