| "body"> | | | | magazine as you will need an editor and a lot of |
| Class projects are a great way to put into practice | | | | creative input. To start off with, ask students what |
| skills that have been learnt during an English course. | | | | they think of their language school and what can be |
| The following projects that I'll be sharing with you have | | | | improved. Then let them decide what could be |
| worked really well with teenagers who were on short | | | | improved and what their idea of a perfect language |
| term courses of a few weeks. It's a fun break from | | | | school is. |
| structured lessons and also gives the teacher a break | | | | Collectively they should decide what country their |
| for two days! | | | | school is, what it should be called and what is its ethos. |
| Class Magazine | | | | In groups students can then proceed to write up a |
| To lead up to this activity, ask students to brain storm | | | | school and accommodation description, class schedule, |
| types of magazines and what sections they would | | | | extra curricular schedule, teacher profiles, Interview |
| find within them. Explain that you will be creating a | | | | with the Director of studies, menu etc... being as |
| class magazine over the next couple of days and ask | | | | detailed as they like depending on the size of the class |
| students to pick two topics from the board in pairs. | | | | Surveys |
| (fashion, agony aunt, technology, food and drink, news, | | | | Survey projects are always a favourite because it |
| editorial etc...) Get the students to appoint an editor | | | | means the students can leave the class to go out and |
| who will oversee the article writing and delegate work | | | | find their data. There are infinite topics for surveys and |
| to the pairs. | | | | questionnaires so put the class into groups and let |
| Have several different types of magazines at hand | | | | them decide what they would like to survey. Give |
| for the students to look at. Initially, ask them to | | | | them some examples such as restaurants, |
| brainstorm with their partners and get ideas about | | | | entertainment, local people, and foreigners' perception |
| what they'd like to write about. When they feel ready, | | | | of the country. |
| they can attempt a first draft which the teacher will | | | | Ensure that your students have discussed and written |
| correct. For the final copy they can cut out pictures | | | | out their questions (usually at least 10) relevant to their |
| from the magazines available and personalise their | | | | survey. Once they have been corrected send them |
| pages. The editor will then be in charge of collating the | | | | out for an hour to research their topic or to ask people. |
| articles and as a group they can chose a title for their | | | | When they are happy with the material they have |
| magazine. Students are often quite proud of their | | | | collected, they can then decide how to present their |
| magazines so we pass them round the different | | | | information, as graphs, paragraphs, pamphlet or poster. |
| classes. This activity, although very fun and relaxed, is | | | | At the end of the activity, all groups will have to |
| very beneficial as requires students to discuss with | | | | present their findings to the class and discussions can |
| their partners in English and write an article. | | | | be started according to the topics. |
| This type of project can also work with a class | | | | I always like to keep the best examples of previous |
| newspaper, although the format and reporting styles | | | | students' work in my classroom to show my new |
| would be different. A newspaper often works better | | | | groups. It gives them an idea of what level of work is |
| with adult and business students as they can write | | | | expected from them and gives them something to try |
| about a topic relevant to their interests or careers. | | | | and improve on. These projects have worked well as |
| Perfect EFL School Brochure | | | | a finale for a departing class or as a breather when |
| The following project is quite similar to a class | | | | there was just no time to prepare a lesson! |