Speaking skills: Machines (vocabulary of technology)
Intermediate level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
-
To develop the students' speaking skills within the context of modern culture and technology
Subsidiary Aims
-
To encourage fluency and confidence over accuracy, making sure Sts can discuss the subjects with ease and keeping corrections at a minimum.
Procedure (37-45 minutes)
Introduce myself to the students and ask for names (maybe have name tags); talk briefly about myself. Use pictures to introduce the topic: TV, iPhone/Nokia, laptop etc. Get students to name each object, then discuss in groups what they have, what they'd like and their opinions. To introduce the first activity, try and elicit "search engine" using the picture of the Google logo (maybe the Bing and Ask Jeeves too). Give it to them if they don't know the term.
Kinaesthetic exercise: students each have a handout with a number of descriptions, and must match each one to the correct word or phrase around the room. Students do this individually at first, then discuss in their small groups (pairs or threes), then open-class feedback. After the first feedback session, Sts must categorise each of the cards according to TV, computer or mobile phone. Headings are pre-printed; students discuss (again, in groups), then call out answers and I arrange the cards accordingly.
Some of the words and phrases have multiple meanings, within the same context (for instance: "charge" can mean either to charge a battery or charge for a service; "Google" is also used as a verb, which they probably know already). Make sure students are aware of this; get them to discuss in pairs if they think anything has multiple meanings. This might also be a good opportunity for pronunciation practice, drilling and so on.
Roleplay. Students are divided into groups A and B (I may have to partner with a student if the numbers are odd) - group A are from the present day, with all of their existing awareness of the previous concepts, vocabulary and how to use it; group B are time travellers (from 1913), have no awareness of any of these concepts, but need to have it explained to them. Pair work initially, with one A matched with one B, to explain ONE of the previous concepts, then they swap roles (and change to a different concept). Finally, nominate one pair to perform for the class.