Category Archives: lesson ideas

Sharing …

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

I teach speaking classes with groups of teenagers at a local High School once a week.  There’s a team of us all doing the same thing and to cut down on our workload, and to offer continuity across the classes, … Continue reading →

Posted in lesson ideas, using images | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Looking back at Bilbao (1) teen angles from Chris Roland

Posted on March 20, 2012 by

Here’s the first in a series of posts inspired by the TESOL Spain conference in Bilbao. Which in turn was inspired by the ever photogenic Guggenheim building right opposite on the other side of the river. After the conference one … Continue reading →

Posted in conferences, lesson ideas, reflecting on teaching, thoughts on teaching | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Carnaval

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

It’s the Thursday before carnival weekend.  Preparations are being made throughout the town. The lights are up, the burger and hot dog stalls are in place, there are fluorescent wigs and plastic hats fluttering in the wind in the cathedral … Continue reading →

Posted in lesson ideas | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

The Gift of the Magi

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

A simple lesson plan for Christmas, based on the classic short story by O. Henry.  You can find the original story here (and on many other sites too) and an audio version with accompanying worksheets here at onestopenglish.  The original text works … Continue reading →

Posted in lesson ideas, live listening, using literature in the ELT classroom | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

First impressions – a guest post by Sandy Millin

Posted on July 11, 2011 by

I am delighted to be able to welcome back Sandy Millin as a guest blogger to Close Up.  I met Sandy through Twitter and we’ve worked on a couple of things together already, including a joint post on using cuisenaire … Continue reading →

Posted in guest post, lesson ideas, using images | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Shoplifting

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

Here is another collaborative story writing idea (see also Urban Tale and Early Mornings).  I first used it with a class of teenagers.  They responded well to the topic and the structure and the shyer students enjoyed the “mask” that … Continue reading →

Posted in creative writing, lesson ideas, using images | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

An urban tale

Posted on May 20, 2011 by

… or the glass elevator This has been one of my favourite story-writing activities for a long, long time.  My dad first introduced me to it – or the underlying technique – when I was running a creative writing option … Continue reading →

Posted in creative writing, lesson ideas | Tagged , , | 25 Comments

Reader response codes

Posted on May 12, 2011 by

This topic has come up in conversation a couple of times in the last few days, and then again during yesterday’s #eltchat on adapting coursebooks. Shortly afterwards, I was rummaging through some old papers, looking for something completely different, when … Continue reading →

Posted in lesson ideas | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Broken umbrellas

Posted on April 17, 2011 by

I’ve been rifling through some old files and folders from a couple of years back and I came across this.  It was originally written as a follow-up to an ACEIA conference in Seville.   As I’d been talking about images and … Continue reading →

Posted in lesson ideas, using images | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Plan B

Posted on April 13, 2011 by

One of those days … You know the kind, where nothing really works!  I had planned to use an infographic in class with my high school students. We’re coming towards the end of the course and I wanted to do … Continue reading →

Posted in lesson ideas, thoughts on teaching | Tagged , | 8 Comments