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

 

 

Beliefs & Opinions

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LESSON PLAN

 

 

Conversation class

 Topic: Beliefs & Opinions

Language level: Intermediate

Duration: 1 hour

Language skills:

·         Speaking: express beliefs and personal opinions; express agreement and disagreement

·         Listening: identify and understand specific details/information

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to share personal opinions, express agreement and disagreement, ask for clarification.

Language:

·         Vocabulary: opinions (asking for, supporting, stating, agreeing or disagreeing)

·         Grammar: prepositions, present tense

·         Pronunciation: topic-related vocabulary

Materials / Resources:

·         Handouts provided by the teacher

Procedure:

  1. Warm-up
  • Ask students : Are you passionate about your beliefs?
  • Explain the difference between believe and belief
  • Ask students: Do you have strong opinions on things? What things do you feel strongly about?
  • Elicit as many answers as possible
  • Introduce the topic: Beliefs and Opinions
  • Write examples on the board: stating an opinion, supporting an opinion, asking for an opinion, agreeing with an opinion, partially agreeing or disagreeing with an opinion.
  1. Class or group discussion
  • Discuss the following questions as a class / Put students in groups, give them a handout and ask them to discuss:
  1. Do you ever try to impose your beliefs on others?
  2. Does anyone ever try to impose their beliefs onto you?
  3. Have you ever been afraid to share your beliefs with anyone?
  4. How do you feel when someone disagrees with something you believe to be true?
  5. Do you ever get into arguments with people who have different beliefs or opinions as you?
  6. Are there any politicians or famous people whose opinions you strongly disagree with?
  7. What is the best way to deal with different opinions in the workplace?
  8. Do you consider other people’s opinions before making a decision?
  9. At work do you ever share your opinions on controversial issues? What type of response do you get?
  10. Do you always give your honest opinion or do you sometimes tell a white lie to avoid upsetting someone?
  11. Whose opinion do you value most?
  1. Pair/Group Activity
  • Divide students in pairs or groups of 3, or 4 depending on the class size
  • Write the following list of controversial topics on the board:
  1. Extraterrestrials
  2. Traditional medicine
  3. Telepathy
  4. TV causes violence
  5. Life after death
  6. Men are smarter than women
  7. Alcohol should be illegal
  8. Ghosts
  9. Reincarnation
  10. Vampires
  11. Dogs are the best pets
  12. Dreams have messages
  13. Drugs should be legal
  • Ask students to answer the following question in their groups: Which of the following do you believe in/agree with? Why?
  • Encourage students to practice stating an opinion, supporting an opinion, asking for an opinion, agreeing with an opinion, partially agreeing or disagreeing with an opinion.
  • Monitor the groups and provide help when necessary.
  • Go over the list of controversial topics as a class.

 

 

 

Your Bucket List

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LESSON PLAN

 Watch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)

Conversation class

Topic: Your Bucket List

Language level: Intermediate

Duration: 1 hour

Language skills:

·         Speaking: ask relevant questions in order to obtain specific information; provide required information/description; express needs, wants, wishes, hopes and preferences

·         Listening: identify and understand specific details/information

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to ask for and give information on future plans, talk about wishes, preferences, hopes and regrets, express their opinions, agree or disagree.

Language:

·         Vocabulary: wishes, regrets, hopes

·         Grammar: use of descriptive adjectives; question formation; future; superlatives

·         Pronunciation: topic-related vocabulary

Materials / Resources:

·         Handouts provided by the teacher

Procedure:

  1. Warm-up
  • Ask students about their dreams, hopes, wishes for the future. Encourage them to talk about impossible things.
  • Write on the board: things to do before you kick the bucket
  • Ask students to guess / explain the meaning
  • Introduce the topic: Your Bucket List
  1. Give examples of classic bucket list wishes
  • Write the examples on the board: I want to be the boss of my own company, win the lottery, swim with the dolphins, help a complete stranger, plant a tree, skydiving
  • Discuss the following questions as a class: Do you think that bucket lists are a bad or good idea? Why? / Which is the best or worst age to make a bucket list? / When people are close to dying, which things do you think that they regret not having done?
  1. Pair / Group Activity
  • Write these verbs on the board: donate, gatecrash, dye, invent, participate, start, do, meet, climb, visit, learn, travel, kiss
  • Explain any unknown words (gatecrash)
  • Divide students in pairs or groups of 3, or 4 depending on the class size
  • Each pair/group has to come up with a bucket list using the verbs on the board and add 3 wishes of their own
  • Encourage students to be creative and allow themselves to dream
  • Monitor the pairs/groups and provide help / feedback as needed
  • Each pair/group presents the bucket list to the class
  • Encourage the rest of the students to ask questions at the end of each presentation
  • Share your own bucket list with the students
  • Give feedback

 Watch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)

 Watch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)