Reading, Video & Debate: Compulsory Vaccination

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

Person Holding A Vaccine

This is another guest post by Soleil García Brito. It is a reading, listening and speaking lesson plan for B2+ students based around the topic of compulsory vaccination. Download the materials below:

The Vaccine debate – Teacher’s notes

Warmer

Short answers

What is a vaccine and how do they work?
Have you been vaccinated for anything?
Would you get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 if a vaccine were available?
Do you think vaccinations should be compulsory?

Video – Why are some children still not getting the MMR vaccine? | ITV News

Watch the video and answer the questions below

Are vaccinations compulsory in England?
Who is to blame for the falling rate of vaccinations, according to the video report?
Do the British public trust health care professionals?
Where does the British Health Secretary stand on making vaccinations compulsory?
How is the British government planning to stop the spread of fake news about vaccines?

Watch the video again and listen for the words in the gaps below. Discuss the meaning of the words or phrases in the gaps.

Teacher tip → Play twice if necessary.

In the UK it’s _________ parents whether their child gets vaccinated for measles
But if we want to _________ measles outbreaks don’t spread, we need ninety five percent of the public to be vaccinated
But why are we so _________ about measles right now?
More than half a million children in the UK _________ on the MMR jab between 2010 and 2017
Some ________________ what’s known as the anti-vax movement
Many worry that the MMR jab can cause autism, a theory ___________ from the British former doctor Andrew Wakefield
In 1998, he published a paper claiming there was a link, but his results were later completely _________ and he was __________ the doctors’ register.
___________, Public Health England believes social media isn’t a major factor
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to _________ children being kept out of schools if they haven’t been vaccinated against measles, but infection experts have said that this drastic solution could ________ a rise in the anti-vaxxer
… to remove any post promoting false or misleading information about ______, like MMR.

Transcript

In the UK it’s up to parents whether their child gets vaccinated for measles. Last year 87% of children received their full dose of MMR; that stands for measles mumps and rubella. That number sounds pretty high, right? But if we want to ensure measles outbreaks don’t spread, we need ninety five percent of the public to be vaccinated. This is called herd immunity. But why are we so concerned about measles right now? Measles is one of the most contagious diseases; it can cause brain damage, blindness, and it can even be fatal. And now in England cases are rising. They’ve nearly quadrupled in the last year, going from 259 in 2017 to 966 in 2018. More than half a million children in the UK missed out on the MMR jab between 2010 and 2017, and each year the number of those being vaccinated is dropping. So why are vaccination rates falling? Well it’s not just the UK. In America 2.6 million children have gone unvaccinated. Some put this down to what’s known as the anti-vax movement. Anti-vaxxers believed that certain vaccines are not safe. Many worry that the MMR jab can cause autism, a theory stemmed from the British former doctor Andrew Wakefield. In 1998, he published a paper claiming there was a link, but his results were later completely debunked and he was struck off the doctors’ register. Since then the National Autistic Society has said there is no link between autism and the vaccine, but the scare story still continues to spread. Go online in search of information around vaccinations and you’ll find social media is awash with anti-vaccination propaganda. But is the anti-vax movement to blame? Actually, Public Health England believes social media isn’t a major factor. It’s surveyed parents and found that 93% viewed health care professionals as the most trusted source of information on immunization. In fact, public health England think the key to better vaccination rates is sending out reminders to parents and making GP appointments more convenient so that vaccinations can actually happen. So what can be done to increase vaccinations? Well, in France vaccinating children became a legal requirement last year. Could that be adopted here? Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to rule out children being kept out of schools if they haven’t been vaccinated against measles, but infection experts have said that this drastic solution could fuel a rise in the anti-vaxxer movement. For the moment the governor plans to stop the spread of fake news by introducing legislation that would force social media companies, like Facebook, to remove any post promoting false or misleading information about jabs, like MMR.

Debate – Set up – Jigsaw Reading

Discuss with your partner or group whether your point is for or against compulsory vaccination. Then, summarize the main ideas to present them to the rest of the class.

Teacher tip → there are 12 statements in total: 3 PRO, 3 AGAINST, and each of their counterpoints. This activity can be structured in many ways depending on class size, level and time constraints. Here is a suggested way of structuring the activity:

Jigsaw Reading Phase 1:

Cut up the texts; keep points and counterpoints separate.
Split class into pairs or groups of 3 depending on numbers. Ideally you want either 3 or 6 groups.
Give out one point to each pair/group. Don’t give out the counterpoints for now.
Instruct students to read their text and first decide if it is a arguing for or against compulsory vaccination. Have for/against columns on the board and keep track of the points. Students could even come to the board to write their points in the column.
Have students reread their texts and summarize it in their own words.
Clear up any doubts about meaning.
Students present their summaries to the class.

Jigsaw Reading Phase 2:

Now tell students that you have counterpoints to each of the points they’ve just looked at.
Give out the counterpoint texts to each group randomly.
Students must now match their counterpoint to the previous points from phase 1 and then summarize it for the class.
Clear up any doubts about meaning.

Language Focus:

Have students look at the underlined words and phrases in the texts they’ve looked at; have them infer meaning from context and take note of collocations and useful expressions.

Debate

You can now conduct a class debate on the topic. Divide the class into two teams and decide which team will argue for and against compulsory vaccination. Encourage students to include their own ideas and opinions as well as the points and counterpoints previously studied. You can structure the debate in many ways. Follow the link below for language for debating and suggested debate structures: https://freeenglishlessonplans.com/2017/11/17/debating-at-higher-levels/

POINTS FOR COMPULSORY VACCINATION

POINT 1

It’s the state’s duty to protect its community

In an industrialized country such as the USA, unvaccinated people were 35-times more likely to contract measles than vaccinated ones; in developing countries where these viruses are still endemic, the risk would be considerably higher. After a scare about possible side effects of the MMR jab, in 2008 there was a drop in voluntary vaccinations in a part of London (Lewisham). In that part of London only 64.3 % of children were vaccinated and in that year the district accounted for one third of all South-East London measles cases. Unless there is a 95 % vaccination, there is a great threat to public health of infection outbreaks. It is therefore the role and duty of the state to understand these issues and possible threats and provide protection and care, in this case, in the form of immunization.

COUNTERPOINT 1

Voluntary immunization should be enough

Compulsory vaccination is an example of the tyranny of the majority even if it is coming from a democratic government. And in a community that praises itself as democratic and respectful to wishes of others it is in no way acceptable that the rights of some get abused by the wishes of others. Besides, The United Kingdom does not have a system of compulsory health care, but disease outbreaks are still prevented due to the voluntary immunizations. The pediatrician Miriam Fine-Goulden explains: “The risk of contracting these infections is only so low at present because the voluntary uptake of immunizations has been high enough (in most cases) to reduce the chance of contact with those organisms through the process of herd immunity.”

POINT 2

Duty to protect children

Each year millions of children worldwide die of preventable diseases before the age of five. The argument presented here is that the state needs to protect the child and immunize him or her from preventable diseases as obviously the child does not have the capabilities at this stage to make informed decisions of their own. The United Nations Right to Liberty and Security of the Person treaty, article 6.2 supports this view – State Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.

COUNTERPOINT 2

Forcing parents to vaccinate could backfire

The key issue at stake here is who gets to decide about the healthcare needs of children – the authorities or parents? Critics of enforced vaccinations argue that it may have the opposite effect to that desired, and end up demonizing parental choice. Indeed, adopting compulsory vaccinations can be counter-productive, causing concerned parents to withdraw their kids from school and entrenching anti-vaccination sentiment.

POINT 3

Compulsory vaccines are a financial relief on health system

Commonly used vaccines are a cost-effective and preventive way of promoting health, compared to the treatment of acute or chronic disease. In the U.S. during the year 2001, routine childhood immunizations against seven diseases were estimated to save over $40 billion per birth-year cohort in overall social costs including $10 billion in direct health costs, and the societal benefit-cost ratio for these vaccinations was estimated to be $16.5 billion. Additionally, if less people get sick, productivity rates remain high and less money is destined to social and health programs.

COUNTERPOINT 3

The cost of vaccines is itself high

Vaccines themselves are expensive to develop in the lab and to mass-produce for widespread compulsory vaccination programs. The cost of developing a vaccine—from research and discovery to product registration—is estimated to be between $200 million and $500 million per vaccine. In addition to these upfront costs, organizing compulsory vaccination programs across an entire country can be very complicated and expensive. For instance, mechanisms must be set in place to ensure that the program is indeed compulsory, which means establishing a database of those that have and have not received the vaccine.

POINTS AGAINST COMPULSORY VACCINATION

POINT 1

Compulsory vaccination violates the individuals’ right to bodily integrity

In most countries and declarations, one of the most basic human rights is the one to bodily integrity. It sets down that you have a right not to have your body or person interfered with. This means that the State may not do anything to harm your body without consent. The NHS (National Health Service) explains: “You must give your consent (permission) before you receive any type of medical treatment, from a simple blood test to deciding to donate your organs after your death. If you refuse a treatment, your decision must be respected.” In the case of vaccination this principle should be also applied.

COUNTERPOINT 1

Social responsibility trumps individual rights

The problem with the idea of “individual rights” is that those refusing vaccines on account of this effectively violate the same right for other people if, and when, there is an outbreak of the disease against which the vaccine is protecting. Those who wish to opt-out of vaccination (often on behalf of their children, who have no say in the matter) are classic free riders, hoping to benefit from the more responsible behavior of the rest of society. As it is assumed that most of society see it as a responsibility and a duty to protect others.

POINT 2

It is a parental right to decide whether or not to vaccinate their child

Through birth, the child and the parent have a binding agreement that is supported within the society. This agreement involves a set of rights and duties aimed at, and justified by, the welfare of the child. As custodian, the parent is under the obligation to work and organize his or her life around the welfare and development of the child, for the child’s sake. Therefore, the parent is endowed with a special kind of authority over the child. If the parent believes the child will be safer and better off in society without being given vaccine it is the parent’s right to decide not to give vaccination to the child.

COUNTERPOINT 2

Parents do not have absolute rights to decide for their children

An adult vaccine refusal and a parental vaccine refusal are not the same. Parents do not have absolute right to put their child at a risk even if they themselves are willing to accept such a risk for him or herself. Minors have a right to be protected against infectious diseases and society has the responsibility to ensure welfare of children who may be harmed by their parents’ decisions. As seen not to vaccine children can represent a danger for their future, there should be no ultimate power of parents to prevent vaccine jabs.

POINT 3

Vaccines have severe side effects

Some of the used vaccines may have severe side effects, therefore we should let every individual assess the risk and make choices on their own. Besides introducing foreign proteins and even live viruses into the bloodstream, each vaccine has its own preservative, neutralizer and carrying agent. Evidence also suggests that immunizations damage the immune system itself, because vaccines trick the body so that it will no longer initiate a generalized response. In addition, the long-term persistence of viruses and other foreign proteins within the cells of the immune system has been implicated in a number of chronic diseases, such as allergies. Moreover, MMR vaccines may cause a child who is genetically predisposed to have autism, due to the Thimerosal, which is a compound that contains mercury.

COUNTERPOINT 3

Lack of evidence for prevalence of severe side effects

First of all, many of the arguments suggesting vaccination is dangerous refer to observations from the 60s or 70s. Since then, more recent studies have reported no link between MMR vaccines and autism. Similarly, a 2011 study from the German Health Institute comparing the prevalence of allergies and infections in vaccinated and unvaccinated children and teenagers, concluded that there was no difference between them, other than the frequency of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as mumps or measles.

The text was reproduced and adapted from http://www.idebate.org with the permission of the International Debate Education Association.

Listening Classes, Reading Classes, Video Classes

Guest Post: Survival Skills – Reading & Video

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

How to Start a Fire Without Matches | The Art of Manliness

This is a reading and listening lesson for B2+ students based around the topic of survival skills and myths created by Soleil García Brito. Download the student handout below:

Survival Skills – Student Handout – Word

Survival Skills – Student Handout – PDF

Survival Skills!

Reading – Prediction

Look at these statements about survival. Are they factual or myths?

a) Anyone can start a fire with just two sticks

b) Boiled water is always 100% safe to drink

c) Reality shows about survival will help you prepare for a dire situation

d) You need to find food right away

e) You need to find water immediately to survive in desert heat

f) You can outrun a bear

g) The best way to stop a shark attack is by punching it in the nose

Matching

Read the texts and match the titles a-g

	“In reality, you can survive on just your body’s fat stores for weeks, as long as you have water. Conserving energy, avoiding injury, and sourcing a supply of water are key to surviving,” said Ras. “Hunting and trapping prey are hit and miss activities which often produce nothing and simply end up expending energy and risking injury or illness. It’s extremely rare for someone to die of starvation in a survival situation. Injury, illness, poisoning and exposure are much more likely to result in death. By definition, ‘surviving’ a situation is short-term, and in the short term a person can be fueled by their fat reserves.”
	“None of us would be here today if our ancestors hadn’t mastered the fine art of friction firemaking, but this is a skill to practice on camping trips and backyard outings,” said Tony Nester of Ancient Pathways Survival School. It’s a big mistake to rely solely on friction firemaking in a survival situation, especially when you could end up in a damp environment. Modern survival is about being prepared and carrying at least three firestarters (waterproof matches, spark-rod, lighter) with you at all times,” said Nester. “I teach primitive firemaking skills to show my students how to perform the method but find that, even under the best of conditions, it is a challenge and not reliable for most people.”
	“I’ve worked as a consultant on several reality shows and these shows are heavily-scripted,” said Nester. “On one program, there was a crew of 12 people accompanying us, including two staff whose sole job was to drag around coolers filled with double-shot espressos and sandwiches while filming scenes of the host living off the land. There’s nothing romantic or fun about real survival—it’s only adventure in retrospect.”
	Running away from a bear is a lost cause: Usain Bolt himself couldn’t beat one in a footrace, let alone on uneven terrain. The best thing to do depends on the species. If you encounter a black bear, said Nester, “Hold your ground and make yourself look big—open your coat up, throw your arms up above your head—and shout and scream and, a lot of times, they’re as spooked as you are, and will take off.” Take the opposite approach with a grizzly: “Avoid eye contact, which a bear will perceive to be a challenge. If the bear’s not approaching, back away slowly. If it charges, simply stand your ground. If you have pepper spray, be ready to use it… and pronto. If it makes physical contact with you, cover your vitals and play dead.”
	“Even though it’s true that sharks get stunned if they get punched in the nose, not many people the strength to do this, especially underwater,” said Manighetti. Even if you could manage the strength to hit the nose hard enough, there’s a chance your hand could end up getting injured by shark teeth. “The best way to scare a shark away is to scratch its eyes or gills, it’s impossible to overpower these fierce creatures in attack mode.”
	“While boiling water will kill off organisms and germs, it will not clean harmful particulates from the water. For instance, no matter how long you boil chemically contaminated water it won’t be safe to drink,” said Jack. “This same principle applies to stagnant dirty water. If the water you are attempting to purify is visibly dirty or murky, you should filter the water before attempting to boil it. If you don’t have a commercial water filter available, then you can either pour the dirty water through a clean fabric (towel or shirt) or leave the water to stand until the sediments sink to the bottom. Then just pour the clean water from the top…and then boil.”
	“You will last longer in the heat by holding up in the shade versus searching for water during the afternoon hours,” said Nester. “If you do run out of water, find a north-facing boulder and sit in the shade; keep covered to prevent evaporative sweat loss; stay off the hot ground by sitting on your pack or a pile of debris; and only move around during the cooler hours of the morning or evening.” If you didn’t tell anyone about your travel plans, though, rescue will likely take more than a few hours and you should search for water when the temperature drops.

Text adapted from: https://www.theactivetimes.com/15-survival-myths-could-actually-kill-you-slideshow/

Discussion

Were your predictions from the first task correct?
Look at the texts again. Why are these things all bad ideas?

Language focus

Look at the underlined phrases and the words in bold. What do you think they mean?
Discuss with a partner and take a note of the dependent prepositions, collocations, phrasal verbs and idioms.
Fill in the gaps with the appropriate preposition or collocation without checking in the texts:

In reality, you can survive _______ just your body’s fat stores for weeks
Injury, illness, poisoning and exposure are much more likely to result _______
It’s a big mistake to rely solely _______ friction firemaking in a survival situation, especially when you could end _______ in a damp environment.
… including two staff whose sole job was to drag around coolers filled with double-shot espressos and sandwiches while filming scenes of the host living _______ the land.
Running away from a bear is a _______ cause
… a lot of times, they’re as spooked as you are, and will take_______.
While boiling water will kill _____ organisms and germs, it will not clean harmful particulates from the water.
This same principle _______ to stagnant dirty water.
If you do run_______of water, find a north-facing boulder and sit _______the shade.
… you should search for water when the temperature _______.

Video – Prediction

You are going to watch a video about surviving in extreme situations. These are the topics; are they good or bad ideas?

Eating snow for hydration
Drinking cactus water
Drinking urine or blood
Using moss for direction
Drinking alcohol to stay warm
Rubbing frostbitten extremities
Sucking venom from a snake bite
Peeing on a jellyfish sting

VIDEO: Click the link – 8 Survival Tips

Questions:

Why are they bad ideas?

____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Video – Language Focus

Read the sentences below and try to fill the gaps
Watch the video a second time listening for the words in the gaps and compare to your original predictions.

Too good to be ___________
Which will dehydrate you and make _______ worse.
They still don’t taste good, but they’ll do in a _______.
Going _______ vampire to survive is probably not the best idea.
But that is the exact _______ of what you want if you need to stay warm.
Not to _______, freeze the water those cells were using to live.
Try to sit _______ and don’t risk doing more harm.
In other _______, don’t do it.
You’re best _______ leaving the treatment to professionals.
Last but not _______.

2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Listening Classes, Vocabulary Classes

2Ts in a Pod Video: Friendship Expressions

Posted on July 15, 2020July 15, 2020 by Tim Warre

2ts_banner_2460x936

We’ve recently launched a Youtube channel for our podcast 2Ts in a Pod. There’s not much up there yet but more content is in the pipeline. Check out this video we’ve made looking at 5 expressions related to the topic of friendship. Why not show it to your students or set it as homework?

If you like the video, please consider subscribing to the channel, it’s a new project for us and we really want to get it off the ground so a like, a share and a subscription can go a long way!

You can also check out full episodes of our podcast on our Soundcloud page below. Any comments or feedback welcome.

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.

Listening Classes, Video Classes

Video Listening Activity: Joe Lycett – Scamming a Scammer

Posted on November 15, 2018November 20, 2018 by Tim Warre

Image result for joe lycett

Image credit: Chambers Management

Just a quick note…

Before you use these materials… We’ve created a new podcast aimed at B2+ level English students and teachers alike. You can listen for free at our SoundCloud page below. You can download teacher’s notes to accompany them from our Facebook page or from this blog. All comments and feedback welcome! Give us a like and a share 😉
https://www.facebook.com/2tspodcast/

This is a listening activity for B2+ students based around a Youtube clip of a Joe Lycett stand-up comedy routine on the subject of scammers. Download the handout, teacher’s notes, full transcript and powerpoint below:

The video:

Teacher’s Notes

Lead-in

Use the first slide of the PowerPoint to pre-teach the UK cultural references students will need for the video:

Class and social status are very important in the UK, this manifests itself in snobbery about supermarkets: Waitrose is a posh expensive supermarket, Aldi is a cheap, lower quality one.
Dorothy Perkins is a relatively cheap high street clothes shop.
Gumtree is a popular website where people list many things: properties for rent, things for sale etc.
A scam is when someone tries to trick someone else out of their money. Common scams include: email scams, social media scams, rental scams, holiday apartment scams (timeshare), fake goods scams (watches, shoes, handbags etc.)
In pairs students compare their own country with the UK, do these scams exist?

Pre-Listening

Students discuss in pairs.

You’re going to watch a video of the British comedian Joe Lycett telling a story about how he scammed a scammer via email.
What do you think he’s going to do?

Listening 1

Watch the first part of the video (until 01:26) and answer the question:

What is the scam? A property scam, to get a viewing of a flat, potential tenants must transfer money using a site called moneytoindia.eu

Now watch again and answer these questions:

Why does Joe start emailing Gemma? His friend discovers it and realises it is a scam.
What does Gemma say about the flat? That it is in a beautiful area with parking facilities.
What does Gemma ask Joe to do? Send $220 and his home address.

Prediction: What is Joe going to do next?

Listening 2

Watch the next part (until 2:06): Were your predictions correct?

Watch again:

Where did Joe say he was? In Stockholm
Where was he really? In his garden in Birmingham drinking prosecco.
What was Gemma’s excuse for not meeting him? That she was in Berlin on a business trip.

Predict: What do you think Joe will do next?

Listening 3

Watch the next part (until 3:28): Were your predictions correct?

Watch again:

What does the German phrase Joe uses mean? I know this is a scam.
How did Joe make his story more convincing? By including a photo of himself in Berlin from a previous holiday.
How did Joe finish the latest email? By saying he was going to contact the FBI to check Gemma out.

Predict: What do you think will happen next?

Listening 4

Watch the rest of the video: Were your predictions correct?

How did Gemma react to Joe’s email about the FBI? She panicked and sent lots of emails.
How did Joe give Gemma a taste of her own medicine? By asking her to send him $300 to cancel the FBI check.
What did Gemma say in her last email? That she was sorry and would try to live a better life.

Reaction

What did you think of the video?

Decoding – Transcript Work – KEY

Watch the first part of the video again and fill in the gaps in the transcript with what you hear:

Part 1

So this is my favorite thing that’s come as a result of me being a bit weird with somebody online. A friend of mine was looking for somewhere to live in London, which as I’m sure you’re aware is quite expensive, quite difficult increasingly.

He found somewhere on gumtree that looked kind of promising did a bit of emailing back and forth and realized pretty quickly this is probably a scam and so he sent all the emails that he’d done already over to me and just did the subject heading: “do your absolute worst”. A girl called Gemma, who was supposedly advertising this property, I sent her a fresh email, I said: “Hello Gemma I’m contacting you regarding the apartment listed on Gumtree, I’m interested in a viewing and wanted to arrange, regards Joe Lycett.” I used my own name on this one.

Discussion

Is this a good way to deal with scammers?
Do similar scams exist in your country?
Have you ever been a victim of a scam?
What do you think of this type of comedy? Do you find it funny?
Which other stand-up comedians do you like? Have you ever been to a live show?
Did you enjoy this activity?

Extra Support

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Conversation Classes, Proficiency

Debating at Higher Levels

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Tim Warre

Image result for debate

Image credit: The Merkle

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a lesson plan for higher levels (C1+) designed to help students develop their discourse management and debating skills. Download the handouts below:

Discourse Analysis: Guardian 5-minute Debates

In this section of the lesson students will watch a video from the Guardian 5-minute debate series in order to analyse the ways in which the speakers structure their arguments and the language they use. The topic of the debate is:

Should slang words be banned in the classroom?

In the debate the two speakers (Michael Rosen and Lindsay Johns) are specifically talking about London street slang. A school in South London took the decision to ban street slang from the classroom, the banned words are in the picture below:

slang

If you want to look up any of these words you can use the urban dictionary.

Language to pre-teach:

code switching – changing from one language, dialect, or way of speaking to another depending on who you’re speaking to.
cultural relativism – the theory that beliefs, customs, and morality exist in relation to the particular culture from which they originate and are not absolute. (What’s considered acceptable in one culture might not be in another)
Live in an ivory tower – to be out of touch or to not understand the true reality of a situation. To live in a privileged position and therefore not understand the real world.

Have students watch the debate, while they are watching they should answer these questions:

Who wins the debate and why?
Useful phrase for debating.
Ways of structuring an argument.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2013/dec/09/should-schools-ban-slang-video-debate

Discuss their thoughts in open class.

Give out the transcript and show students the powerpoint. The powerpoint will take them through some of the structural techniques that Michael Rosen uses such as:

Conceding/partially agreeing
Hedging/being more indirect
Asking and answering your own questions
Presenting evidence
Being emphatic

A Less Formal Debate – Debate-O-Rama Cats vs. Dogs

Now tell students they’re going to watch a less formal debate, the topic is dogs vs. cats. Split the class into two groups: the dog group and the cat group. Each group has to watch the video and and write down the arguments that the two people give to support their animal, i.e dogs are smelly, cats are selfish.

Students watch the video and takes notes. (Video from 1:15)

Give out the debate language handout. Tell students that they are going to recreate the dogs vs. cats debate but using the language on the handout and some of the structural techniques we saw earlier. Give them 8-10 minutes to structure their arguments. The debate will follow the following structure:

Debate Structure

Opening statement (90 secs)
Cross examination (30 secs)
(repeat)
Rebuttal #1 (30 secs each)
Rebuttal #2 (30 secs each)
Closing Statements (30 secs each)

Award a winner based on the strength of their arguments and how well structured they are. The debate handout has further debate topics for future classes.

Debate Handout:

Language

Opinion

The way I see it,

In my view,

In my opinion, I think that

My view on the matter is…

As far as I understand it,

As far as I’m concerned,

I’d say that…

I personally am (not) a big fan of…

Evidence/Popular Opinion

All the evidence points to/suggests…

I think you’ll find that…

If you ask anyone,…

The vast majority of people would say…

We have no evidence that…

9 out of 10 people would say that…

There’s no evidence to support that whatsoever.

Main arguments

I support/oppose the notion that… for the following reason: Firstly,…

The key issue here is…

The real question/dilemma is… (question form)

The critical/crucial factor here is…

It’s vital to remember that…

By far and away the most important point is…

Adding points

What’s more,

On top of that,

Besides that,

Apart from that,

Another thing to consider is…

We shouldn’t forget that…

It’s also worth bearing in mind that…

Rebutting/Cross-Examining

So what you’re saying is…

So let me get this straight…

Correct me if I’m wrong but…

You’re not seriously suggesting that…, are you?

You can’t possibly be saying that…

I feel I must also disagree with you about…

Conceding/Partially Agreeing

I admit that your point about… may be true, however,

I take/see your point about…

Let’s say I agree with the idea of…

I hear what you’re saying, but…

Conclusion

In a nutshell,

So to sum up,

So in summary,

So to wrap up,

So as I was saying,

All in all,

Debate Structure

1. Opening statement (90 secs)

2. Cross examination (30 secs)

3. (repeat)

4. Rebuttal #1 (30 secs each)

5. Rebuttal #2 (30 secs each)

6. Closing Statements (30 secs each)

Low-stakes Debate Topics

(Credit to debatable youtube page)

Dogs vs. Cats	Superpowers: Flight vs. Invisibility	Pancakes vs. Waffles	Hot dogs vs. Hamburgers	French fries vs. Patatas bravas
Beer vs. Wine	Whisky vs. Rum	Are ghost real?	Does the internet do more good or bad?	Camping, good or bad?
Taylor Swift vs. Ariana Grande	Soup vs. salad	Pasta vs. pizza	Is it ok to pee in the shower?	Tea vs. Coffee
Coke vs. Pepsi	Burger King vs. MacDonald’s	Chinese food vs. Japanese food	City vs. Country	Morning Showers vs. Night Showers

Conversation Classes

Micro Presentations/Elevator Pitches

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Tim Warre

Image result for elevator pitch

This is a lesson plan designed for higher levels (B2+) to help students develop their presentation skills. Download the phrase sheet and topic cards below:

Micro Presentations

Preparation

Prepare a 2-minute example presentation on a topic close to your heart using as much of the language from the handout as you can.

Procedure

Tell students that you’re going to give a presentation, tell them that they need to make notes on: the main idea, supporting ideas and impressive language.

Give your presentation and then give students a minute to compare their notes and share in open class.

Give out the handout and have students look for the expressions that they heard, clear up any doubts students may have about the language.

Students then choose presentation topics for each other. Give them 2-3 minutes to prepare their presentations. Pairs then join together to make groups of 4. Each member gives their presentation, teacher monitors and takes notes for feedback. Other members of the group note how many expressions their classmates use in their presentations and give them constructive feedback.

Homework: Students prep another micro-presentation for the next class. Topics could include: a hobby, a product sales pitch, a persuasive argument.

Handout

Language

Starting

The thing about… is…

What I find most interesting about… is…

Abbreviating

In a nutshell,

To cut a long story short…

Sequencers

First of all,

To begin with,

First and foremost,

Secondly,

Finally,

Last but not least,

And to top it all off,

Addition

What’s more,

On top of that,

Besides that,

Apart from that,

Another thing to consider is…

We shouldn’t forget that…

It’s also worth bearing in mind that…

Adding Emphasis

(I don’t agree with him) at all.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

By far the best/worst/biggest etc. is…

The park near my house is especially/particularly beautiful

Fillers

You know?

So,

I mean,

In other words

How can I put this?

Contrast/Comparison

On the one hand, on the other hand,

But actually…

But in actual fact…

However

Whereas/while

Conclusion

So to sum up,

So in summary,

So to wrap up,

So as I was saying,

All in all,

Topics

Choose a topic for your partner from the list below, you have two minutes to make notes before giving a two minute micro-presentation.

Tourism in your city	How we can save the planet	Modern cinema	The worst thing about being a teenager	The best thing about being a teenager
The most important invention ever	Ways to live a healthier life	Consumerism	The effect the internet is having on society	The world in 20 years’ time
The importance of fashion nowadays	Sexism in the media	Differences between your life and your parents	The ideal holiday	The most useful subjects at school
Modern music	Different pressures that girls and boys face	Dating nowadays	The most useful thing you own	The best way to study for exams
The best place to go on a first date	The perfect weekend	Smartphone addiction	Zoos and pets	The best thing to study at uni

Conversation Classes, Vocabulary Classes

Love is in the air: Love and Relationship Expressions

Posted on February 15, 2017February 15, 2017 by Tim Warre

Resultat d'imatges de valentine's day

Image credit: Android Authority

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a lesson plan I designed for Valentine’s day so it’s a bit late but who’s to say you can’t learn about love any day of the year? Download the teacher’s notes and student handout below:

love-story-teachers-notes

valentines-day-lp

A Love Story – Teacher’s notes

Preparation

Print out enough copies of the students’ handout for each student and enough copies of the pictures for students to work in pairs.

Step 1: Guess the Story

Give each pair a set of pictures and have them guess the order of the story. Tell them “this is the story of a relationship, you have to put it in order” you might want to put some simple sequencers on the board: “First, and then, afterwards, in the end etc.”

When they’ve finished choose a pair to tell their version of the story to the class, ask other groups if their version is different.

Step 2: Listening

Tell students that you are going to tell them the real story and they have to listen and put their pictures in the correct order. Read the story.

Step 3: Reading

Give out the handout but fold the paper so student cannot see the language focus exercise. Students read the story and check that they have the pictures in the correct order.

Step 4: Meaning from context

Have students try to guess the meaning of the expressions in bold from the context in pairs. Then go through the meanings on the board:

love at first sight – fall in love when you first see someone
check sb out – look at someone to decide if you’re attracted to them
pluck up the courage – be brave
chat sb up – flirt with sb
ask sb out – arrange a date
have a lot in common – have shared interests
be made for each other – a perfect match/couple
fall head over heels in love – fall madly/deeply in love with sb
go out with sb – be in a relationship
have a row – argue
have a thing for sb – be attracted to sb
break/split up – end a relationship
get back together with sb – repair a relationship
get down on one knee – kneel on one knee
pop the question – propose to sb
tie the knot – get married
be in the doghouse with sb – your partner is angry at you
worried sick – v. worried
on the rocks – in trouble, danger

Step 5: Language focus

Students turn the handout over and try to complete the expressions from memory; they mustn’t look at the text.

Students then unfold the paper to check their answers.

Step 6: Retell the story

Students turn the handout over and attempt to retell the story, using all the expressions, using the pictures as prompts.

Step 7: Personalising

If appropriate, students describe a real relationship from their lives: How did you meet your wife/husband? etc.

The Story

Work with a partner, look at the words in bold, what do you think they mean?

Tony and Tina met at a party, it was love at first sight, they were both checking each other out for a while until Tony plucked up the courage to go and talk to Tina. He chatted her up for a while then at the end of the night he asked for her number. He called her the next day to ask her out and she said yes. They went out for coffee and discovered that they had so much in common, they were made for each other! They fell head over heels in love and started going out with each other straightaway. One night, they had a huge row because Tony thought that Tina had a thing for his best friend. It was a horrible argument and they broke up but it wasn’t long before they got back together because they just couldn’t stay apart.

2 years later Tony got down on one knee and popped the question to Tina, she said yes and 6 months later they tied the knot in front of their friends and family. A few years later Tony was in the doghouse for a few weeks because he got really drunk with his friends and didn’t come home, Tina was worried sick. For a few days it looked like the marriage might be on the rocks but she forgave him eventually and they both lived happily ever after.

Language Focus

Over the story and try to remember the missing words from the expressions.

It was love ____ first sight
They were both c_________ each other out
He chatted her _____ for a while.
He called her the next day to _____ her out.
They had so much in ______________.
They were made ______ each ___________.
They fell __________ over _________ in love.
Tina had a _____________for his best friend.
They ____________ up but it wasn’t long before they got ___________ together
2 years later Tony got __________ on one knee and ____________ the question to Tina,
6 months later they _________ the knot in front of their friends and family.
Tony was in the ____________ for a few weeks
Tina was worried ______________.
It looked like the marriage might be on the _____________ but she forgave him.

Conversation Classes

Tis the Season to be Jolly: Christmas Expressions

Posted on December 16, 2016December 16, 2016 by Tim Warre

Image result for christmas

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

This is a Christmas lesson plan for higher levels (C1+) in which students learn some Christmassy expressions then practice them in a crossword and discussion.

tis-the-season-to-be-jolly-teachers-notes

tis-the-season-to-be-jolly – Student handout

christmas-expressions-crossword-key

christmas-expressions-crossword

Teacher’s notes

Matching

Match the expressions in bold with their definitions.

I really overindulged last Christmas, I felt awful on Boxing Day. (C)
So this year I’ve decided to pace myself, no booze till lunchtime! (P)
Oooo, I’m feeling a bit tipsy after all that champagne. (B)
I’ll put some Christmas carols on to get in the festive spirit. (D)
Christmas is a time to get together with your nearest and dearest. (O)
I don’t get on with my uncle but we always manage to bury the hatchet at Christmas. (E)
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without turkey with all the trimmings. (J)
(opening a present) Another horrible jumper from Auntie Janet, oh well, it’s the thought that counts. (M)
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. (H)
Son: “Come on Granddad! It’s Christmas, don’t be such a scrooge!” (I)

Granddad: “Bah Humbug! I hate Christmas.” (K)

My mum always spends hours slaving over a hot stove on Christmas day. (F)
We’re doing a secret Santa in the office and I’ve drawn the boss! I don’t know what to get her. (G)
(opening a present) Oh wow, it’s lovely, you shouldn’t have! (L)
Christmas is really important in my family, we always pull out all the stops, decorations, presents, tonnes of food, you name it! (N)
Children always get showered with gifts at Christmas. (A)

a. Receive a lot of presents

b. A little drunk

c. Eat and drink too much

d. To start feeling Christmassy

e. To forget old arguments and be friendly

f. To spend a long time cooking

g. “amigo invisible” each person buys a present for another person in the group.

h. A snowy Christmas

i. A mean person who doesn’t like Christmas

j. The traditional things that go with something

k. People who don’t like Christmas say this.

l. What you say when you receive a present

m. What you say when you receive a bad present

n. Make a big effort to achieve something

o. Your family

p. To eat and drink slowly and carefully.

Reflection

This section is designed to help students process the vocabulary and aid acquisition.

Look again at the expressions.

Which ones do you like?
Which ones do you think you will remember?
Which ones do you think you will forget?
Can you think of an equivalent expression in your language?
Think of a way to remember each expression with your partner, you could relate it to a sound, a word in your language or maybe an image.

Crossword

Give out the crossword handout and have them complete it in pairs without looking at the original handout. The first group to finish is the winner.

Conversation

Students ask and answer the questions in pairs. Then feedback in open class.

Ask and answer the questions with your partner:

Have you ever experienced a white Christmas? Where were you? What was it like?
Do you try to pace yourself over the festive season? Or do you tend to overindulge?
Who slaves over a hot stove in your family?
Have you ever done a secret Santa? Who with? Who did you draw? Did you like the experience?
Does your family pull out all the stops at Christmas?
Do you get on with everyone in your family? Do you have to bury the hatchet with any family members at Christmas?
Does anyone in your family give bad presents? What do you say when you receive a bad present? Have you ever taken a present back to the shop?
What do you do to get into the Christmas spirit? Do you ever find it difficult?
Are there any scrooges in your family?
What’s the traditional Christmas dish in your culture? What are all the trimmings that go with it?
Who gets showered with gifts in your household?
Do you normally get tipsy at Christmas?
How important is it to get together with your nearest and dearest at Christmas? Who do you normally spend Christmas with?
How important is giving and receiving presents in your family? Is it really just the thought that counts?

Conversation Classes, songs

Song: Bob Dylan – It’s All Over Now Baby Blue

Posted on October 21, 2016October 22, 2016 by Tim Warre

Resultat d'imatges de bob dylan

Image credit: http://thebluesmobile.com/c-c-rider-venerates-bob-dylan/

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

bob-dylan-baby-blue – Handout

I’ve been quiet for a few weeks due to my exciting and terrifying new job in teacher training! However, I’ve made a resolution to work on more posts for the blog over the coming weeks.

Some of my C2 adults expressed an interest in listening to some Bob Dylan songs after reading about his recent Nobel Prize win. So I’ve prepared this short lesson plan with that in mind. Students start by reading and analysing the lyrics to the song as if it were a poem and not knowing the author or that it is in fact a folk song.

Procedure

Students read the lyrics as if it were a poem and answer the 3 questions with their partner:

What do you think the poem is about?
Who do you think the poet is talking to?
What might have happened to the person?

Encourage use of language of speculation (could/might/may have etc.)

My DELTA tutor told me that removing words from song lyrics was a horrible crime, “butchering the text” is how he described it, so I’ve decided to keep the text whole. However, feel free to remove some words and have students complete them while listening. One idea would be to remove a part of each rhyming couplet and have students guess at words that would fit, before listening to confirm.

Have students discuss and share their interpretation of the song and then show them the three comments which contain different ways in which the song could be interpreted. Have them compare their own thoughts with those from the comments.

Song

Handout

Read the poem and answer the questions with your partner:

What do you think the poem is about?
Who do you think the poet is talking to?
What might have happened to the person?

You must leave now
Take what you need you think will last
But whatever you wish to keep
You’d better grab it fast

Yonder stands your orphan with his gun
Crying like a fire in the sun
Look out, the saints are coming through
And it’s all over now, baby blue

The highway is for gamblers
Better use your sense
Take what you have gathered
From coincidence

The empty handed painter from your streets
Is drawing crazy patterns on your sheets
The sky, too, is folding over you
And it’s all over now, baby blue

All your seasick sailors
They’re all rowing home
All your reindeer armies
They’re all going home

The lover, who just walked out your door
Has taken all his blankets from the floor
The carpet too, is moving under you
And it’s all over now, baby blue

Leave your stepping stones behind
Now, something calls for you
Forget the dead you’ve left
They will not follow you

The vagabond who’s rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore
Strike another match, go start anew
And it’s all over now, baby blue

Comment 1

“I think there is one line here that is misunderstood, and it is pretty nifty.

When Dylan is wrapping up the song, and he’s telling the woman to leave the dead and to start over, he says the line “strike another match girl, start anew” I really think it’s “girl” and not “go”– if you listen to the song it could go either way, but just here me out.

I think this line reference to Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl,” in which a vagabond child selling matches sees visions of warm, safe places she will never be a part of, and each time she lights a match she sees a new scene, a new life. At the end of the fairy-tale, she lights her final match and dies… but in Dylan’s case, when he says to “light another match, girl” he’s not talking about a REAL death, he’s talking about a change. Like the girl in the story, the subject of this song is down-and-out, she thought she was in a safe place, but she’s not– the carpet’s being pulled right out from under her. She needs to figuratively “light a match” and see the possibilities for a new life, and she needs to accept, even embrace this change and join the vagabond outside to start a new journey.”

Comment 2

“I think this song is about accepting changes in life. this was the last song Dylan played at the infamous Newport concert (where he was booed for going electric) and the last song on Bringing It All Back Home (his last album that was mostly acoustic) I think he is just saying it is time for him to move on creatively”

Comment 3

“Could it be that Dylan is Baby Blue? He has to stop listening to everyone’s expectations as to where he should go. He must leave those stepping stones and go his own way even though there may be a price to pay.”