Funcational language
Pre-Intermediate level
Materials
Main Aims
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To practice and revise functional language to discuss ambitions and achievements.
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide speaking practice and promote the use of specific language exponents to communicate dreams, ambitions and achievements.
Procedure (29-45 minutes)
Show the ss a picture (related to the topic) and say "today we are going to review some useful expressions to talk about dreams, ambitions and achievements". Ask the ss: "do you know the difference between a dream, an ambition and an achievement?" (1 min) Tell the ss they will receive a link to a game by chat (wordwall). Provide the instructions: "Match the words to their meanings" (words: dream, ambition, achievement) (1 min) OCFB: elicit answers from the ss. Ask ss to give an example of each word. Then display the correct answers on a slide. Clarify doubts if there are any (1 min).
Tell ss they will listen to 5 people talking about their ambitions, dreams or achievements. Explain that while they listen, they will need to answer this question: which picture belongs to each person? Show the Google form and explain they will need to choose the name of the person (clarify they will work individually). Tell ss they will receive the form through the chatbox. Tell ss to pay attention to the name of each person (when they listen to the audio) -ICQ: Do you need to pay attention to every word you will hear? (No, just focus on 2 things: the name of the person and the ambition, dream or achievement they are talking about). Play the listening track (3 min) Peer check: tell ss they will compare and check their answers in pairs (2 min). OCFB - elicit answers from ss. (2 min) Transition: "Now let's look at some useful language"
MEANING (7 min) Tell the ss they will work individually. Ask the ss to complete a Google form: How do we use these expressions? Give instructions: Read the expressions and examples. Choose the right answer. Do the 1rst one as an example (3 min) ICQs: will you work individually or in a group? OC Feedback (elicit answers) (1 min). Show language exponents on slides and use CCQs to clarify the most challenging exponents (3) (3 min) * CCQs: Please, see the TLAS to find the CCQs for each exponent. FORM (5 min) Focus on a couple of exponents (the most challenging ones). Display googles slides. Show semi-fixed expressions and examples. Ask ss: which parts of these phrases stay the same and which parts can change? Tell the ss to look at the examples. Ask: "if we want to talk about dreams/achievements which part can we always use?" "which part is always there/ doesn't change? and which part is more flexible? which part can change?" Elicit answers. Write possible substitutions. Ask ss: "what part of speech comes after this phrase?" (point). Clarify that the verb that comes after the fixed expression should be in the infinitive form. Show the rule on the slide: One thing I’d love to do is + verb in the infinitive form (give some examples: buy, open, etc). Then ask the same question about the target language to discuss achievements: "What part of speech comes after this phrase?". Show the example on the slide (My greatest achievement was when I got into university). After the students' replies, clarify that the verb that comes after the fixed expression should be in the past simple tense because this expression is referring to the past. Show the rule on the slide: My greatest achievement was when I + verb in the past simple tense (give some examples: got, went, etc.) (*) Highlight the contractions in the sentences (I've, It's, I'd). Explain: "These are called contractions. We use contractions to combine 2 words and make them shorter" . Highlight each contraction and ask ss: "which two words form this contraction?" (I have/ It is/ I would) PRONUNCIATION (3 min) Display pronunciation slides Elicit key sound features (linking, stress) Read and drill sentences chorally and individually APPROPRIACY (1 min) Show the exponents and ask ss if they sound formal, neutral or informal. Clarify that when we use contractions we sound more informal. In formal contexts, contractions are usually avoided.
Send the link to the task by chat (Google form), ask ss to open the link. Tell ss they will work individually 1rst. Give instructions (1 min): You will see some sentences and different endings. You need to choose the right ending for each sentence". Demo the 1rst answer. Time: 3 min ICQ: Are you working in pairs or individually? (individually) ICQ: What do you need to choose? (the right ending for each sentence) Peer check: ask ss to compare and check their answers with a classmate. (2 min) OCFB: show answers, and elicit reasons for a few of the more challenging answers. Focus on clarifying mistakes. (3 min)
Speaking task (7 min) show instructions on a slide. Give instructions: (*) Tell ss they will need a notepad/ paper sheet and a pen for this task. 1. Make a list of 3 or 4 dreams, ambitions or achievements that you have in your life. Look at some of these ideas that can help you: Time: 2 min - job/school - places you want to live in/visit - something you want to own (a car or a house) - money - children/family - something you learned in the past/ want to learn 2. Now you are going to think about what you want to say (use your list). Look at the useful language, and choose the expressions that you want to use (1 min) Show the useful language on a slide. 3. Now you are going to work in groups. Tell each other your dreams/ambitions/achievements. REMEMBER TO USE THE USEFUL LANGUAGE (4 min) ICQ: what do you need to tell each other? (our dreams/ambitions/achievements) ICQ: what do you need to use when you speak? (the useful expressions) *Send ss to BOR. Send a printscreen of the useful language. OCFB and DEC (4 min) Give positive feedback about the content of their conversations. Give feedback about good language use. Talk about pronunciation errors in the use of target language, elicit correct pronunciation. Write some sentences with mistakes on the slide. Elicit corrections from the ss. Suggest some reformulations. Clarify and correct the mistakes on the slide.