| Don't you dare get stuck in an English language | | | | presentation for extra impact. |
| teaching rut. Here are some practical tips and ideas for | | | | Fun Activities for the Readers |
| using a TV guide in your English language teaching. | | | | Diversions for readers of all ages appear in many |
| They've all worked for me at one time or another, I'm | | | | periodicals. Here are a few starting suggestions for |
| sure you'll get a boost out of some of them too. | | | | exploiting them with your learners. If you happen to be |
| The TV Guide | | | | a non-native English speaker, they can help you build, |
| Whenever there's an overview guide of what's on the | | | | develop and refine your English language skills too. |
| "telly", you can work with using numbers and other | | | | Quite a number of periodicals contain activities such |
| high-frequency language functions in a cornucopia of | | | | as:o Word puzzleso Spot the differences (drawings or |
| ways such as:o Telling the timeo Pronouncing years in | | | | photos)o Trivia (these can be great fun - learners can |
| Englisho Movie / TV program typeso Discussion of | | | | even write some of their own)o Crosswords Have |
| actors and actresseso Movie / TV program settings | | | | you thought of working a crossword puzzle |
| and plotso Learner preferences - and why | | | | backwards? Take a solved puzzle and let learners |
| Cinema / Movie guides are also a good basis for | | | | write the clues)o Word searcheso Horoscopes (poll |
| "complete the chart" and "cognitive pairs" exercises. | | | | the class for dates of birth, read aloud and discuss |
| Some periodicals also have cinema or film guide | | | | accuracy, don't forget to research astrological sign |
| versions which list:o Film titles and sub-titleso Year of | | | | meanings and origins, astrologers too)o Fashion pages |
| release and / or re-release in the case of remakeso | | | | (These are chock full of outfits you wouldn't be caught |
| Days and times of showingso Principal and support | | | | dead in, but you can have fun these any way)o Top |
| actors and actresseso A brief plot synopsiso A | | | | Ten Music Singles / Albums Lists (profile the artists, |
| related photo, graphic or visual excerpt from the filmo | | | | use songs for listening comprehension and vocabulary |
| Film background information | | | | practice or lexis-building, grammar in context)o |
| Photo Features | | | | Best-Selling Book lists (use book excerpts and reviews |
| Visually-stimulating photo feature sections are rampant | | | | for reading-based activities, bio authors, etc.) |
| with description, vocabulary-building and | | | | So again, don't you dare get stuck in an English |
| discussion-provoking themes. In a magazine issue I | | | | language teaching rut. Try some of these practical tips |
| reviewed for this article, one photo is of a Tibetan | | | | and ideas for using any TV guide in your English |
| Mastiff that bore a litter of 16 pups and another photo | | | | language teaching. They've all worked for me, let me |
| of a greyhound attired in fashion designer clothes for | | | | know how they work for you. E-mail me at and if |
| doggies. Remember that these photos could also be | | | | you're nice, I'll send you a free copy of my e-book, |
| scanned into digital form for use online, as an overhead | | | | "The Foreign Language Learner's Startup Guide" by |
| projector transparency or inserted into a digital | | | | return e-mail. |