Postcard Phrases
Elementary level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide product writing practice of a postcard in the context of travel
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide gist reading practice using a text about travel
Procedure (35-45 minutes)
The T is going to bring some postcards and use them as realia. First, she is also going to use them to elicit the word 'postcard'. The T will drill the word, write it on the board and show the stress with a different color. Next, the T is going to ask some questions: Do you send postcards? Do you get postcards? Which one is better; a letter or a postcard? Why? When do you send postcards? Where can you buy postcards? The questions will be discussed together for a few minutes.
The T explains that the ss are going to read a postcard from Oliver and Kristina and distributes the HO. They are going to read the postcard alone in 1 minute and answer the question: Which country are they visiting? (Egypt) When they are done with reading, the T puts ss into pairs. She wants them to tell their answers to each other and discuss what helped them to find the answer. They keep talking for 2 minutes. WC FB Before moving on to the conventions of postcard writing, the T does further comprehension of the text: What's the whether like there? (It's very hot there in the day and cold at night) Where do they sleep? (They sleep in tents, or sometimes on the boats) The T gets the answers from the ss and tells whether they are correct or not.
The T distributes a HO on which there will be three gapped sentences related to the rules of postcard writing. The ss are expected complete the sentences by looking at the postcard that they have read before. They work in pairs to finish the task, but before they start, the T projects a postcard outline on the board and does the first one with them. Then the T sets a time limit. The ss are going to have 1 minute to fill in the gaps. When they finish, the T asks ss to read their sentences and wants them to complete the rest of the outline by writing the correct words on it. The T checks the writings on the board and corrects them if necessary. Next, the T projects the postcard on the WB again and attracts ss' attention to one of the postcard phrases in it. She asks ss what is missing in this phrase (the subject pronoun and the helping verb). She elicits the missing words and puts ss into different pairs. They are told to find three more phrases and write them in full. They will have 2 minutes for this exercise.The T asks ICQs: Are you going to work alone? (no) Are you going to find three or four phrases) (three) Are you going to write the long form of these sentences? (yes) When they finish, the T gives the answer key and answers ss' questions if there is any. In the next exercise, the ss will be given four sentences and the ss will cross out some of the words in these sentences in order to make postcard phrases. Ss are going to work in the same pairs and finish the exercise in 1 minute. When the time is up, the T will project the sentences on the board. She will get the answers from the ss and cross out the words on the WB.
The projects the postcard on the WB again and gives the ss a postcard outline. The ss will be told to choose a country to write about. They will be told that they shouldn't write the name of the place in their postcard and they will need to include postcard phrases in their writing as well. They are going to write the postcards alone in 10 minutes. The T asks ICQs: Are you going to work in pairs? (no. alone) Are you going to write the name of the place? (no.) Are you going to use short postcard phrases in your writing? (yes) While they are writing, the T helps the ss when necessary. After they finish, the T put ss into different pairs and wants them to read their postcards to each other.
While the ss are reading their postcards to each, the T will take notes of the mistakes and give the ss delayed feedback and error correction.