First Impressions

download-3LESSON PLAN

Conversation class

Topic: First Impressions

Language level: Intermediate

Duration: 1 hour

Language skills:

·         Speaking: ask relevant questions in order to obtain specific information; provide required information/description; express opinions; describe people (appearance and character)

·         Listening: identify and understand specific details/information

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to discuss first impressions and how accurate they are; practice describing a person’s face, body and character.

Language:

·         Vocabulary: adjectives describing appearance and character

·         Grammar: use of descriptive adjectives; question formation; comparatives and superlatives

·         Pronunciation: topic-related vocabulary

Materials / Resources:

·         Handouts provided by the teacher 

Procedure:

  1. Warm-up
  • Write the proverb on the board: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
  • Ask students what it means.
  • Ask if they think it’s true
  • Introduce the topic: First impressions
  • Ask students how much they can tell about a person by their appearance (age, job, hobbies, education, personality, hobbies, marital status)
  • Optional: ask students to judge you by your appearance
  1. Pair / Group Activity
  • Write a list of adjectives describing character/personality on the board (dangerous, greedy, intelligent, kind, married, not smart, crazy, generous) and ask students: When you look at someone, what makes you think they are…
  • Elicit as many answers as possible
  • Ask the following questions: Have you met someone who you hated right away even though you didn’t know them? / When are the most important times to make a good first impression? / What are the best ways to make a good first impression? / Do you make first impressions based on what people wear?
  1. Pair/Group Activity
  • Divide students in pairs or groups of 3, or 4 depending on the class size
  • Give each pair/group a set of pictures of different people
  • Ask each pair/group to come up with two or three comments about the people in the pictures
  • Each pair/group shares the comments with the class
  • Encourage the rest of the students to agree or disagree
  • Give feedback