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Oxford Basics Activities Using Resources
Oxford Basics Activities Using Resources
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Oxford basics
Activities Using
Resources
HEATHER WESTRUP
JOANNA BAKER
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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Individual purchasers may make copies for their own use or for use by
classes that they teach. School purchasers may make copies for use by
staffand students, but this permission does not extend to additional
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Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for
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Printed in China
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Contents
Introduction
Activities
The board
, 1 Touch the box
2 Building a conversation
3 Question charts
4 Mind maps
5 Noughts and crosses
6 Rebuilding a text
7 Class survey
Flashcards
8 Stories from words
9 Introducing and practising language
10 Picture cards
Posters
11 Memory game
12 Shopping
Small cards
13 Dominoes
14 Play the part
15 Reminder cards
Your learners
27 I am a word
28 Panel of experts
29 Favourite people
30 Draw it like this
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Introduction
Using large pictures or posters takes the focus off the teacher. Using
cards and posters in pair and group work helps students to work
without continuous prompting from the teacher, so that gradually
they take more responsibility for their own learning. Learners relate
better to real people and real objects than to fictional characters in a
textbook or objects that they can only see in pictures.
Most of the resources used in this book are readily available; you can
store them, re-use them, and add to them: They belong to the class.
Many are adaptable and can be used for several purposes, and at
different stages of a lesson.
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Introduction
--
-�
-
-
-
It is a good idea to plan the use of your board when you plan your
lesson. When you are planning you should also decide when you will
clean off different sections. Be careful not to stand in front of what
you have written. If you are not used to drawing pictures, make the
pictures very simple and practise first on paper and then on the
board. Try to draw quickly using basic outlines and stick people to
give a general idea. Don't worry about details. Always include the
learners as you write on the board, by asking questions like:
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Introduction
Flashcards
Flashcards are pieces of paper or card (approximately A4 or foolscap
in size) on which the teacher draws a picture or writes words. You
can use the plain back of cardboard packaging, as this material lasts
longer than paper. Show the flashcard or series of flashcards to the
whole class in order to elicit language related to the picture or words
on the flashcard. Remember that the words or pictures must be clear
and simple and large enough to be seen at the back of the class.
You can use flashcards in various ways:
• to prompt your class to say or write something, for example, Unit 8
'Stories from words'
• to help learners understand when they use certain phrases, for
example, Unit 9 'Introducing and practising language'
to introduce a context where a certain structure is used, for example,
describing a process in Unit 10
to cue spoken drills in the controlled stage of a lesson
to prompt a 'yes' or 'no' answer, for example, a smiley face could
represent 'yes' and a sad face could represent 'no' (see Unit 9), or a
positive/negative response, such as: 'I agree' / 'I disagree' or 'I think
so' / 'I don't think so'.
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,Introduction
tfl flip between the front and the back of a flashcard, which has slightly
different information on each side, for example, two identical
pictures where only the date is different, to practise the present tense
with that day's date, contrasted with a past tense with yesterday's
date
[ill reveal a part of the flashcard, covering up the rest of it, and ask
learners to predict what is on the rest of the flashcard, for example, a
woman waving to a person whose identity can be covered. The
learners guess who that person might be.
Posters
Posters are sometimes published for specific language learning
activities, however you can make good use of any out-of-date or I
When these posters are available to you, try using the pictorial and
written information on them as part of language learning lessons.
You can also use the plain backs of posters to write or draw your own
pictures. Remember to draw the picture before the class if it takes
time to draw.
As the whole class needs to see the poster, hang it on the classroom
walls or attach it to the board. Often the easiest and least damaging
way to hang posters is to tie a length of string at eye height along a
wall of the classroom, and attach the posters to the string with
clothes pegs. Posters can be placed around the classroom for learners
to look at or write on during a lesson, or they could be left up to be
seen or written on during the term.
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Introduction
Small cards
Small cards are very useful when you want your learners to practise
in groups using pictures or words. These activities are more suitable
for small classes of up to about 18 learners as you may need a set of
cards for each group. Learners can use them:
Make small cards from any pieces of stiff card. If you have cardboard
boxes, cut them into cards of about 5 x 8 or 10 cm. If the card is
clean, write or draw simple pictures or stick small pictures directly
on to the card. Otherwise, draw or write on to clean paper, cut it to
size, and stick it on to the small cards. If you need several identical
sets of cards, draw or write everything on a sheet of paper first, then,
if you can, make a copy for each group. Then cut each copy to size
and stick them on cards.
Learners can help to write or draw these cards. It is all part of the
learning process. For some group activities, each group has to have
identical cards. If this is not the case, make different sets of cards.
These can then be rotated from group to group, giving the learners
extra practice.
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Introduction
F;TI objects from the home, for example, used packaging, food, an item
of clothing
aID objects from a shop, cinema, theatre, for example, something they
bought recently, a theatre brochure, a cinema ticket
fJ natural objects, for example, sticks, stones, leaves.
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Introduction
Your learners
Learners are usually expected to be quiet in class and passive in the
learning process. However, they can take a more active part in the
lesson by:
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Introduction
o Find some boxes that are large enough to hold each type of resource.
ffi1i Each item needs to be clearly labelled. You can do this by writing on
each one the lesson it is suitable for, such as 'Shopping', or you could
label them (Stories' or 'Pictures'.
�
13 Write out a list of what you have stored in each box, and stick it on
the front of each box.
� Keep sets of small cards in envelopes. On the front, make a note of
the contents and number of cards inside.
J:1lIj In your classroom, hang up string lines along the walls, and hang up
resources with clothes pegs.
im In your classroom cut up boxes and make them into display cases.
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Introduction
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Introduction
you correct them. Errors that occur constantly can provide the topic
.
for some revision.
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Activities
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Activity :L Select two teams of four learners. Tell them to stand behind each
other in two rows facing the board. Tell the first learner from eachJ
team to stand about two metres from the board. Explain that the first
of these two learners to touch the box which matches your definition
or translation earns a point for his or her team.
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Variations 1 You can also decrease or increase the number of boxes on the board
to make the activity easier or more difficult, or ask the learners to
stand further away to make it more active.
2 Here are ideas for other areas of the language:
:71 Write these phrasal verbs in boxes on the board:
Now call out the following names of countries. The learners have to
identify the stress pattern in each box correctly:
Australia (••••) Algeria ( ••••)
Sweden (••) Italy (e••)
Japan (••) Venezuela (••••)
Argentina ( • •••) Iran (••)
Norway ( • •) Switzerland ( •••)
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2 Building a conversation
Activity 1 Tell the class that tWo friends are talking before school, and they are
looking in their bags to check they have everything they need for
lessons.
2 Write the first line of the dialogue on the board.
3 Ask the class how the dialogue could continue. You can show a pen
as a prompt for B's line and write the first two words of 1\.s next line
'Would you' on the board. Ask the class to guess the last line. If the
learners cannot guess, say the phrase and write it on the board.
4 Use some other prompts to help the class make and practise similar
conversations, for example, a dictionary, a calculator, a tennis ball,
etc.
5 Divide the class equally into As on the left and Bs on the right. Use
the sentences on the board and the prompts to practise the
conversations as a whole class.
6 Start to rub out some of the key words on the board, and draw a line
in place of each missing word. Ask the class to try and remember the
missing words. For example:
A - the problem�
B I've forgotten - pen.
A Would you like - borrow mine�
B Thanks.
Then rub out some more of the words, remembering to draw a line
for each missing word. Each time you remove more words, ask the
class to say the whole line, in chorus.
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Building a conversation 2 1
A - the -?
B - forgotten - pen.
A Would you - - borrow -?
B Thanks.
When there is just one word left on each line, put the learners into
pairs. Ask them to quietly practise the whole dialogue in these pairs,
with one learner as A and the other learner as B.
A - the -?
B - - - - pen.
A - you - - - -?
B
7 After a few minutes, tell the learners to change roles, so everyone has
a chance of saying both sides of the dialogue .
Variations :1 You can use this idea for almost any kind of dialogue.
2 More advanced learners could add a request, with an acceptance or
refusal in reply. For example:
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Question charts
.
: . , :, - ; "
2 Tell the class that you are going to ask some questions about what
they do every day. Mime 'what time', 'getting up', and 'having
breakfast' if the class need help understanding the questions.
3 Ask individual learners the two questions at random and write some
sample answers on the board.
I usually get up at seven o'clock.
I watch TV or go for a walk.
4 Ask the class for some more ideas for questions about daily habits
and add them to the chart using the same spacing, for example:
go to work'?
What time have breakfast'?
do you usually get up'?
do in the evening'?
What
do after school'?
5 Tell the class to work in pairs and make a list of more questions using
the same pattern. When they have finished ask them to add their
ideas to the chart. Correct any mistakes as they write the questions
on the board.
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Question charts 3
6 Tell the class to write down the questions they would like to ask other
people in the class. When they are ready, tell them to stand up and
walk around the class asking other people their questions. They
should make a note of the answers and the people they talked to.
7 In new pairs, the learners could share the information from stage 6,
for example:
El Yoshi and Sven get up at about eight o'clock.
o Helena and Jules both go to work at half past eight.
!ill Wang usually meets friends in the evening.
2 You can also use different types of question words and phrases, for
example, questions with 'How':
How much
many
long
far
big
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4 Mind maps
Activity 1 Divide the board into two parts - see stage 3 . Write the topic word
'Snakes' in the box at the top left-hand side of the board.
2 Ask the learners to call out any words they know connected with
snakes and write them at random in the box on the left. You can help
them with these questions:
m1 Where do snakes live?
� What do they look like?
ill!! How do they move?
JIiJ What do people think about them?
1m What type of animal are they?
3 Draw the mind map on the right side of the board. Ask the class what
the five headings should be, using the questions in stage 2 as a guide,
and write them on the map.
I •
SNAKES
jungle smooth
scary dangerous
long fast trees
bite reptile
grass rivers
slide deserts
slither
4 Tell the class to copy the mind map and then work in pairs to
complete the map by placing the words from the box under the
correct headings. Walk round the class checking and helping if
necessary.
,II >
I
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Mind maps 4
5 When all the pairs have finished ask learners to come up to the board
to help complete the mind map, for example:
HABITAT
PEOPLE'S
jungle grass
S NAKES OPINION
rivers trees
jungle smooth dangerous
deserts
scary dangerous scary
long fast trees
bite reptile ACTIONS
grass rivers slide slither
slide deserts DESCRIPTION bite
slither long fast
smooth lYPE OF ANIM AL
reptile
6 Give the class a new topic, for example, crocodiles, and ask them to
make their own mind maps, individually or in pairs. When they have
finished they can show their maps to other learners and explain
them, or present them on the board.
••••••••••••••0 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Variations 1. Mind mapping can be used for almost any topic. It is a good initial
activity to help learners organize the information they need to write
an essay.
2 You can draw the mind map with only the topic word and headings
and ask the class to think of the words to go with each heading. Or
you can draw the mind map with the topic word and words - the
class has to think of the headings.
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in at on
at on in
on in at
Activity 1 Divide the class into two teams called 'Noughts' (0) and 'Crosses'
(X). Explain that the teams take turns to choose prepositions and
make sentences. "When a team has three noughts or three crosses in a
row, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, they are the winner.
2 A learner from the Noughts team selects a time preposition from one
on the board and says which row it is on. The learner then makes a
sentence using the word, for example, 'at' - 'The shop opens at 8 ,
'
0 clock: or 'English people give each other presents at Christmas:
3 A learner from the Crosses team chooses another preposition (or the
one the Noughts got wrong) and makes a new sentence. If the
sentence is correct, draw a cross over the chosen preposition.
at 0
9� in
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2 Adjectives � adverbs
Here is a possible set of adjectives: 'beautiful', 'good', 'slow', 'fast ', 'sad',
'loud', 'kind', 'bad', 'soft'.
The learners change the adjective to an adverb. Another option is for
the learners to make a sentence using first the adjective and then the
corresponding adverb, for example, 'She is a bea�tiful singer: � 'She
sings beautifully:; 'He's a good badminton player.' � 'He plays
badminton welL'
3 Phrasal verbs
Here is a possible set of phrasal verbs: 'put up', 'put off ', 'put in� 'put
out', 'put through', 'give off ', 'give in', 'give up', 'give out'.
The learners make a sentence using the phrasal verb, for example: 'I
am going to put in for a new job: 'I was rather put off by his strange
behaviour:
4 Functional phrases
Here is a possible set of functions: (make a) request, (make an) offer ,
(make a) suggestion, (ask for) permission, (make a) complaint, (give
an) opinion, (make an) apology, (make an) invitation, (give an)
instruction.
The learners have to use a functional phrase, for example, 'make a
request' - 'My car has broken down. Could you help me push it?'
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6 Rebuilding a text
Activity 1 If you are using the example text, ask the learners if they can cook
and if they would like to have a restaurant. Ask them what they
would have to do each day and what sort of restaurant they would
like to have. Ask them who the customers might be.
3 Make sure that no-one writes anything yet. Explain that you are
going to read a text and that they must listen very carefully. Tell the
class you are going to write the text on the board with their help.
First, read the whole text to them. Then re-read the first four
sentences. Yo� may need to read them more than once.
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Rebuilding a text 6
5 Ask more questions to elicit the next part of the text.
6 Continue asking questions in this way until you have four sentences
on the board. Tell the learners they can now copy these into their
notebooks.
7 Continue in this way, letting them re-construct the text from their
answers to your questions and only copying off the board after about
three or four sentences. Continue until you have written the whole
text on the board and the learners have copied it into their
notebooks.
0••••00••0000000000.00000000000000000000000000
Variations 1 Once the whole text is on the board, tell the class to cover their
original texts. Wipe out parts of the text on the board and ask the
class if they can remember the missing words. You could remove the
verbs, or nouns, or articles, or pronouns, or any area of language
your learners need to practise.
4 More advanced learners can use this text to act out a scene in the
market or in the restaurant.
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7 Class survey
LANGUAGE Practising general questions about food, drink, and activities, for
example:
•
PREPARATION Copy this grid on the board. Just fill in the headings and the answer
in the first two columns.
•0 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Activity 1 Point to the grid on the board and explain to the class that they are
going to do a survey about things they like.
2 Point to the word (Italian' in the chart and ask the class to ask you a
question about food, for example, (What kind of food do you like?'
Give a natural answer, for example, (I really like Italian food,
especially pasta and pizza.'
3 Point to the second topic (drink' and ask a confident learner to ask
you a question, for example, (What kind of drink do you like?', and
answer, for example, (I like coffee: Practice the question and answer
with the whole class.
4 Point to the third topic. This time ask a learner to ask another learner
a question, e.g. (What kind of sports do you like playing?' or (What
kind of sports do you like watching?' Do the same with the
remaining topics.
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Class survey 7
5 Divide the class into six groups and give each group a topic. Tell
them that they have ten minutes to ask as many people in the class
their question and make a note of the answers and names. When
they have finished ask the groups to come to the board one-by-one
and write their answers in the table, for example:
Name Food
Joanna Italian
Mariko Japanese
Ludmilla Italian
Juan Chinese
Paulo Brazilian
Jules French
Patricia French
6 Tell the groups to use the information they have collected on the
board to make a short report.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
2 You could go through the topics before the activity and make lists of
the possible answers, for example, sport: football, baseball,
basketball, golf, tennis, etc.
3 The groups could do th� main activity in pairs rather than mingle.
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RESOURCES Flashcards .
PREPARATION Write a set of words on pieces of card or paper in large clear letters so
that the whole class can see them. For example:
The etory
One night Tom went for a walk in
the foreet It wae very dark and he
loet hie way Suddenly he eaw the eyee
of a wild animal
TIME GUIDE 20-30 minutes .
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Activity 1 Tell the class that they are going to practise telling a story using cards .
Explain that you are going to show them the ten words of the first
sentence of the story. The learners have to remember the words
without writing them down . They then work in pairs to rebuild the
sentence.
Show each card one by one for two or three seconds . When you have
shown all the cards give the learners a few minutes to write the
sentence in the correct order.
3 When they are ready ask a pair to read out their sentence . Tell the rest
of the class to help correct any mistakes .
4 Do the same activity with the other sentences till the class can tell the
whole story.
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Variations, 1 You can make the activity easier or harder by using short or longer
sentences. To make it harder you could show the words in the wrong
order.
One
in a
4 You could leave out a word from each sentence for the learners to
guess.
5 You could use another set of cards to retell the story, for example, day
(night), jog (walk), park (forest). Hold the cards up one by one and
ask the learners to make a new sentence each time, for example:
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PREPARATION Make eight flashcards: six prompt cards, a smiley face, and a sad face.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Activity 1. Show the class the cinema flashcard and ask these questions:
!§ Where is it?
Em You want to ask a friend to go with you. You want to go on Monday.
What do you say?
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5 Put the flashcards on the board or around the wall and tell the class
to work in pairs making and responding to invitations.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Variations 1. Picture flashcards can be used to introduce and practise a wide range
of grammatical and functional language, for example, talking about
the past, making requests, and so on. They work best with dialogues
with a question and response, for example:
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10 Picture cards
RESOURCES Flashcards
PREPARATION Draw the nine pictures showing the process of making potato crisps
on flashcards.
o 0 0 0
Activity 1. Stick the cards at random on the board (as above) or peg them onto
a string washing line.
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Picture card s 10
3 Write some words and phrases you want the class to use on the
board. Tell the learners to copy these and work individually and
write down which pictures the words and phrases refer to. For
example:
S Ask one pair or group to read out their first sentence and to come
out to the board or line and put the picture card in the right place.
Now ask another pair to do the same with the next correct picture
until the whole process is complete. The correct order is:
The field is dug up.
The seed potatoes are planted.
The potatoes are picked.
The potatoes are loaded on a lorry.
The potatoes are taken to the potato factory.
The potatoes are washed.
The potatoes are chopped.
The potatoes are fried.
The potatoes are put into packets.
•••••••••••••••0 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 .
Variations 1. Write sentences to match the pictures on the board. The sentences
could be complete, have gaps, or just have the first two or three
words. You can give each sentence a letter and write them in the
wrong order. Learners have to write the sentences in the correct
order.
2 Focus on how to put the sentences together using: 'first', 'then', '�d',
'after that', 'next', 'finally'.
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11 Memory game
RESOURCES Poster-size paper. You could use the back of a pre-printed poster.
With a big class you may need to prepare two identical posters.
f
PREPARATION Make a poster with 12 pictures of the words you want to revise, for I
example:
rn OJ ITl O
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Activity 1 Tell the class that they are going to see a poster with some pictures on
it of words that they have recently learnt. They must look at all the
pictures quickly and remember as many as possible. Place the
poster(s) so that all the learners can see it (them) easily. If you need
two posters, place them on opposite walls of the classroom.
2 Ask the learners to stand around the poster (s) and look at the
pictures. Tell them not to write anything, but just to look carefully at
all the pictures on the poster for one minute.
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Memory game 11
4 To prompt their memory ask the class these questions - they don' t
need to answer yet:
5 Put the poster back up and check the answers with the class.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Variations :L To make the activity more difficult you could tell the class not to
write anything in stage 3 and say what they saw in pairs.
2 You can make a variety of questions for stage 4. The questions help
the learners think about the words in a way that will improve
memorization.
4 The learners can test each other. In groups of three to six, they can
write out definitions of recently learnt words on a poster. The posters
are placed around the classroom and the learners work together to
find other groups' poster words.
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12 Shopping ,
LANGUAGE Practising asking questions; talking about prices and amounts. For
example:
A Good morning.
B Good morning. How much are your . . . ?
A They're . . . (euros) each I a kilo.
B And how much are your . . ?.
I sticky tape.
I
You will need one sheet of paper for every four learners plus one for
yourself.
A poster for the dialogue.
PREPARATION Prepare a poster with the conversation above.
Prepare a poster with four fruit, for example:
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Activity :1 Ask the class to call out any names of fruit they can think of and
write them on the board. For example:
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Shopping 12
2 Put the class into groups of four and tell each group to choose four
fruit from the board, draw them and their names on a poster, and
decide a price (per kilo in the local currency) for each fruit. They
should notwrite the price on the poster.
3 When all the groups have finished tell them to put their posters
where the other groups can see them, for example, on the wall
beside them.
4 Put the dialogue and your poster on the board. Start the dialogue
and prompt the class to respond and ask the first question:
TEACHER Good morning.
CLASS Good morning. How much are your oranges?
TEACHER They're . . . (euros) a kilo / each.
Variations 1 You can use a different vocabulary area, for example, vegetables.
2 You can use different topics, for example:
1m asking about a room, flat, or house to rent
Iffi asking about the price of holidays.
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13 Dominoes
•••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Activity :L Divide the class into groups of six. Give each group a set of cards
which have been well mixed up. Tell them to place one card face-up
in the middle of the group and place the other cards face-up on one
side, so that all learners in the group can see them. The groups stand
or sit in a circle round their cards.
2 Explain that they should try to match the cards to form pairs of
verbs in the present simple and past simple, for example,
comes-came, goes-went. Show the class an example. (See
(Preparation' above.) One learner has to pick up a card that matches
either side of the one in the middle and place it in the right position.
The group must decide if this is correct.
3 Working clockwise, the next learner tries to select the correct card
and place it in the same way on either side. When the group has used
up all the cards, the cards will form a complete circle. You can make
the activity into a competition by seeing which group finishes first
and correctly.
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Domi � oes 13
:! I
4 Working with the whole class, check that learners have put the cards
together correctly. As you do this, ask some learners to say two
sentences to the whole class, one in the present tense and one in the
simple past.
••••••••••• 0 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I (Qd�\
�'¢� ] \\,�I in bB ( [�t\ OM � \1 �4i�
ROLE D ROLE E
You make baskets and mats You are a TIsherman. The new
out of local reeds and woul.d development means that you
like to extend your business. wou Id have to go much
further to TIsh and start
earlier to get your catch to
market.
PREPARATION Prepare enough sets of cards so that each learner has one card.
TIME GUIDE 30 minutes.
Activity 1 Explain to the learners that they are a group of people who live and
work in a beautiful/interesting area of a country. A big company
plans to re-build the harbour and make a big road through your
village to develop the area as a tourist resort. They have called a
meeting to discuss the project. At the end of the meeting the local
people vote for or against the project. There are cards describing the
roles of everybody involved (see (Resources' above).
2 Divide the learners into groups A, B, C, D, and E. Hand out A role
play cards to ·the A group, B role-play cards to the B group, and so on.
Explain that they should discuss their cards in their groups and
decide how they are going to persuade the others to accept their
opinion.
3 When the class is ready, re-group them so that there are learners
playing A, B, C, D, and E roles in each group. Tell everyone to explain
who they are and speak and give their opinions as if they were that
person. Allow the discussion to develop freely. Walk round the class
making a note of any common errors that the learners make when
they agree or disagree, or try to persuade each other.
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Variation 1 You can help learners develop other roles if you have a large or
diverse class.
2 Here is another idea for a role play:
Family inheritance
ROLE D ROLE E
You are Y's brother. You help You are a close friend ofY.
your father with deliveries. Y is clever and hardworking.
Your are practical and not You think that Y should have
interested in studying. You her own life and career.
think the family needs a new
delivery van to help the
business.
Explain to the learners that they are all members of a family and an
old relative has died and left the family some money. The family is
going to get together to decide what to do with the money.
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15 Reminder cards
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Activity 1 Tell the learners that a visitor to their school has raised a lot of
money to make improvements to the school. Write the amount in
local currency on the board. The learners play the roles of the
teachers who decide what to do with the money.
2 With the whole class, discuss the main areas that need improvement
and write them on the board, for example:
start a library
make a football pitch
buy new training equipment such as sewing machines� computers�
or tools
buy more books.
3 Give the learners time to decide individually how the money should
be spent and make notes about their ideas.
4 Divide the class into groups of between three and six learners and
give each group a set of cards. Tell the groups to make a copy of each
card and spread them out, face-up, in the middle of the group so that
everyone can see them.
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Reminder cards 15
5 In their groups, the learners discuss how they would spend the
money. When a learner uses one of the suggestion phrases or
responses, they should pick up that card. While the learners are
speaking, walk around quietly and make a note of any common
mistakes or problems.
6 Give the groups about ten minutes. At the end of the activity ask
each group how many reminder cards each learner used.
7 Ask the whole class to talk about what they have decided to do.
8 Write some of the common mistakes you heard on the board and ask
the class if they can correct them .
Variation You can use phrases for other functions, for example, asking for
repetition, clarification, or further information:
Sorry, could you flay that againf' I Why did you do thatI' I
I'm florry, I don't underetand. I When wafl thatI' I
I How did you do thatI' I Could you flay that In a different wayI'
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••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
(J 'tJ
CJ (]
0
(:1 0 tJ Q
(J (J p Q
(J (:J p d
2 Tell the learners to work in groups of four or five. Explain that in
their groups they must decide how to arrange the chairs and plan a
short play to show to the rest of the class. Their play should be about
five minutes long. Remind them that plays are more interesting if
there is some kind of conflict or surprise and they must decide what
this is. They can write a script or improvise depending on the
language level of the learners. If you think your class needs more
support, tell them one of these storylines as an example.
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•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 0 ••••••••••••••••
Variations 1 The learners can either memorize their lines or read them as they are
performing.
2 You can use stools, boxes, or tables to set the scenes. Also you can use
any objects you can find as props, for example, a broom can be a
crutch, the board cleaner can be a mobile telephone.
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17 De sc ri bing obje ct s
. . . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. ,. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Activity 1 Tell the class that they are going to guess some classroom objects
from your descriptions. You are going to give them five clues, one at a
time, and they have to guess the object you are talking about. The
first person to guess wins. If the class can't guess the object after five
sentences, you are the winner.
2 Read out the first sentence from 'Language' and let the learners try to
guess what the object is. If they can't guess correctly, read out the
second sentence. Continue until they can guess what the object is.
Do the same with the second object.
3 Ask the class what we talk about when we describe something and
write their ideas on the board, for example:
• what it's made of
• colour
• size
• other physical features
• what we use it for.
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Describing O�jects 17
4 Tell the class to work in pairs or small groups. They should secredy
choose an object in the classroom and write down a set of clues using
the guidelines on the board.
S When they are ready ask the learners to read out their sentences one
by one and let the rest of the class guess the objects .
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Variations ' :L The activity can also be done with objects that you or learners bring
to the class or with pictures of objects. For a variation on this activity
using questions, see Unit 1 9 'Ten questions'.
2 Instead of giving groups an object to describe, write a list of general
descriptions on the board, for example:
rnJ thinge; that are made of wood
Em thinge; that are curved
fBi thinge; that are e;oft.
[Ill thinge; that are longer than one metre.
Each group has to look around the classroom and find as many
things as possible which fit the description. They must write the
name of the object in the correct place on the board. Note which
group writes which word. The group with the longest list wins.
3 .As preparation to writing a story or poetry, learners can write down
what they associate with an object as well as its description. For
example:
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Activity 1 Place two chairs next to each other and next to your table. Put the
box on the table and place all the objects so that there are one or two
objects on, under, beside, behind, between, or in front of the table,
the box, the chair, or the chairs. Here is one possible arrangement.
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4 Tell the class they are going to play a guessing game by asking you
'Yes/No' questions. You think of one of the objects and write it on a
piece of paper. The learners ask you questions to find out your
mystery object, for example:
LEARNERS Is it under the table?
TEACHER No, it isn't.
LEARNERS Is it behind the box?
TEACHER Yes, it is.
LEARNERS It's the dictionary.
5 When a learner has correctly guessed the object you chose, repeat the
activity with a pair of objects, for example, two pencils:
LEARNERS Are they on the table?
TEACHER No, they aren't.
Variation This could also be a follow-on activity. The learners work in pairs.
�ach learner thinks of an object and where it is. Then they take turns
to ask the same types of questions to find out which object their
partner is thinking of, and where it is.
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19 Ten questions
LANGUAGE Is i� . . . (shape/texture)?
Is it made of . . . (material)?
Is it used for . . . ?
RESOURCES Objects inside the classroom.
PREPARATION None.
TIME GUIDE 1 5-20 minutes.
Activity 1 Tell the class that you have written the name of an object in the
classroom on a piece of paper. The aim of the game is to guess what
it is by asking questions. Write (Is it . . . ?' on the board and ask the
class to think of some questions, for example:
Is it . round/square'?
soft;/hard,?
large/small'?
heavy/1 ig ht,?
on the wall / on the floor'?
made of wood/plastic/cloth'?
used for writing on / sitting on'?
�
..... . - ... .. 1.0
You can give the class clue, for example, (Think of the shape.' or
(What about the texture?' The first learner to guess the object is the
winner.
2 Organize the learners in groups of between three and five learners.
Tell them to choose an object that can be found in the classroom, for
example: a door, a piece of paper, a textbook, a pen.
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Ten qUestio·ns 19
3 Choose a group to start the activity. This group stands in front of the
class. Learners from the other groups take it in turns to ask (Yes/No'
questions, as in stage 1 . Each group asks one question in turn. Make
a tick on the board after each question, and, if no-one in the class has
guessed the name of the object after ten questions, the 'standing team
wins ten points.
4 When the object has been correctly guessed, the team who guessed
wins points according to how many questions were asked in total:
fSJ 9 questions = 1 point
g 8 questions = 2 points
and so on.
5 The other groups then take it in turns to stand up in front of the
class, 'and the questions and answers start again .
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • ••••••••••••••••
Variations 1 Make the activity into group work. Start by placing the class in pairs,
who then choose an object. Then place two pairs together who in turn
try to guess the object, asking the same type of questions as before.
2 Make the activity into a team game. Divide the class into teams of a
maximum of ten. You choose an object, or ask for learners, one-by
one, to come up to the front and answer the questions. To make it
competitive, anyone can raise their arm to ask a question. The
teacher needs to nominate the learners as they raise their arm. The
team who supplies the correct answer gains a point.
3 Change the question types by asking, (Who am I?' Place the learners
in groups of three to five. Tell them to think of and agree upon a
person known to the learners, for example, a teacher, a community
leader, a singer, a musician, an actor, or a sports person. Then each
group needs to talk to check the details of their chosen person, for
example: 'Are they alive or dead?� 'Are they male or female?', (Do they
live in our town/village?', 'Are they foreign?', 'Are they internationally
famous?'. Continue as before, as a class, or group, or team activity.
4 Change the question types by asking, (Where am I?' Place the
learners in groups of three to five. Tell them to think of and agree
upon a place known to the learners, for example, a town, a river, a
beach, or a mountain. Then each group needs to discuss and agree
on the details of their chosen place, for example: (Is it near here?', (Is it
in the town or country?', (Is it quiet or noisy?'. Continue as before, as
a class, or group, or team activity.
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20 Favourite things
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Activity 1 Help the learners to put their object secretly in the box or bag so that
no one knows who owns which object. Ask the learners to group
round your table or round a space on the floor. Tell them not to lee
anyone else know which is their object.
2 Take the objects out of the box one by one making sure that the
learners know the names of the objects and place them on the table
or floor. You could also discuss with the class what they are made of
or used for.
. !i
3 Tell the learners they have to guess the owner of each object and to
say why they think that person is the owner. When an owner is
identified, tell them to talk to the class about their object, for
example, 'Why did they choose it?', 'Is there a story behind it?', 'When
and why did they get it?'
4 Other learners can also ask questions, for example, 'How much did it
cost?', 'Who gave it to you?', 'Where do you keep it?'
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Variations 1 The learners can compare the design of the packaging, by looking at
the pictures, the amount of and clarity of information given, and the
strength and suitability of the packing for the food it held.
2 The language of advertising on the packaging can be looked at and
compared. The learners could make up their own advertising slogans
for each product.
3 Ask learners to bring in their own selection of packaging. It may take
a term to make a large and varied collection, so tell the class to start ,
collecting at the beginning of term. When the class has collec�ed
enough packaging to fill a box per group of four learners, you can
organize a shopping activity.
Each group arranges their selection of packaging as in a shop on a
desk. In turn, one learner from each group stays behind the desk as
the shopkeeper. The rest of the class visit the other (shops' and ask for
what they want to buy.
CUSTOMER Have you got any . . ?
.
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity 1 Organize the class into groups of four to six. Give each group two
pieces of packaging.
2 Ask each group a question about their packaging, for example:
• What type of packaging is it? - bottle, pack, carton, jar, box
• What is the product? - sugar, biscuits, cleaning fluid, jam
• Which company made it? - Nescafe, Johnson and Johnson,
Ajinomoto
• How much does it weigh? - 500 grams, 1 kilo
• How much does it cost? - € 14, $2, F30
• What's in it? - flour, salt, chocolate, additives
• What's the sell-by date? - 12 Jun, 12.06.05
• Is there any other information? - nutrition, e-numbers, recyclable.
Write the questions and some example answers on the board.
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S Learners can then practise the language in groups by asking for and
exchanging objects, for example:
LEARNER 1 I'd like something smooth and flat.
LEARNER 2 Sure. Here you are. May I have something small and
round?
. 0 . 0 . 0 0 ••• 0 • • • ••• 0 0 • • 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 •• 0 • • •
Variations Any of the activities above can be done with other objects or with
pictures of objects on cards.
1 With more advanced learners, give out one of each kind of object to
each group so that each group has a collection of similar objects. The
groups have to compete to think up as many adjectives as they can to
describe their objects. In turn, the groups read out their list of
adjectives. Other groups may later add to this list so that all learners
have the chance to learn new vocabulary. The team with the most
adjectives is the winner.
2 Younger learners are happy to arrange stones into letters or
numbers. Call out a number or a letter and let learners arrange them.
3 Stones can be very useful as counters for teaching mathematical
concepts like addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity 1 Hold up an object, for example, a shell, and ask the class to describe
it, for example:
It's a shell. It's white and round.
2 Hold up some other objects and ask the class to help you fill in the
chart on the board. Write the names of the object on the left side of
the board and the adjectives on the right side, for example:
sticks long, short, thin, thick, rough, smooth, stra ig ht, bent
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Newspaper stories 23
Activity 1 Organize the class into pairs or groups of three and explain that you
have put three stories on the walls and divided them into articles,
headlines, and pictures. Explain that they have to walk round the
room and match the three parts of the story.
2 Let the learners walk around freely and discuss the parts of the
stories in their pairs or groups.
3 When they have finished, ask each pair or group to tell the rest of the
class which parts go together and why. Put the parts of the story
together on the board when the class has agreed on the co�rect
solution.
4 Tell the groups that they are now going to work in larger groups and
choose a story or part of the story. They can then choose to:
E:i act out what happened
OR
\TIl , interview people connected with the story
OR
EJ write a news story for a TV news programme.
S Help the learners get themselves into groups of the appropriate size
and give them time to prepare. After some practice each group can
perform in front of the class.
6 If the class are interested in the topic they could continue with a class
discussion on the main issues.
7. This could lead to a writing activity. Learners can write an article for
a class newspaper. Or they could write to the newspaper that their
picture came from, describing their feelings about the picture.
Variation Organize the class into three groups. Give one group all the pictures,
one group all the headlines, and one group all the articles.
Tell the first two groups to talk about what they think the stories are,
where and when they happened, who was involved, etc. Tell the third
group to read the articles and check they understand them.
When all three groups are ready, tell them to stand up and look for
the two other learners with the matching headline, picture, and
story. When they find each other they should make a new group of
three.
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23 N ewspaper stories
Painting
stolen
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True or fal�e? 24
Variations 1 The sentences that you or the learners write can concentrate on
sentences with specific grammar points, as a revision activity. For
example, using adverbs of frequency:
m I always ... (go to the park on Sunday) .
lfH I occasionally . . . (get up at 6am) .
Il.i I sometimes . . . (eat breakfast) .
ttY I never . . . (go to bed before midnight) .
In pairs or groups, learners can write sentences for each other and
discuss if they could be true or false.
2 You can change the focus to agreeing or disagreeing. Dictate
sentences, or ask learners to write a number of sentences about
predictions for the future, for example:
m I think our school will ... (double in size in five years) .
[i I don't think . . . (we will have a cold winter next year) .
In pairs or groups, they tell each other and discuss if they agree or
disagree.
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24 True or false?
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 . 0 • • • • • • • •
Activity :L Explain to the class that you are going to give them some facts about
yourself. Some are true, some false. Tell the learners to write the
sentences as you read them.
2 Organize the class into pairs. Tell the learners to discuss which of
your sentences they think are true or false.
3 When the pairs have finished ask them to join up with another pair
and discuss their answers.
4 Ask some groups to tell the rest of the class what they think and why.
Confirm if each sentence is true or false.
S Tell the class to work individually and write about six sente�ces
about themselves, some true, some false. When they are ready they
should get back in their groups, read out their sentences, and guess
which are true or false.
6 The class can use the information about you or their classmates to
write an article for the school magazine or a letter to a friend.
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Variations 1 You could include flashcards with single words written on them, to
make the story more complex, or to help learners revise important
linking words (see Unit 8 'Stories from words') , for example:
. Conjunctions: and, but, because, so
Time words: later, then, next, suddenly
Places or names
2 The learners can do the miming, individually, or in small groups.
They take turns to mime a story, for the whole class to guess. This
can be done as a competition.
Of ..
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Activity 1 Explain to the class that you are going to mime an event that
happened to you recently and that you want them to tell you the
story.
2 Write 'Today' and 'Yesterday' on the board and draw a ring round
'Yesterday'. Then do the mime as follows:
Yesterday I went to the market with my little sister.
!if! went to the market - mime holding a basket and walk up and down
looking at things around you
E3 little sister - mime holding the hand of a small person
When I wanted to pay, I discovered that I had left my money at
home.
Lill wanted to pay - mime putting your hand into your pretend basket
and feel for your purse
I?l left my money at home - mime a surprised look when you cannot
find your purse
Suddenly I saw a friend and she lent me some money.
1!3 saw a friend - mime waving at someone in the distance
BI lent me the money - mime accepting some pretend money and then
give it to a pretend shopkeeper
I bought her an ice cream because I was so happy.
tlJ bought her an ice cream - mime buying and giving an ice cream to
the friend.
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Variations l' Tell the class you will only answer questions if they are
grammatically correct.
2 You, or a learner, can pretend to be someone else. You can answer as
either a real person, a friend, a relative, or a nationally famous
person, or you can find out the details of a fictional character in a
book or film, or you can be a completely imaginary character.
3 In pairs, learners try and find out what they have in common with
each other. They can ask the same types of question as before.
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.. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 Explain that you are going to give the class five facts about yourself.
The class can only ask you 'Yes/No' questions to find out what the
facts refer to.
2 Write the five facts on the board, for example:
six Marie
1995
blue 50
Delhi
3 Tell the class that any learner can ask you a question about the
. . possible reference for 'six', for example:
• Do you have six cousins?
• Have you been teaching for six years?
• Do you live at house number six?
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l am a wo id 27
.. .
5 Between each move ask the class if the sentence is now correct and if
- not, why not.
6 When the sentence is correct tell the class that they can also become a
word and join the line. Remind them that the sentence must always
be correct and complete after they have joined. For example, a
learner joins the line and again the word people say the new
sentence:
Alex gave Maria some beautiful flowers.
Tell the class that they can add more than one word by joining the
line with a friend. For example, two learners join the sentence
together to make:
Alex gave his girlfriend Maria some beautiful, flowers.
Tell the class that they can add a phrase or clause by joining the
sentence in a group of three or more:
The day before yesterday Alex gave his girlfriend Maria some
beautiful, red flowers for her birthday.
7 Divide the class into groups. These groups can make up their basic
sentence and in turn can come and stand in front of the class. Then
continue the activity as from stage 4 .
Variation Divide the class into groups of not more than six. Each group writes
the longest sentence they can. Now they write each word or phrase
on a small card or piece of paper and mix these so that they are in the
wrong order. Tell the groups to exchange their pile of cards with
another group. The groups try to put together a correct sentence
•
using the new set of cards .
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27 I am a word
Activity 1 Ask five learners to come with you outside the classroom. Explain
that they are going to play a word game. Give them one word each
and explain that each word is a word in a sentence.
2 Put the learners into random order and tell them to go back into the
classroom and stand in a row facing the class. They should stand like
this:
3 Explain to the class that these five learners are words in a sentence
and class have to put them in the right order. The five learners tell the
class their word, starting with the learner on the far right.
4 Ask the learners if they think this is a correct sentence. When they
f/
say 'No', invite one of the class to give an instruction to one of the
learners to move so that their position in the sentence is correct, for
example:
'Alex', move to the front of the sentence.
'Maria', stand between 'gave' and 'some'.
Other members of the class can then instruct words to move until
the sentence is correct. Between each move, ask the members of the
'sentence' to repeat their words.
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Panel of experts 28
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Variations 1. Decide on a couple of topics which you know will interest the class.
In a large class, organize the learners into groups of four and choose
one of these four to be the (expert' on the topic you have chosen.
While the other three people in the groups prepare questions, work
with the experts in a corner of the classroom and help them prepare
the topic and the language they will need.
Now the groups can do the activity all at the same time. (Experts' do
not need to come to the front of the class, but can be interviewed in
their groups. Now continue as from stage 3 above.
2 Organize the class into groups of between three and five learners.
Give each group a different (expert' topic. Give them fifteen minutes
to prepare information about their topic. Now select one group and
send these experts to other groups to answer questions for five
minutes. Then select another group to answer questions on their
topic and repeat the activity. This is a good activity with more
advanced learners.
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28 Panel of experts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity 1 Tell the class that three 'experts' have come to answer their questions.
Tell them the topics that have been selected, for example, 'playing
badminton', 'Morocco', 'making sushi'.
'2 Tell the learners that they are reporters and they are going to
interview these experts and then write an article about them for a
newspaper or magazine. They must work in groups of four and
quickly prepare two or more questions for each of the three chosen
experts. Meanwhile, the experts prepare a short introduction to their
topic. Walk round the class and help the learners to make interesting
questions, using a variety of question forms, for example:
• When did you first become interested in badminton?
• Which team do you play for?
• How many people can play?
• How do you score?
• Who is the national champion?
• What team does s/he play for?
• How much does it cost to buy a badminton racquet?
3 Now tell the experts to come to the front of the class and to sit on
three chairs facing the rest of the class.
4 Invite reporters from all parts of the classroom to ask their
questions. Do not interrupt the interviews but sinlply make sure that �
the questions keep coming and that the experts give enough
information.
S When each expert has answered the questions, stop the interviews
and tell the learners to go back into their original groups. They must
now try and remember the information they have heard. This can
now be used as the basis for an article about the topic for an
inlaginary newspaper or for a class magazine. Learners can select
which expert they will write about. The experts can write about each
other.
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Favourite peO � le 29
4 This activity can also be done using a learner's favourite place as a
topic and can become a way of choosing where to go for an
imaginary class outing or holiday. Label the groups A, B, C, D, etc.
Each learner in the group thinks of the most interesting place they
have ever been to and briefly tells the rest of the group, where it is
and why it was so special to them. The group then decides which
place they would like to visit. They then ask questions until they have
a complete picture of the place. Learners must remember the
information or make notes about this chosen place.
Once again, learners re-group so that each group has an A + B + C +
D, etc. Each member of this new group talks about the place that was
chosen and the new group decides on the best place to visit. One
learner from each new group can now report to the whole class and a
vote can be taken about which place to visit. This type of decision
making is called a (pyramid' activity.
. "
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29 Favourite people
• • • • • • • 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 • • • 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 • • • •
Activity 1 Tell the learners to think of a favourite person that they mow well.
This can be a friend, relative, or teacher. They must think of as much
information as possible about this person: why they like them, what
their relationship is with them, when they first met them, what they
look like, what work they do, and so on.
2 Organize the class into groups of not more than six.
3 Each learner describes his favourite person to the group and says
why slhe chose that particular person. When everyone has spoken,
the group must discuss which person they would all like to meet and
why.
4 The learner whose favourite person is chosen then takes on the role
of that person. Everyone else in the group must now ask questions in
turn and try and find out as much as they can about that person.
S A speaker from each group can tell the whole class about the
favourite person their group interviewed. The class can then vote for
the class favourite.
0 • • • • 0 . 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 • • 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Variations 1 Learners can write a newspaper article about their own, the group's
or the class' favourite person. They can pretend he or she has just
come to their town or village, or has just done something so special
that the newspaper wants to write about it.
2 Learners can choose to talk about someone famous. If they do not
have enough information about them, they must make it up.
3 Give each group a card with the name of a real or invented person �
and details about that person. One learner reads the card out to the
rest of the group who now have to invent more inform"ation about
that person. Everyone must make a note of this information. Now
students re-group so that each person in the new groups has
different information. Now the activity can continue as from stage 1 .
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"
Draw it like th is 30
2 When you have read out the complete description, ask the learners
first to compare their drawing with a partner. Then pin up your
original drawing, or redraw it on the board, and tell learners to
compare their drawings with your drawing. Read out your
description again so that learners can find out if and where they
went wrong. Tell the class that they are now going to do the same
activity with each other.
o
3 Organize the class so that they are sitting in pairs or threes. It is
important that the learners cannot see what each is going to draw, so
tell them to turn away from each other, or to hide their work behind
another piece of paper.
4 Ask each learner to draw a quick and simple floor plan drawing of a
room they know, or if they prefer, an imaginary room.
S After two or three minutes, tell them to stop drawing. Now one of
each pair must describe their picture, step-by-step, to their partner.
It is important that they do not show this picture to their partner, as
'
the purpose of this activity is to speak and listen. The listener then
draws what they have understood. If the listener forgets or is not
sure, they can ask for the information to be repeated.
6 When the first learner has fully described their picture, and their
partner has finIshed drawing from their partner's instructions, they
can show each other their drawings. Tell them to look out for
mistakes, for example, 'left' instead of 'right'.
7 Next, reverse the process so the listeners becomes the tellers.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 0 0 • • • • • •
Variations :L The first time learners hear the room description, they have to listen
very carefully as the description is not repeated, and no questions are
allowed. The description is read a second time and questions are
allowed.
2 Organize the learners in groups of three to four. Again, all learners
do a secret drawing. In turn each member of the group describes
their drawing to the rest of the group, who draw the description of
. "
what they hear. After each learner has described their drawing, all the
group members compare their drawings.
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Activity :l Make sure each learner has some paper and a pen or pencil. Slowly
read out the description of your drawing. Stop after each sentence
and ask learners to draw what they have heard.
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