What to do with texts Here is a check-list of ways you can exploit texts together with a justification or comment for each task. You could add to these with your own.

Prepare the ground. To prepare students for the text they are going to read it is a good idea to ask a few questions or give a brief introduction to the topic.

Skim reading. This helps students develop their skills of reading quickly for gist or specific details.

Get students to read aloud.

Practising intonation. Reading aloud allows the teacher to work on stress and intonation.

Vocabulary brainstorming. This could be done before the text is read or, better, at a later stage.

Filling in tables. You can design a grid or table

Jigsaw reading

look for ones where there is a clear development from one point to the next and where there are clear links from paragraph to paragraph.

Match headlines to paragraphs. To show grasp of meaning and structure

Match summaries with paragraphs.

“Find the French/Spanish/German for”. This simple task, best done in the early stages of looking at a text, simply involves getting students to pick out vocabulary via translation. It can be done orally, or perhaps better in writing as then all students are definitely involved in the task.

Bilingual vocabulary list completion.

Finding cognates.

Underlining parts of speech.

Questions in the target language. This is the most traditional activity of all, but one which should not be underrated. Good questioning technique (oral and written) allows the teacher to practise grammar points, vocabulary, comprehension and speaking skills.

Defining words or phrases.

Making up questions in the target language.

Questions in English. Although this has the disadvantage of moving away from the target language, it should not be ignored. It does focus entirely on meaning and with harder texts it can be a way of getting into the text before other tasks in the target language are carried out. It is also an entirely authentic real-life task.

Give false statements.

Multiple-choice. This is a good for allowing students to show a fine grasp of meaning. Multiple choice tasks should give at least three options and can take the form of a question with three answers or a sentence start with three different completions. These are quite fun to design and can be adapted to the level of the class.

Summarising from memory.

Written summary in the target language.

Changing the point of view.

Dictation. This is a high level activity, but is easily adaptable to different levels. It works best with French, where the sound to orthography relationship is more difficult than with Spanish or German

Paired dictation. For this you give students a series of sentences of different lengths. One student has to read the shortest sentence to their partner. The partner has to repeat the sentence precisely out loud.

“Demanding redos creates a class where success is not only possible but probable.” @cadamsf1 brought up the key problem with this system, though: time. She said, “It is still difficult for me to manage the redo retake, makeup and move on, but I must admit it does give powerful incentives and students will try.”