The Reading / Listening - Online Learning - Level 6

The year 2020 has been a tumultuous one for educators. Hundreds of thousands of teachers across the globe had to get to grips with online platforms to deliver their lessons. Millions of students were stuck at home doing their lessons via websites like Zoom. This has created an unprecedented transformation in education as technology has taken centre stage. The quality of education differed around the world according to the quality of Internet connections, the level of preparedness of teachers and their competence in engaging with the technology. It also depended on what kind of devices students had at home. Many students were deprived of lessons because they had no computer, tablet or smartphone.

The Education Ministry in Malaysia has rolled out a new initiative to help underprivileged children. Around 150,000 eligible pupils from 500 schools will receive a device to enable them to participate in online lessons. The Education Minister hopes to build on the success of this initial rollout to expand the programme. He said: "Apart from assisting pupils and schools in need, this pilot project is to find the best implementation method before it is proposed for expansion." The plans include enhancing educational television programming for students with no Internet access, and employing sign language interpreters to help the hard of hearing. A teacher said she was happy her government was prioritizing students' needs.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Online Learning - Level 4  or  Online Learning - Level 5

Sources
  • https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/12/28/covid-19-makes-online-learning-the-way-forward-in-education/
  • https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/covid19-turns-online-learning-way-forward-education
  • https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/12/22/150000-students-nationwide-to-receive-electronic-devices-to-enable-online-l/1934205


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. ONLINE LEARNING: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about online learning. 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?
       tumultuous / globe / online platforms / transformation / education / devices / tablet /
       initiative / device / success / pilot / project / method / expansion / sign language
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. FACE-TO-FACE: Students A strongly believe face-to-face is better than online; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. ONLINE: What are the good and bad things about learning on line? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Good Things

Bad Things

Teacher

 

 

Computer

 

 

Other students

 

 

Classroom

 

 

Technology

 

 

Interaction

 

 
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. TECHNOLOGY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "technology". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. SUBJECTS: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things to learn online at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • English
  • Yoga
  • Coding
  • Chemistry
  • Tennis
  • Art
  • Karate
  • Origami

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. tumultuous a. Never done or known before.
      2. get to grips with b. Suffering a severe and damaging lack of basic material and cultural benefits.
      3. platform c. Excited, confused, or disorderly.
      4. unprecedented d. A standard for the hardware of a computer system.
      5. transformation e. Begin to deal with or understand.
      6. competence f. A total, great or dramatic change in form or appearance.
      7. deprived g. The ability to do something successfully or efficiently.

    Paragraph 2

      8. initiative h. Of a person not enjoying the same standard of living or rights as the majority of people in a society.
      9. underprivileged i. Take part.
      10. participate j. Intensifying, increasing, or further improving the quality, value, or extent of.
      11. rollout k. An act or strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation; a fresh approach to something.
      12. pilot l. A person who interprets, especially one who translates speech orally.
      13. enhancing m. Done as an experiment or test before introducing something more widely.
      14. interpreter n. The official launch or introduction of a new product or service.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The article says millions of teachers got to grips with online platforms.    T / F
  2. The article says online lessons have transformed education.     T / F
  3. The article says the level of teacher competence in technology differs.     T / F
  4. Many students could not learn online because they had no computer.     T / F
  5. Malaysia will help up to 150,000 students to learn online.     T / F
  6. Malaysia said it wants to help students become pilots.     T / F
  7. Malaysia will use sign language interpreters online.     T / F
  8. A teacher said Malaysia was not considering the needs of students.     T / F

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

  1. tumultuous
  2. get to grips with
  3. transformation
  4. competence
  5. deprived
  6. rolled out
  7. eligible
  8. pilot
  9. enhancing
  10. prioritizing
  1. trial
  2. change
  3. unveiled
  4. improving
  5. roller-coaster
  6. entitled
  7. disadvantaged
  8. focusing on
  9. understand
  10. ability

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

  1. The year 2020 has been a tumultuous
  2. get to grips
  3. stuck at home doing
  4. created an unprecedented transformation
  5. their competence in engaging with the
  6. rolled out a new
  7. build on the success
  8. enhancing educational television
  9. employing sign language
  10. her government was prioritizing
  1. their lessons
  2. programming
  3. technology
  4. with online platforms
  5. interpreters
  6. in education
  7. students' needs
  8. one for educators
  9. of this initial rollout
  10. initiative

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
stuck
differed
tablet
tumultuous
devices
stage
grips
competence

The year 2020 has been a (1) _____________________ one for educators. Hundreds of thousands of teachers across the globe had to get to (2) _____________________ with online platforms to deliver their lessons. Millions of students were (3) _____________________ at home doing their lessons via websites like Zoom. This has created an unprecedented transformation in education as technology has taken centre (4) _____________________. The quality of education (5) _____________________ around the world according to the quality of Internet connections, the level of preparedness of teachers and their (6) _____________________ in engaging with the technology. It also depended on what kind of (7) _____________________ students had at home. Many students were deprived of lessons because they had no computer, (8) _____________________ or smartphone.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
proposed
eligible
rollout
needs
enhancing
participate
initiative
assisting

The Education Ministry in Malaysia has rolled out a new (9) _____________________ to help underprivileged children. Around 150,000 (10) _____________________ pupils from 500 schools will receive a device to enable them to (11) _____________________ in online lessons. The Education Minister hopes to build on the success of this initial (12) _____________________ to expand the programme. He said: "Apart from (13) _____________________ pupils and schools in need, this pilot project is to find the best implementation method before it is (14) _____________________ for expansion." The plans include (15) _____________________ educational television programming for students with no Internet access, and employing sign language interpreters to help the hard of hearing. A teacher said she was happy her government was prioritizing students' (16) _____________________.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  The year 2020 has been a ______
     a.  tumour tortuous one
     b.  chew much you as one
     c.  tumult you as one
     d.  tumultuous one
2)  Hundreds of thousands of teachers across the globe had to ______
     a.  get to grips
     b.  get to gripes
     c.  get to grapes
     d.  get to grapples
3)  Millions of students were stuck at home doing their ______
     a.  lessons vial websites
     b.  lessons vile websites
     c.  lessons via websites
     d.  lessons fire websites
4)  unprecedented transformation in education as technology has ______
     a.  taken centre stag
     b.  take centre stage
     c.  taken centre stage
     d.  taken central storage
5)  with the technology. It also depended on what kind of ______
     a.  device is students had
     b.  devices students had
     c.  devices student had
     d.  device is student had

6)  The Education Ministry in Malaysia has rolled out a new ______
     a.  initiative for help
     b.  initiative at help
     c.  initiative to help
     d.  initiative as help
7)  help underprivileged children. Around 150,000 ______
     a.  eligible pupil
     b.  eligible pupas
     c.  eligible pew pills
     d.  eligible pupils
8)  The Education Minister hopes to build on the success of ______
     a.  this initial rollout
     b.  this initial rollup
     c.  this initial rollover
     d.  this initial roll-on
9) find the best implementation method before it is ______
     a.  proposal four expansion
     b.  proposed for expansive
     c.  propose for expansion
     d.  proposed for expansion
10) Internet access, and employing sign language interpreters to help the ______
     a.  heard of hearing
     b.  hard of hearing
     c.  hard of herding
     d.  heard of herding

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The year 2020 has been (1) ____________________ for educators. Hundreds of thousands of teachers across the globe had to get to grips with online (2) ____________________ their lessons. Millions of students were stuck at home doing their lessons via websites like Zoom. This has created an unprecedented transformation (3) ____________________ technology has taken centre stage. The quality (4) ____________________ around the world according to the quality of Internet connections, the level of preparedness of teachers and their competence (5) ____________________ the technology. It also depended on what kind of devices students had at home. Many students were (6) ____________________ because they had no computer, tablet or smartphone.

The Education Ministry in Malaysia has rolled out (7) ____________________ to help underprivileged children. Around 150,000 eligible pupils from 500 schools will (8) ____________________ to enable them to participate in online lessons. The Education Minister hopes to build (9) ____________________ of this initial rollout to expand the programme. He said: "Apart from assisting pupils and schools in need, (10) ____________________ is to find the best implementation method before it is proposed for expansion." The plans include enhancing educational television programming for students with (11) ____________________, and employing sign language interpreters to help the (12) ____________________. A teacher said she was happy her government was prioritizing students' needs.

Comprehension questions

  1. What kind of year does the article say teachers have had?
  2. What did teachers have to get to grips with?
  3. Who has been stuck at home?
  4. What has taken centre stage?
  5. Why were some students deprived of lessons?
  6. What has Malaysia's Education Ministry rolled out?
  7. How many schools may take part in an initiative?
  8. What will Malaysia's government enhance?
  9. What kind of interpreters will Malaysia's government employ?
  10. What did a teacher say the government was prioritizing?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What kind of year does the article say teachers have had?
a) an educational one
b) a crazy one
c) a tumultuous one
d) a good one
2) What did teachers have to get to grips with?
a) online platforms
b) their hands
c) tests
d) homework
3) Who has been stuck at home?
a) students
b) an education minister
c) engineers
d) teachers
4) What has taken centre stage?
a) English
b) technology
c) tests
d) homework
5) Why were some students deprived of lessons?
a) not enough teachers
b) power cuts
c) they had the wrong platform
d) no computers, tablets and smartphones

6) What has Malaysia's Education Ministry rolled out?
a) a new curriculum
b) a new initiative
c) a homework plan
d) new tests
7) How many schools may take part in an initiative?
a) 500
b) 600
c) 700
d) 800
8) What will Malaysia's government enhance?
a) test security
b) software
c) educational TV programming
d) Internet speeds
9) What kind of interpreters will Malaysia's government employ?
a) English interpreters
b) coding interpreters
c) multi-lingual interpreters
d) sign language interpreters
10) What did a teacher say the government was prioritizing?
a) students' needs
b) student success
c) exam grades
d) Internet speeds

Role play

Role  A – English
You think English is the best subject to learn online. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these to learn online (and why): yoga, chemistry or art.

Role  B – Yoga
You think yoga is the best subject to learn online. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these to learn online (and why): English, chemistry or art.

Role  C – Chemistry
You think chemistry is the best subject to learn online. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these to learn online (and why): yoga, English or art.

Role  D – Art
You think art is the best subject to learn online. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these to learn online (and why): yoga, chemistry or English.

After reading / listening

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

'online'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'learning'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • 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:

    • educators
    • grips
    • stuck
    • stage
    • differed
    • deprived
    • rolled
    • 500
    • pupils
    • method
    • sign
    • needs

    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 - Online Learning

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'online'?
    3. What do you think of online learning?
    4. Would you prefer face-to-face or online learning?
    5. What are the advantages of online learning?
    6. What experiences do you have of online learning?
    7. Why might teachers like teaching online?
    8. What is the best platform for online learning?
    9. Who is online learning good for?
    10. Should all students be learning online in the future?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'learning'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What subjects are good and bad to learn online?
    5. Will we need teachers in the future?
    6. Why might teachers hate teaching online?
    7. Would robots be better at teaching English than people?
    8. What are the pros and cons for learning English online?
    9. Is online learning best for the hard of hearing?
    10. What questions would you like to ask online teachers?

    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)

    The year 2020 has been a (1) ____ one for educators. Hundreds of thousands of teachers across the globe had to get to (2) ____ with online platforms to deliver their lessons. Millions of students were stuck (3) ____ home doing their lessons via websites like Zoom. This has created an unprecedented transformation in education as technology has taken (4) ____ stage. The quality of education differed around the world according to the quality of Internet connections, the level of preparedness of teachers and their (5) ____ in engaging with the technology. It also depended on what kind of devices students had at home. Many students were (6) ____ of lessons because they had no computer, tablet or smartphone.

    The Education Ministry in Malaysia has (7) ____ out a new initiative to help underprivileged children. Around 150,000 eligible pupils from 500 schools will receive a device to enable them to participate in online lessons. The Education Minister hopes to build (8) ____ the success of this initial (9) ____ to expand the programme. He said: "Apart from assisting pupils and schools in need, this pilot project is to find the best implementation method before it is (10) ____ for expansion." The plans include enhancing educational television programming for students with no Internet access, and (11) ____ sign language interpreters to help the hard of hearing. A teacher said she was happy her government was prioritizing students' (12) ____.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     tempest     (b)     tumultuous     (c)     topiary     (d)     tardiest    
    2. (a)     gripes     (b)     grips     (c)     grapples     (d)     grapes    
    3. (a)     by     (b)     on     (c)     to     (d)     at    
    4. (a)     on     (b)     centre     (c)     main     (d)     back    
    5. (a)     capitulate     (b)     communicate     (c)     combative     (d)     competence    
    6. (a)     depraved     (b)     deepened     (c)     deprived     (d)     deceive    
    7. (a)     rolled     (b)     dolled     (c)     polled     (d)     tolled    
    8. (a)     of     (b)     at     (c)     on     (d)     to    
    9. (a)     roll up     (b)     roll on     (c)     rollover     (d)     rollout    
    10. (a)     proposed     (b)     donned     (c)     spurned     (d)     churned    
    11. (a)     employing     (b)     sampling     (c)     dumpling     (d)     rambling    
    12. (a)     nerds     (b)     kneads     (c)     needs     (d)     nods

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. 2020 has been a tutuumulso one
    2. created an uedenenecpdrt transformation
    3. cicndgaro to the quality of Internet
    4. the level of eaeprrdsnsep
    5. teachers and their poeemtcnce
    6. Many students were deipevrd of lessons

    Paragraph 2

    1. rolled out a new tinveitaii
    2. Around 150,000 lbegieli pupils
    3. the success of this tiaiinl rollout
    4. before it is proposed for penaosixn
    5. employing sign language tesrreneitrp
    6. oniriigtzrpi students' needs

    Put the text back together

    (...)  participate in online lessons. The Education Minister hopes to build on the success of this initial
    (...)  enhancing educational television programming for students with no Internet access, and employing sign language interpreters to help
    (...)  in engaging with the technology. It also depended on what kind of devices students had at home. Many students were
    (...)  the globe had to get to grips with online platforms to deliver their lessons. Millions of students were stuck
    (...)  at home doing their lessons via websites like Zoom. This has created an unprecedented transformation in
    (...)  children. Around 150,000 eligible pupils from 500 schools will receive a device to enable them to
    (...)  education as technology has taken centre stage. The quality of education differed around the world according
    (  1  ) The year 2020 has been a tumultuous one for educators. Hundreds of thousands of teachers across
    (...)  to the quality of Internet connections, the level of preparedness of teachers and their competence
    (...)  rollout to expand the programme. He said: "Apart from assisting pupils and schools in need, this pilot
    (...)  The Education Ministry in Malaysia has rolled out a new initiative to help underprivileged
    (...)  deprived of lessons because they had no computer, tablet or smartphone.
    (...)  the hard of hearing. A teacher said she was happy her government was prioritizing students' needs.
    (...)  project is to find the best implementation method before it is proposed for expansion." The plans include

    Put the words in the right order

    1. tumultuous   year   a   The   been   one   .   2020   has
    2. across   of   of   teachers   thousands   the   Hundreds   globe   .
    3. of   students   stuck   at   home   .   were   Millions
    4. has  This  created  in   an   transformation  unprecedented  education  .
    5. education   the   differed   quality   The   world   .   around   of
    6. Rolled   an   help   children   .   initiative   to   underprivileged   out
    7. in   to   them   lessons   .   Enable   online   participate
    8. pupils   need   .   assisting   Apart   and   schools   from   in
    9. interpreters   hard   of   for   the   language   hearing   .   Sign
    10. prioritizing   her   was   government   needs   .   Happy   students'

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    The year 2020 has been a presumptuous / tumultuous one for educators. Hundreds of thousands of teachers across the globe had to get to clips / grips with online platforms / platform to deliver their lessons. Millions of students were struck / stuck at home doing their lessons via websites like Zoom. This has created an unprecedented transformation in education was / as technology has taken centre stage. The quality of education differed / referred around the world according to / of the quality of Internet connections, the level of preparedness of teachers and their competence on / in engaging with the technology. It also depended in / on what kind of devices students had at home. Many students were depraved / deprived of lessons because they had no computer, tablet or smartphone.

    The Education Ministry in Malaysia has tumbled / rolled out a new initiative to help underprivileged children. Around 150,000 eligible / iris pupils from 500 schools will receive a device to cable / enable them to participate in online lessons. The Education Minister hopes to version / build on the success of this initial rollout / roulette to expand the programme. He said: "Apart from assisting pupils and schools in need, this pilot protect / project is to find the best implementation method before it is proposed for contraction / expansion." The plans include enhancing educational television programming for students with not / no Internet access, and employing sign language interpreters to help the heard / hard of hearing. A teacher said she was happy her government was prioritizing students' needs / needy.

    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)

    Th_  y__r  2020  h_s  b__n  _  t_m_lt___s  _n_  f_r  _d_c_t_rs.  H_ndr_ds  _f  th__s_nds  _f  t__ch_rs  _cr_ss  th_  gl_b_  h_d  t_  g_t  t_  gr_ps  w_th  _nl_n_  pl_tf_rms  t_  d_l_v_r  th__r  l_ss_ns.  M_ll__ns  _f  st_d_nts  w_r_  st_ck  _t  h_m_  d__ng  th__r  l_ss_ns  v__  w_bs_t_s  l_k_  Z__m.  Th_s  h_s  cr__t_d  _n  _npr_c_d_nt_d  tr_nsf_rm_t__n  _n  _d_c_t__n  _s  t_chn_l_gy  h_s  t_k_n  c_ntr_  st_g_.  Th_  q__l_ty  _f  _d_c_t__n  d_ff_r_d  _r__nd  th_  w_rld  _cc_rd_ng  t_  th_  q__l_ty  _f  _nt_rn_t  c_nn_ct__ns,  th_  l_v_l  _f  pr_p_r_dn_ss  _f  t__ch_rs  _nd  th__r  c_mp_t_nc_  _n  _ng_g_ng  w_th  th_  t_chn_l_gy.  _t  _ls_  d_p_nd_d  _n  wh_t  k_nd  _f  d_v_c_s  st_d_nts  h_d  _t  h_m_.  M_ny  st_d_nts  w_r_  d_pr_v_d  _f  l_ss_ns  b_c__s_  th_y  h_d  n_  c_mp_t_r,  t_bl_t  _r  sm_rtph_n_.

    Th_  _d_c_t__n  M_n_stry  _n  M_l_ys__  h_s  r_ll_d  __t  _  n_w  _n_t__t_v_  t_  h_lp  _nd_rpr_v_l_g_d  ch_ldr_n.  _r__nd  150,000  _l_g_bl_  p_p_ls  fr_m  500  sch__ls  w_ll  r_c__v_  _  d_v_c_  t_  _n_bl_  th_m  t_  p_rt_c_p_t_  _n  _nl_n_  l_ss_ns.  Th_  _d_c_t__n  M_n_st_r  h_p_s  t_  b__ld  _n  th_  s_cc_ss  _f  th_s  _n_t__l  r_ll__t  t_  _xp_nd  th_  pr_gr_mm_.  H_  s__d:  "_p_rt  fr_m  _ss_st_ng  p_p_ls  _nd  sch__ls  _n  n__d,  th_s  p_l_t  pr_j_ct  _s  t_  f_nd  th_  b_st  _mpl_m_nt_t__n  m_th_d  b_f_r_  _t  _s  pr_p_s_d  f_r  _xp_ns__n."  Th_  pl_ns  _ncl_d_  _nh_nc_ng  _d_c_t__n_l  t_l_v_s__n  pr_gr_mm_ng  f_r  st_d_nts  w_th  n_  _nt_rn_t  _cc_ss,  _nd  _mpl_y_ng  s_gn  l_ng__g_  _nt_rpr_t_rs  t_  h_lp  th_  h_rd  _f  h__r_ng.  _  t__ch_r  s__d  sh_  w_s  h_ppy  h_r  g_v_rnm_nt  w_s  pr__r_t_z_ng  st_d_nts'  n__ds.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    the year 2020 has been a tumultuous one for educators hundreds of thousands of teachers across the globe had to get to grips with online platforms to deliver their lessons millions of students were stuck at home doing their lessons via websites like zoom this has created an unprecedented transformation in education as technology has taken centre stage the quality of education differed around the world according to the quality of internet connections the level of preparedness of teachers and their competence in engaging with the technology it also depended on what kind of devices students had at home many students were deprived of lessons because they had no computer tablet or smartphone

    the education ministry in malaysia has rolled out a new initiative to help underprivileged children around 150000 eligible pupils from 500 schools will receive a device to enable them to participate in online lessons the education minister hopes to build on the success of this initial rollout to expand the programme he said apart from assisting pupils and schools in need this pilot project is to find the best implementation method before it is proposed for expansion the plans include enhancing educational television programming for students with no internet access and employing sign language interpreters to help the hard of hearing a teacher said she was happy her government was prioritizing students needs

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Theyear2020hasbeenatumultuousoneforeducators.Hundredsoftho
    usandsofteachersacrosstheglobehadtogettogripswithonlineplatfor
    mstodelivertheirlessons.Millionsofstudentswerestuckathomedoingt
    heirlessonsviawebsiteslikeZoom.Thishascreatedanunprecedentedt
    ransformationineducationastechnologyhastakencentrestage.Thequ
    alityofeducationdifferedaroundtheworldaccordingtothequalityofInt
    ernetconnections,thelevelofpreparednessofteachersandtheircompe
    tenceinengagingwiththetechnology.Italsodependedonwhatkindofd
    evicesstudentshadathome.Manystudentsweredeprivedoflessonsbe
    causetheyhadnocomputer,tabletorsmartphone.TheEducationMinist
    ryinMalaysiahasrolledoutanewinitiativetohelpunderprivilegedchildr
    en.Around150,000eligiblepupilsfrom500schoolswillreceiveadevicet
    oenablethemtoparticipateinonlinelessons.TheEducationMinisterhop
    estobuildonthesuccessofthisinitialrollouttoexpandtheprogramme.H
    esaid:"Apartfromassistingpupilsandschoolsinneed,thispilotprojecti
    stofindthebestimplementationmethodbeforeitisproposedforexpansi
    on."Theplansincludeenhancingeducationaltelevisionprogrammingf
    orstudentswithnoInternetaccess,andemployingsignlanguageinterp
    reterstohelpthehardofhearing.Ateachersaidshewashappyhergover
    nmentwasprioritizingstudents'needs.

    Free writing

    Write about online learning for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Face-to-face learning is always better than online learning. Discuss.

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    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. ONLINE LEARNING: Make a poster about online learning. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. FACE-TO-FACE: Write a magazine article about requiring all schools to go back to face-to-face teaching. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    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 online learning. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your opinion on it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    Answers

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

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