What would you do if...?

Image by Chiew Pang

When I saw this...

At first, I just walked past. Later I thought, what if...

And I started fantasizing about the briefcase holding wads of crisp bills...

Then the language teacher ego took hold of me and said, hell, there's an awful lot of possibilities there for a conversation lesson, full of lexical challenges.

So, what would you do if you saw something like this? Ponder over it while I go back to my fantasies...

This image is part of the Project 366 series. If you're involved in it, (and if not, why don't you start?) please let us know in this Google Doc. My images are in Flickr, free for non-commercial use as long as they are properly attributed.

#ELTBITES Challenge: We like to move it, move it

Once in a while I read something and I find myself thinking, "Now, why didn't I think of that?". Well, Richard Gresswell had such an idea. He started a blog, called it ELTBITES, and challenged us:

"Describe an activity that requires no more than the teacher, students, and possibly making use of the board, pens, and paper. Describe the activity aims and procedure concisely in no more than 200 words."

Here is my contribution, which may not be all that original.

Image from ELTPics by @yearinthelifeof

Level: any
Time: as long as interest prevails
Material: your tongue, and students who obey instructions
Aims: vocabulary, warmer, filler, exercise, fun, ...
Procedure:

This is a simple activity to get the students moving, but, be warned, it can be addictive. I had students wanting to do it again and again, but, perhaps, it was just an excuse for them not to do any 'school work'! ;-)

Think of the language you want your students to work with. Say, you want to revise colours and clothes:

Those of you whose bedroom is white, stand up. (Notice use of relative pronoun, imperative.)

Remain standing.

What about blue?

And black? (I once had a student who has a black bedroom! Of course, we started a mini-conversation.)

Now, if you're wearing white trainers, sit down.

If you're wearing blue jeans, stand up.

You can vary the movements:

If you don't have a belt on, take one step to the left.

If you're wearing black underwear, take two steps back. (This will raise a lot of sniggers!)

Keep it dynamic. Think of unusual stuff (if you can touch your nose with your tongue...). Get them to observe each other (those who have short curly hair...). With higher levels, think of more challenging questions (those who believe in... those who would like to...).

Basically, the limit is your imagination. Hand the activity over to your students. Get them to ask the questions, and use their own commands. Encourage them to be creative.

If you do use this activity, tell us about it!

Photos + Mind Map = Ideas on a Silver Platter

A few weeks ago, I suggested some ideas for a lesson based on a close-up image - if you've missed it, I suggest you read that first. Click here to read it.

I snapped this shot today, and I thought I'd share some more ideas with you all. Between this and the previous article, I think you'll get an idea how you can start your students speaking on any picture. Ask them to share a picture from their mobile phones, and build a lesson from that. If you use these photos & my ideas for a lesson, don't just stop at the end. Ask your class to bring a photo, preferably one they took, and invent a story around it. This can be done in groups. You can re-distribute the photos at random. When they've finished, they can tell the whole class their story, and, in the end, they can decide which group has invented the best story.

If you prefer to use photos taken by others, you can find more like these in our group ELTPics in Flickr. You can join us in Twitter. Upload your photos with the hash tag #eltpics, and one of the lovely lady moderators will add them to the sets.

I've decided to relay my ideas in the form of a mind map this time. In fact, you can, if you wish, do the mind-mapping activity from scratch with the whole class. Just use my prompts whenever you're stuck. To use this mind-mapping tool, see here.

Photo 1

To zoom in on the map, use your scroll dial, or click on the '+' or '-' sign on the top left. You can then drag the image left and right. If you prefer, click here to see the full version.

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

If you've used these photos/ideas, please share your experience with others. Perhaps, you even get your students to share their thoughts and feelings.

Related posts:

How to create an interactive mind map for use in the classroom

Speaking lesson using close-ups

Ideas for practising dialogues

Comic strips for dialogue

Using Geocam for speaking

Second Conditional Activities: Comparing Countries

We have already seen an activity for second conditional with Norah Jones, and I'd also touched on the subject of countries prior to this. However, from my experience, the concept of conditionals isn't too hard to grasp, but it could be used as a springboard for speaking activities. Please see my post on The Best Countries as well.

With that in mind, I introduce to you this interesting website, If It Were My Home. I'll have to admit that I first heard of it from Nik Peachey. Andy Lintner and Annette Calabrese first started the page in 2010 to highlight the magnitude of the BP Oil Spill disaster, but have since expanded it to include interesting information on many countries.

If you click on 'Country Comparison', if I remember correctly, it will ask you permission to access your IP address to know where your home country is. This happens only once. If you do this, it will assume you wish to compare your home country with another. Click on another name further down the page.

When you've done that, something like this will be what you get:

Here, we're comparing Spain to Australia. On the map, you can see the difference in size of the two countries. It also lists a few comparisons between the them, e.g.

  "If Australia were your home instead of Spain, you would have 68.51% more chance of being employed."

If you wish to compare your home country (Spain) to a different country, select another from the drop-down list by clicking on the arrowhead, then on 'compare'. However, if you want to compare the chosen country (Australia) to another, you select the following button, where it says 'Compare (Australia) to other countries'. When you click this, a list of countries will be displayed. Select one.

In this way, you can compare any two countries you wish. Below, you can see a comparison between the two most digital countries in the world, according to a recent survey.

Notice that the statistics are highlighted in three different colours. Red is negative (e.g. ...you would consume 5.1 times more oil), green is positive (e.g. ...have 87.74% more chance of being employed), and blue is for babies! At least I haven't seen any other statistics highlighted in blue.

If you want to see additional information on a particular statistic, just click on the arrowhead to its right, and more information will appear.

Further down, you'll see a thumbs up and a thumbs down sign. These are for you to vote. Below this, you'll see more information on the country you're comparing to.

If you scroll even further below, you are allowed to enter your comments, and read those of others (if there are any) of the compared country.

So, as you can see, there's ample material for students to come up with second conditional sentences. Conversation shouldn't be restricted to this grammar structure; students should be encouraged to speak about any of the statistics they see or even the comments. For more ways of using the site, I'd recommend your reading Nik's post.

Related posts:

Index of all Material by Category

Conditional Type II with Norah Jones

Conditional Type III with Keith Whitley

The Best Countries To Live In

Conditional Type 3 with Keith Whitley: Interactive Cloze Activity

 

Here's a simple fun activity for you to practise listening and conditionals.

First, listen to the song, and you can follow the lyrics if you want (there are some minor errors).

Then, click on the image below the lyrics, and this will direct you to an interactive cloze activity, prepared using Lucy Georges' Cloze Creator. Try to fill in the gap (with or without listening to the song again).

Tip: You can use the TAB key to move from one gap to the next.

When you've finished, answer these questions:

1.  Under which genre would you classify this song?

2.  What's your opinion of the song?

3.  Did the singer love his lover 'all night long'? How do you know? How does he express this?

4.  Is the singer still with his lover? How do you know?

5.  Construct three sentences with a similar grammatical structure.

Keith Whitley - I Would Have Loved You All Night Long

Thanks to Nik Peachey for telling us about Batlyrics.

Conditional Type 2 with Norah Jones

 

Here's a simple beautiful song by the equally beautiful Norah Jones.  Look at the word cloud - all the lyrics are there - and see if you can put the words in the order in which Norah sings. You can click on the image to see a larger version.

As you probably already know, we use the conditional sentence type 2 to talk about conditions that, although possible, are not likely to be fulfilled:

If I had an iPad, I would use it in class.
If I used it in class, I would create a commotion.

Once you've managed to get the lyrics, try to interpret the song. Do you like the song? Why/Why not? Who is she singing to? Does she need him? Have you ever felt that way?

For teachers, you can use this other activity to practise the second conditional, too.

Using Cartoon Strips to Practise Dialogues

 Need some novel way to enliven your class?

The traditional way of practising dialogue is to have students work in pairs (or groups), prepare their dialogues, then role-play them, maybe in front of the classroom.

Instead of doing that, why don't you get them to prepare a comic strip first (after working on expressions, vocabulary, etc., of course). Either have them do it on the fly in the computer lab, or set it as homework. Later, they can role-play the situations. To make it even more fun, randomly assign the comic strip to a group for them to act it out.

One of the best I've found is ToonDoo. It's quite versatile; you not only have several characters to choose from, but you can easily play around with backdrops, fonts, expressions, etc. You can bet the kids (and the adults, too) will love it!

What do you think? If you need a tutorial, let me know. Leave your comments below by clicking on 'comments' if you don't see the form.

Past Simple Quiz 2

An easy past simple quiz to help you with your revision. Remember that the correct answer is always given; so if you get it wrong, try to understand your error and keep on doing the quiz!

Past Simple Quiz (Elementary); Theme: Explorers

Teachers, please take note: some of my quizzes, like this one, for example, ask for an email. If an email is provided, the results will be sent automatically to it. This allows you to grade/check your students' progress. If you haven't got an email for this purpose, I'd suggest creating one for this purpose, and ask the students to provide that email in the quiz.

Present Continuous Exercises 2

More practice on the present continuous tense. Click on the image to begin the quiz. Some may find these easier than the previous one:  

http://aclil2climb.blogspot.com/2010/03/present-continuous-activities.html

Teachers, please take note: some of my quizzes, like this one, for example, ask for an email. If an email is provided, the results will be sent automatically to it. This allows you to grade/check your students' progress. If you haven't got an email for this purpose, I'd suggest creating one for this purpose, and ask the students to provide that email in the quiz.

Adjectives of Emotions and Feelings: -ed vs -ing endings, quiz, crossword, jigsaw

Here are a few activities to help you learn adjectives which describe emotions and feelings. If you still get confused with the -ed and the -ing endings, remember that you are interested in something, but it's the thing itself that is interesting.

Examples:

The students were confused by his confusing explanation.

I'm excited about my new job. I think it will be exciting!

Click here to start the quiz. Provide a valid email and the results (along with the correct answers) will be automatically mailed to you.

Click here to start this online crossword puzzle. Don't forget to come back here when you've finished to report your score in the comments section.

Click here to play the 32-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Click here for the 64-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Jumbled Sentences: Adverbs of Frequency (Elementary)

23 March 2010: The online version can be found here.

You probably already know about adverbs of frequency, so I won't say too much here, except to say that these adverbs tell us how often something happens. There are plenty of them, but the basic ones you need to know are the following:
never-->sometimes-->often-->usually-->always
If you grade them on a scale from 0 to 5, never is on grade 0 and always is on grade 5.

We normally put these frequency adverbs before the main verb, but after the verb 'to be'. For example:

Pedro usually goes to work by car.

Sam is always on the phone!

This activity is in a PowerPoint presentation hosted in Scribd. You can watch it in full screen mode by clicking on 'Fullscreen' on the top bar of the PowerPoint image below. If you prefer, you can download the file, but you'd need to be a registered member of Scribd.

All you need to do is to put the jumbled sentences in the right order. When you've done that, post them as comments below.

Jumbled sentence: Adverbs of Frequency (Elementary)

Jumbled Sentences: The States of Matter (Science, Secondary 1, Year 7)

This is an activity where what you see is a set or words in random order. What you have to do is to arrange them in the correct order. When you have done that, email me with your answers, and I'll correct them.

The activity is in a PowerPoint presentation hosted in Scribd. You can move from slide to slide interactively by just clicking on the 'next page' and 'previous page' arrows. If the image is too small, you can watch it in full screen mode by clicking on the 'toggle full screen' icon at the top right of the PowerPoint image below. If you prefer, you can download the file, but you'd need to be a registered member of Scribd.

Jumbled Sentence: Elementary Science - The States of Matter

Unscramble these jumbled sentences: Idioms (Advanced)

As promised, here's an activity of reordering jumbled sentences based on common idioms. All the sentences (from recent press reports) have appeared as idioms of the day in this blog. If you've been religiously following the blog, you'll recognise most of the sentences; and if you haven't, well, shame on you!
Answers are available in a separate post - you'll just have to look for it!

Have fun learning!
PS: I'm often guilty of writing for readers of reasonable knowledge of IT, but I've come to realise that what is natural to some of us may not be so obvious to others. So, for those of you who haven't figured it out, you can download this PowerPoint slide show by clicking on 'More'. In the pop up menu which appears, select 'Save document'. You may be required to join Scribd first. All that is required to join is a valid email account.
Jumbled Sentence - Idioms (Advanced)

Unscramble these jumbled sentences: Past Simple 2 (Intermediate)

I thought I'd posted this, but I didn't, so here it is. They're all sentences in the simple past, taken from recent newspaper reports.
Answers are available in a separate post - you'll just have to look for it!
Next jumbled sentences activity will be on idioms, so watch out for it!

Have fun learning!
PS: I'm often guilty of writing for readers of reasonable knowledge of IT, but I've come to realise that what is natural to some of us may not be so obvious to others. So, for those of you who haven't figured it out, you can download this PowerPoint slide show by clicking on 'More'. In the pop up menu which appears, select 'Save document'. You may be required to join Scribd first. All that is required to join is a valid email account.
Jumbled Sentence Simple Past-2 (Intermediate Plus)

Unscramble these jumbled sentences: Present Perfect (Advanced)

Another batch of jumbled sentences for you to have fun with! They're all taken from recent newspaper reports.
Answers are available in a separate post - you'll just have to look for it!
Next jumbled sentences activity will be on idioms, so watch out for it!

Have fun learning!
PS: I'm often guilty of writing for readers of reasonable knowledge of IT, but I've come to realise that what is natural to some of us may not be so obvious to others. So, for those of you who haven't figured it out, you can download this PowerPoint slide show by clicking on 'More'. In the pop up menu which appears, select 'Save document'. You may be required to join Scribd first. All that is required to join is a valid email account.

Jumbled Sentence Present Perfect (Advanced)

Unscramble these jumbled sentences: Past Simple (Intermediate Plus)

These sentences are extracts from three recent news reports.
First, try to put the jumbled words into the right sequence.
Then, see if you can classify the sentences into the three groups.
When you’ve done that, give each group a headline.
Finally, invent three short reports using the sentences.
Answers are available in a separate post - you'll just have to look for it!

Have fun learning!

Jumbled Sentence Simple Past 1 (Intermediate Plus)

執業理念的對話（教師）

I'm trying my darnest to crack into the Chinese market, hehe. This has been done by Google translator, so I have no idea what it says! If you read Chinese, let me know if it makes sense at all!

你有一個對話的腳本，也許您希望自己編寫它，或許你想獲得它從另一來源，也許在這個博客，也許你的學生自己編寫了-因此，您做什麼之後， ？你告訴你的學生和實踐形式對，你去附近的一類配對，監測其產出，對不對？嗯，這裡有一些變化可以用香料行動。

*更改夥伴：他們執行的對話，以不同的合作夥伴或合作夥伴。

*更改環境：相反的坐姿，他們站立或走動，他們的階級。讓他們進院子，或播放音樂，好像他們是在黨。問他們這樣的活動而發言，例如通過一個對象，如一個球，來回。是靈活的，具有創造性。愛你的學生將打破他們的日常學校單調。

*泵的數量：他們必須更響亮（如其他人聽力困難或他們講了一個壞的電話線） ，或者他們自己的聲音降低到耳語，因為如果他們溝通secretively 。

*修改內容：修改了幾句話或表現形式，有時通過改變幾個關鍵詞，你可以改變一個對話，也就是說，邀請一家電影院一至一家餐館。

*新增內容：新增行前及/或之後的對話，或要求學生自己想像可能出現的情況後，或腳本可以增加對第三人。

*他們提出挑戰：問問他們實行不看自己的筆記，或擦拭對話董事會。如果有必要，你可以逐步增加的挑戰，消除字或行，有幾個人。您還可以準備圖片或文字提示，以幫助他們記住了對話。

除了不同的對話活動，您也可以變更的方式，對正在形成。

*傳統的對：在這裡，您要求他們選擇的合作夥伴，或者您分配一個。他們通常留在座位上的椅子。

*法出來：傳統對上述有時工作之後，讓他們的對話，對執行的對，通常是在前面的教室。

*背靠背：他們站立或坐在背對背不是面對面。這是特別有用的電話交談，或當你想鼓勵學生進行溝通，通過他們的聲音本身，而援助的身體語言。

*在線生成：他們的立場（或坐）在兩排，面對對方。他們信奉其對話。然後，您可以要求學生在年底一列移動到另一端的同一行。其餘下移一個席位，以便每個現在有不同的合作夥伴。接著，他們從事相同的對話，或不同的，如果你希望。

如果你有幾個學生，你可以讓他們在一列，談論他們的鄰居。然後，您只要將學生從一端到另一端，他們現在都將有不同的合作夥伴。

*同心圓：他們站在兩個圈子，一個在其他。面臨的內圓外，除非他們正致力於背靠背形成。當他們完成他們的對話，其中一個圓圈移動輪一個地方，讓大家現在面臨著一個不同的人。他們信奉的對話了。

您也可以變更這一移動多個地方，或者您也可以發揮一種形式的音樂椅子，即循環移動，直到你停止音樂。嘗試要求讓他們視而不見，而移動！這種方法也可以受聘於黨的活動（見上面的環境各不相同），您可以讓他們四處走動的房間，來自合作夥伴，合作夥伴，挖掘了對話，直到音樂停止。然後，他們開始實行的對話與他們新發現的合作夥伴。

*間隙形成：這是非常適合的抽水量（見上文） 。他們開始彼此接近的中心會議室。他們開始講。雖然他們說，他們後退，直到最終他們是在兩端的房間。

當然，你可以做相反，他們開始在兩端的房間，並逐步靠攏。

這也是一個偉大的戶外活動！

另一個變化是，您可以指定一對作為'大'對，和他們站相當距離對方。雖然他們說話（或更象在大聲）對方，其他學生也參與對話，儘管在一個較低的水平，他們自由移動圍繞著這些'大'一雙。

印象最深的對話很短，所以他們將不得不開始當你給他們的信號。如果您有任何進一步的想法加入到這些，請他們在這裡分享。

Unscramble these jumbled sentences Part 3: Daily Routines (Elementary)

23 March 2010: The online version can be found here.

Here's one for the elementary level. The theme is daily routine. Pay careful attention to the instructions, and, as usual, comments are much appreciated. Answers are available in a separate post - you'll just have to look for it!

Have fun learning!

Jumbled Sentences: Daily Routines (Elementary)

Unscramble these jumbled sentences Part 2: swine flu (advanced)

If you haven't attempted Part 1, there's no better time than now.
This one is quite difficult, and is suited for advanced levels. The theme is swine flu. Pay careful attention to the instructions, and, as usual, comments are much appreciated. Answers are available in a separate post - you'll just have to look for it!

Have fun learning!
Jumbled Sentence Swine Flu (Advanced)