Term 3 / Week 3: Good evening, here is the news....

This term we will develop our reading skills with the News - we'll also listen to the News and write about the News. The language of the News is often very difficult: the writers pack a lot of words into each sentence using big noun groups and the readers often speak very quickly!

News on the internet

It's good to listen the news on the internet because you can pause any time to think about what you heard and you can play it again.

On some news websites you can read the captions at the same time as listen to the words - this is a brilliant way to improve your language skills.

Real news: useful websites

• News in 90 Seconds - you can read the transcript as you listen to this version of ABC News 24.
• If you have a Yahoo email account, the Yahoo 7 News is right there whenever you sign out. Click on a news item and you'll usually also see a video of News highlights at the end of the text.

•  If you have a Gmail account, you have probably noticed Google News - this is very easy to find, just 'Google' it.

What other news sites do you like? Let us know so we can add them here.

Language websites with 'news'

• VILC - new News is put here every two weeks - listen then click on the book icon to read the text too. Test yourself with the exercises. Challenge yourself with the Intermediate Level news. Listen to the old news too. Remember our username is 500vilcst and our Password in 2013 is in on the noticeboard in the CNLC Computer room (it's only for students and teachers of CNLC but you can sign in at home too).
•  VOA (Voice of America) Learning English has real news stories spoken slower than usual and you can read the captions at the same time. Scroll down the page to find news items.
• ELLLO English learning website also has news items but these are not real. 
• Simple English news has short stories which you can listen to and read at the same time. Choose a category of news on the right and select an item. Careful - don't click any advertisements! Can you see all the advertisements circled in the screenshot below: 

 

• BBC English has Words in the News - this features a news story each day with help with vocabulary and exercises you can do by yourself. It's great - try the story 'Sharkproof Divers' from Australia.

What other language websites feature 'news'? Let us know so we can add them here.

 

And just for fun: what is a blooper?

Have a look at this video: Best News Bloopers March 2013 and work out what a blooper is (Skip the Ad as soon as you can).

Independent learning

Choose a news item on your favourite website and write about it in your Independent learning journal: explain the who? what? when? where? and then describe what you learnt.

 

Did you miss....?  Work in Week 3

• Reported Speech: here is the link to the Worksheet: She said that / He told me that - from Murphy, Unit 49 
• Sing along to the song Waltzing Matilda (Queensland version).