Small talk lesson plan aims at familiarising the students with the concept of small talk and some appropriate ways to overcome socially awkward situations in English. Students work in groups and try to make small talk on a number of topics. It might be used as a speaking activity or a game, where learners are timed and get points depending on how well they manage to engage their partners in small talk. It is a perfect fit for conversation classes.
FCE
TED Talk: English mania
This TED Talk deals with the topic of learning English around the world nowadays, focusing on China and comparing language learning to a mania. This lesson is based on the TED Talk by Jay Walker. TED Talks are a great source of listening/reading materials as well as inspirations for class conversations and written assignments. I try to choose Talks shorter than 10 minutes (ideally 4-8 minutes long) and topics which are relevant to specific interests of my students.
The Real Rain Man: video activity about Kim Peek
The Real Rain Man video activity offers students the opportunity to practice their listening and speaking skills. They watch a short video and answer some questions, and then discuss the content of the documentary. I came up with the idea for this activity while looking for more engaging ways to approach the chapter in the book entitled “Secrets of the mind”.
Vocabulary Game: Pass The Bomb
This vocabulary game has been one of my students’ favourite for some time now. It is based on the popular word game Pass the Bomb. It helps with spelling and broadens students’ vocabulary in an entertaining way. I often use this vocabulary game with FCE, CAE, and upper-intermediate students. It is a great way to either start or finish the lesson.
Lifetramp lesson plan
Lifetramp lesson plan offers listening, speaking and writing practice. The aim of this class is to talk about different jobs and compare authentic job descriptions. The idea for this lesson came to me after stumbling upon this amazing website. I found the idea of Lifetramp really interesting and decided to introduce my students to this online community.
Reported speech speaking activity
The aim of this activity is to practice using reported speech in the context of gossip. Reported speech lends itself quite nicely to be used in such context (repeating what somebody else had said) and the activity encourages a lot of creativity in students. It is suitable for levels pre-intermediate and above.
Smartphone apps listening activity
This smartphone apps listening activity is based around the topic of new technologies and innovative use of smartphone apps. It works best with FCE, CAE, and upper-intermediate students. It compliments well coursebook chapters about technology and its influence on our lives, especially new technologies such as smartphone apps. I used this video published by BBC News.
Parental decisions speaking activity
Parental decisions speaking activity offers plenty of opportunities for your students to discuss various problems, negotiate, agree, and disagree. This is a pretty engaging speaking activity for both teenagers and adults. It works best with levels intermediate and above. Continue Reading …
Talking about regrets lesson plan: unreal past
This lesson plan encourages students to use unreal past in the context of talking about regrets, using wish and if only. The idea for this mini-lesson came from a great video to a great song by an awesome band: Eels and their Mistakes of My Youth. The clip is pretty literal and lends itself perfectly to some grammar practice using wish and if only when talking about regrets.
Past modals lesson plan: deduction and speculation
Past modals lesson plan deals with a pretty important grammar point for the FCE and CAE students: using past modals for deduction and speculation. It is also suitable for upper-intermediate and advanced students. Past modals lesson plan might also be used for conversation or 1-1 classes as it offers a lot of speaking practice and works well with both smaller and bigger groups.
