Newspapers present a unique opportunity for building vocabulary.

For language teachers, the ‘shelf live’ of a newspaper article lesson can be quite limited.

By Breno Brendan Daly 
July, 2Much has been written about the value of newspapers in education (Aiex 2000, Antepara 2003, 
Chandler 1990, Dycus 1996, Kitao 1996). However, in the context of ESL/EFL instruction one of the 
greatest hindrances to using newspaper articles is their sheer linguistic complexity, even advanced 
students experience difficulties coming to grips with the vocabulary and various conventions employed 
by journalists. For language teachers, the ‘shelf life' of a newspaper article lesson can be quite limited. 
For ESL/EFL students, newspaper texts are among the most difficult they may encounter. Not 
only do ESL/EFL students lack the relative cultural knowledge native speakers bring to bear when 
reading newspapers, there is also the issue of grammatical complexity; newspapers employ a number of 
conventions that are only found in newspapers (Bermejo 2000, Kitao 1996). Swan (1995), for example, 
devotes a couple of pages to only some of the grammatical complexities of newspapers. Moreover, 
newspapers are lexically complex due to a lack of space newspaper articles tend to package as much 
detail as possible into the smallest possible space, which results in a high density of information 
(Bermejo 2000). 
EFL students are inefficient readers (Grundy 1993). They often try to process what they read 
piece by piece and this can greatly inhibit their efforts at getting even a general understanding of a 
newspaper article. They tend to read each sentence, two or three times, in order to process it and this 
approach obviously increases in complexity as they continue reading the article. Each time they 
encounter additional information, it is added to what has already been read, and this brings about a re-
structuring of the whole, which may require the student to return to something they have already read in 
order to clarify the new sentence. 
In addition, ESL/EFL students tend to approach newspapers articles in class from the perspective 
of form -- grammar and vocabulary, rather than the purpose for which it was intended, to inform. 
Students need to be reminded to focus on meaning rather than form. 
These difficulties notwithstanding, there are several solid reasons for exposing ESL/EFL students 
to newspapers. The texts are authentic and compelling (Aiex 2000, Chandler 1990), qualities that 
heighten motivation (Aiex 2000, Bermejo 2000, Antepara 2003, Grundy 1993). They are readily 
available, so they can be used in any ESL/EFL context where English language newspapers exist (Aiex 
20.00, Bermejo 2000, Dycus 1996, Chandler 1990). They are authentic and the focus is on meaning 
rather than form (Bermejo 2000). Moreover, research suggests that reading in general is important to 
general language competence, so the ability to read and understand newspapers can be seen to support 
successful second language acquisition (Antepara 2003, Taiwo 2004). 
Because they are linguistically complex, newspapers present a unique opportunity for building 
vocabulary. Whilst there are times when even native speakers might struggle with an unfamiliar word, a 
buzz word or an unfamiliar technical term, they have an array of strategies they can employ so that they 
can come away from the article with nearly a complete understanding of the main points of the article. 
However, it is not uncommon for ESL/EFL students who struggle with the vast array of journalistic 
conventions, in addition to the unfamiliar vocabulary, to simply give up. 
Altman (2002) describes a quick preliminary activity using Yiddish words to introduce the idea of 
using the words they know around the unknown word to clarify their meaning. I found this to be an 
effective technique, so I decided to make use of a similar technique in my generic lesson plan to help 
students get around unknown words. 
I have found that combing some of the many techniques that exist into a content free newspaper 
article lesson plan to be advantageous. I am able to get through my lesson plan efficiently within my 
forty-minute lesson. The plan has allowed me to better achieve my teaching goals and it helps me to 
prepare newspaper article lessons quickly. Students are motivated and readily take on the challenge that 
reading newspapers present them with.

observing the lexical relationship between word items.

Have you suddenly found yourself teaching online? You’re certainly not alone, and it can 
be hard to know where to start. The first step is to decide on a platform to deliver your classes, 
like Google Classroom, which is a free online learning management service for schools. It 
facilitates collaboration, file sharing and grading – and works well with all other Google 
platforms. In addition, there’s Zoom, a video conferencing and teaching platform which has 
exploded in popularity recently. You’ll need to administer your course, create materials, 
broadcast your class, interact with your students and grade their work, so you’ll need a 
computer or a professional tablet. Your students will also need a computer if they want to fully 
participate in your classes, but smartphones or tablets can be used when there’s no alternative. 
It’s important to dedicate a portion of your first class to helping students get to grips with the 
technology. Where possible, set aside a dedicated area in your home or office to teach from, 
and make sure you have all the visual aids and materials you need to hand. Additionally, ensure 
that nothing you don’t want your students to see is in view of the camera. 
It can be difficult for students to adjust. Bring them into your lessons by starting all your 
classes with learning objectives, and at the end of the class, you can reflect on what you’ve 
done. Routine will help your students feel they’re in a safe learning environment. Also, make 
sure you mix study with energizing games or mini-breaks and have students share their ideas. 
Always confirm their understanding of the instructions. Classroom management might be easier 
online, however, students can talk to each other via chat box and get distracted with irrelevant 
online content. It’s a good idea to have students mute their microphones while you are 
delivering input and have them close all other windows on their computers. But be sure to let 
your students know why you are doing this, so they don’t feel like they are being forcibly 
silenced. They can ask you questions in the chat box. 
It’s harder to engage online, so you can exaggerate your expressions and tone of voice 
slightly so they stay alert and interested (just don’t overdo it). Mix up your activities to keep 
things interesting, and remember that just because you’re online, it doesn’t mean students 
can’t collaborate. Many platforms allow you to put students in pairs or groups to work together 
in designated chat rooms. As a teacher, you can drop in and out of these rooms to monitor. In 
order to track your students’ progress – both during class and throughout their course, you 
might have students present their own ideas to the class using their webcams, and offer them 
progress tests through online forms and writing assignments. You could also test students using 
fun quiz software like Kahoot, or more formal online progress tests with Typeform’s test maker.

Questões de Elementos gramaticais