In the news — ready-made English lesson, B2

Lesson goal: Media vocabulary and reported speech: retelling news stories and interviews.

Add the lesson to get your own copies of the word set and exercises; the lesson opens in the builder, where you can adjust the steps and teach it.

Lesson plan

1
Warm-up
Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.
- How do you get your news?
- Do you trust news on social media?
- What news story interested you recently?
2
New words
Meet the words and practise them in games.
FlashcardsMatch the pairs
headline · article · journalist · broadcast · audience · reliable source · fake news · bias · coverage · editor · press · go viral · subscribe · advertisement · censorship
All words in the set
3
Exercises
The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.
1. Multiple choice
  'I saw the accident,' the witness said. → The witness said he ___ the accident.
  has seenhad seenseeswas seeing
2. Multiple choice
  The journalist asked the minister ___ he would resign.
  thatwhatwhetherdoes
3. Multiple choice
  'Don't publish the story,' the editor said. → The editor told us ___ the story.
  not to publishdon't publishnot publishthat not publish
4. Multiple choice
  Which sentence is correct?
  She said me that the news was fake.She told that the news was fake.She said to me the news that was fake.She told me that the news was fake.
5. Fill the gap
  'Where do you live?' → The reporter asked me where I ___.
  Answer: lived
6. Fill the gap
  'We will announce the results tomorrow,' they said. → They said they ___ announce them the next day.
  Answer: would
7. Fill the gap
  The newspaper reported that the prime minister ___ (visit) Paris the day before.
  Answer: had visited / visited
8. Fill the gap
  'Can you check the facts?' → My boss asked me ___ check the facts.
  Answer: to
9. Fill the gap
  'I bought the newspaper yesterday,' she said. → She said she had bought it the ___ day.
  Answer: previous
10. True / false
  This sentence is correct: 'He asked me where was the station.'
  Answer: False
11. Discussion question
  Tell me about a news story you read or heard recently. What did the reporters say?
  Sample answer: I read that a new metro line was going to open next year. The reporter said the city had spent millions on it and asked people whether they would use it.
12. Discussion question
  Do you trust what you read on social media? Why or why not?
  Sample answer: Not really. A friend once told me a famous singer had died, but it wasn't true. Now I always check the news on a reliable website.
4
Speaking
The student answers using the new words.
- I read you a short interview. Retell it: 'She said that… He asked whether…'
- Report a conversation you had this week.
5
Review
A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.
Quiz

Lesson plan

Warm-up

Questions to get the student talking and lead into the topic.

How do you get your news?
Do you trust news on social media?
What news story interested you recently?

New words

Meet the words and practise them in games.

FlashcardsMatch the pairs

headline · article · journalist · broadcast · audience · reliable source · fake news · bias · coverage · editor · press · go viral · subscribe · advertisement · censorship

All words in the set

Exercises

The lesson's words in context. Only you see the answers.

Multiple choice
'I saw the accident,' the witness said. → The witness said he ___ the accident.
has seenhad seenseeswas seeing
Multiple choice
The journalist asked the minister ___ he would resign.
thatwhatwhetherdoes
Multiple choice
'Don't publish the story,' the editor said. → The editor told us ___ the story.
not to publishdon't publishnot publishthat not publish
Multiple choice
Which sentence is correct?
She said me that the news was fake.She told that the news was fake.She said to me the news that was fake.She told me that the news was fake.
Fill the gap
'Where do you live?' → The reporter asked me where I ___.
Answer: lived
Fill the gap
'We will announce the results tomorrow,' they said. → They said they ___ announce them the next day.
Answer: would
Fill the gap
The newspaper reported that the prime minister ___ (visit) Paris the day before.
Answer: had visited / visited
Fill the gap
'Can you check the facts?' → My boss asked me ___ check the facts.
Answer: to
Fill the gap
'I bought the newspaper yesterday,' she said. → She said she had bought it the ___ day.
Answer: previous
True / false
This sentence is correct: 'He asked me where was the station.'
Answer: False
Discussion question
Tell me about a news story you read or heard recently. What did the reporters say?
Sample answer: I read that a new metro line was going to open next year. The reporter said the city had spent millions on it and asked people whether they would use it.
Discussion question
Do you trust what you read on social media? Why or why not?
Sample answer: Not really. A friend once told me a famous singer had died, but it wasn't true. Now I always check the news on a reliable website.

Speaking

The student answers using the new words.

I read you a short interview. Retell it: 'She said that… He asked whether…'
Report a conversation you had this week.

Review

A quiz on the lesson's words. With a student, it's homework on their link.

Quiz