Read Along: Reading and Pronunciation Buddy for Beginners

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It’s been a long time since I haven’t written a post for primary teachers and A1 learners, but hey!  This one’s for you!

If you’re just starting your reading journey—or helping little ones do the same—Google’s Read Along is the perfect tool to make learning fun! While designed primarily for children, these stories can still be valuable for adult learners focusing on reading skills and pronunciation practice. The child-friendly content doesn’t diminish its effectiveness as a learning tool for readers of any age. For me and my adult students, it just makes the whole activity more visually appealing while still focusing on the same goal—helping you improve your reading and pronunciation.

What is Read Along?

It is a FREE tool (yep, no cost at all!) that helps students learn to read  and pronounce correctly while having fun. It works both as an app and online, making it super accessible for everyone.

How does it work?

Meet Diya, the friendly reading buddy!

  • She listens to students and helps them then they struggle with reading
  • Students can choose from hundreds of levelled stories
  • Students can earn badges and rewards as they read

Ready to pronounce? t is important to activate the microphone.

  • Diya, the reading buddy, will prompt you to pronounce;  or alternatively, you can click on the words to hear them being pronounced.
Why do I like it?
  • There are four levels of stories, each with a different level of difficulty. The higher the level, the more challenging the reading—so you can progress at your own pace.
  • You can listen to individual words in a story, and there are also fun activities where you get to record yourself reading aloud! Perfect for practicing pronunciation and building confidence!
  • Uses AI to offer real-time feedback
  • Completely inclusive and accessible for all learners
  • Helps students gain confidence and fluency in reading

So, whether you’re a teacher looking to support your students or a beginner reader wanting to improve pronunciation, Read Along might be the tool for you.

Complaint Letters/Emails: 2 Warm-ups

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Writing a complaint letter sounds serious, right? But before I ask my students to get into that, let’s help them loosen up with two quick warm-ups!

 

First—let’s reflect. Do you often complain, or do you just let things go?

Then, let’s turn up the fun! There’s a challenge: can you guess the complaint just by interpreting a few clues? Some might be obvious, but others will definitely make them think!

Once we’ve had a good laugh (and maybe a little self-discovery), we’ll dive into writing complaint letters that actually get results. Here are the two quick warm-ups. Hope your students enjoy them.

WARM-UP 1: CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
  • Do you think you complain a lot, a little, or just enough? In what situations do you usually complain?
  • In your country/culture, is openly complaining common, or is it considered rude? How do people usually complain?
  • What do people in your city/country often complain about? (e.g., public transport, slow service, bad weather)?
  • Can you recall a time you complained and got a solution? How did you handle it?
  • Do you prefer to solve a problem by complaining or ignore it? Why?
WARM-UP 2: GUESS THE EMOJI

Let’s have fun!You will see emoji sequences and you must try to guess what type of complaint each represents.

 

Complaint emojis de cristina.cabal

Gender Stereotypes in Fashion

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Fashion is one of those topics that can turn a simple conversation into a lively debate—because let’s face it, we all see style a little differently! Some people love experimenting with bold trends, while others stick to their tried-and-true favourites. One person’s “effortlessly cool” might be another’s “what were you thinking?” And don’t even get started on the age-old question: “Why do you need so many shoes?

But, do men and women see fashion the same way? Or is there actually a difference in how they approach style—and even a whole day of shopping? Some are all about the thrill of the hunt, while others might just want to get in and out. Let’s watch a fun video and spark some thoughts on this. Ready for a good laugh and a fresh take on the entire fashion thing?

Let’s get started.

Warming-up: Choose and explain your choice
  1. I plan my outfits carefully, always thinking about how they show my personality and fit with the latest styles, avoiding quickly passing fads.
  2. I like to stay updated on fashion and try out new, unusual combinations to show off my style.
  3. I prefer to buy clothes that will last and not go out of style quickly. Good quality and usefulness are most important to me.
  4. I usually stick to a style I like, focusing on being comfortable, but I sometimes add a special piece to make it interesting.
  5. I choose clothes that work well for my life. I avoid things that are too flashy or uncomfortable.
  6. Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to fashion. As long as my clothes are clean and look okay, I’m happy and focus on other things.
Ready for a healthy laugh? Watch the video. I bet you'll want to watch it more than once.

Speaking: a more serious analysis of the ad
  • The video compares the women’s reaction to the walk-in closet with the men’s reaction to the beer fridge. What do you think the creators of the ad were trying to communicate with this contrast?
  • What assumptions about the target audience do you think the advertisers were making when they created these two scenarios?
  •  If you had unlimited resources? What is your equivalent of a walk-in closet fantasy? A garage full of tools? A high-tech entertainment system?

I hoped you liked this little thing I did for my student. We certainly had some fun!

Lesson Plan: Economy and Business Made Palatable with Elon Musk’s Visit

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Oh! We’ve all seen it happen—students start a speaking task, and suddenly, their vocabulary shrinks to the same five words they always use! Why? Because without revisiting and retrieving vocabulary first, their brains take the easy route. That’s why retrieval practice is golden! A quick vocab review—whether it’s a fast-paced game, a word association challenge, or a quick brainstorm—gives students the words they actually know but might not remember under pressure.

But how do we make economy and business—a topic that can feel dry or intimidating—actually exciting? Simple: we call in the richest man on the planet to help.

Warm-up

Imagine starting the lesson by asking, “If the richest person on the planet walked into this room, what would you ask them?” Boom—instant engagement!

Display a photo of Elon Musk and have students ask him questions. Now, open ChatGPT and write this prompt, “can you act like Elon Musk and answer a few questions?”Give students a minute or two to write their questions and type them in. Once ChatGPT answers, click the loudspeaker and let ChatGPT speak as Musk—just make sure you’ve chosen a masculine voice in advance.

Here’s the link to ChatGPT with the questions my students asked Elon. Excuse my typos. It was a quick exercise not meant to correct grammar or spelling.

By the way, lots of skills involved in this simple exercise: writing questions, understanding complex answers in both written and spoken form (remember by clicking on the Read aloud icon).

Retrieval Practice: Revising Vocabulary from their Textbooks

Now, tell students that Elon Musk has a challenge for them: “Guess my 10 favourite words about economy and business!”. The words he’s thinking of? They’re the same ones my students have been learning in class. But can they predict which ones made his list?

  1. Ask students to write 10 words related to business and economy that they have learned in the lesson on a separate sheet of paper. Give them one minute to do this.

  2. Swap papers with a classmate. Now, each student will read the list of words that their classmate wrote. This helps reinforce vocabulary because by reading someone else’s choices, they’re likely to remember even more words!

  3. While students are swapping papers and reflecting, the teacher has previously copy-pasted all the vocabulary that students have learned in this lesson into ChatGPT. Now, ask ChatGPT:”Can you act like Elon Musk and choose 10 words from this list that relate to business and economy?

  4. Once you’ve got your list of 10 words from ChatGPT, go back to the students and ask them to compare their list with the words that ChatGPT (as Elon Musk) has provided.  Again, more words reinforced

And, in my case, because I love playing around with AI, I’ve taken it up a notch by creating a talking avatar of Elon Musk to introduce the activity!  He’ll be the one saying the 10 words and getting everyone excited. I’m hoping he doesn’t take offence (but honestly, I think he’d be all for it)!

Note: you might need to pause the video in-between words. He speaks a bit too fast.

 

Elon Retrieval de cristina.cabal

Vocabulary. PDF with a vocabulary exercise.

Eight pages in their textbooks talking about economy? Far too much! So, I have decided to ask them to stick to a few words, learn them and use them. On this list, I have included the vocabulary from the book, plus a bit more. Enough. Plus, a fill- in the gaps exercise to see them in context.

  • To be involved in malpractice
  • Shareholders
  • A period of recession and austerity
  • Creditors
  • Deposits
  • To bankrupt
  • Raise start-up funds
  • To run your own business
  • To invest in networking
  • Assessing and taking risks
  • Upturn or decline in sales
  • Customers or clients
  • Overheads
  • Lay off people
  • Floating or launching the firm
  • To be flooded with orders
  • Business is picking up
  • To make cutbacks
  • Business ends up going under
  • We are hanging in
  • To take on staff
  • To make staff redundant
  • A downturn in sales
  • A drop in sales
  • Terminate a contract
  • Pitch for a contract

 

Crazy Writing: Activating Vocabulary in Writing

Time to write! This activity is a bit crazy, highly engaging, and exactly the kind of challenge C1 students need! So, instead of the usual sit-down-and-write approach, students will work in pairs, standing up and using the whiteboards to do the activity. No whiteboards? No problem! They can write on paper and then display their work on the classroom walls for everyone to see.

The key question they’ll have to write about is: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your country’s business landscape? To “force” vocabulary, I will be suing two wheels. One wheel will be packed with key vocabulary (some they know, some they don’t), while the other will have grammar structures they will be asked to use. I’ll spin each wheel five times, and whatever lands, they must incorporate into their response. This twist adds an element of surprise and  forces them to adapt their writing on the spot.

This is what it looks like

Link to wheel

 

Speaking: Activating Vocabulary in a Speaking Activity

Business and economy de cristina.cabal

Yes, if you are wondering, I have asked AI to create the slides and the content in the questions. No need to waste some precious time doing things AI can do for you. You only need to know how to ask. Remember that.

Now, in my case, and for this activity, I have used the Speed Dating strategy. Always a hit.

I hope you have enjoyed the lesson. Keep posted for more creative ways to use technology in the classroom!

Lesson Plan: Immigration and Deportation

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Today, I want to  share a lesson about a topic that affects real lives and stirs deep feelings: immigration and deportation. With recent events—like the thousands of deportations under Donald Trump’s policies—it’s clear that this issue is both timely and challenging. In this lesson, we’ll explore the language and ideas that help us discuss this subject respectfully and accurately.

What you will find in this lesson

  • warm-up
  • vocabulary
  • speaking: gallery walks
  • listening comprehension

Level:
C1 (Advanced)

Handouts

 

WARM -UP

We will kick things off by drawing a mind map on the board. I will ask students  to share any words or phrases that come to mind when they think about immigration and deportation.

What would you do if you had to leave your home country and start a new life somewhere else?

USEFUL VOCABULARY

Below is a list of useful vocabulary for discussing the topic of deportation and illegal immigration. This includes verbs, nouns, and phrases that will help students express themselves more precisely and fluently at a C1 level. I know the vocabulary list might seem a bit like a lot, but I’m pretty sure most of my students  already know many of these terms.

SMALL CHALLENGE

Moreover, most of these words are super similar in their own language. So, what I’ll do is say the word in Spanish and challenge them to give me the English equivalent. This way, they’ll quickly see that they already know most of these terms and don’t need to stress about learning them all from scratch.

Verbs

  1. Deport: To forcibly remove someone from a country.
    Example: “The government deported hundreds of illegal immigrants last year.”
  2. Detain: To hold someone in custody, often while their legal status is determined.
    Example: “Many immigrants are detained in centers near the border.”
  3. Overstay: To remain in a country longer than the visa allows.
    Example: “He overstayed his tourist visa and became an illegal immigrant.”
  4. Flee: To leave a place quickly to escape danger.
    Example: “Thousands of people flee their home countries due to war or persecution.”
  5. Seek asylum: To request protection in another country due to danger in one’s home country.
    Example: “She sought asylum after being persecuted for her political beliefs.”
  6. Integrate: To become part of a community or society.
    Example: “Successful integration programs help immigrants adapt to their new country.”
  7. Enforce: To ensure compliance with laws or rules.
    Example: “The government enforces strict immigration policies.”
  8. Repatriate: To send someone back to their home country.
    Example: “After the war, many refugees were repatriated.”

 Nouns

  1. Immigration: The act of moving to a new country to live permanently.
    Example: “Immigration policies vary widely between countries.”
  2. Emigration: The act of leaving one’s country to live in another.
    Example: “Emigration rates have increased due to economic instability.”
  3. Refugee: A person forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
    Example: “Refugees often face dangerous journeys to reach safety.”
  4. Visa: An official document allowing someone to enter or stay in a country for a specific purpose.
    Example: “She applied for a student visa to study abroad.”
  5. Citizenship: The status of being a legal member of a country.
    Example: “He obtained citizenship after living in the country for five years.”
  6. Border: The line separating two countries.
    Example: “The border between the two countries is heavily guarded.”
  7. Detention center: A facility where immigrants are held while their legal status is determined.
    Example: “Conditions in some detention centers have been criticized by human rights groups.”
  8. Humanitarian crisis: A situation where people suffer due to war, famine, or disaster.
    Example: “The civil war has caused a humanitarian crisis in the region.”
  9. Policy: A set of rules or guidelines adopted by a government or organization.
    Example: “The new immigration policy has sparked widespread debate.”
  10. Xenophobia: Fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers.
    Example: “Xenophobia can lead to discrimination against immigrants.”

Useful Phrases and Expressions

  1. Illegal entry: Entering a country without proper authorization.
    Example: “Illegal entry is often punished with deportation.”
  2. Border security: Measures taken to protect a country’s borders.
    Example: “Increased border security has reduced illegal crossings.”
  3. Economic migrant: A person who moves to another country for better job opportunities.
    Example: “Many economic migrants risk their lives to reach developed countries.”
  4. Family reunification: The process of bringing family members together in one country.
    Example: “Family reunification is a common reason for immigration.”
  5. Human rights violations: Actions that abuse or deny basic human rights.
    Example: “Deporting refugees to war zones may constitute human rights violations.”
  6. Undocumented workers: People who work in a country without legal permission.
    Example: “Undocumented workers often face exploitation.”

Speaking Activity 1: GALLERY WALK WITH POSTERS

I love using the gallery walk strategy. With this strategy I guarantee engagement, peer interaction and the possibility of listening to different perspectives. Here’s how I have done it in this lesson.

  • Step 1. First, I help my students recall and bring forward newly learned vocabulary related to the topic.
  • Step 2.  Students pair up or form small groups of three. Together, they write down five vocabulary words related to the topic on a piece of paper. I then stick these around the classroom—I make sure to have as many groups as posters I have created.
  • Step 3. Next, I put up posters on the walls, right next to each vocabulary sheet. Each poster contains questions  related to the topic.
  • Step 4. Now it’s time to move! Students get up, pick a poster with their group, and start answering the questions—making an effort to incorporate the vocabulary from the nearby sheet.
  • Step 5. After about 5 minutes I give my students a signal to rotate to the next poster.

Click to see and print  the posters with the questions.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

In this video you will see a snapshot of recent events in the United States, focusing on the actions of the Trump administration.

Watch it and anwer the questions below

1.What is the implicit reason behind the deployment of US troops to the southern border?

  1. To offer humanitarian aid to migrants crossing the border.
  2. To prevent further entry of individuals into the United States
  3. To facilitate the processing of asylum seekers.

2.What can be inferred about the relationship between Trump’s administration and the processing of asylum seekers?

  1.  The administration has streamlined the asylum process to efficiently manage the flow of migrants.
  2. The administration has halted the processing of asylum claims as part of its deportation strategy.
  3.  The administration is providing additional resources to handle the increased number of asylum applications.

3.What is the primary intention behind Trump’s social media message to Russian President Vladimir Putin?

  1. To establish a collaborative partnership between the US and Russia.
  2. To express his solidarity with Russia and their actions in Ukraine.
  3. To compel Russia to stop the conflict in Ukraine by using threats of sanctions.

4.How does the video portray the views of Trump’s administration versus the views of those protesting border policies, such as those holding vigils and protesting in Las Vegas?

  1. Both groups are in agreement that current immigration policies are well-justified and humane.
  2. The groups are in direct opposition, with Trump’s administration initiating a hardline deportation operation and protesters resisting these measures
  3. The groups share a belief in the current laws but differ in their methods of supporting them.

5.What implication can be drawn from the information about Trump’s pardon of the Proud Boys leader, within the broader context of the video?

  1.  It suggests a policy of leniency for all political offenders and those who have been convicted of violent crimes.
  2.  It highlights a disregard for the legal process, particularly concerning those who were involved in actions that challenged the established government.
  3.  It shows Trump’s preference for granting clemency to those who committed very minor crimes.