Christel Sirocchi Christel Sirocchi

Writing and speaking practice
upper-intermediate level

Description

In this lesson, SS will practice writing skills in different contexts and levels of formality. Specifically, SS will learn and practice how to make formal complains, how to make formal work-related arrangements, how to congratulate and give instructions informally. At the beginning of the lesson, SS will brainstorm and discuss about the different ways we use written language to communicate with others (emails, letters, ..) and how we change our language according to the recipient of the message and the context. SS will analyse the form and the register of few sentences extracted from the reading activity that follows. Then they will read 4 messages with different context, register and purpose. They will match the message with the context and level of formality, and complete a gap-fill exercise. Finally, SS practice writing in groups in the same context and register as the reading tasks previously completed. All students read and comment on other groups' work.

Materials

Abc HANDOUT2
Abc HANDOUT1
Abc TP5 presentation

Main Aims

  • The main aim is to practice writing with different level of formality in the following contexts: complains, work arrangements, congratulations, instructions

Subsidiary Aims

  • The subaim it to learn and practice formal and informal vocabulary used to complain, congratulate, make work arrangements, give instructions

Procedure

STAGE 1 - LEAD IN (4-5 minutes) • to introduce the topic of the lesson by starting a discussion about different means and purposes of written communication

Ask SS if they communicate with other using written language. Ask students to discuss in groups about the means and the recipients of the messages. Discuss as WC Ask if they use the same language when talking to different people (friend, boss) or in different contexts (work email, birthday card). If not, ask students to discuss in groups what changes and why. Elicit the words formal, informal, register. Comment on these words as WC and use CCQs to check meaning.

STAGE 2 (12-15 minutes) • vocabulary

Show sentences extracted form the reading passage in the next stage. Ask students to discuss in groups and choose wheater the senteces have formal or informal register. Correct as whole class and comment on the sentences. Question SS about their choice. Ask SS to justify why they choose a certain register. Discuss as whole class. Point out that phrasal verbs are generally used in informal communication. Ask students to discuss in groups and try to guess the context of the messages they are going to read. SS read the messages, match them with the corresponding context and put them in order of formality. Fill the gaps. Analyse the text.

STAGE 3 (8-10 minutes) • analyze vocabulary in context

look at these messages, read them quickly and match them with the context. check now sort them based on register. decide whether they are formal or informal. complete the gaps with the following sentences.

STAGE 4 (10-15 minutes) • Writing

Students in groups write in a certain context and registered, insppired by the messages read in the previous stage.

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