ESL/EAP Teaching Materials
Lessons and activities using real MICASE dialogue, focusing on everything from new vocabulary to conversation skills. Use these lessons to help your students master the more difficult English skills, like complaining and understanding idioms.
These classroom materials have been developed using real dialogue from MICASE to give your students authentic role-plays and listening activities. Please feel free to use them in your own classroom, but don’t forget to acknowledge the authors and let them know that you are using their materials (e-mail addresses are usually provided on the materials themselves).
A few students are complaining about a homework assignment. In this activity, have your students read their dialogue and answer questions.
This lesson gives you guidelines on how to give, understand, and follow verbal instructions.
After listening to short sound clips, have students identify phrases used to give advice or suggestions. Then use MICASE examples to help them understand how to ‘soften’ suggestions or advice so that it does not come across as rude.
An activity to help your students learn how to politely present their opinions in English so they aren’t too strong.
Learn how to use the verbs say, talk and tell correctly, and look at common idioms where they appear.
Teach your students over 40 idiomatic phrases and expressions with great contextual examples from MICASE.
Learn how to professionally discuss outside sources (news articles, TV programs, etc) in a conversation.
Help students identify phrases that indicate that what the speaker is saying should not to be taken too seriously or literally. .
After hearing a sound clip, identify different components of a conversation (small talk, closing statements, informal speech) and answer questions about characteristics of the conversation.
A common metaphor in MICASE is academic pursuits have destinations or academic work as travel. See if your students can figure out the difference between the literal and figurative uses of these words and phrases.
In this activity your students learn to politely introduce a speaker or presenter with authentic sound clips. It guides them through the structure of an introduction, as well as an activity in distiguishing formal speech from informal speech.
Help students learn how to ask polite questions, and what tone is appropriate in which situation.
The history, purpose, and ideas behind the MICASE project.
The online search interface can be a valuable support tool for teaching English, but it can be tricky to use at first. Learn how to use MICASE Online with video demos, search tips and more.
Order the transcripts, sound files, and handbook. They are great supplementary materials for your classroom.
Lessons and activities using real MICASE dialogue, focusing on everything from new vocabulary to conversation skills.
Interactive lessons for your students to do on their own.
The sound files for many of our MICASE transcripts are available here for you to use in your classroom. They provide great examples of authentic speech!
These small research projects give you a look into the way people are talking in academic settings- everything from how people introduce speakers, to when they exaggerate.
Explanation of tags, colors, punctuation, and other mark-ups used in our transcripts.
Our how-to use MICASE information complied into one downloadable document.
How is MICASE being used in the field of teaching?
A list of publications, presentations and teaching materials using MICASE (1999-present).