A Bold Fashion Move…Digital Magazines
May 26th, 2011 | Published in Culture, Education
“ A Magazine That won’t Smudge” By Eric Wilson, New York Times
ESL Voices Activities for this article
Post, a new fashion magazine available only on the iPad- Photo:New York Times
The article discusses the new magazine Post, created by art director Remi Paringaux. The magazine was developed to be viewed solely on the iPad.
The first issue was released in January, and included an interactive feature of “a periodic table of accessories where jewelry revolved at the touch of a finger…”
The second issue will involve “videos of skydivers dressed in designer suits and an interactive fashion shoot…” There were certain limitations that the article also points out.
For the “Fashionistas” (or for those who are simply curios) this is an intriguing article that foretells where fashion magazines are headed in the future. In the meantime, one can only hope that the good “old-fashioned” paper versions remain available…smudges and all.
ESL Voices Activities for this article.
Activities : Here are several projects and ideas that would be fun and educational for students, especially those interested in styles and fashions!
Language Skills - Speaking, reading, and vocabulary practice.
Level: intermediate-Advanced
Time: approximately 1 hour.
Materials: article excerpt, dictionary.
Goals: Learners will practice speaking and reading skills. They will find the meanings of new words that they encounter. Students will also learn about fashion, and especially digital fashion.
Procedure
Discussion Questions about Personal Fashion Preferences
Most students (especially teens and early twenties) are interested in appearance and in the latest styles and fashions, especially stylish clothing from the United States.
You might begin by finding out how students feel about clothes and styles. You could make copies of the questions and place students in pairs and have them ask each other the questions, or ask the questions as a class to encourage a general discussion about fashion. In either case it’s important that students understand there are no right or wrong answers. Everyone has a right to dress as they please.
Questions:
- What does the word “fashion’ mean to you?
- Do you think it is important to dress in the “latest” styles?
- Is there a special fashion magazine that you like to read, what is the name?
- Do you think that you would prefer to read your magazine on an iPad? Why/why not?
- Do new clothes make you feel happy?
- What type of clothes do you like to wear?
- How often do you go shopping for clothes?
- Do your clothes always feel comfortable?
- Do you think students should dress in identical uniforms? Why or why not?
- Do your parents agree with the type of clothing you wear? Why or why not?
- Where do you usually go to shop?
- Do you prefer expensive stores or stores that have practical prices?
- Would you like to be a fashion model?
- Is there a special model whose style you copy?
II. Fashion Group Projects
1. Place students in groups and have them research the latest fashions from their countries. They might draw, show pictures, or videos of the costumes from their countries, such as the sari, kimono, etc.
2. Goal: Using adjectives with the progressive tense for descriptions of clothing.
For advanced students: have students obtain several fashion magazines ( some are mentioned in the article) or go online for viewing. You might prefer to bring in several to demonstrate the difference in styles (and cost). For example the styles in Vogue and Glamour are going to be much more expensive and different from the styles in JCPenny. Teen Vogue is another choice for students.
Have students choose a magazine (paper or online version) and some photographs to describe what the person is wearing.
3. Another group project is having students plan a fashion show for the class. As each group member models his/her clothing, the others take turns describing what they are wearing.
Macmillan Dictionary offers an impressive list of words to especially describe fashion/clothes that students will find useful.
4. For lower level students: you might cut out fashion photos and paste them on construction paper first. Then hand them out to students, so that they could create simple sentences.
III. Fashion Games and Activities
Here are several sites that offer “fashion” games and activities:
Dress Up Games is a site for younger students. The site offers a variety of dolls, games, and fun computer-based activities.
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising has an interesting site that provides the following games for older students:
The Fashion Business Game For students interested in the business aspect of the fashion industry: (This is for high-intermediate to advanced learners) Offers questions and answers about the fashion business.
It’s In The Bag This is an interesting game that provides unique information about various shopping bags.
Have fun!
Please come back again.
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