There are thousands of English Foreign Language schools and millions of classes throughout the world. English has become the international language for communication, even though more people speak Chinese than English worldwide. The reason for this may be that all countries have a number of English language speakers while many countries have very few Chinese speakers. The world has many diverse cultures spread over many countries. This article suggests topics that are of interest worldwide.

Let’s think of things that are important to everyone, no matter where they are. Many are interested in sports, music, modern heroes, solving mysteries, people who have overcome difficulties, puzzles, famous places or people and events that have taken place in different countries. It’s true that few people will be interested in all of these things, but if a variety is provided then perhaps most students will encounter something that will make them want to learn more.

How about Terry Fox? He is the boy who lost one leg with cancer and decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He died before he finished his journey, but now almost three decades later, there are Terry Fox Runs for cancer research in dozens of countries around the world.

The Olympic Games are another topic of interest. They are an international event that involves countries from every continent. Athletes, like students, struggle to meet the costs of accommodation, food and clothing while paying for the training they need if they are to compete with others from around the world. Some countries provide the athletes with financial assistance and others do not. Participating in the Olympic Games is a challenge similar to that of a student learning a new language or embarking on a career. Perhaps lessons about others who face up to challenges would be helpful to each student struggling with their own situation.

Crosswords are an activity that is universally enjoyed and they are a powerful English language learning tool. In the classroom they allow for flexibility. Some students complete a task in less time than others. If crosswords are included as a part of a lesson, these students can use their time efficiently while the others finish. They can add a few words or many as the time permits. For the students who take longer to complete a task the crosswords can be done outside of class time. This flexibility promotes classroom harmony and positive feelings for both the students and the teacher.

People have been interested in flight for hundreds of years. Legend tells of the attempts to fly that were made in Greece. Later, flying was tried in France, but it was not until the early 20th Century that the Wright brothers successfully flew the first airplane in the United States. The exciting story of flight tells of events that have made flying a common mode of transportation in most countries.

Try doing a survey with your class. Give them a list of topics that might interest them. Ask them to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, giving the most interesting a mark of ten and the least interesting a mark of 1. This will help you to identify their interests. Refer to the Internet for material on their chosen subject.