. Tom Cruise - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Tom Cruise - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson
Tom Cruise - ESL Lesson Plan - Breaking News English Lesson

Breaking News English Lesson: Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has won an Oscar. He was nominated for an Oscar four times before, but he never won. Cruise is one of the most famous actors ever. He inspires people with his energy to make movies. He makes going to the cinema an experience. Cruise is also famous for doing his own stunts. Many of them are dangerous.

Tom Cruise was very happy. He felt lucky to be a part of cinema. He said: "Making films is not what I do, it is who I am." He said his love for movies began when he was just a small child. He added that: "In the [movie] theatre, we laugh together… we hope together. And that is the power of [movies]."

Try the same news story at these levels:

  • https://variety.com/2025/awards/news/tom-cruise-honorary-oscar-speech-1236583348/
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2025/11/17/tom-cruise-first-oscar-governors-awards/87280229007/
  • https://people.com/tom-cruise-honorary-oscar-at-2025-governors-awards-11850067

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. Tom Cruise has
  2. He was nominated
  3. one of the most famous
  4. He inspires
  5. his energy to
  6. He makes going to the cinema an
  7. famous for doing his own
  8. Many of them are
  1. stunts
  2. people
  3. experience
  4. won an Oscar
  5. dangerous
  6. actors ever
  7. for an Oscar
  8. make movies
Paragraph 2
  1. Tom Cruise was
  2. He felt lucky to be a
  3. Making films is not what
  4. it is who
  5. his love
  6. when he was just a
  7. In the movie theatre, we
  8. that is the power
  1. I am
  2. I do
  3. laugh together
  4. part of cinema
  5. small child
  6. of movies
  7. for movies
  8. very happy
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Tom Cruise (1) _________________________________________________ Oscar. He was nominated for an Oscar (2) _________________________________________________, but he never won. Cruise is one (3) _________________________________________________ famous actors ever. He inspires people with his (4) _________________________________________________ movies. He makes going to the cinema an experience. Cruise (5) _________________________________________________ for doing (6) _________________________________________________. Many of them are dangerous.

Tom Cruise was very happy. He (7) _________________________________________________ be a (8) _________________________________________________. He said: "Making films is not what I do, it is (9) _________________________________________________." He said his (10) _________________________________________________ began when he was just a small child. He added that: "In the [movie] theatre, (11) _________________________________________________. we hope together. And that is the (12) _________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TomCruisehaswonanOscar.HewasnominatedforanOscarfourtimesb efore,butheneverwon.Cruiseisoneofthemostfamousactorsever.Hei nspirespeoplewithhisenergytomakemovies.Hemakesgoingtothecin emaanexperience.Cruiseisalsofamousfordoinghisownstunts.Manyo fthemaredangerous.TomCruisewasveryhappy.Hefeltluckytobeapar tofcinema.Hesaid:"MakingfilmsisnotwhatIdo,itiswhoIam."Hesaidhi sloveformoviesbeganwhenhewasjustasmallchild.Headdedthat:"Int he[movie]theatre,welaughtogether. wehopetogether.Andthatisth epowerof[movies]."

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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