Resources I use

       As any other teacher, I understand the importance of always staying up-to-date, or even up-to-the-minute! 

    In search of interesting authentic materials, I have subscribed for some newsletters and audio and video lessons, and have successfully been using them myself, as well as implemented them in class. I am going to post some links to my favourite sites here.  

           First of all, let me introduce the deepenglish.com, as it is one of my favourites. I get lessons on my e-mail once or twice a week, and these lessons cover very interesting                                                                     topics.

        There is a possibility to listen to the audio files at three different speed levels, so your students will not be frustrated by listening to a very fast language. Another plus is that there are transcripts to every text and a vocabulary section to explain new words and expressions. Besides, the vocabulary is really what we call `real` English, so your students will definitely find it useful. Below you can see an example of a lesson by deepenglish.com, and I am going to provide you with the description and links to some of my favourite lessons too. 

Here is  a Christmas story that you probably won't believe. But it's true!

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=KZFdo&m=3mf9ZBtRKEkd4XT&b=uJc9_58RTL0o4xSX65SIGQ

In this  lesson you can learn about a mysterious new artist and some very special animals. 

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=KZFdo&m=3ajZz4HXAkkd4XT&b=MDqcejOpp3GSiL1KLSC5WQ

  

                                              How many  words do you think you need to be fluent?

        In that video, Aaron talks about how there are 1,022,000 words in the English language. If you’re sweating, don’t worry. Most native English speakers only have a vocabulary of 22,000 words. 

But, here’s the good news: 95% of spoken English only uses the most common 2,000 words.

 Two thousand sounds a lot more possible, doesn’t it? I’m guessing that many of you already know most of these 2,000 words, which is great.

 But, how well do you know these words? You may know one meaning, but, of course, most words have many meanings.

 To grow your vocabulary, you need to learn words in context. That means learning them in stories. 

http://deepenglish.com/how-many-english-words-do-you-need?utm_campaign=oct2015&utm_source=all&utm_medium=lpvid

Learn about the most expensive pair of used shoes, breaking through the prison of the mind and the power of belief all in this  English story lesson.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/l=KZFdo&m=3i3pTiJOEEkd4XT&b=6YxSIML6Cri.2Y1wIMDWzQ

 When you die, will elephants come to your funeral? 

That's just what happened to one South African man recently. In fact, he loved animals so deeply that he risked his own life to go into a war zone to save zoo animals from dying in their cages.

deepenglish.com/2015/09/man-dies-and-elephants-travel-to-his-funeral/?utm_campaign=2015-9-27&utm_source=blogpost&utm_medium=email

They say that power corrupts. 

While this may be true for most, one man from ancient Rome proved the saying wrong on two occasions. His name was Cincinnatus, and while he was highly respected as a great leader, he actually preferred the simple life of a farmer over the riches of Rome.

http://deepenglish.com/2015/09/a-man-for-all-seasons/

                                       How would you feel if you accidentally cut down the world’s oldest living tree? 

Well, that’s just what happened to a researcher several decades ago, which filled him with lifelong regret.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=KZFdo&m=3hO4sDMoYYkd4XT&b=FVWw4s_O3XIbpxWZKn5HLA

                             This  lesson is about a man who can experience extreme heat and cold without pain.

        His unique techniques could lead to a future where we can heal our own bodies without medicine. Learn more about him in this week’s new English lesson. We record all of our lessons in 3 speeds. Listen to the slow speed first. Watch the normal speed video lesson to the end to get a bonus vocabulary lesson.  

        https://youtu.be/rZaG2I0kLlo

                 This English listening fluency lesson is out. Learn about Andrew Cote, a man from NYC with a mission to save the world, or at least save our dinner plates.

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=KZFdo&m=3XoYP3dxQIkd4XT&b=pWPBgFpWnjAdtwv1mYlU1w

                             Learn about a 101 year old message in a bottle,

 discovered floating in the ocean, and about people trying to send messages 10,000 years into the future. Giving you English lessons that are interesting and useful is the sites number one goal. 

https://youtu.be/KpgcvkjFtEg

         Learn some useful English expressions such as ‘better half’ and ‘true colors’.  

This English story lesson is a good one. It’s about 2 mothers fighting over one baby, love and sacrifice, and a man who cuts all of his things in half because he’s angry at his wife.  

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=KZFdo&m=3et4ERNQdokd4XT&b=J6jJJ6YwzaixLVopDTC8yg%20?utm_campaign=2015-6-23&utm_source=blogpost&utm_medium=email

  Another good site to use is the EnglishClass101.com.

Why Study with EnglishClass101?

 Because you'll learn English with fun, interesting and culturally relevant lessons that are easy to listen to. But not only are they fun - they're effective too! Join the hundreds of thousands of people already learning English through the power of mobile apps, desktop software and website with free English lessons released every week! englishclass101.com 

                                        

               There is another great resource to bring news to your classroom. I am talking about the CNN Student News. The interesting pieces of news together with the authentic language form a great background for developing your students` language skills. Your students can listen to the news and read the subtitles at the same time. The main thing to remember is to always preview the news before bringing them to class. 

What is CNN Student News?

CNN Student News is a ten-minute, commercial-free, daily news program designed for middle and high school classes. It is produced by the journalists at CNN. This award-winning show and its companion website are available free of charge throughout the school year.

Where can you find CNN Student News?

You can see it as a streamed video or 

download it as a free podcast, both available

 on the CNNStudentNews.com website. 

The show is available Monday through 

Friday during the school year. The program 

is free and accessible to anyone who wants 

to watch; there are no subscription charges, 

sign-ups, or contracts to complete.

How do you get advance information about each day's show?

The Daily Email offers information on the major stories they'll be covering that day. On the homepage, you can sign up for this free, Daily Email. You can also check the Daily Transcript to see what stories are in the show. Remember that CNN Student News is a news program that presents current events and issues in the real world. I strongly advise you to preview each program before showing students, as you are the best judge of the appropriateness of its news content for your specific class.

How do you offer feedback about CNN Student News?

You'll find a "Contact Us" link on the homepage, which lets you fill out an e-mail with your suggestions and input. You can also comment on the daily Transcript page and on social media, on their Facebook page or on Twitter @CNNStudentNews. They read and welcome all feedback.