Tugce Erkmen Tugce Erkmen

Postcard Phrases
Elementary level

Description

In this lesson, students learn about the phrases that are typically used to write postcards. The lesson starts with a gist reading of an example postcard. The students read and try to find out the country that is described in the postcard. This is followed by the presentation of the ways to make postcard phrases. The students learn how to make postcard phrases and use those phrases to write their own postcard. At the end of the lesson, the students read their postcards and the teacher provides the students with the necessary feedback.

Materials

Abc Postcard
Abc Sentence completion
Abc Making postcard phrases
Abc A postcard outline
Abc Postcards as realia
Abc Postcard

Main Aims

  • To provide product writing practice of a postcard in the context of travel

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide gist reading practice using a text about travel

Procedure

Lead-in (3-5 minutes) • To set lesson context and engage students

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.

Exposure (3-5 minutes) • To provide a model of production expected in coming tasks through reading

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.

Useful Language (8-10 minutes) • To highlight and clarify useful language for coming productive tasks

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.

Productive Task (18-20 minutes) • To provide an opportunity to practice target productive skills

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.

Feedback and Error Correction (3-5 minutes) • To provide feedback on students' production and use of language

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.

Web site designed by: Nikue