Flickr in a Flash

Looking for a quick way to get language students talking? Try using one of the tools provided by Big Huge Labs. This site offers numerous formats for creating visual artifacts from Flickr images. I used the Big Magazine tool to create a magazine cover for an activity that gives students practice in expressing their opinions.

Here's the challenge to students: A magazine publishing house has decided it needs to cut back on the length of its popular teen magazine. The editor-in-chief tasks her "editing team" (role played in small groups) to cut out three featured sections of the magazine as displayed in the right column of the Teen Magazine cover. Students must consider the interests of today's teens and express their opinions to their editing teammates on which three sections to cut and why. Teams negotiate opinions until they arrive at a final editing recommendation to share with the class.

Using Flickr images to elicit meaningful conversations that incorporate targeted language structures requires some teacher planning. The activity described above might include instructions for students to use specific phrases for expressing one's opinion (e.g., "In my opinion..."), as well as expressions used when agreeing/disagreeing with the opinions of others. The activity might also be paired with an open-ended activity that allows students more freedom to express their ideas creatively. For example, students may have fun designing their own magazine covers and presenting their finished products to the class.