Meeting your in-laws

I created this activity for students to work on question forms and dialogues when meeting someone for the first time. I used this task with elementary adult students for them to practice and apply question forms in the (terrifying for many) context of meeting your son's or daughter's boyfriend or girlfriend.


Warm up (whole class):

Imagine your son / daughter invited his boyfriend / girlfriend to your house for the first time. What questions would you ask him or her? Share.

Activity 1:

Organize the words to make questions – Tick the ones you think are more likely to be asked.

• you do alone live ?
• An fly in today you airplane did?
• how earn money do much you ?
• you do where live?
• your what plans are future for the ?
• did for tonight eat pot roast dinner you?
• it was under-cooked?
• you daughter love my do?
• you videos have watched pornographic ever?
• girl did meet you where my?

Activity 2: 

Watch the videos and check if your predictions were correct.

Closure: 

Role play the scene using the following expressions:

In-law	Boyfriend / girlfriend
Tell me more about your life… What do you like to do? That’s interesting/ good/ nice… That sounds great/ fantastic… Me too… What about your future plans?	What do you want to know? I like/ love… I hate/ dislike/ can’t stand… I work at… I live in… I’m good at… I’m interested in… I want to… I would like to…

As a follow up: Students could enter to dvolver.com and create a movie that portrays this situation. Here you have an example:

Here's a presentation I used.

I hope you find it useful.

Regards,

Claudio

Shrek

Here's an alternative to the activity I shared on daily routines, in order to introduce or practice the use of before and after. Kids love it and since they already know lots about this green lad, they are presented with a great oportunity to learn vocabulary in a meaningful way.

Warm up: Answer the questions.

What do you know about Shrek?
What’s his color?
What does he like to do?
What time does he get up?
Does he have friends? Who are they?

Activity 1: True or false (circle the correct answer):

He gets up                                                TRUE                   FALSE

He combs his hair                                     TRUE                   FALSE

He gets dressed                                         TRUE                   FALSE

He eats breakfast                                       TRUE                   FALSE

He takes a shower                                      TRUE                   FALSE

He goes to school                                       TRUE                   FALSE

He brushes his teeth                                   TRUE                   FALSE

He swims                                                    TRUE                   FALSE

He plays with his friends                             TRUE                   FALSE

He paints                                                     TRUE                   FALSE

He eats dinner                                             TRUE                    FALSE

Activity 2: Complete the sentences using before or after:

He brushes his teeth _______________ he gets up.

He gets up _________________ he brushes his teeth.

He takes a shower _______________ he brushes his teeth.

He brushes his teeth ________________ he takes a shower.

He paints ________________ he eats dinner.

He eats dinner ________________ he paints.

Follow up: Student's could go to Glogster and create a poster showing their own routine, applying what they saw in class. An alternative could be to go to educreations, choose pictures and narrate their daily routines.

Can you think of any other way of applying any other resource?

Here's the worksheet.

See you around,
Claudio

Horrible bosses

I'm sharing a lesson I created for adult students to work on the difference between the present perfect and the simple past in the context of work. Throughout this class, ss will identify the structures, understand their use and recognize it, classify it and finally, put it into practice in a practical way.

Warm up: Take a look at the picture. What's probably happening? What grammar point do they use to express their ideas? Why? How are they formed?

Activity 2: Take a look at this presentation and classify the expressions in finished time (simple past) or unfinished time (present perfect).

Activity 3: Watch the movie and choose the correct alternative.



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Activity 4 (optional): Choose one of the three situations and describe what the problem is.

Closure: They didn't actually kill their bosses; however, they got them to resign and as a consequence, there are three vacancies. Decide on one of the positions and send a letter following the model below. Here are some examples to apply the use of present perfect and simple past.

Present Perfect	Simple Past
I have....all my life I have had many jobs I have taken many courses along my life...	I graduated... I started working... I left my last job because...

Here's a model that can help you write your letter.  

Dear (Mr./MS.) _____________,

               Identify the position for which you are applying, tell how you heard about the opening (newspaper, contact person, etc.), and explain why you are writing (would you like to be considered for the position? has your academic and / or employment background prepared you for this position?).

               Present your qualifications for the job. These qualilifications will probably be a combination of your education and your work experience. Show how each of these has prepared you for the field that you want to enter. You might want to mention current or previous employment, specific courses that you took, aspects of jobs or internships that you had and so on. Finally, make reference to your enclosed resume.

               You may wish to reiterate your interest in the position. Indicate your willingness to come in for an interview. Include your phone number and the best time to call you. Finally, close with a positive statement.

Sincerely,

(Sign your name)

Your typed name


Here's a worksheet you may use.

How would you implement technology in this lesson?

Regards,
Claudio

How to train your dragon

Today I'm sharing a lesson I created using the great movie "How To Train Your Dragon". Throughout this lesson students will be introduced to the use of simple past and past continues, analyze it, understand it and apply it. I used this activity with a teens high basic group and they really enjoyed the activity and picked the structure at the same time.

Warm up: 

Match the lines as you watch

Astrid was moving her head	when the dragon spit fire at him
The dragon was sleeping	when the two-headed dragon bit them
He was running	when the dragon started to bang him against the floor
He was holding his jaw	when the dragon ate him
He was sitting on the floor	until the dragon tried to bite her
They were fighting	when the dragon ate him
He was standing	when the dragon attacked his feet
He was speaking	when the boy watered his butt

Answer the questions:

Which two grammar points do you see in these sentences?

Which of them talks about an action in progress in the past?

Which one describes a single event that interrupts the other?

Complete the sentences using was or were and finish the sentence: 

I _______ taking  nap when…

He _______ chasing a dragon when…

We _______ watching a horror movie until...

She _______ playing with her father’s sword until…

They _______ exploring an island when…

She _______ combing her hair until…

They _______ dancing when…

Now look at the pictures and describe what was happening until another event interrupted that action.

Eg: He was sitting on the floor, when the dragon gave him the fish. 

As a follow up students could be divided in two groups and write sentences for the other group to mime. A member of the oposite group gets one of them, and represents the it word by word. This promotes accuracy since the more accurate they are or the more they anticipate grammar, the faster they get the sentence. Eventually, they will choose the correct form of the verb to be once they know the subject.

Another alternative could be to have them write the sentences at home and represent them through sound. They could go to vocaroo and record it for their partners to guess. What do you think?

Here's the worksheet.    

See you around,

Claudio