TIUA Academic Speaking and Listening
Spring 2003 ** J. E. Seibert

Last name _________________ First name ________________ AM or PM (circle)

Assignment due: __________________________

• Read one interesting and current newspaper article in News for You or another newspaper. (Do not use the articles or letters in the "blue boxes" in News for You.) Cut out the article or copy it and attach it to this worksheet unless it is from this week's News for You.
• Prepare an oral (spoken) summary of the article in your own words. Your summary should be no more than 2 or 3 minutes long. A summary is the most important ideas in the article in your own words.
• Write one good discussion question related to the article.
• Do not read the same article as all of your classmates! Students should read different articles.

In the next class:

• You will teach a small group of students new vocabulary they need to understand your summary and questions.
• You will summarize the article for the group.
• The group will then discuss your article and question together.

Purpose:

• To practice summarizing and discussing a topic in an academic situation.
• Listening and speaking practice.

The title of the article you read: _________________________________________________________ (Attach a copy of the article if it is not from this week's News for You.)

Unfamiliar vocabulary (and the definitions in English and Japanese) you will teach other students so they can understand the article:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Answer these questions with notes as a guideline for summarizing.

What happened?

Who is involved? "Who" can be people, countries, organizations, etc.

When did it happen?

Where did it happen?

Why did it happen?

How did it happen?

Notes for your oral summary

Your discussion question related to the topic of the article you read. (The question should create a discussion.)

Example: (Article on too much homework in American schools) "In your opinion, how much homework should students have each night in elementary schools, in junior high/middle schools, in high schools, and in universities? Explain your opinion."