Search results matching tags 'esl' and 'elt teaching resources'

Pre-Intermediate English: Groundhog Day

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:09:00 GMT

This week's English listening activity for Pre-Intermediate English language students is about Groundhog Day.

Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2 every year, in the USA. Can groundhogs really predict when spring will arrive, or is it just an urban legend? Watch the video below to learn some facts about groundhogs, and try a quiz to test how much you have understood.

Questions:

1) Groundhogs are...?

a) marmites
b) marmots
c) marmosets

2) What do groundhogs do during the winter?

a) they procrastinate
b) they vegitate
c) they hibernate

3) North America's most famous groundhog is known as...?

a) Punxsutawney Phil
b) Chattanooga Chuck
c) Santa Fe Stu

4) Where do groundhogs live?

a) in the woods
b) in the desert
c) in the mountains

5) A glutton is a person or animal that...?

a) eats a lot
b) sleeps a lot
c) drinks a lot

6) Why do groundhogs need to "bulk up" in the autumn?

a) to look tough
b) to survive the winter
c) to impress the opposite sex

7) Why do groundhogs sometimes wake up during the winter?

a) because they're bored
b) because they've been disturbed by noise
c) to check the temperature outside

8) True or false? Groundhogs are meteorologists.

a) true
b) false
c) the video doesn't say

We will publish the answers later

The City of Newcastle - Video Listening Activity

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:32:00 GMT

This week's lesson for Intermediate English learners is about the UK city of Newcastle.

Watch this short video clip about tourist attractions and other interesting places to visit in Newcastle, and then scroll down the page to see the questions.

Questions:

1) What is Newcastle's most famous landmark, according to the video?

2) True or false? The famous statue just outside the city is called the angel of the East.

3) True or false? Some of Newcastle's beaches have been turned into tourist attractions.

4) True or false? Newcastle is England's most densely populated city.

5) What is unusual about the Gateshead Millenium bridge?

6) What is the name of Newcastle's football stadium?

Answers

Click on the link below to do a quiz and check your answers:

Newcastle - Intermediate ESL Video Listening Exercise >>

Related Activities:

Life in The UK - Reading & Listening Activities for English Language Learners >>

Activities For IELTS Students - Groundhog Day

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:46:00 GMT

This week's lesson for IELTS students and advanced English learners is about Groundhog Day.

Groundhog Day is a fun winter event, celebrated in parts of North America on February 2nd each year.

Task 1

Watch this short video about the history of Groundhog Day, and then scroll down the page to answer some questions.

Questions:

1) Where is Punxsutawney?

2) What type of animal is Punxsutawney Phil?

3) What kind of predictions does Punxsutawney Phil make?

4) What is said to happen if the Punxsutawney Phil sees a shadow?

5) What ceremonial object has been passed down by previous Punxsutawney presidents over the years?

6) How many predictions has Punxsutawney Phil made, according to the video?

7) Where did the Groundhog Day tradition originate?

8) How many people celebrate Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney?

9) Why has Groundhog Day become more popular in recent years?

Task 2 - Watch the Film "Groundhog Day"

Groundhog Day is a very funny PG-rated film about a cynical news reporter who finds himself forced to re-live Groundhog Day over and over again, until he learns some important lessons about life.

Groundhog Day will be showing on TV in the USA over the next couple of days, at the following times:

Bravo Tue, Feb 2 6:00 PM, Wed, Feb 3 1:00 AM Fri, Feb 5 10:00 PM

Watch the trailer for Groundhog Day below for a taste of what the film is all about.

If you live in the USA, you can watch the film with the subtitles on to practise your English.

If you don't live in the USA, check the TV listings to see if the film is showing in your country, or you can watch it here on Youtube:

Related Activities:

Listening Quizzes for English Language Students >>

Intermediate English - Britain From Above at Night

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:41:00 GMT

This week's lesson for Intermediate English students is about life in the UK. This short, interesting video about Britain seen from above at night will help you to practise your English listening skills.

Instructions:

Click the play button to watch the video. don't try to understand all the words. Listen out for the main idea of what the video is about.

Scroll down to read the questions, and then watch the video again for a second time to see if you can find the answers.

We will publish the answers to the questions later in the week.

Questions:

1) How many people live in Britain?

2) How many people does each spark of light represent?

3) How many people live in the mountains of Scotland and Wales per square mile?

4) How many families live along the coast of Britain per square mile?

5) Which English cities are mentioned in the video?

6) How many people live in the big cities per square mile?

Related Quizzes:

Life in the UK - Online Quizzes and Activities for English Students >>

Intermediate English Lesson - The Big Freeze

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:55:00 GMT

The topic for this week's Intermediate English lesson is winter weather. Britain is currently experiencing the most severe snowfalls in recent history. Many trains and buses have been cancelled, leaving commuters stranded. Schools and colleges around the country have been closed and the Met Office has warned of more bad weather to come.

Have you been affected by the big winter freeze?

Pre-Task activity

Watch this video about the extreme weather that the UK is currently experiencing.

Task 1

Ask a friend or student the questions below. Write down their answers.

1) Have you ever been stranded due to bad weather? If yes, what happened?

2) Do you come from a hot country or a cold country?

3) How many seasons does your home country have?

4) What's the weather like in your home country at this time of year?

5) How does the weather in your home country compare to where you live now? What is different about it?

6) Do you prefer hot weather or cold weather?

7) Does it ever snow in your home country?

8) Do you enjoy it when it snows, or not?

9) Have you ever built a snowman?

10) Have you ever been skiing, or tried any other winter sports?

Task 2

Get your partner to ask you the same questions. Discuss your answers, and compare them.

Task 3

Click on the link below to do a video quiz and practise your listening skills:

The Big Winter Freeze - Intermediate ESL Video Listening Quiz >>

Interactive Winter Weather Wordsearch >>

Weather Adjective Opposites - Matching Quiz >>

Weather Adjective Synonyms - Matching Quiz >>

image credit: Morguefile