Here at VOA Learning English, we love to help those who teach English make learning more interactive, student-centered and fun. Besides our quizzes, downloadable lesson plans and other materials, there are other creative ways to use our programs in your classroom. Let’s start with speaking activities.

Beginners: Using the Day in Photos

Every day, VOA Learning English posts fascinating photos from around the world. We call it the Day in Photos.

Here’s a speaking activity that will inspire even the shyest beginning speakers to talk to their classmates. With students sitting in pairs, show an image on the screen. Have one student describe what she sees in the image. Then, have the other student imagine what the people or animals in the photo are thinking or saying.

Intermediate（之间的）learners: Using Learning English TV

Learning English TV features two-minute videos on topics from science to politics to health. For intermediate learners, you can use pair work to have students make a summary of what they learn after watching the videos.

Advanced learners: Using Learning English TV

For this level, have students do the activity exactly as they did in the intermediate activity, but ask students to come up with three questions on additional things they’d like to learn about the topic. You can also use our video series America’s Presidents to set off discussion on debatable topics. Students can work in small groups to express their opinions on what they watched in the video.

Advanced learners: Using English at the Movies

These short series explore an idiom, or common expression.

Students can use the context（上下文）of the movie clip and its explanation-based on the multiple choice quiz in the video-to develop their understanding of the expression.

One fun activity is to have students create two-or three-person dialogues using the new idioms. They can act out or voice the dialogues in their groups or share the dialogues with the whole class.

With schools shut due to the epidemic (疫情), thousands of parents have turned into homeschooling educators overnight. But it’s not an easy thing for every parent to deal with. Many education companies are currently offering free activities for kids. Here are some of them.

History at Home

History at Home offers a free video series that includes a quick history lesson, plus ideas for follow-up activities that parents and kids can do at home. The first one is about the history of hand-washing. New videos are available every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after 9   a.m., and special guests include Laurence among others.

Cosmic Kids Yoga

Similarly, the Cosmic Kids Yoga videos are good for a few minutes’ peace and quiet so you can work — we mean, a nice stretch and mindfulness break in the middle of all the academic learning. The app requires a subscription, but you can watch the videos on YouTube.

Rosetta Stone

During school closures, Rosetta Stone will be giving three months of free language learning to all elementary, middle, and high school students. The program teaches languages through immersion (沉浸式), with instant feedback and progress reports.

The Lion King Experience

Broadway’s The Lion King has always offered theater-making classes for kids, but normally you’d have to pay for them and do them in a classroom setting. Now they’ve adapted their curriculum so families can do it at home for free — just download the PDF guides. There are two courses: one for kids between the ages of 8 and 11, and the other for kids between the ages of 12 and 15.

A Cappella Competition

Do you love to sing?

Come and show off your talents at the Chilton Youth A Cappella Competition!

>October 20th, 11:00 a. m.-17:00p. m.

>Edward Greatcoat Theater, Sealey Road, Chilton

>Rules

Please remember that this is a cappella (清唱)competition!

No instruments or recorded music will be allowed.

Competitors may sing published or original songs in any style.

Competitors must be between 8 and 15 years old.

There are four categories:

（1）Solo（8-11 years old） （2）Solo（12-15 years old）

（2）Group（8-11 years old） （4）Group（12-15 years old）

★Competitors under 12 years old must stay with a parent or other adult at all times.

★Each competitor must pay an entry fee of $10.

★Winners will receive S500 and a course of 20 lessons with famous voice teacher Vickie Leonard.

★Winners will be decided by three judges from the Chilton School of Music. Their decision is final.

>Additional information

★Please arrive at the Edward Greatcoat Theater between 9: 00 a. m. and 10: 00 a. m. to register, as the competition will start at 11: 00 a. m. The parking lot has limited spaces so you are advised to come as early as possible.

★Shared dressing rooms with showers will be open for all competitors.

★Tickets for the competition are available at the theater from October 1st. There is no charge. for these, but again, spaces are limited.