Keep Calm and Teach English

Using Shakespeare's works in the EFL classroom may appear risky as we all know how baffling they can be even to the native speakers. However there is no reason why we should deprive our students of the pleasure to experience some of Shakespeare's most famous sonnets especially when they are read by famous actors such as Alan Rickman and David Tennant. drawing by  sandhyaprabhat The sonnet is a popular classical form of poetry named from the Italian word sonetto, which means “a little sound or song". Traditionally, the sonnet consists of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter. The English or Shakespearean sonnet is usually end-rhymed following the scheme a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g. Here is a simple lessson on Shakespeare's sonnet 130 (My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun) with reading comprehension activities and a writing task where students get to write their own poem. Perfect for Valentine's Day! Target group: Older teens Level

Most teenagers tend to either love or hate Saint Valentine's Day. In any case it is a celebration that rarely goes unnoticed so it is always a good idea to use it in our EFL classes. Here is a Saint Valentine's lesson which includes an Open Cloze with the story of the day and a Listening Comprehension using Frank Sinatra's "Something Stupid". Level B1-B2. Key included. I hope you enjoy it!                                                     St Valentine's Lesson