If you are using class readers, short stories or novels with your students, here are some ideas. Some of them have been used and some of them has just downed on me while writing this post. I have some more ideas and will add them later. I’m sure you have also fun ideas (For example, #2  was suggested by Vladka) and I’ll be glad to hear them

1.       Ask your students to prepare a talk show, interviewing with one or more characters from the book you are reading. Preferably after reading some chapters or finishing the book.

2.       Discuss each chapter in the class. Put your students in groups and ask them to summarize the chapters together then ask them to create glogs (see grade10fld.wikispaces.com).

3.       Tell your students to choose a character and write a letter to her/him asking questions, making suggestions, etc.

4.       Tell your students to choose a chapter from the book and write the script of the chapter then act. You can team them and tell them to work together. They can also video their performance. If you choose the same chapters with whole class, you can choose the best adaptation; best character A, B, best music, etc.

5.       Tell your students that they will direct the movie of the book. Ask them to choose their cast, soundtrack, venue, etc and write a brief note to the producer why they have chosen those actors/actresses, venue, etc.

6.       Tell them to organise a trip to the place where the story takes place. Tell them to prepare a brochure, daily programme, food to be eaten there, shopping, etc.

7.       Tell them to summarize the book by creating a comic or an animation by using online tools.

8.       Tell them to organise a book talk for another class. They have to create a poster of the event and at the talk they have to introduce the writer, the era, the place and they have to introduce the plot and the characters not revealing much about the book.

9.       Group your students. Give each group a chapter (or more according to the size of your class and the length of your book). Tell them to write a script for each chapter and read and record the chapters as a radio play. This can be a good alternative for reading aloud.

10.   Tell them to write what had happened before the story started. (This was suggested at the Black Cat publishing’s workshop on readers at IATEFL given by Robert Hill.)

Eva B is the ESL Tips Editor for Wandering Educators