ESL Teacher Blog: Olympic Posters - Another Way to Learn About the World

Olympic posters tell a lot about the host countries. With a minimum amount of words, it is through the symbols and images that the posters reflect a country’s historical, geographical, cultural and social background.

The message of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, just unveiled, is particularly touching. A maple leaf consisting of two parts is the main image of the poster. Two halves of the leaf represent the Olympic and Paralympic Games treated as the same event by the Canadians. The official emblem of the Games (Ilanaaq that represents hospitality with its open arms), Games motto (‘With Glowing Hearts” - a line from the national anthem), palette of blues and greens (reflecting the natural landscape of the hosting region), mascots (based on Native mythology) and other country-distinctive images instantly help recognize and describe the hosting country.

Can your students identify the former host countries by looking at the Olympic posters? What images and symbols help them recognize those? Let them view the gallery of Olympic posters through the years and share their memories and knowledge.