Make sure you understand all the vocabulary for talking about news below, especially its use in newspaper headlines. For example, the news use of “drama” is not a kind of TV programme. If your dictionary doesn’t make the news story clear, trying searching for the word on a news site such as Google News.
1. back (v)
2. battle (n/ v)
3. blast (n/ v)
4. blaze (n)
5. boycott (n/ v)
6. bystander (n)
7. cite (v)
8. claim (n/ v)
9. clash (n/ v)
10. condemn (v)
11. crackdown/ crack down (on) (n/ v)
12. curb (n/ v)
13. demand (n/ v)
14. deny (v)
15. dispute (n/ v)
16. drama (n)
17. duo (n)
18. face (v)
19. flee (v)
20. forecast (n/ v)
21. head (n/ v)
22. imminent (adj)
23. key (adj)
24. loom (v)/ looming (adj)
25. obstacle (n)
26. ordeal (n)
27. out to
28. oversee (v)
29. plea (n)
30. plot (n/ v)
31. propose (v)
32. protest (n/ v)
33. pull out (v)
34. rout (n)
35. rumour (n/ v)
36. safeguard (n/ v)
37. slam (v)
38. spat (n)
39. stand (for…) (v)
40. trial (n)
41. step down (v)
42. strife (n)
43. stun (v)
44. suspect (n/ v)
45. swoop (v)
46. target (n/ v)
47. tensions (n)
48. threat (n)/ threaten (v)
49. urge (v)
50. vow (v)
Think of true personal stories related to two pieces of vocabulary from above and then make up personal experiences for two more. Your stories are obviously unlikely to be actual news stories (because they are personal anecdotes), but they should only use the meaning of the words related to news stories. You can make notes if you like, but you can’t read from them during the speaking activity. In the next class, your partner will listen to your stories and (perhaps after asking for more details) try to guess if each story is true or false.
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PDF for easy saving and printing:Headlines sharing experiences bluffing game
Related pages
Current affairs page (including more headlines vocab)
49 EFL bluffing games/ EFL lying games (TEFLtastic Classics Part 24)
TEFLtastic 