| Evel Knievel Isn't Dead | | | | To start you all off try the several historic videos of |
| Whenever a famous entertainer, celebrity or historic | | | | Evel Knievel online at YouTube or his official website |
| figure becomes newsworthy, don't let the | | | | at: And don't just blindly accept the blasé |
| opportunity to motivate and involve your learners | | | | "book report" type of presentation either. Ask for |
| pass you by. Instead, use it to delve more deeply | | | | and demand better for these and future assignments |
| into the cultural elements and language hat spawned | | | | or expositions by your learners. |
| that person. Then watch as your learners begin to | | | | Try Multi-format or Multi-modal Presentations |
| grow and develop their English or other foreign | | | | Have them try some different or multi-format |
| language skills almost as if by magic. Evel Knievel isn't | | | | presentations like: |
| "dead" and neither are hundreds of other celebrities, | | | | " Posters |
| personalities, news-makers of our recent and distant | | | | " time line graphs |
| past. Let them help you and your learners to develop | | | | " audio-visual presentations |
| communicative skills in the English language. Don't | | | | " video clips |
| forget, these same principles can be easily applied to | | | | " collages |
| the teaching and learning of many other foreign | | | | " power point slides |
| languages as well. | | | | " dialogues |
| Using famous personalities, historic figures and | | | | " interviews |
| celebrities in Content-based Learning (Richards and | | | | " scrap book presentations |
| Rodgers,1993) is a way to lower the Affective Filter | | | | Also try some puzzles, board and other types of |
| (Krashen Terrell, 1983) of your learners and truly get | | | | games. Only the imagination and ingenuity that you |
| them highly motivated and involved in English or other | | | | and your learners apply will limit the English as a |
| foreign language acquisition. Let's consider the late | | | | foreign language or other foreign language teaching |
| Evel Knievel as an example then. | | | | and learning possibilities for you and your learners. |
| Are motorcycles popular and frequently used where | | | | Again, whenever a famous entertainer, celebrity or |
| you are? What are some well-known makes and | | | | historic figure becomes newsworthy, don't let the |
| models? What kind of bikes did Evel Knievel use? | | | | opportunity to motivate and involve your learners |
| (Can you say Harley-Davidson?) Not only can your | | | | pass you by. Instead, use it to delve more deeply |
| learners investigate his life, his stunts and his bikes, | | | | into the cultural elements and language hat spawned |
| but they can look for and watch videos on YouTube | | | | that person. Then watch as your learners begin to |
| and additional video archive sites, read news clippings | | | | grow and develop their English or other foreign |
| of his exploits and view photos from the various | | | | language skills almost as if by magic. And while |
| stages of his life along with related articles and clips | | | | they're at it they'll a bit of fun too. |
| online. Have learners explain how to ride a motorcycle | | | | Be sure to let me know of any comments, |
| too. | | | | experiences and special results that you may have. |
