Breaking News English Lesson on Musical.ly

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Lip-syncing video app sells for $1 billion (12th November, 2017)

The Reading / Listening - Musical.ly - Level 3

A Chinese media company has bought the hugely popular social video app Musical.ly for $1 billion. Many people pronounce Musical.ly as "musically". The Chinese company is a technology giant called Bytedance. The company hopes it will become the first Chinese social media site to become a global brand. The Musical.ly app was started in Shanghai in 2014. It now has 60 million active monthly users. The app is very popular with young people. On Musical.ly, users can record and share 15-second to one-minute videos of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs. They can edit the videos, make funny faces, change the speed, add filters and play the videos backwards. People who use the app are called "musers".

Musical.ly is set to become the next big thing across the social media world. It will probably become a part of life for young people, and another thing for them to share on their mobile phones. Bytedance's chief executive Zhang Yiming explained why his company bought the social video app. He said: "By integrating Musical.ly's global reach with Bytedance's massive user base in China and key Asian markets, we are creating a significant global platform for our content creators and brands to engage with new markets." Bytedance also owns one of the world's biggest news apps, called Today's Headlines. This popular news service has 120 million active daily users.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Musical.ly - Level 0, Musical.ly - Level 1 or Musical.ly - Level 2

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical.ly
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41939296
http://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2119369/chinas-toutiao-buys-teens-social-video-app-musically-latest-expansion

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. LIP-SYNCING: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about lip-syncing. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

media / popular / technology / giant / social media / young people / funny faces / app
the next big thing / a part of life / global / brands / markets / news service / daily

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

3. APPS: Students A strongly believe apps are a great form of entertainment; Students B strongly believe they aren't. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

4. SOCIAL MEDIA: How important are these things? How can we make them more fun? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	How important?	How can we make them more fun?
Messages
Video chat
Photos
Videos
Music
Other _________

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. VIDEO: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "video". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. MUSIC: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things to do with at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

make it
exercise to it
share it
talk about it
lip-sync to it
dance to it
relax to it
listen to it live

Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1.	hugely	a.	A type of product made by a company using a name it hopes will be famous.
2.	pronounce	b.	Very much; very, very, very.
3.	brand	c.	Doing or ready to do something.
4.	active	d.	Liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people or by a particular person or group.
5.	popular	e.	Make the sound of a word or part of a word, usually in the correct.
6.	edit	f.	Moving in the opposite direction to the front.
7.	backwards	g.	Change text, a picture or sound on a computer.

Paragraph 2

8.	the next big thing	h.	Almost certainly.
9.	probably	i.	Joining two or more things so that they become a whole thing.
10.	chief	j.	Something new that will become very, very popular.
11.	executive	k.	The person with the highest position in a company.
12.	integrating	l.	Very, very, very, very, very big.
13.	massive	m.	A person who is a very top manager or boss in a company or organization.
14.	significant	n.	Great or important enough for people to think "wow".

Before reading / listening

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

The app Musical.ly is now owned by a Chinese company. T / F
The Musical.ly app started in 2014. T / F
Musical.ly has just fewer than 6 million monthly users. T / F
People who use the Musical.ly app are called "musers". T / F
The article says the app will not be popular on social media. T / F
The article says the app will be a part of life for older people. T / F
Musical.ly's owner wants to get into new markets around the world. T / F
Musical.ly's owner has a news service called 'Tomorrow's Headlines'. T / F

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

hugely
pronounce
brand
popular
funny
set
chief executive
integrating
massive
users

trade name
enormous
well-liked
CEO
ready
extremely
combining
consumers
say
humorous

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

hugely
become a global
videos of themselves lip-syncing to
play the videos
People who use the app
set to become the next big
become a part of life
content
engage
120 million active daily

for young people
backwards
with new markets
popular
popular songs
users
thing
are called "musers"
creators
brand

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

popular
hugely
active
called
pronounce
edit
share
brand

A Chinese media company has bought the (1) ____________ popular social video app Musical.ly for $1 billion. Many people (2) ____________ Musical.ly as "musically". The Chinese company is a technology giant called Bytedance. The company hopes it will become the first Chinese social media site to become a global (3) ____________. The Musical.ly app was started in Shanghai in 2014. It now has 60 million (4) ____________ monthly users. The app is very popular with young people. On Musical.ly, users can record and (5) ____________ 15-second to one-minute videos of themselves lip-syncing to (6) ____________ songs. They can (7) ____________ the videos, make funny faces, change the speed, add filters and play the videos backwards. People who use the app are (8) ____________ "musers".

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

global
engage
thing
active
chief
owns
probably
significant

Musical.ly is set to become the next big thing across the social media world. It will (9) ____________ become a part of life for young people, and another (10) ____________ for them to share on their mobile phones. Bytedance's (11) ____________ executive Zhang Yiming explained why his company bought the social video app. He said: "By integrating Musical.ly's (12) ____________ reach with Bytedance's massive user base in China and key Asian markets, we are creating a (13) ____________ global platform for our content creators and brands to (14) ____________ with new markets." Bytedance also (15) ____________ one of the world's biggest news apps, called Today's Headlines. This popular news service has 120 million (16) ____________ daily users.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) A Chinese media company has bought the ______ social video app
     a. hugely popularity
     b. hugely popularize
     c. hugely popular
     d. hugely poplar

2) The Chinese company is a technology ______ Bytedance
     a. giant scold
     b. giant scald
     c. giants called
     d. giant called

3) it will become the first Chinese social media site to become ______
     a. a globally brand
     b. a global brand
     c. a global bland
     d. a globe all brand

4) share 15-second to one-minute videos of themselves lip-syncing ______ songs
     a. too popular
     b. to popular
     c. two popular
     d. thru popular

5) make funny faces, change the speed, add filters and play the ______
     a. video is backwards
     b. videos backward
     c. video is backward
     d. videos backwards

6) become a part of life for young people, and another thing for ______
     a. them to share
     b. then touché air
     c. them too share
     d. then to share

7) chief executive Zhang Yiming explained why his company ______ video app
     a. brought the social
     b. bought the socially
     c. bought a social
     d. bought the social

8) integrating Musical.ly's global reach with Bytedance's ______ base
     a. massive user
     b. massively user
     c. missive user
     d. passive user

9) creating a significant global platform for our content creators ______ engage
     a. and brands to
     b. end brands to
     c. unto brands to
     d. into brands to

10) This popular news service has 120 million ______
     a. active dally users
     b. active dairy users
     c. active daily users
     d. active day re-users

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A Chinese media company has bought the (1) ___________________ video app Musical.ly for $1 billion. Many people pronounce Musical.ly as "musically". The Chinese company is (2) ___________________ called Bytedance. The company hopes it will become the first Chinese social media site to become (3) ___________________. The Musical.ly app was started in Shanghai in 2014. It now has 60 million active monthly users. The app is (4) ___________________ young people. On Musical.ly, users can record and share 15-second to one-minute (5) ___________________ lip-syncing to popular songs. They can edit the videos, make funny faces, change the speed, add filters and play (6) ___________________. People who use the app are called "musers".

Musical.ly is set to become the next (7) ___________________ the social media world. It will probably become a (8) ___________________ for young people, and another thing for them to share on their mobile phones. Bytedance's chief executive Zhang Yiming explained why his company (9) ___________________ video app. He said: "By integrating Musical.ly's global reach with Bytedance's (10) ___________________ in China and key Asian markets, we are creating a significant global platform for our content creators and (11) ___________________ with new markets." Bytedance also owns one of the world's biggest news apps, called Today's Headlines. This (12) ___________________ has 120 million active daily users.

Comprehension questions

What kind of company bought the Musical.ly app?
What is the name of the company that bought Musical.ly?
Where and when was Musical.ly started?
How many active monthly users does Musical.ly have?
What are Musical.ly users called?
For whom will Musical.ly probably become a part of life?
What is the job role of Zhang Yiming?
What does the company want to engage with?
What's the name of the news service mentioned at the end of the article?
How many active daily users does the news app have?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What kind of company bought the Musical.ly app?
a) a dance studio
b) a music publisher
c) an American social media site
d) a Chinese media company

2) What is the name of the company that bought Musical.ly?
a) Dance Byte
b) Bytedance
c) ByteMusic
d) Music Byte

3) Where and when was Musical.ly started?
a) in LA in 2016
b) this year in Tokyo
c) in Shanghai in 2014
d) last year in London

4) How many active monthly users does Musical.ly have?
a) 60,000,000
b) 6,000,000
c) 600,000,000
d) 600,000

5) What are Musical.ly users called?
a) syncers
b) appers
c) musers
d) musicers

6) For whom will Musical.ly probably become a part of life?
a) dancers
b) young people
c) app developers
d) musicians

7) What is the job role of Zhang Yiming?
a) chief web designer
b) lead singer
c) app designer
d) chief executive

8) What does the company want to engage with?
a) new markets
b) dancers
c) musicians
d) app designers

9) What's the name of the news service mentioned at the end of the article?
a) Tomorrow's News
b) Music Headlines
c) Today's Headlines
d) Music Today

10) How many active daily users does the news app have?
a) 120,000
b) 120,000,000
c) 12,000,000
d) 1,200,000

Role play

Role A – Lip-syncing

You think lip-syncing is the best thing to do to music. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): dancing, relaxing or exercising.

Role B – Dancing

You think dancing is the best thing to do to music. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): lip-syncing, relaxing or exercising.

Role C – Relaxing

You think relaxing is the best thing to do to music. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): dancing, lip-syncing or exercising.

Role D – Exercising

You think exercising is the best thing to do to music. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as good. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): dancing, relaxing or lip-syncing.

After reading / listening

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

'app'

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

and 'musical'.
________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

• 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:

set

part

chief

massive

one

service

hugely

giant

hopes

popular

edit

use

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion - Lip-syncing video app sells for $1 billion

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

What did you think when you read the headline?
What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'video'?
What do you think of the Musical.ly app?
Who do you think would most like the app?
What's your favourite app?
What song would you lip-sync to for this app?
Do you like fun apps like this?
Why are apps so popular?
Do you spend too long using apps?
How many of the Musical.ly videos will be on Facebook?

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

Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
What do you think of when you hear the word 'app'?
What do you think about what you read?
How important is social media for you?
What do you share on your mobile phone?
What would life be like without apps?
What app would you like designers to make?
What do you think of lip-syncing?
What's your favourite song and why?
What questions would you like to ask the app designers?

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

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

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

A Chinese media company has (1) ____ the hugely popular social video app Musical.ly for $1 billion. Many people (2) ____ Musical.ly as "musically". The Chinese company is a technology (3) ____ called Bytedance. The company hopes it will become the first Chinese social media site to become a global (4) ____. The Musical.ly app was started in Shanghai in 2014. It now has 60 million active monthly users. The app is very (5) ____ with young people. On Musical.ly, users can record and share 15-second to one-minute videos of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs. They can edit the videos, make funny faces, change the speed, add filters and play the videos (6) ____. People who use the app are called "musers".

Musical.ly is (7) ____ to become the next big thing across the social media world. It will probably become a (8) ____ of life for young people, and another thing for them to share on their mobile phones. Bytedance's chief executive Zhang Yiming explained (9) ____ his company bought the social video app. He said: "By integrating Musical.ly's global reach with Bytedance's (10) ____ user base in China and key Asian markets, we are creating a significant global platform for our content creators and brands to engage (11) ____ new markets." Bytedance also owns one of the world's biggest news apps, called Today's Headlines. This popular news service has 120 million (12) ____ daily users.

Which of these words go in the above text?

(a) brought (b) bought (c) bout (d) wrought
(a) pronouncing (b) pronounce (c) pronunciation (d) pronounces
(a) grant (b) gland (c) gigantic (d) giant
(a) bland (b) brand (c) grand (d) gland
(a) popularity (b) popular (c) popularize (d) populate
(a) rewards (b) awards (c) backwards (d) onwards
(a) bet (b) let (c) set (d) met
(a) parting (b) partner (c) part (d) party
(a) whatsoever (b) which (c) what (d) why
(a) massive (b) passive (c) missive (d) permissive
(a) with (b) at (c) by (d) of
(a) activate (b) actively (c) active (d) action

Spelling

Paragraph 1

the gulehy popular social video app
pcnunroeo Musical.ly as "musically"
become a llgabo brand
60 million iectav monthly users
change the speed, add etrilfs
play the videos cardksawb

Paragraph 2

across the isacol media world
Bytedance's chief vxteiceeu
Bytedance's vismsea user base
creating a aifnsniicgt global platform
eenagg with new markets
news isercve

Put the text back together

( ) A Chinese media company has bought the hugely popular social video app Musical.ly for $1 billion. Many people pronounce

( ) markets, we are creating a significant global platform for our content creators and brands to engage with new

( ) play the videos backwards. People who use the app are called "musers".

( ) with young people. On Musical.ly, users can record and share 15-second to one-minute videos

( ) markets." Bytedance also owns one of the world's biggest news apps, called

( ) executive Zhang Yiming explained why his company bought the social video

( ) Musical.ly is set to become the next big thing across the social media world. It will probably become a part of

( ) life for young people, and another thing for them to share on their mobile phones. Bytedance's chief

( ) in Shanghai in 2014. It now has 60 million active monthly users. The app is very popular

( ) app. He said: "By integrating Musical.ly's global reach with Bytedance's massive user base in China and key Asian

( ) will become the first Chinese social media site to become a global brand. The Musical.ly app was started

( ) Musical.ly as "musically". The Chinese company is a technology giant called Bytedance. The company hopes it

( ) Today's Headlines. This popular news service has 120 million active daily users.

( ) of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs. They can edit the videos, make funny faces, change the speed, add filters and

Put the words in the right order

app company the video media bought social A has popular .
Chinese giant company called is Bytedance a The technology .
site to The become first a Chinese global social brand media .
second one- and videos 15- share Record minute to .
app People the called . use are "musers" who .
thing big next the Musical .ly to set is become .
part of life for young people It will probably become a .
his the app why bought video explained company social He .
significant platform are a global We creating .
daily popular has active This service million users news 120 .

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

A Chinese media company has bought the huge / hugely popular social video app Musical.ly for $1 billion. Many people pronunciation / pronounce Musical.ly as "musically". The Chinese company is a technology giant calling / called Bytedance. The company hopes it will became / become the first Chinese social media site to become a global / globally brand. The Musical.ly app was started in Shanghai in 2014. It now has 60 million actively / active monthly users / usage. The app is very popularity / popular with young people. On Musical.ly, users can record and share 15-second to one-minute videos for / of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs. They can edit the videos, make funny faces, change the speed, add filters / filter and play the videos backwards. People who use the app are called "musers".

Musical.ly is set / bet to become the next big thing abroad / across the social media world. It will probably become a part of life / lively for young people, and another thing for them to share / shave on their mobile phones. Bytedance's chief executive Zhang Yiming explained what / why his company bought the social video app. He said: "By integration / integrating Musical.ly's global reach with Bytedance's massive user base / based in China and key Asian markets, we are creating a significant / significance global platform for our content creators and bland / brands to engage with new markets." Bytedance also owns one of the world's biggest news apps, called Today's Headlines. This popular news service has 120 million active / reactive daily users.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

_ Ch_n_s_ m_d__ c_mp_ny h_s b__ght th_ h_g_ly p_p_l_r s_c__l v_d__ _pp m_s_c_l.ly f_r $1 b_ll__n. M_ny p__pl_ pr_n__nc_ M_s_c_l.ly _s "m_s_c_lly". Th_ Ch_n_s_ c_mp_ny _s t_chn_l_gy g__nt c_ll_d Byt_d_nc_. Th_ c_mp_ny h_p_s _t w_ll b_c_m_ th_ f_rst Ch_n_s_ s_c__l m_d__ s_t_ t_ b_c_m_ _ gl_b_l br_nd. Th_ M_s_c_l.ly _pp w_s st_rt_d _n Sh_ngh__ _n 2014. _t n_w h_s 60 m_ll__n _ct_v_ m_nthly _s_rs. Th_ _pp _s v_ry p_p_l_r w_th y__ng p__pl_. _n M_s_c_l.ly, _s_rs c_n r_c_rd _nd sh_r_ 15-s_c_nd t_ _n_-m_n_t_ v_d__s _f th_ms_lv_s l_p sync_ng t_ p_p_l_r s_ngs. Th_y c_n _d_t th_ v_d__s, m_k_ f_nny f_c_s, ch_ng_ th_ sp__d, _dd f_lt_rs _nd pl_y th_ v_d__s b_ckw_rds. P__pl_ wh_ _s_ th_ _pp _r_ c_ll_d "m_s_rs".

M_s_c_l.ly _s s_t t_ b_c_m_ th_ n_xt b_g th_ng _cr_ss th_ s_c__l m_d__ w_rld. _t w_ll pr_b_bly b_c_m_ _ p_rt _f l_f_ f_r y__ng p__pl_, _nd _n_th_r th_ng f_r th_m t_ sh_r_ _n th__r m_b_l_ ph_n_s. Byt_d_nc_'s ch__f _x_c_t_v_ Zh_ng Y_m_ng _xpl__n_d why h_s c_mp_ny b__ght th_ s_c__l v_d__ _pp. H_ s__d: "By _nt_gr_t_ng M_s_c_l.ly's gl_b_l r__ch w_th Byt_d_nc_'s m_ss_v_ _s_r b_s_ _n Ch_n_ _nd k_y _s__n m_rk_ts, w_ _r_ cr__t_ng _ s_gn_f_c_nt gl_b_l pl_tf_rm f_r __r c_nt_nt cr__t_rs _nd br_nds t_ _ng_g_ w_th n_w m_rk_ts." Byt_d_nc_ _ls_ _wns _n_ _f th_ w_rld's b_gg_st n_ws _pps, c_ll_d T_d_y's H__dl_n_s. Th_s p_p_l_r n_ws s_rv_c_ h_s 120 m_ll__n _ct_v_ d__ly _s_rs.

Punctuate the text and add capitals

a chinese media company has bought the hugely popular social video app Musical.ly for $1 billion. many people pronounce Musical.ly as "musically". the chinese company is a technology giant called bytedance. the company hopes it will become the first chinese social media site to become a global brand. the Musical.ly app was started in shanghai in 2014. it now has 60 million active monthly users. the app is very popular with young people. on Musical.ly, users can record and share 15-second to one-minute videos of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs. they can edit the videos, make funny faces, change the speed, add filters and play the videos backwards. people who use the app are called "musers".

Musical.ly is set to become the next big thing across the social media world. it will probably become a part of life for young people, and another thing for them to share on their mobile phones. bytedance's chief executive zhang yiming explained why his company bought the social video app. he said: "by integrating Musical.ly's global reach with bytedance's massive user base in china and key asian markets, we are creating a significant global platform for our content creators and brands to engage with new markets." bytedance also owns one of the world's biggest news apps, called today's headlines. this popular news service has 120 million active daily users.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AChinesemediacompanyhasboughtthehugelypopularsocialvideoap
pMusical.lyfor$1billion.ManypeoplepronounceMusical.lyas"musicall
y".TheChinesecompanyisatechnologygiantcalledBytedance.Theco
mpanyhopesitwillbecomethefirstChinesesocialmediasitetobecomea
globalbrand.TheMusical.lyappwasstartedinShanghaiin2014.Itnowh
as60millionactivemonthlyusers.Theappisverypopularwithyoungpeo
ple.OnMusical.ly,userscanrecordandshare15-secondtoone-minut
evideosofthemselveslip-syncingtopopularsongs.Theycaneditthevid
eos,makefunnyfaces,changethespeed,addfiltersandplaythevideosb
ackwards.Peoplewhousetheapparecalled"musers".Musical.lyissetto
becomethenextbigthingacrossthesocialmediaworld.Itwillprobablyb
ecomeapartoflifeforyoungpeople,andanotherthingforthemtoshareo
ntheirmobilephones.Bytedance'schiefexecutiveZhangYimingexplai
nedwhyhiscompanyboughtthesocialvideoapp.Hesaid:"Byintegratin
gMusical.ly'sglobalreachwithBytedance'smassiveuserbaseinChinaa
ndkeyAsianmarkets,wearecreatingasignificantglobalplatformforour
contentcreatorsandbrandstoengagewithnewmarkets."Bytedanceal
soownsoneoftheworld'sbiggestnewsapps,calledToday'sHeadlines.T
hispopularnewsservicehas120millionactivedailyusers.

Free writing

Write about Musical-ly for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

A lip-syncing social media app is a great idea. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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 this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MUSICAL.LY: Make a poster about the Musical.ly lip-syncing app. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. APPS: Write a magazine article about lip-syncing apps. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against them.

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. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on apps. Ask him/her three questions about the lip-syncing app. Give him/her three of your ideas on it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

$US 9.99

Answers

(Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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