English as a Second Language (ESL) Students Visit The Joplin Globe

Joplin NALA ESL students visit The Joplin Globe in downtown Joplin, MO.

Joplin NALA Read’s English as a Second Language (ESL) students visited The Joplin Globe. We saw how the paper was generated – from the time a reporter investigates the news through printing and circulation. Prior to the field trip, the students learned newspaper related vocabulary and discussed the role of newspapers in our lives. Then they went on a newspaper treasure hunt, locating information in The Joplin Globe. Students located everything from the weather forecast to political cartoons. Along with finding information, we discussed Freedom of Speech and how this compares to their native countries.

The newspaper is a useful resource in our ESL classroom. The photographs, graphs, charts, headlines, cartoons, and other context clues aid comprehension of text. In addition, newspaper articles are about situations relevant and meaningful to learners' daily lives. It also provides learners opportunities to practice interpersonal communication skills such as discussing occupations by reading the job ads. 

A big thank you to Kris and The Joplin Globe for allowing us this opportunity.