(This posting includes a handout LINK AT THE END OF THIS POST which you are welcome to use with your students.) *

A researcher used to get upset. He often saw people throwing things in the wastebasket, for example soda cans or gum wrappers, that they should have put in the recycling bins. Then he became interested in why they do that. As a result, he set up some experiments.

In one study, 150 volunteer students were asked to give their opinion about a pair of scissors. (The students thought the study was about the scissors, but actually, the researchers were secretly studying recycling.)  They gave each of the students a sheet of paper. They told half of them to practice with the scissors by cutting the paper into eight pieces. The other half were told to just hold and practice squeezing the scissors but not cut the paper. (See complete article below.)

For background information about these articles and for suggestions for how to use them with your students, see  • Introducing “Short, High-Interest Readings”  Also, I’ll be adding more of these articles in the right-hand column: ESL Reading> Short, High Interest Articles for Extensive Readings

Here is the third article. You can download the article for your students by clicking on the link at the end. Also included are three optional exercises: True-False Questions; Paraphrasing Exercise; Reflection Exercise.

Continue reading →

(This posting includes a handout LINK AT THE END OF THIS POST which you are welcome to use with your students.) *

¹ Imagine that you and your friends have just arrived at a popular restaurant.  Unfortunately, you are told by the hostess that you’ll need to wait in line for about 30 minutes to get a table because there are many other customers who had arrived before you.  After about 10 minutes, a man and woman arrive and talk to the hostess.  You notice that he secretly hands her some money.  Immediately, she takes them to a table.  Most of us would feel that this was unfair and will feel resentful toward the hostess.

² Some researchers have recently become interested in finding out if the idea of unfairness is a unique emotion only felt by people or is it also experienced by animals.  A study looked at how dogs react when a second dog is rewarded in an unequal way for doing the same trick.  The researchers shook hands with two dogs, and the dogs were happy to do that whether they got a reward or not.

³ Next, they asked the dogs to “shake hands” and gave one a reward of a tasty sausage, and the other one a dull piece of bread when they did. Interestingly, the dogs didn’t seem to notice the difference and continued to follow the command and shook hands even though one got a tastier reward than the other. (See complete article below.)

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(This posting includes a handout LINK AT THE END OF THIS POST which you are welcome to use with your students.) *

What matters more when choosing a reading passage for ESL students: the vocabulary level, or how much they actually care about the topic?

The science is in, and the answer might surprise you. A group of researchers investigated what helps students remember what they read. They discovered that how interested a student is in a topic is 30 times more important than the “readability” level of the passage.

When we capture their interest, we unlock their learning.

That is the driving force behind this series of Short, High-Interest Articles for Extensive Reading. My goal is simple: to motivate students to want to read by focusing on captivating, real-world topics. Because interest trumps difficulty, these articles have been used successfully with students across many different reading-skill levels.

Where to Find Them

This post includes the first article. As of 5/25/2016, I have posted 17 articles and have a lineup of over 20 more that I’ll be sharing regularly. You can always access the growing collection in the right-hand column under:

👉 ESL Reading > Short, High-Interest Articles for Extensive Readings

Four Ways to Use These Materials

Every teacher’s classroom is different, so these articles are designed to be flexible. Here are a few ways you can integrate them:

• Pure Extensive Reading: Make them available for students who simply want to read more for pleasure.
• Quick Comprehension Check: Assign the brief True/False questions included at the end of each article.
• Skill Building: Have students complete the short Paraphrasing Exercise.
• Critical Thinking: Prompt deeper reflection with the brief Reflection Exercise at the close of the piece.

Start Reading Today!

Below is the very first article in the series. You can also download a clean, ready-to-print PDF handout for your students using the link at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading →