Task Corner

Preparing for an interview with a native speaker (Russian department)

This task is developed for A2/B1 learners to learn about Gorbachev’s reforms and prepare for an interview with a native speaker.

Collaborative reading and creative writing (Spanish department)

This task is a collaborative reading and creative writing task based on a typical short stories genre (articuentos) published by the Spanish writer Juan José Millás. The final product is to choose the most original articuento of the class.

Conference on the issues raised by migrant camps in Northern France (French department)

While playing the role of local political actors and journalists, students are to participate in a conference in which they discuss the issues faced by migrants living in camps in Northern France.

Opinion vlog about a children’s song (Russian department)

Developed for beginner learners to consolidate their vocabulary and expose them to the authentic language. Final product: video about the song

Padlet on intercultural differences (Russian department)

This task involves reading authentic Russian texts and writing a short feedback in Padlet. The texts are on the topic of intercultural communication: these are interviews with Russian language learners who live/work/study in Russia. They talk about cultural shock, differences in mentality, challenges to live in Russia.

180 degrees debate (Swedish department)

The teacher provides a number of (very clear, black&white: e.g. ‘we don’t need a monarchy’, ‘pineapple on pizza is delicious’, things like that) propositions. Two students start the debate, one of them is pro, the other con. Then after some time, the teachers rings a bell (or simply announces) and they swith their point of view immediately, a 180 degrees. The one pro becomes con, and vice versa. They continue the debate in their new role. After a few minutes, two new students get a new proposition and start their debate.

Group work action plan (English department)

The goal of the task is for students to reflect on their role as a group member, to form groups based on complementary preferences and skillsets, to discuss their preferences with their group, and to come up with an action plan (final product) for the group project in which guidelines and a rough timetable for the project are described. The aim of the action plan is also to identify potential challenges for the group as well as ways to navigate these challenges.

Cultural Newsletter (French department)

Writing a newsletter for the other students where they suggest cultural initiatives to attend to/follow/learn from remotely

Quiz on ecology (French department)

The students need to acquire knowledge and data following the film studied (Demain) and their own reasearches on the topic of ecology and the future. The final product is a quiz on kahoot. Groups of students present their discoveries by creating a quiz on kahoot that their classmates need to answer. After each question answered, the presenting students offer a feedback with an explanation based on their research so that they can share to others what they have learned; and the rest of the class can learn while having fun.

Online magazine on interculturality (French department)

Students have to reflect on the notions of success and fails, how to determine them, how to reflect on them and if they are the same across all countries and cultures. The final product is 1 article per student, published in a webzine created by a group (3-5) of students.

“L’Autre” (The Other) : intercultural approaches and stereotypes/discrimination (French department)

Students need to research the topic of interculturality and the creation of cultural stereotypes and how it may lead to discrimination; and later use these researches to write an analysis of a cultural object (a movie, a book, a film) to produce the final product that is a research article published on a research blog: Hypothese.org.

Report a crime or déclaration d’un vol (French department)

For their task 4, French Basic 1b students (A2) have to play roles. One student will be a police officer and one student will play a victim. The victim has to report that their animal has been stolen. The police officer has to fill in a form and draw a facial composite of the thief.

Text comprehension and Cloze-text reading (Dutch department)

Reading comprehension at home with Zeeguu and Cloze-gap reading in class.

Press Cartoon Exhibition (Le dessin de presse) (French department)

For their task 1, French Plus 3a students (C1) pretend to be guides at the annual Salon international de la caricature, du dessin de presse et d’humour (international salon of caricatures, press cartoons and humour). They have to create a collective exhibition and then present/decrypt a press cartoon at the launch of the event.

Time Capsule (or) Machine à remonter le temps (French department)

For their task 1, French Basic 1a students (A2) have to write an email to themself, in the future. They have to use the website https://www.futureme.org/ and will, in 10 years time, receive this email.

Presentation about a stand up comedian – German department

Analysis and presentation of the language and discourse of a comedian from the target language (TL). Students pick first individually a comedian, look from some information about him/her, watch between 30-60min of performance, and do the analysis. Then in small groups in class they present each comedian. Afterwards, they create a common group forum about comedians in the TL to discover new ones and to encourage the class to watch more videos in their spare time.

Plot-puzzle – German department

After having watched a movie in preparation for the seminar, the students have to order a messed up plot summary.

Inklusion in deutschen Schulen – Inclusion in German schools – German department

Students read articles about inclusion within the German educational system and discuss and write about whether they are in favor/against inclusion in schools

Populärwissenschaftliche Sendungen – popular science broadcast – German department

Students watch a serie / listen to a academic podcast about politics/culture and debate, in a role as ‘expert’ with their fellow students about the chosen topic.

Nominatie van een film – Dutch department

This task consists of a series of tasks in which students are introduced to different films. All films are approached from different angles. Students are expected to study these different angles in order to read and appreciate reviews about the films, after which they are invited to watch the films themselves. In the end they need to discuss if the film will be nominated for a festival based on a set of criteria. Each student needs to write a report, which will be evaluated and assessed by the teacher.

Politica e quotidiani – presentation on national newspapers – Italian department

The aim of the task is to give a short presentation on a national newspaper, which includes a description of the historical background and the political orientation, and the analysis of recent news.

Alimentazione sostenibile – Sustainable food choices – Italian department

The aim of the task is to write a collaborative proposal for a more sustainable choice of food.

Introduction to Russian History through city names – Saint Petersburg and its names – Russian department

This class is the third of a three-lesson unit which consists of reading and listening with vocabulary work, discussion about the linguistic evolution of city names and historical aspects and presentations.

Spontaneous nonsense presentation – German department

In this exercise students are asked to actively apply useful phrases (up’s) to a spontaneous nonsense presentation in preparation for the conference at the end of the language course trajectory where they present their research papers. The importance and the usefulness of the up’s when structuring a cohesive presentation is stressed while they are also having fun using theatre improvisation techniques adjusted to language learning, not to mention the great practice for their general presentation skills.