Monthly topical news lessons
Topical news items with worksheets for each level for you to use in class. Each worksheet contains vocabulary, speaking and grammar work as well as reading practice.
All the articles are from the Guardian, onestopenglish's principal news partner. As well as using the language exercises which accompany each article, you can exploit these news texts in a number of ways:
- as extra reading, especially for advanced students;
- by asking students to compare the political slant of different news organizations;
- as a way to start projects on the issues covered, etc.
Please note: All news lessons are available on the site for a full year from the date of publication. They are then removed to make way for new, fresh and up-to-date news lessons.
Latest monthly news lessons
Monthly news lesson: Face transplant man has 'life restored'
A man with a severe facial deformity caused by a gun accident has had a successful 36-hour transplant operation. Richard Norris, whose vision had been largely unaffected, had been living as a recluse since the accident in 1997.
News lesson: Apple faces its 'Nike moment'
One of Apple’s main contractors has raised the wages of its factory workers in China after a spate of suicides in 2011 and reports of intolerable working conditions. The negative publicity is reminiscent of the revelation in the ‘90s that Nike used cheap labour in the Far East.
News lesson: Britons still happy despite financial woes
A 2011 survey has revealed that while most Britons are not content with their work-life balance, they are averagely very happy with their personal relationships and mental well-being. However, experts warn that this will decrease as the recession takes hold.
News lesson: Hawaiian surfer catches the wave of a lifetime
Garrett McNamara is one of the world’s best-known big wave riders. But even he was in awe when he surfed what has been calculated as the largest wave captured on video – a 30-metre-high wall of water located an hour north of Lisbon, Portugal.
News lesson: Trafficking of baby gorillas poses new threat to endangered species
Wildlife officials have warned of a surge in the trafficking of baby gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with poachers demanding up to $40,000 for each infant. The problem is affecting the critically endangered mountain gorilla, of which there are only around 790 remaining in the world.
News lesson: Steve Jobs: the world pays tribute
The charismatic co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc. sadly lost his battle with cancer on 5th October. Can the revolutionary company be the same creative force without him?
News lesson: London riots: Tottenham residents seek answers
Riots, looting and arson in urban areas of the UK in August caused fear and anger among many people. Here, a journalist who lives close to the site of the original protests in north London investigates the reasons behind the chaos and offers his personal opinion.
News lesson: Beckhams a ‘bad example’ for families
With the global population at around seven billion, environmental campaigners in the UK are addressing the taboo subject of family size. Leading environmentalists say that large families, such as the Beckhams, are a drain on the world’s resources and people should consider having fewer children for the sake of the planet.
News lesson: Warning: extreme weather ahead
Tornados, wildfires, droughts and floods were once seen as freak conditions. However, the glut of environmental disasters around the world means that extreme weather is becoming the new ‘normal’, leading some scientists to refer to it as ‘global weirding’.
News lesson: Greece: ‘Only tourism can save our bankrupt land’
As Greece faces up to bankruptcy, the nation’s politicians are pinning their hopes on tourism to rescue it from economic collapse. But can the country that has been promoted as a cheap mass travel destination rebrand itself as a paradise of myths, mountains and monuments?
News lesson: Body image concerns more men than women
A recent survey in the UK has revealed that men have higher levels of anxiety about their bodies than women. ‘Body talk’ affected more than four in five of those researched, who cited ‘beer bellies’, being ‘chubby’ and having ‘moobs (man boobs)’ as their chief concerns.
