English_Second_Language@Cegep.Quebec

#1: Using Search Engines for Research in the ESL Classroom

The Internet contains information on just about every topic under the sun. It is a wild and wonderful encyclopedia with information on the rampage and more being added every second. Search engines were invented to help people wade through the reams of information on the Internet to find what they were looking for in a reasonably efficient fashion. In order to do research on the web, your students will need to learn how to use web search engines. One very effective way of doing this is by having them take part in a WWW treasure or scavenger hunt. Not only will they practise their detective skills but they will also use their language skills as well. Most students will really enjoy this activity.

Here are some suggestions as to how to proceed:

• Make up questions based on a variety of information and located on different sites that you find as you surf the net. About ten questions should be sufficient.
• Divide your students into small groups (either one group per search engine or one group per question). Assign each group either to look up all the questions using only one search engine or to look up one question on all the search engines (the assignment given depends, of course, on how you have divided the class up).
• Have the students race against time (determine a limit) or each other.

Other excellent suggestions as to how to proceed can be found at this link presented by The Internet TESL Journal.

If you would like to try a ready-made scavenger hunt, we suggest that you send your students to the following site designed by Carey Nelson:

http://www.total.net:8080/~cjnelson/scavenge.htm

Or try the following site for a dozen more treasure hunts:

The Internet TESL Journal

Please feel free to send in your own ideas or comments.

Chez nous
Back to Our Home Page