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This is the lesson plan I designed for my DELTA vocabulary assignment. It is designed for B2 students. Students read online dating profiles and decide if the people are compatible and then learn compound adjectives and put them to use in a discussion. Download the students’ materials, powerpoint and lesson plans below:

My Lesson Plan for assessed class +procedure – Teacher’s procedure

Online Dating powerpoint

Dating Profiles materials – Students’ handout

Teacher’s notes

Activity

Time

1.     First slide –Title, ask: “What do people put their dating profiles?” 2.     Give out handouts, what are the titles? Teach turn ons and offs 3.     Sts read, are they compatible? 4.     Task check across class: Why? Why not? 5.     Any doubts? Deal with compounds after. 6.     Students underline compound adjectives – show slide 2, underline them as task check 7.     Meaning match – do first one as an example: 1-C Answers: 1-c, 2-e, 3-f, 4-L, 5-g, 6-k, 7-a, 8-b, 9-d, 10-h, 11-I, 12-j Task check with powerpoint. 8.     Form match in pairs Task check on powerpoint 9.     Sts check which ones end in an extra syllable. Do first two as an example. Identify stressed syllable: First in second word. Fun and loving stressed. 10.                        Mumble drill first two. “Practice saying the first two to yourself quietly. Then say them to your partner.” 11.                        Controlled practice questions. In pairs, ask first question to your partner, they remember the compound. Example with strong pair (Aris and whoever) 12.                        New questions, new compounds.  Do top up in OC: ·        Opposite of dark-haired – light/fair-haired. ·        Someone with dark skin – dark-skinned ·        Someone with green eyes – green-eyed (jealous/envious)   Work with a partner, try to guess the compound. Do first one as an example. Ask to class. MAN-EATING CROCODILE 13.                        Practice: Discussion. What are your preferences for appearance? Do you like brown or blonde-haired men and women? “I like brown-eyed women because their eyes are very mysterious.” 14.                        Wrap-up/top-up. Look at boarded vocabulary. Work on pronunciation. Maybe do opposites etc: badly-paid, badly-educated. Dark/light-skinned etc.

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Procedure

Stage	Time	Focus	Procedure	Aim
Pre-reading	5 mins	pairs	Sts discuss the typical information people put on dating profiles.	To engage students top-down knowledge of relationships and online dating
Reading	10 mins	Pairs               OC	Sts read Jon and Sally’s dating profiles. Then decide if the two are compatible in pairs.           Feed back in open class, T encourages discussion.	To introduce compound adjectives in context. To develop students receptive understanding of compounds     To check sts understanding of the text
Language Focus: Meaning	2 mins       5 mins	Pairs             OC	Sts underline all the compound adjectives in the two texts.     Sts match compound adjectives to their definitions on handout.   Task check across class and using powerpoint to confirm	To check sts ability to identify compound adjectives.   To develop sts understanding of the meaning of the target language.
Language Focus: Form	5 mins	Pairs       OC	Sts group compound adjectives based on their form     Task check using powerpoint.	To develop sts understanding of the different compound adjective patterns.
Language Focus: Pronunciation	2 mins                       5 mins	Pairs                       pairs	Sts contrast the “-ed” compounds that end with /ɪd/ with those that end /d/ and the stress patterns in the different forms. T highlights rules on powerpoint: ·         ends in “t” or “d” –ed = /id/ extra syllable ·         others –ed = /d/ ·         noun is stressed in noun + present participle compounds (fun-loving)   Sts use phonemic script from handout to mumble drill target language individually then practice in pairs. T monitors and corrects.	To highlight different forms of pronouncing “-ed” endings and stress patterns in compound adjectives.               To practice the pronunciation of compounds.
Vocabulary practice	10 mins	Pairs         OC	Sts ask and answer first set of questions on handout which elicit the target language. T monitors, reactively helping with pron.   T tops up: ·         Opposite of dark-haired – light/fair-haired. ·         Someone with dark skin – dark-skinned ·         Someone with green eyes – green-eyed (jealous/envious)   Sts answer 2nd set of questions to attempt to identify new compound adjectives by applying the rules of form they have just learned.	To consolidate meaning of target language, practice pronunciation and increase chances of retention. To encourage autonomous application of the rules of compounding.
Personalised practice	10 mins	Pairs             OC	Sts discuss their hair and eye colour preferences in pairs. Then decide on the 2 best and worst personality characteristics for a partner. T monitors and boards emergent language.   Feed back to open class looking for agreement/disagreement and discussion.	To encourage creative use of the target language and make sts process it at a deeper cognitive level.
Wrap-up/topping-up	5 mins	pairs	T draws students’ attention to boarded emergent language and tidies up doubts and pronunciation errors.	To exploit learning opportunities with emergent language.

Materials

Read Jon and Sally’s dating profiles below. Do you think they are compatible? Why? Why not?

 Jon, 26 years old, Edinburgh.

I’m a hard-working medical student from Aberdeen in Scotland. I go to the gym four times a week so I’m quite well-built. I do a lot of voluntary work and I’m training to be a doctor.

Turn-ons

I’m crazy about blonde-haired, blue-eyed women, I find them really attractive. I like women who are open-minded because I love travelling and trying new experiences.

Turn-offs

I really don’t like selfish people, with some people it’s all “me, me, me” and I can’t stand that. Another big turn-off for me is narrow-minded people, there are so many wonderful places to visit and people to meet in the world and I can’t wait to get started.

 

Sally, 25 years old, York.

I’m a fun-loving advertising executive from York in northern England. My job is well-paid but quite stressful so I like to have a good time at the weekends. I also like to do sport and help out at the local children’s hospital once a month.

Turn-ons

I’m into dark-haired mysterious men, but the most important thing for me is that they are kind-hearted, adventurous and have a good sense of humour. I read a lot and like having a good debate so I’m looking for someone who is well-educated.

Turn-offs

The biggest turn-off for me is big-headed guys, I can’t bear people who think they are better than others. I also don’t like bad-tempered people, I’m an optimist and I always try to see things in a positive way.

 

Read the texts and underline all the compound adjectives you can find.

 

Language focus

Match the compound adjective (1-12) to its definition (A-L)

1.      I’m a hard-working medical student.	A.     Someone who often gets angry.
2.      I’m crazy about blonde-haired, blue-eyed women.	B.      Someone who is strong and has muscles.
3.      I’m a fun-loving PhD student.	C.      Someone who works hard.
4.      I’m looking for someone who is well-educated.	D.     Someone who is nice and generous.
5.      I don’t like big-headed people.	E.      Someone who has blonde hair. Someone who has blue eyes.
6.      My job is well-paid but stressful.	F.      Someone who likes to socialise and have a good time.
7.      I also don’t like bad-tempered people.	G.     An arrogant person who thinks they are better than others.
8.      I go to the gym four times a week so I’m quite well-built.	H.     Someone with brown or black hair.
9.      The most important thing for me is that they are kind-hearted.	I.        Someone who is open to different opinions and activities.
10.  I’m into dark-haired mysterious men.	J.        An intolerant person who doesn’t listen to other people’s opinions.
11.  I like women who are open-minded because I love travelling.	K.      Something you earn a good salary for.
12.  Another big turn-off for me is narrow-minded people.	L.       An intelligent person with a good education.

Form

Put the different compound adjectives in the correct box:

A.     Adjective + noun + -ed 1.      Narrow-minded 2.      _________________________ 3.      _________________________ 4.      _________________________ 5.      _________________________ 6.      _________________________ 7.      _________________________ 8.      _________________________

B.     Adverb + past participle 1.      Well-built 2.      __________________________ 3.      __________________________   C.     Adjective/noun + …ing 1.      _________________________ 2.      _________________________

 

 

 

Pronunciation

Look at the phonemic script of the compound adjectives:

• In which adjective is the “-ed” pronounced as an extra syllable?
• Which syllable is stressed in the compound adjectives?

1. Blue-eyed – | bluːˈaɪd |
2. Well-educated – | welˈedʒʊkeɪtɪd |
3. Blonde-haired – | blɒndˈheəd |
4. Big-headed – | bɪɡˈhedɪd |

What’s different about the stress in this one?

5. Fun-loving |ˈfʌnˈlʌvɪŋ |

Practice

Take turns to ask these questions to your partner to test your memory.

1. What do you call someone with blue eyes?
2. What do you call someone with blonde hair?
3. What do you call someone who has dark hair?
4. What do you call someone who has a good education?
5. What do you call a job with a good salary?
6. What do you call an arrogant person?
7. What do you call a person who is often angry?
8. What do you call someone who is open to new experiences and opinions?
9. What do you call someone who isn’t open to new experiences and opinions?
10. What do you call someone with muscles?
11. What do you call a nice, generous person?
12. What do you call someone who isn’t lazy?
13. What do you call an active, sociable person?

Use the different forms of compounding to make more compound adjectives to answer the questions.

1. What do you call a crocodile that eats men?
2. What do you call someone who writes with their left hand?
3. What do you call a job with a bad salary?
4. What do you call a child that behaves well?
5. What do you call someone who looks good?

Discussion

Discuss these questions with your partner using the compound adjectives.

Appearance

1. Do you prefer a specific hair or eye colour for a man/woman?
2. Do you find muscles attractive?

Personality and lifestyle

1. Is it important that your partner has a good salary? Why/why not?
2. What are the two best personality characteristics for a partner? Why?
3. What are the two worst? Why?