Breaking News English ESL Lesson Plan on Internet Access

Most of the world’s Internet users believe Internet access is a basic human right. This is according to a new poll conducted for the BBC. A survey of more than 27,000 adults in 26 different countries found four out of five people believed access to the World Wide Web was a right everyone in the world needs and should have. The chief of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, told the BBC World Service: "The right to communicate cannot be ignored. The Internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created." Dr. Toure believes online access should be available everywhere, just like roads and water. In some countries, this has already happened. Finland and Estonia have laws saying access is a human right.

The survey also showed how the Internet is quickly becoming a vital part of our life, all across the world. Over 75 per cent of Japanese, Mexican and Russian people said they could not live without it. It is easy to see why. Almost everything we do in our life today, from communication, study, work and leisure, needs the Internet. Without access to the Web, many people would feel helpless and powerless. Almost 80 per cent of those who took the survey believe the Web had a positive impact, with nearly four fifths saying they have greater freedom. Other people were worried about the dangers of using the Internet. One big surprise was that the majority of Germans felt it was not safe for them to express their opinions online.

WARM-UPS

1. INTERNET ACCESS: Walk around the class and talk to other students about Internet access. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

Internet users / human rights / surveys / BBC / telecommunications / enlightenment / vital part of life / study / work / leisure / powerless / positive impact / online dangers

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. HUMAN RIGHTS: What do you think of these new ones? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners and share what you heard.

	Yes / No (Why?)	Problems	Solutions to problems
Internet access
Live anywhere
A well-paying job
Free education
Free legal services
Party anytime

4. INTERNET: Students A strongly believe Internet access should be included in the United Nation’s human rights; Students B strongly believe the Internet is not a human right. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. VITAL: Could you live without the Internet? Rate these and share your ratings with your partner: 10 = Impossible for me to live without this. It’s absolutely vital; 1 = I could easily live without this. Change partners and share your ratings again.

e-mail
social networking sites
news sites
online music

English study sites
gaming
Google search
to find information

6. COMMUNICATION: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘communication’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	The article says the UN has made Internet access a human right.	T / F
b.	A poll questioned 27,000 adults in 126 countries.	T / F
c.	A telecommunication chief said the Web was important for light.	T / F
d.	There are at least 2 countries with laws saying the Internet is a right.	T / F
e.	Three-quarters of Mexicans cannot live without the Internet.	T / F
f.	The Internet makes it easy for us to see.	T / F
g.	Four fifths of people said they feel the Web is a positive thing.	T / F
h.	Most Germans surveyed were worried about freedom of expression.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	believe	a.	learning
2	chief	b.	possible
3.	ignored	c.	weak
4.	potential	d.	free time
5.	enlightenment	e.	disregarded
6.	vital	f.	effect
7.	leisure	g.	think
8.	helpless	h.	talk about
9.	impact	i.	head
10.	express	j.	necessary

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	Internet access is a basic	a.	be ignored
2	A survey of	b.	of Germans
3.	The right to communicate cannot	c.	has already happened
4.	access should be	d.	helpless and powerless
5.	In some countries, this	e.	without it
6.	the Internet is quickly becoming a vital part	f.	human right
7.	they could not live	g.	impact
8.	many people would feel	h.	more than 27,000 adults
9.	the Web had a positive	i.	of our life
10.	the majority	j.	available everywhere

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Most of the world’s Internet users ____________ Internet access is a basic human right. This is according to a new ____________ conducted for the BBC. A survey of more than 27,000 adults in 26 different countries found four ____________ of five people believed access to the World Wide Web was a right everyone in the world needs and should have. The ____________ of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, told the BBC World Service: "The right to communicate cannot be ____________. The Internet is the most powerful potential ____________ of enlightenment ever created." Dr. Toure believes online access should be available everywhere, ____________ like roads and water. In some countries, this has already happened. Finland and Estonia have laws ____________ access is a human right.

source
out
ignored
believe
saying
poll
just
chief

The survey also showed how the Internet is ____________ becoming a vital part of our life, all ____________ the world. Over 75 per cent of Japanese, Mexican and Russian people said they could not live without it. It is easy to see ____________. Almost everything we do in our life today, from communication, study, work and ____________, needs the Internet. Without access to the Web, many people would feel ____________ and powerless. Almost 80 per cent of those who took the survey believe the Web had a ____________ impact, with nearly four fifths saying they have greater freedom. Other people were worried about the ____________ of using the Internet. One big surprise was that the majority of Germans felt it was not safe for them to ____________ their opinions online.

positive
leisure
across
dangers
helpless
quickly
express
why

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Most of the world’s Internet users believe Internet ____________________ right. This is according to a new poll conducted for the BBC. A ____________________ 27,000 adults in 26 different countries found four out of five people believed access to the World Wide Web was a right everyone in the world ____________________. The chief of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, told the BBC World Service: "The right to communicate ____________________. The Internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created." Dr. Toure believes online access ____________________ everywhere, just like roads and water. In some countries, this has already happened. Finland and Estonia have ____________________ is a human right.

The survey also showed how the Internet ____________________ a vital part of our life, all across the world. Over 75 per cent of Japanese, Mexican and Russian people said they could ____________________. It is easy to see why. Almost everything we do in our life today, from communication, study, ____________________, needs the Internet. Without access to the Web, many people would feel helpless and powerless. Almost 80 per cent of ____________________ survey believe the Web had a positive impact, with nearly four fifths saying they have greater freedom. Other people were worried about ______________________ the Internet. One big surprise was that the majority of Germans felt it was not safe ______________________ their opinions online.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘human’ and ‘rights’.

human

rights

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

believe
four
chief
source
water
countries

vital
live
leisure
survey
freedom
express

STUDENT INTERNET ACCESS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Internet access in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

INTERNET ACCESS DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)	What did you think when you read the headline?
b)	What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘Internet’?
c)	How important is the Internet in your life?
d)	Do you think Internet access is now a human right?
e)	Do you think people in different countries have different views of the Internet?
f)	How has the Internet changed the world?
g)	Is the Internet a source of enlightenment for you?
h)	Is the Internet just like roads and water?
i)	What have you learnt from the Internet?
j)	Do you think Internet access should become part of the United Nation’s human rights?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)	Did you like reading this article?
b)	In which areas of your life is the Internet vital?
c)	How would your life be different without the Internet?
d)	How do you feel when you’ve been unconnected for a long time?
e)	How would you feel about going on vacation for a month to a place with no Internet?
f)	DO you think the Internet gives you greater freedom?
g)	What are the dangers of the Internet?
h)	Do you worry about what you write online? This will become part of your ‘digital footprint’
i)	What will the Internet look like in 10, 20, 50 years from now?
j)	What questions would you like to ask Dr. Hamadoun Toure?

LANGUAGE – MULTIPLE CHOICE

Most of the world’s Internet users (1) ____ Internet access is a basic human right. This is according to a new (2) ____ conducted for the BBC. A survey of more than 27,000 adults in 26 different countries found four (3) ____ of five people believed access to the World Wide Web was a right everyone in the world needs and should have. The chief of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, told the BBC World Service: "The right (4) ____ communicate cannot be ignored. The Internet is the most powerful potential (5) ____ of enlightenment ever created." Dr. Toure believes online access should be available everywhere, (6) ____ like roads and water. In some countries, this has already happened. Finland and Estonia have laws saying access is a human right.

The survey also showed how the Internet is quickly becoming a (7) ____ part of our life, all across the world. Over 75 per cent of Japanese, Mexican and Russian people said they could not live without it. It is easy to see (8) ____. Almost everything we do in our life today, from communication, study, work and leisure, needs the Internet. Without access to the Web, many people would feel (9) ____ and powerless. Almost 80 per cent of those who took the survey believe the Web had a positive impact, (10) ____ nearly four fifths saying they have greater freedom. Other people were worried about the dangers (11) ____ using the Internet. One big surprise was that the majority of Germans felt it was not safe for them (12) ____ express their opinions online.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	beliefs	(b)	believing	(c)	believer	(d)	believe
2.	(a)	poll	(b)	doll	(c)	roll	(d)	toll
3.	(a)	in	(b)	out	(c)	up	(d)	at
4.	(a)	of	(b)	on	(c)	to	(d)	as
5.	(a)	sauce	(b)	sourced	(c)	source	(d)	sorcerer
6.	(a)	only	(b)	just	(c)	until	(d)	so
7.	(a)	vile	(b)	viral	(c)	vial	(d)	vital
8.	(a)	why	(b)	which	(c)	when	(d)	who
9.	(a)	helpful	(b)	helpless	(c)	helping	(d)	helped
10.	(a)	so	(b)	together	(c)	both	(d)	with
11.	(a)	to	(b)	at	(c)	of	(d)	as
12.	(a)	to	(b)	at	(c)	of	(d)	as

WRITING

Write about Internet access for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about Internet access as a human right. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. INTERNET: Make a poster about the Internet in your country. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. ENLIGHTENMENT: Write a magazine article about how important the Internet is for enlightenment and education. Include imaginary interviews with someone who really believes this and someone else who thinks we learn better with books.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. LETTER: Write a letter to International Telecommunication Union chief Dr. Hamadoun Toure. Ask him three questions about Internet access. Give him three of your opinions on what you think the Internet will look like in the future. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.	believe	a.	think
2	chief	b.	head
3.	ignored	c.	disregarded
4.	potential	d.	possible
5.	enlightenment	e.	learning
6.	vital	f.	necessary
7.	leisure	g.	free time
8.	helpless	h.	weak
9.	impact	i.	effect
10.	express	j.	talk about

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	Internet access is a basic	a.	human right
2	A survey of	b.	more than 27,000 adults
3.	The right to communicate cannot	c.	be ignored
4.	access should be	d.	available everywhere
5.	In some countries, this	e.	has already happened
6.	the Internet is quickly becoming a vital part	f.	of our life
7.	they could not live	g.	without it
8.	many people would feel	h.	helpless and powerless
9.	the Web had a positive	i.	impact
10.	the majority	j.	of Germans

GAP FILL:

Internet access is a human right

Most of the world’s Internet users believe Internet access is a basic human right. This is according to a new poll conducted for the BBC. A survey of more than 27,000 adults in 26 different countries found four out of five people believed access to the World Wide Web was a right everyone in the world needs and should have. The chief of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, told the BBC World Service: "The right to communicate cannot be ignored. The Internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created." Dr. Toure believes online access should be available everywhere, just like roads and water. In some countries, this has already happened. Finland and Estonia have laws saying access is a human right.

The survey also showed how the Internet is quickly becoming a vital part of our life, all across the world. Over 75 per cent of Japanese, Mexican and Russian people said they could not live without it. It is easy to see why. Almost everything we do in our life today, from communication, study, work and leisure, needs the Internet. Without access to the Web, many people would feel helpless and powerless. Almost 80 per cent of those who took the survey believe the Web had a positive impact, with nearly four fifths saying they have greater freedom. Other people were worried about the dangers of using the Internet. One big surprise was that the majority of Germans felt it was not safe for them to express their opinions online.

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - d

2 - a

3 - b

4 - c

5 - c

6 - b

7 - d

8 - a

9 - b

10 - d

11 - c

12 - a

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Download a sample of my book "1,000 Ideas & Activities for Language Teachers".

Thank You

SHARE THIS LESSON:

E-Mail

RSS

Breaking News English

March 9, 2010

Internet Access Is A Human Right