In any ESL class you will eventually come to a point where the class will read a passage out loud as a class. The following is an activity that you can use to make this exercise even more beneficial to your ESL students.

First, pick a reading passage that is appropriate to the level of your class. Before the activity, white out about twenty words and make a copy of the passage. Write those words on individual index cards. When class starts pass out a copy of the reading passage with the target words deleted. Next, pass an index card to each student.

Explain to the class that you will be reading the following passage. Going down the rows every student will read one sentence at a time. Each student is to look at their card and make sure that they know the meaning of the word on it. When a reader comes to a word that has been erased the entire class will look at their index card. If a person feels that their word is appropriate to fill in the blank he is to raise his hand and read it out loud. As a class, you will decide if this is the correct word. If it is the right word, student will write it in.

Continue this activity until the whole passage is read. Students will be paying close attention throughout the whole reading so they can offer their word at the correct time. Encourage more advanced students to help others. This activity will get the class thinking, communicating and in the right mind set to learn.