February 2020 – Tim's Free English Lesson Plans

A Therapy Session – Wish/If Only

Posted on February 24, 2020February 24, 2020 by Tim Warre

therapy

This is a grammar lesson for B2 students. Students will be introduced to the language for expressing wishes through a short dialogue from a therapy session. The subject of therapy and mental health may be a sensitive subject with some students so gauge your group carefully. Download all the materials below:

A Therapy Session – Wish If Only – PowerPoint

A Therapy Session – Student Handout

Procedure

Warmer

Show the first slide of the presentation, you could either have students come up with their own warmer questions about the topic or use the questions on slide 2.

Language in Context

Give out the handout, have students read the text and then answer the question “how much do you have in common with Natalia?” in pairs. Feedback in open class.

Have students answer the detail questions. These questions are designed to guide students to the examples of the target structures on the text.

Language Focus

Lead students through the next slides. Encourage students to work in pairs to examine the patterns that follow the the target structures. Try to get students to tell you how the structures work rather than vice versa.

Controlled Practice

Have students complete the practice activity individually and then have them compare their answers with a partner. Encourage them to explain the reasoning behind their choices.

Key:

I wish I were/was rich.*
If only I had green eyes.
I wish I had studied more for the exam yesterday.
If only my brother wouldn’t annoy me so much.
I wish I looked like Ariana Grande.
If only my teacher wouldn’t give me so much homework. (hadn’t given me also possible)
I wish I hadn’t eaten so much last night.
I wish I could turn invisible.

*purists would say that “were” is the only correct answer but “I wish I WAS rich” is now perfectly acceptable.

Freer Production

Put students in pairs or threes and have them write a therapy dialogue using the target language as often as possible. Encourage them to be imaginative and be as overly dramatic as possible.

Exam Preparation Classes

These structures often come up in the B2 First Certificate exam in part 4 of the use of English. Here’s a link to a quizlet set for extra practice/revision.

You should also encourage students to use them in their writings, particularly informal emails/letters: “Your holiday sounds amazing I wish I had gone with you!”

First Certificate (FCE) Grammar/Language Checklist

Posted on February 14, 2020February 14, 2020 by Tim Warre

research-checklist-blue-640x437

This is a lesson plan designed for students on preparation courses for the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) exam. In particular I think it would be good for students who are close to taking the exam. It works as a diagnostic test of a range of the grammar points that are tested, particularly in part 4 of the reading and use of English exam. Download the handout below:

First Certificate Grammar Checklist

Quizlet set

Procedure:

Self-Assessment

Give out copies of the handout, have students individually assess their grasp of each of the structures. They should fill in the box on the end with either a tick (I know this very well) a cross (I’ve got no idea about this) or a wiggly line (I more or less get this).

Have students compare with their partner. Ask them to look for differences, there should be opportunities for peer teaching here, have one student attempt to explain a grammar point to another.

Practice

Project the quizlet set of key word transformations. Put students in pairs. First students need to identify the structure that is being tested. This is a very important step, getting them to put themselves in the examiner’s shoes and not just jump straight in and answer. Check that they’ve identified the structure, then have them work together to try to complete the sentence. Encourage reflection and comparison between their initial self-assessment and then their scores and performance in the exam task.

The checklist is not exhaustive, have I missed any common structures that come up in part 4?

Grammar Structure	Examples	Self-assessment
Past simple/Present perfect	I haven’t seen John for 5 years. The last time I saw John was 5 years ago.
2^nd conditional	If I won the lottery, I would buy a mansion. If I didn’t work in construction, I would be an actor.
3^rd conditional	If I hadn’t slipped on that banana, I wouldn’t have broken my arm. If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
The passive voice	Active: The police arrested the man. Passive: The man was arrested by the police. Other example: It is said that cigarettes give you cancer. Cigarettes are said to give you cancer
Wish/If only	I regret eating so much -> I wish I hadn’t eaten so much. It was a bad idea to drink that wine -> If only I hadn’t drunk that wine.
Linkers: Despite/in spite of -> Although/even though	Despite the rain, the party was great -> The party was great even though it was raining. Although he felt ill, he still went to school. -> He still went to school in spite of his illness.
Reported speech	“I went there last year.” -> He said that he had gone there last year. “I will call him tomorrow.” -> She said that she would call him the following day.
Reported questions	“Have you been to Paris?” -> He asked me if I had been to Paris. “Where is the train station?” -> He asked me where the train station was.
Phrasal verbs	He wants to cancel the meeting -> he wants to call off the meeting. He won’t tolerate bad behaviour -> he won’t put up with bad behaviour.
Causative have/get: have/get something done	I need to get my hair cut. I need to have my computer repaired.
Comparatives/superlatives	This restaurant is better than that one -> That restaurant isn’t as good as this one. He’s not nearly as tall as me. My brother is slightly younger than me. No one is as good at football as Messi -> Messi is the best football player.
Past modal verbs: Must have Could/might/may have Should have etc.	The butler must have murdered him, there’s blood on his shirt. It can’t have been Sarah you saw at the mall, she’s on holiday in Dubai. I shouldn’t have drunk so much last night.
So/such	It was so hot that we couldn’t leave the hotel -> It was such a hot day that we had to stay in the hotel. It rained so much that the house flooded. ->It was such a rainy day that the house flooded.
Gerund/infinitive	I’m a big fan of playing water sports. I’m interested in studying history. I have decided to study biology. He spent 10 minutes knocking on my door.

Vocabulary Classes

Gossip Girls: Phrasal Verbs

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Tim Warre

gossip

This is a fun lexis lesson for B1+ teens and adults based around the topic of gossip. Students read a dialogue of two people gossiping full of phrasal verbs. Then they try to guess the meaning of the expressions from the context, practice them in gap-fill exercises then write and perform their own soap opera/gossip scenes. Download the handout below:

Gossip Girls

Lesson Plan

Introduce the topic of gossip, check students understanding of the word, ask CCQs: what do people gossip about? relationships, secrets, arguments etc.

Gist Reading

Give out the handout, have students read it in pairs and then think of a title for the scene. If students have issues with any lexis, tell them that you will look at it in detail later.

Meaning Match

Have sts work together to match the phrasal verbs underlined in the text with the meanings in box.

Testing/Memorising

After checking sts answers on the board, have sts test each other on the phrasal verbs: one says the definition, the other has to recall the phrasal verb or vice versa.

Gap-fill: Recall prepositions

Students turn the handout over and have to quickly remember all the prepositions.

Controlled practice: New contexts

Sts have to try to use the phrasal verbs in new contexts by completing a gap fill, remind them to be careful of the tense and form of the phrasal verbs. Key:

fell out
pick up
cheating on
ask out
put up with
hang out
get on
looking back
looking forward to
turned up
broke up

Freer Practice

Students work in pairs to write their own, new dialogues, you could show them clips from classic UK soap operas like Eastenders or Coronation Street to give them some inspiration. Have students read their dialogues out in front of the class and vote on the funniest/most scandalous.

Dialogue

Read the dialogue below with a partner, then think of a title for it:

Title: ___________________________

A: Have you heard about Kate and Steve?

B: No, what happened?

A: They’ve broken up.

B: No way! When did this happen??

A: Yesterday. Apparently she’d been cheating on him for months with a guy from her gym.

B: Seriously?? That’s horrible, tell me more.

A: Well apparently she met this guy in her yoga class and they got on really well and started hanging out after class. Then the guy asked her out for a drink and she said yes, but then Sarah saw them in the bar where they went for the date and confronted her about it.

B: Woah! Is that why Kate and Sarah fell out?

A: Yeah, looking back it seems obvious now. So then, last week Steve and Kate were supposed to be going to a concert together, Steve had been looking forward to it for ages. Then on the night of the concert she just didn’t turn up! He was calling her and calling her and she didn’t pick up, because she was out on another date with the guy from the gym!

B: What a bitch! Steve is such a nice guy.

A: I know he shouldn’t have to put up with being treated like that. So anyway, he went straight to her house because he was really worried and he caught her coming out of her flat with the guy!

B: Oh my god! It’s like something out of a soap opera!

A: I know…

Meaning

Replace the underlined phrasal verbs in the text with the words/phrases in the box below:

1. Tolerate

2. Stopped being friends

3. Ended their relationship

4. Spend time together

5. Have a good relationship

6. Be excited about a future event/thing

7. Answer the phone

8. To be unfaithful

9. Request a date

10. Appear/arrive

11. Remembering/thinking about

Memory Test

Can you remember the missing prepositions?

A: Have you heard about Kate and Steve?

B: No, what happened?

A: They’ve broken _____.

B: No way! When did this happen??

A: Yesterday. Apparently she’d been cheating _____him for months with a guy from her gym.

B: Seriously?? That’s horrible, tell me more.

A: Well apparently she met this guy in her yoga class and they got ______really well and started hanging _______ after class. Then the guy asked her _______ for a drink and she said yes, but then Sarah saw them in the bar where they went for the date and confronted her about it.

B: Woah! Is that why Kate and Sarah fell ________?

A: Yeah, looking _______it seems obvious now. So then, last week Steve and Kate were supposed to be going to a concert together, Steve had been looking _________ to it for ages. Then on the night of the concert she just didn’t turn up! He was calling her and calling her and she didn’t pick ________, because she was out on another date with the guy from the gym!

B: What a bitch! Steve is such a nice guy.

A: I know he shouldn’t have to put _______with being treated like that. So anyway, he went straight to her house because he was really worried and he caught her coming out of her flat with the guy!

B: Oh my god! It’s like something out of a soap opera!

A: I know…

Practice

Complete the sentences with the correct phrasal verb:

I ____________ with my sister 2 years ago and we’re still not speaking now.
I tried calling my parents but they didn’t ____________.
I think my boyfriend might be ________________ me, he keeps texting some other girl.
I really fancy this girl in my class, I want to _______ her ________, where should I suggest?
There was a crying baby in the seat behind me on the train, I had to _____________ the noise for the whole journey.
I just want to _____________ with my friends this weekend.
I ______________ really well with my Dad’s new girlfriend, she’s really nice.
________________ on my childhood, I think I had an easy life.
I’m really _________________ my holiday in Greece, I can’t wait!
I was waiting for the bus for 2 hours but it never ________________.
I’m so depressed, my girlfriend _____________ with me last night, she says she doesn’t love me anymore.

Campaigns, Recommended Websites

Freeed: The Online Teaching Community

Posted on February 12, 2020February 12, 2020 by Tim Warre

I’ve recently made an account and started connecting with other teachers on freeed.com a great new platform and online community for teachers. It’s completely free to create an account and it’s full of useful lesson plans and other resources created and shared by teachers all over the world. The types of content range from ready-to-use class materials to book reviews and blog posts. It’s an easy way to share materials and make connections with like-minded teachers.

Myles Klynhout is a member of the Freeed team and here he is talking about the origins of the platform and giving advice on how to get started:

“Teachers already face many challenges and pressures. Good practice now means working with efficiency, consistency and creativity. The problem is that too many teachers are working alone, adapting authentic and published materials, or developing their own.”

“Too often, these materials never see the light! If more educators shared their great ideas, everyone would benefit. Freeed’s mission is to make that happen, by ensuring that the process of sharing is as quick and easy as possible.”

“We understand the importance of teachers connecting and developing materials locally. Freeed’s first community in Finland has achieved just this and now has more than 3000 active users – primary and secondary school teachers, all sharing lesson ideas and teaching tips.”

“Since then, communities have been established in the Netherlands and Tanzania. As our number of teachers grow, what we want to do next is link these local communities to one another, creating a global network of educators.”

“The new ELT community is a great opportunity for us to understand the challenges teachers face in different contexts around the world.

“How can I join the Freeed ELT community?”

Step 1: Go to the Freeed website and Get Started.

Step 2: Quickly create your free account and join the ELT community (Freeed will always be free for teachers!).

Step 3: Start sharing ideas with other English teachers. You might even find the perfect materials for tomorrow’s lesson.

The situation Myles describes definitely resonated with me and it was that urge to share and swap materials that initially got me started with this blog. Check out the full blog post here. Then create your account and dive straight in! See you there!

https://www.freeed.com/

2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Exam Preparation Class, Listening Classes, Teacher Training

2Ts in a Pod: Cambridge First (FCE) Mini-Series

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Tim Warre

2ts_banner_2460x936

I haven’t even had time to keep up with the posts about each episode of our podcast. Terribly neglectful of me. Towards the end of last year we did a little mini series on the Cambridge B2 First or whatever it’s called these days (Cambridge keep changing the name). We looked at most parts of the exam; have a listen by following the links below:

FCE General Tips

FCE Speaking

FCE Reading

FCE Use of English

Low Level Classes, Vocabulary Classes

A1: Daily Routines

Posted on February 11, 2020July 17, 2021 by Tim Warre

I’ve recently been teaching some A1 adults as part of the Cert TESOL at TEFL Iberia in Barcelona. It’s been a while since I’ve taught really low levels and it’s been a great experience. I’ve made quite a few of my own materials for the class and I’ll try to upload them over the coming days and weeks. Let me know what you think.

This particular lesson plan was designed to help students practice using the present simple to talk about their daily routines using a loose TTT structure and then teaching from a short text. It was designed as a demo class for trainees during the first week of the course. I may have underestimated some of the timings of the tasks but students seemed to get a lot out of it.

Download the materials below:

My Morning routine LP – Teacher’s Lesson Plan

Our Daily Routines – Student Handout

PDFs:

our-daily-routines Download

my-morning-routine-lp Download

News

New Look = New Content

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Tim Warre

I’ve been a bit quiet for a while now due to work commitments but I want to make an effort to get back into updating the blog so I’m going to try to post as often possible. I’ve got a backlog of lesson plans that need uploading and I might also start more general teaching blog posts rather than just lesson plans and materials.

I’ve also been fiddling around with the look of the site. Thought about changing the whole theme but ended up just fiddling with the fonts and colours. Does it look horrible???

Watch

this

space…

Reading Classes, Young Learners

After School Clubs: Reading & Poster Project

Posted on February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 by Tim Warre

after school club

This is a lesson plan for A2 young learners. Students discuss the topic of after school clubs, do some reading comprehension and then create their own after school club posters. Download the example poster/reading text below:

after school poster

Lesson Plan

Write the topic of the lesson on the board, put students in pairs and give them 2 minutes to think of as many after school activities as they can. Check their answers awarding 2 points for each unique answer (no other group has it) and 1 point if another group has it.

Show students the Theatre Club poster, ask students to predict what activities the children do at theatre club. Give out the text and have students answer the comprehension questions, have them work in pairs.

Check students’ answers. Then students work in pairs or small groups to create their own posters for their own imaginary after school clubs. Refer back to the ideas they generated in the first activity. Encourage students to use the example poster as a model substituting word:

“Do you want to be ~~an actor/actress~~ a famous footballer?”

Put students posters up around the class and have a gallery activity where students move around the class reading each others posters. Have students think of two questions to ask each group about their club, then decide which clubs they’d most like to join.