ESL Holiday Lessons.com: World Television Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Do you ever stop to think about your television? Well, there is a special day to do this. World Television Day started on November 21, 1998. The United Nations General Assembly decided there should be a day to commemorate one of the most revolutionary inventions ever. This date is when the first World Television Forum was held, in 1996. The purpose of this day is to encourage countries to exchange TV programmes that focus on peace and culture. The UN hopes to encourage greater international understanding. The UN also believes that making high quality television shows leads to a well-informed and better-educated public. It also hopes to promote freedom, equal rights and democracy.

Television is one of the most influential forms of media in history. We grow up with it. Babies learn language from it. It shapes our ideas and is a window on the whole world. Television sets first started appearing in people’s homes in the 1930s. There was only one channel back then and it was in black and white. Today, we have multi-channel TVs that broadcast programmes live all over the world. We watch wars, floods, presidential inaugurations and sports finals as they happen. Not everything about TV is good. Many people blame it for obesity in children, a breakdown in family communication and an obsession with celebrity. No one knows what the future of television will be. Maybe computers will replace them.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Do you ever stop	a.	commemorate
2	a day to	b.	rights
3.	The purpose of	c.	to think?
4.	encourage greater international	d.	quality television
5.	high	e.	this day
6.	equal	f.	understanding

Paragraph 2

1.	influential forms	a.	replace them
2	We grow up	b.	the whole world
3.	a window on	c.	children
4.	only one channel a	d.	of media
5.	obesity in	e.	with it
6.	computers will	f.	then

LISTENING GAP FILL

Do you ever stop ___________________ your television? Well, there is a special day to do this. World Television Day started on November 21, 1998. The United Nations General Assembly ___________________ be a day to commemorate one of the most revolutionary inventions ever. ___________________ the first World Television Forum was held, in 1996. The purpose ___________________ encourage countries to exchange TV programmes that focus on peace and culture. The UN hopes to ___________________ international understanding. The UN also believes that making high quality television shows leads to a well-informed and better-educated public. It also ___________________ freedom, equal rights and democracy.

Television ___________________ influential forms of media in history. We grow up with it. Babies learn language from it. It shapes our ideas and is ___________________ whole world. Television sets first started appearing in people’s homes in the 1930s. There was only one channel back then and ___________________ and white. Today, we have multi-channel TVs that broadcast programmes live all over the world. We watch wars, floods, presidential inaugurations and sports finals ___________________. Not everything about TV is good. Many people blame it for obesity in children, a breakdown in family communication and an obsession with celebrity. ___________________ the future of television will be. Maybe computers ___________________.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Do you ever stop to ____________ about your television? Well, there is a special day to do this. World Television Day ____________ on November 21, 1998. The United Nations General Assembly decided there should be a day to commemorate one of the ____________ revolutionary inventions ____________. This date is when the first World Television Forum was held, in 1996. The ____________ of this day is to encourage countries to exchange TV programmes that focus on ____________ and culture. The UN hopes to encourage greater international understanding. The UN also ____________ that making high quality television shows leads to a well-informed and better-educated ____________. It also hopes to promote freedom, equal rights and democracy.

most
believes
purpose
think
public
started
peace
ever

Television is one of the most influential ____________ of media in history. We grow up with it. Babies learn language from it. It ____________ our ideas and is a window on the ____________ world. Television sets first started appearing in people’s homes in the 1930s. There was only one channel ____________ then and it was in black and white. Today, we have multi-channel TVs that broadcast programmes ____________ all over the world. We watch wars, floods, presidential inaugurations and sports finals as they ____________. Not everything about TV is good. Many people ____________ it for obesity in children, a breakdown in family communication and an obsession with celebrity. No one knows what the future of television will be. Maybe computers will ____________ them.

live
blame
shapes
back
forms
happen
replace
whole

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

Do you ever stopping / stop to think about your television? Well, there is a special day to do this. World Television Day started on November 21, 1998. The United Nations General Assembly decision / decided there should be a day to commemorate one of the must / most revolutionary inventions never / ever. This date is when the first World Television Forum was held / hold, in 1996. The purpose of this day is to encourage countries to exchange TV programmes that focus on peace / piece and culture. The UN hopes to encourage greater international understanding. The UN also believes that making high quality / qualify television shows leads to a well-informed and better-educated public. It also hopes to promote freedom, equality / equal rights and democracy.

Television is one of the most influential forms / form of media in history. We grown / grow up with it. Babies learn language from it. It shapes our ideas and is a window on the hole / whole world. Television sets first started appearing in people’s homes in the 1930s. There was only one channel back when / then and it was in black and white. Today, we have multi-channel TVs that broadcast programmes live / lively all over the world. We watch wars, floods, presidential inaugurations and sports finals has / as they happen. Not everything about TV is good. Many people blame it for obesity in / on children, a breakdown in family communication and an obsession with celebrity. No one knows what the / a future of television will be. Maybe computers will replace them.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Do you ever stop to (1) ____ about your television? Well, there is a special day to do this. World Television Day started on November 21, 1998. The United Nations General Assembly decided (2) ____ should be a day to commemorate one of the most revolutionary inventions ever. This date is when the first World Television Forum was (3) ____, in 1996. The purpose of this day is to encourage countries to exchange TV programmes that focus on peace and (4) ____. The UN hopes to encourage greater international understanding. The UN also believes that making high (5) ____ television shows leads to a well-informed and better-educated public. It also hopes to promote freedom, (6) ____ rights and democracy.

Television is one of the most influential forms (7) ____ media in history. We grow up with it. Babies learn language from it. It shapes our ideas and is a window on the whole (8) ____. Television sets first started appearing in people’s homes in the 1930s. There was only one channel back (9) ____ and it was in black and white. Today, we have multi-channel TVs that broadcast programmes live all over the world. We watch wars, floods, presidential inaugurations and sports finals (10) ____ they happen. Not everything about TV is good. Many people blame it for obesity in children, a breakdown in family communication and an obsession with (11) ____. No one knows what the future of television will be. Maybe computers will (12) ____ them.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	thought	(b)	think	(c)	thinks	(d)	thinking
2.	(a)	there	(b)	here	(c)	their	(d)	they’re
3.	(a)	hold	(b)	held	(c)	holding	(d)	holds
4.	(a)	cultural	(b)	cultures	(c)	culture	(d)	cultured
5.	(a)	quality	(b)	qualifies	(c)	qualify	(d)	qualities
6.	(a)	equal	(b)	equality	(c)	equals	(d)	equaled
7.	(a)	for	(b)	of	(c)	on	(d)	at
8.	(a)	globe	(b)	sphere	(c)	world	(d)	orb
9.	(a)	when	(b)	that	(c)	here	(d)	then
10.	(a)	as	(b)	has	(c)	was	(d)	were
11.	(a)	celebrate	(b)	celebratory	(c)	celebrity	(d)	celery
12.	(a)	replacement	(b)	replaces	(c)	replaced	(d)	replace

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a plaseic day
2.	revolutionary oinntnesvi
3.	The orspeup of this day
4.	peace and cluture
5.	high qyutali television
6.	qlaeu rights
Paragraph 2
7.	forms of maide
8.	It seaphs our ideas
9.	only one hlcanne
10.	sports flians
11.	darwnekbo in family
12.	computers will earpecl them

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	people’s homes in the 1930s. There was only one channel back then and it was in black and
( )	1996. The purpose of this day is to encourage countries to exchange TV programmes that focus
( )	of the most revolutionary inventions ever. This date is when the first World Television Forum was held, in
( )	on peace and culture. The UN hopes to encourage greater international understanding. The UN also
( )	for obesity in children, a breakdown in family communication and an obsession
( )	with celebrity. No one knows what the future of television will be. Maybe computers will replace them.
( )	Television is one of the most influential forms of media in history. We grow up with it. Babies learn
( )	white. Today, we have multi-channel TVs that broadcast programmes live all over the world. We watch wars,
( )	language from it. It shapes our ideas and is a window on the whole world. Television sets first started appearing in
( 1 )	Do you ever stop to think about your television? Well, there is a special day to do this. World Television Day started
( )	on November 21, 1998. The United Nations General Assembly decided there should be a day to commemorate one
( )	floods, presidential inaugurations and sports finals as they happen. Not everything about TV is good. Many people blame it
( )	believes that making high quality television shows leads to a well-informed and better-
( )	educated public. It also hopes to promote freedom, equal rights and democracy.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	to your Do stop about ever think television you?
2.	the of one ever inventions revolutionary most.
3.	programmes encourage to TV countries exchange.
4.	and educated a informed - - better public well.
5.	promote democracy and rights equal , freedom.
6.	media most influential one forms of of the.
7.	world a on whole window the.
8.	then back channel one only was There.
9.	everything TV good Not about is.
10.	one knows what the future of television will be No.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE WORLD TELEVISION DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about World Television Day in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about World Television Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

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 more information about World Television Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about World Television Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about World Television Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.