Goolge Maps For Directions

Love them or loathe them, y'all accept to acknowledge that Google does offering us all trend of useful gratuitous tools. One of my favourites is Google Maps, specially useful on my strange trips to London (when I never look to last able to shout out upward my A-Z!)

So, I've been thinking nearly how nosotros could purpose this 'real world' tool to assistance our EFL students too to railroad train their abilities to seat too empathise directions. It's truly quite elementary to use. You simply acquire to http://maps.google.co.uk/ or http://maps.google.com/ Click on 'Get Directions' too and thence come inwards your showtime indicate too destination. Click the Google logo below for a quick video tutorial that shows some of the features.

Click for flash video tutorial (1.4 Mb)

So how tin nosotros purpose this alongside students?

• Choose a place too finish too acquire Google Maps to practice your directions, too thence impress upward a map of London alongside the 2 destinations on too inquire your students to score the road on the map.
• A variation on this would last to accept the map printed alongside the road on too cutting upward the directions too inquire your students to position them inwards the right order
• Print upward a road map too directions too edit out some of the telephone commutation words, too thence acquire your students to write inwards the missing words.
• Give your students a map showing exclusively the showtime indicate too read out directions for them to follow. They accept to nous too say y'all what the finish is.
• Print out unopen ups of each phase of the journeying too purpose them equally flash cards. Get your students to tally each pace of the journeying to the right flashcard.
• Print out a road map too inquire students to write their ain directions for the map (You could seat 2 groups unlike destinations too thence acquire them to commutation directions to meet if the other grouping tin purpose their directions to uncovering the right destination.)
• To download an instance gear upward of directions + road map too blank map to impress upward too purpose for these activities click here: Example materials >> (500k pdf)
• To impress upward maps too directions for yourself simply click on the Google maps 'Print' icon.
  

What I similar nearly it

• Google maps is gratuitous too truly elementary to use
• If y'all accept an i-pod deport on or an i-phone, at that spot is a fantastic Google Maps widget which y'all tin install (great for mobile learning)
  
• Gives proficient clear instructions too slowly to impress maps (just purpose the 'Print' icon)
  
• A truly useful 'real world' tool
• You tin purpose it alive if y'all accept a figurer room or information projector / interactive whiteboard inwards class, or simply impress upward materials for purpose off line.
  

What I'm non thence certain about

• The particular of the maps for some developing countries is pretty sparse

Hope y'all uncovering this tool useful too if y'all accept suggestions for other activities I'd dear o listen them.

Best

Nik