ESL and ESL classroom lessons for Newspapers in Education (NiE)

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Understanding your Bangkok Post in ten lively lessons

This eight-week programme gives a complete overview of the Bangkok Post and how to use it effectively in your classroom. The nice thing about this series of lessons is that it can be adapted to your local newspaper, too.

The series is accompanied by a kit of supplementary material that can be used with the lessons in this series but also with other newspapers and in other terms. For more information about how you can subscribe to the series click here.

Week 1: Welcome to the information age!
The Bangkok Post carries wealth of stories, features and items of interest every day. Knowing how to find what interests you, what you need and how to find it fast, is an necessary skill in this age of information.

Week 2: Storytelling in the Bangkok Post
There are several storytelling styles in the newspaper. Find out what they are and where they are found? Find out what is the best way to read them.

Week 3: Words, words, words!
The newspaper is just about the best source in the whole world for improving your vocabulary. Find out how you can learn new vocabulary with and without your dictionary.

Week 4: Making things easy
Use common sense. Both the Thai and the English-language media report many of the same stories. Use your background from the Thai media to help you read and understand the Bangkok Post. Also, stories don’t begin and finish in one day. Learn how following stories over several days is a fast and helpful way to improve your English.

Week 5: What is news?
Everyday, hundreds of potentially newsworthy events occur in Thailand? How does the Bangkok Post choose which ones to cover. In addition, the Bangkok Post receives hundreds of news stories from abroad, far more than we can use. Find out how our editors choose which ones to include?

Week 6: It’s a matter of culture
This is our "cultural awareness" week. The Bangkok Post is full of stories involving culture, both local and foreign. Find out how focusing on cultural issues can lead to some exciting and rewarding English lessons.

Week 7: What do they think?
A good place to answer this question is by taking a regular look at Postbag, the Bangkok Post’s popular letters to the editor column. You and your students might be surprised at some of the opinions raised in this column. You may even want to respond.

Week 8: Becoming a millionaire
The series ends with our version of the millionaire game. Find out why the newspaper is one of the best sources of general information you can find anywhere.

Week 9: Narrow reading — a powerful way to improve your English!
What is narrow reading? And what does it have to do with the newspaper? Find out in this week's lesson. There's more! We have a high tech way to find just what you need.

Week 10: Reading the "fun stuff"
The series ends with some fun, reading your horoscope and a few cartoons. Don't miss it!

Find the full list of lessons this term here.

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•These lessons are prepared by Acharn Terry Fredrickson, BA Stanford, MA (TESL) University of Minnesota, Manager of the Educational Services Department at the Bangkok Post and general editor of this programme.

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