. Sanae Takaichi - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Sanae Takaichi - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Sanae Takaichi - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Sanae Takaichi

Japan has its first female prime minister. Sanae Takaichi is the country's 104th leader. Takaichi made a deal with a right-wing party to win. However, she has a difficult job. Japanese people want lower food prices and job security. They are worried about the growing number of old people.

Sanae Takaichi has had an interesting life. She played drums in a rock band. She supports Osaka soccer and baseball teams. She also had a powerful motorbike. She lived in the USA and wrote books about politics. She also worked as a TV anchor. Women hope Takaichi will support gender equality and same-sex marriage.

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://apnews.com/article/japan-first-female-prime-minister-vote-trump-24b4a5e2a2b777139de66e38665ced0d
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20251021/p2g/00m/0na/030000c
  • https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16104830
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanae_Takaichi

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

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News

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."

The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)

"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."

Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)

"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."

Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.

Phrase Matching Paragraph 1
  1. Takaichi is the country's
  2. Takaichi made
  3. a right-
  4. she has a difficult
  5. Japanese people want lower
  6. job
  7. They are
  8. growing number
  1. job
  2. security
  3. a deal
  4. of old people
  5. 104th leader
  6. worried
  7. food prices
  8. wing party
Paragraph 2
  1. Takaichi has had an
  2. She played
  3. in a rock
  4. She also had a powerful
  5. wrote books
  6. She also worked as
  7. Women hope Takaichi will support gender
  8. same-
  1. motorbike
  2. equality
  3. band
  4. sex marriage
  5. a TV anchor
  6. interesting life
  7. drums
  8. about politics
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan (1) _________________________________________________ female prime minister. Sanae Takaichi (2) _________________________________________________ 104th leader. Takaichi (3) _________________________________________________ with a right-wing party to win. However, she has (4) _________________________________________________. Japanese people want (5) ________________________________________________ and job security. They are worried about the growing (6) ________________________________________________ people.

Sanae Takaichi (7) _________________________________________________ interesting life. She played drums (8) _________________________________________________ band. She supports Osaka (9) _________________________________________________ teams. She also (10) _________________________________________________ motorbike. She lived in the USA and (11) _________________________________________________ politics. She also worked as a TV anchor. Women hope Takaichi will support gender equality and (12) _________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japanhasitsfirstfemaleprimeminister.SanaeTakaichiisthecountry's 104thleader.Takaichimadeadealwitharight-wingpartytowin.Howe ver,shehasadifficultjob.Japanesepeoplewantlowerfoodpricesandjob security.Theyareworriedaboutthegrowingnumberofoldpeople.Sana eTakaichihashadaninterestinglife.Sheplayeddrumsinarockband.Sh esupportsOsakasoccerandbaseballteams.Shealsohadapowerfulmot orbike.ShelivedintheUSAandwrotebooksaboutpolitics.Shealsowork edasaTVanchor.WomenhopeTakaichiwillsupportgenderequalityand same-sexmarriage.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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