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Ready-to-use ESL / EFL Lessons
BEFORE READING / LISTENING
1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
a. | Kids learn better social skills online than they do in the real world. | T / F |
b. | Kids can rehearse and practice social skills when they’re online. | T / F |
c. | Being online in avirtual world is not as good for kids as watching TV. | T / F |
d. | The virtual world teaches kids how to punch and fight. | T / F |
e. | The research was done using a BBC site especially for children. | T / F |
f. | Kids took part in online discussions and chat just like in the real world. | T / F |
g. | The BBC site is set to make a lot of money from commercials and ads. | T / F |
h. |The BBC asked parents for their feelings on their kids being online. | T / F |
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. | virtual | a. | conducted |
2 | rehearse | b. | tricks |
3. | ventured | c. | expressed |
4. | indicated | d. | imitation |
5. | consequences | e. | journeyed |
6. | carried out | f. | stress |
7. | avatars | g. | conclusions |
8. |emphasis | h. | results |
9. | gimmicks | i. | alias icon |
10. | findings | j. | practice |
3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
1. | children aged 6-12 can learn important | a. | rehearse real-life situations |
2 | better for kids than passive pastimes | b. | different roles |
3. | the children adopted | c. |of the real world |
4. | a safe place for children to | d. | things and ask questions |
5. | the negative or painful consequences | e. | gimmicks |
6. | children have to explore, create | f. | like watching TV |
7. | It is a closed | g. | on safety for kids |
8. | Kids can share tips and | h. | social skills in virtual worlds |
9. | The emphasis is | i. | hints for other users |10. | advertising and sales | j. | world |

Children learn social skills in Web worlds
New research carried out by the BBC suggests that children aged 6-12 can learn important social skills in virtual worlds. The BBC website says: “Virtual worlds can be valuable places where children rehearse what they will do in real life.” The study’s lead researcher, Professor David Gauntlett, stated thatchildren interacting with others online and exploring web worlds was better for kids than passive pastimes like watching TV. He said the children adopted different roles when they ventured through the virtual world; Some were explorers, others were social climbers, while others were fighters or collectors. Professor Gauntlet indicated that the virtual world was a safe place for children torehearse real-life situations without the negative or painful consequences of the real world.The BBC’s research was carried out using its own Children’s BBC online world called Adventure Rock. In it, children have to explore, create things and ask questions as they go deeper into the game. It is a closed world where children’s avatars cannot meet or communicate. Kids can share tips and hints for otherusers on a message board, which is controlled and edited by BBC staff. There are none of the chat rooms or discussion boards normally found in virtual worlds like Second Life. The emphasis is on safety for kids in an online environment without advertising and sales gimmicks. Researchers also asked parents about their feelings towards their children spending time in Adventure Rock. The findingswere presented at the Conference on Virtual Worlds for Children on 23 May 2008. |

WHILE READING
GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.
New research carried out by the BBC __________ that children aged 6-12 can learn important social skills in virtual worlds. The BBC website says: “Virtual worlds can be __________ places where children rehearse what they will do in real life.” The...