TRANSPORTATION

SESSION 14

TOPICS
• Talking about transportation
• Positions and directions of movement
• Processes
 Topic 1: Talking about transportation
Functions Referring to different forms of transportation
Target language Transportation vocabulary
Theme Vehicles for transportation
Inputs Input 14.1A: Vehicles
Input 14.1B: Pros and cons
Input 14.1C: Language summary

Note: While talking about the pros and cons of different types of
transportation, students may attempt language that is higher than their
ability. It's more important to focus on the points they make rather than
grammatical accuracy during the speaking activities.

Step 1: Whole class – warm up

How do you travel to work/college? What is your favorite way to travel? How do people normally
travel in your hometown?
Next ask students: is there a difference in the way that you travel and how goods are sent from or to
your workplace? Yes
Ask students how goods are transported.

Step 2: Group work – writing exercise

Arrange students into groups of 5-6 and distribute Input 14.1A: Vehicles.
Give instructions. Ask students to:
• Read and discuss the instructions. Ask them to tell you what they should do.
• Put the letters in the right order and find the names of different methods of transportation.
• Check answers with another group.
(Answers: 1. car 2. bicycle 3. bus 4. plane 5. lorry 6. train 7 ferry 8. metro 9. bike 10. tram 11.
helicopter 12. truck 13. Ship) Also: lorry (UK)=truck (US)

Step 3: Whole class – modes of transport

Ask: Cars, bicycles, bus, planes – What do these have in common? They move on roads
Prompt students to use the term road travel.
Are there different types of transport based on where they move? Yes
Ask for the types: road travel, rail travel, air travel, sea travel
Ask for examples under each type.
Use the examples and prompt students to say: cars travel on roads, trains travel on tracks, planes fly
in the air, ferries/ships sail on rivers/seas.

Demonstrate question and answers with 1-2 strong students. Then ask students to talk to the person
sitting next to them:
- How do _(buses)______ travel?
- (Buses) travel on roads.

Display types: road travel, rail travel, air travel, sea travel and ask students to divide the vehicles
from Input 14.1A: Vehicles under these categories. Then check answers.
Ask students: What is a good point (=pro) of travelling by car? It is fast
Point to the road travel category. Ask students: What are some pros of road travel? Possible
answers: Door-to-door service, convenient, more flexible, fast
What are the cons of road travel? Pollution, traffic jams, difficult for drivers

Step 4: Pair work

Show Input 14.1B: Pros and cons and ask: Are there four categories of travel? Are there four lists of
pros and cons?
Tell students to:
• Work in pairs.
• One student reads the pros and cons given.
• The other student decides which category it falls under.
• Take turns to do this.
• Add one more point, if possible, for each category.
Monitor groups and check that they are doing the activity correctly.

Once they have finished get students to have a conversation with another pair about the pros and
cons of any one category of transport. They should try not to refer to the worksheet.
Note down your observations.

Step 5: Whole class – feedback

Ask some students to evaluate how their group did, and if there was anything they needed to
improve on.
End with teacher feedback, pointing out both positive and areas of improvement. Point out and
praise groups that did particularly well and had longer conversations.

Step 6: Whole class – language summary

Display Input 14.1C: Language summary or give as handout.
Input 14.1A Vehicles
Here are some methods of transport. Put the letters in the right order and find the words.
1. acr
2. iblccye
3. usb
4. anlep
5. rlory
6. nairt
7. rerfy
8. omret
9. ekib
10. amtr
11. hielctpoer
12. crutk
13. hips

Two of the words in this list mean the same thing. Which are they? Do you find this vehicle
in the place you work or study? Which of the two words do you prefer to use?
Input 14.1B Pros and cons
Here are four types of travel:
Road travel Rail travel Air travel Sea travel
Here are four sets of pros and cons. Match the set to the right type of travel.

Set I: ………………………………….

Pros Cons
• Cheap for large-volume deliveries • Very slow
• Freedom to walk around and breath fresh • Inflexible routes and timetables
air • Port taxes
• Will need further transport

Set 2: ………………………………….

Pros Cons
• Fast • Inflexible timetables
• Safe • Sometimes unreliable
• No traffic jams
• Not very expensive

Set 3: ………………………………….

Pros Cons
• Door-to-door service • Often pollutes the environment
• Convenient • Can be unsafe
• More flexible • Cause traffic jams
• Noisy • Expensive fuel

Set 4: ………………………………….

Pros Cons
• Faster for long-distance deliveries and • Expensive
travel • Inflexible timetables
• Safe • Pollution
• Airport taxes
Input 14.1C Language summary
There are different types of transport we use to go from place to place or to transport
goods.

Road travel
Cars, trucks ( =lorries), buses, bicycles are used on roads. They are convenient but can cause
traffic jams.

Rail travel
Trains, metros travel on tracks. They don't cause pollution and they're not very expensive.
But they are not very reliable.

Air travel
Planes and helicopters fly in the air. They are safe and good for long distance travel. But
they have inflexible timetables.

Sea travel
Ships and ferries travel on seas and rivers. They are cheap and can carry heavy loads. But
they are very slow.
 Topic 2: Positions and directions of movement
Functions Describing relative positions of objects
Describing directions of movements
Target language over, under, above, below, inside, outside, through, around, along, across
Theme Travelling through the city
Inputs Input 14.2A: How I got to the office
Input 14.2B: Language summary

Step 1: Whole class – prepositions of movement

Ask questions about travelling in a new city to introduce the prepositions of movement.
For example: You are traveling to a new city for a conference/meeting/interview. Where would you
like to go? Ask for reasons why.
When you are in a new place how do you like to travel? Do you think it's better to take public
transport or travel by cab? Why?
Say: Let's say you are in (New Delhi).
If students have traveled to (New Delhi) or are familiar with the city ask them to describe the roots
and the transport system.

You want to cross a very busy road in (South Ex) to reach your office. What are the options?
Show a picture of an over bridge.
Ask: Is this an over bridge? Yes
Prompt students to say: You can walk across the over bridge.
Concept check: When you say across, do you mean going from one end to the other? Yes

Show a picture of an underpass.

Prompt students to say: You can go through the underpass.
Concept check: When you say through, do you mean going from one end to the other of an enclosed
path? Yes
Where is the underpass?
Prompt students to say: It is under the (Inner Ring) road.

You have to meet your customer service team in a call center in (Gurgaon).
Draw a rough map (Delhi) with a dot outside (Gurgaon).
Ask: Where is (Gurgaon)? It's outside Delhi.
Mark dot inside the map.
Ask: You want to meet the Minister for Industries in the evening. Where is (Rafi Marg?) It's inside
Delhi.

Step 2: Pair work – prepositions of movement

Arrange students into pairs. Ask them to use locations within the campus/office where they are now.
They should ask and answer questions:
- Is the (library) (across) the flyover?
- Yes … / No, it's (inside) the campus.
Step 3: Whole class – more prepositions of movement
Similarly use examples to introduce other prepositions of movement: under, over, below, around,
above, along, into
Change pairs and get them to practice questions and answers like before.

Step 4: Group work – speaking practice

Arrange students into groups of 4-5. Tell them they are in a new city and going to their office from a
hotel every morning.
Make sufficient copies of Input 14.2A: How I got to the office. Cut up the words in the worksheet (or
to make it more challenging use images of the words given) and give it to the groups.
Tell students to:
- Arrange themselves into subgroups of two or three, within each group.
- One group should place four or five words (or pictures) between the hotel and the office on
the worksheet.
- The other group has to describe how to reach the office from the hotel.
- They should take turns doing this.
- They should also practice asking and answering questions so that all the new language is
used (for example: Did you go under the flyover or across the flyover?)
Monitor students and make notes.

Step 5: Whole class – feedback

Ask students to:
• Share with the whole class any interesting situations that came up.
• Give feedback of their group’s participation.
• Give feedback on the language used.
Finally, give feedback to the class about your observations.

Step 6: Whole class – language summary

Display Input 14.2B: Language summary or give as handouts.

Step 7: Write and improve – practice

Write 10 to 15 lines describing the route between your classroom/office and the main gate.

Step 8: Speak and improve – practice

Your friend wants to visit you in your office. Leave a message for him/her on how to reach your
office. Use at least 5 words from the language you discussed in this topic.
Input 14.2A How I got to the office

Bridge Church Stadium Flyover Library

Statue Tunnel Park Fountain Bushes

River Stairs Well Wall Escalator

Roundabout Main road Market Bakery Waterfall

Your hotel

Your office
Input 14.2B Language summary
We use these words to talk positions and movements:
I drove the car over the flyover, not under it.
The café is above our office. There is parking space just below my office.
Luckily, we don’t have to go inside the city centre.
You have to walk through the market to reach the office.
Go around the block, you will see the clinic.
There’s a quick route. Walk along the river and not across it.
Are you going into the meeting room, or just waiting outside the door?
 Topic 3: Processes
Functions Describing processes
Target language Simple present passive forms
Theme Manufacturing and transporting goods
Inputs Input 14.3A: An interview
Input 14.3B: Language summary

Step 1: Whole class – warm up

Show students some brand logos. (Nike, Apple, Cocoa Cola, Microsoft, Toyota, Tata motors, etc.)
Ask them which companies they are and what they make. Have a discussion on where these
companies are located.

Step 2: Whole class – introduce simple passive voice

Ask: Are these very large companies that everybody has heard of? Yes
Ask: Do they manufacture goods on a large scale? Yes
Ask: In India are there many small companies that make things? Yes
Ask for examples in different states (e.g. car parts, Kanchipuram sarees in Tamil Nadu, coconut oil
manufacture and cashew nut processing in Kerala, etc.)

Ask: How will you make a statement about the place of manufacture of car parts.
Prompt students to say: Car parts are manufactured in Tamil Nadu. Coconut oil is made in Kerala.
Concept check passive voice:
When we use are/is + manufactured, do we know the name of the company which is doing the
action (manufacturing)? No
But is the action important? Yes
Ask: Can we use the same type of sentence when we know the manufacturer? Yes. For example,
iPhones are made by Apple.
Is it another way of saying ‘Apple makes iPhones?’ No, because when we use ‘are made by’, it means
the result of the action is more important than who’s doing the action.

Step 3: Pair work – speaking practice

Demonstrate question and answers with 1-2 strong students.
- Are cashew nuts processed in Kerala/Tamil Nadu?
- Yes/No, cashew nuts are/aren’t processed in Kerala/ Tamil Nadu.
- Are iPhones made by Apple in the USA?
- Yes, they're made by Apple.

Display the following information or hand out on slips of paper:

make toy / China produce Daytona watch / Switzerland- Rolex Ltd.
grow wheat / Punjab manufacture paper / China
create animation / Japan design video game / USA
supply natural gas / Russia produce dairy products / New Zealand
offer financial services / Lloyds Banking Ltd.
Ask students to practice different questions and answers with each other.
Step 4: Pair work – reading and writing exercise

Ask a student to read out the instructions from Input 14.3A: An interview.
What do students have to do?
Hand over copies of the worksheet.
Monitor students while they are reading out loud.
Ask them to check answers with another pair. (1C, 2D, 3A, 4B, 5F, 6E)
Monitor the discussions and note down feedback. Get them to exchange their writing and give
feedback.

Step 5: Feedback
Ask students to comment on how they worked with each other and the use of language. End with
positive feedback and any areas of improvement.

Step 6: Whole class – language summary

Display Input 14.3B: Language summary and go through the main points.
Input 14.3A An interview
Maria is a coffee grower from South America. She is being interviewed by Kalvin, a
newspaper reporter. Read the interview out loud, with your partner. Then:
1. Do the matching exercise below.
2. Discuss what the interview was about, with another pair.
3. Write one paragraph on the main points in the interview. Use the language that
you discussed in class.

Kalvin: Why should we buy Fairtrade products?

Maria: Because the money goes to farmers. The people who produce Fairtrade goods need help so
they can have better homes and working conditions.

Kalvin: What does it mean “to be Fairtrade certified”?

Maria: It means farmers are paid a fair price per pound of coffee. Fair pay is offered for the goods
and for the farmers. Profits are given back to the community where the product is made in
the form of a new building, school or other projects. The environment is also helped by the
sales of fair products. Kalvin: What is the focus of Fairtrade?

Maria: Fairtrade is focused on exports from poor to rich countries.

Kalvin: Is Fairtrade coffee available in the USA?

Maria: It’s available in a lot of countries. This coffee is also sold in every Starbucks.

Kalvin: Do children also work on the coffee plantations?

Maria: No, children are protected by Fairtrade.

Kalvin: And my last question: Does buying Fairtrade products make a difference?

Maria: Yes, it does. It guarantees that my family gets enough to eat.

Match the questions to the answers.

Input 14.3B Language summary

We use the passive voice when the action is more important than who is doing the action.
We can also use it when we don’t know who did the action.

Kanchipuram sarees are weaved in Tamil Nadu.

iPhones are designed in the USA.
Daytona watches are made in Switzerland by Rolex.