This is a lesson plan for C1+ Spanish speaking students. Students use contrastive analysis to compare Spanish idioms and expressions with their English equivalent. It was inspired by an activity in Leo Selivan’s book Lexical Grammar. Download the student handout and key below:
This is a guest post by Steve Krajewski from English Coach Online on the topic of national identity and gaining dual citizenship.
Steve writes texts based on his own life experiences and shares them with students. His texts are packed with phrases and collocations that are common in spoken English.
For this post, Steve decided to focus on a text called ‘A long time coming’. This text will enable students to discuss whether they’ve ever done a family tree, what they know about their ancestors and to what extent gaining dual citizenship would have an impact on their lives.
Skills practiced include listening for gist, guessing the meanings of words from context and scanning the text for details.
__________
Download the teacher’s notes and the student handout below:
Download the audio file for the text here:
Student Handout
A long time coming
As I have the right to obtain Polish citizenship by descent, I’ve been spending a great deal of time getting to grips with the Law on Polish citizenship and asking specialists for advice about which documents I need to submit for my application.
Obtaining Polish citizenship by descent is relatively straightforward. Considering the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, and the future rights of British citizens who wish to travel, live and work in the EU, holding dual citizenship might be very useful down the line. My father will apply for a Polish passport as well.
A few weeks ago, I hired a genealogist to carry out research on my Polish ancestors. I’ve learned some revealing things about my grandfather, such as the fact that the Soviets deported him and his family to Arkhangelsk, Russia, in 1940. My researcher has also discovered the names, birthplaces and educational backgrounds of my grandfather’s siblings and parents.
Applying for Polish citizenship has made me wonder why so many people don’t take an interest in their roots and ancestors. I certainly feel a little guilty for not visiting the villages connected with my ancestors when I lived in Poland on and off between 2006 and 2013.
So – what do you think? Should families research their family history and start a family tree together?
WORDS AND PHRASES
– a long time coming – arriving or happening after a lot of time has passed
(here I refer to my regrets that it took such a long time to learn about my
relatives)
– citizenship – the position or status of being a citizen of a particular
country
– (by) descent – the origin or background of a person in terms of family or
nationality
– get to grips (with something) – to start to deal with a problem, situation, or job that you have to do
– submit – to give or offer something for a decision to be made by others
– straightforward – uncomplicated and easy to do or understand
– uncertainty – a situation in which something is not known for sure
– surrounding – related to; around; involved with
– rights – a moral or legal entitlement to have or do something
– dual citizenship – the status of a person who is a legal citizen of two or more countries
– down the line – in the future
– genealogist – a person who traces or studies lines of family descent
– carry out research (on something) – a careful study of a subject (e.g. medical/historical/scientific), especially in order to discover new facts or information about it
– revealing – showing something that was not previously known or seen
– educational background – your educational background refers to all of the education you have received
– take an interest (in something) – be concerned or curious
– roots – family origins, or the particular place you come from and the experiences you have had living there
– ancestor – a person related to you who lived a long time ago (usually
before grandparents)
– (feel) guilty – to feel intense regret for something
– on and off – only for part of a period of time; not in a regular or
continuous way
– family tree – a diagram showing the relationship between people in several generations of a family
Read Steve’s posts related to ELT and language learning here: https://englishcoachonline.com/blog/
This is a lesson plan designed to help students make their written and spoken English more emphatic and engaging. Students will learn various rhetorical devices, then put them to use in conversation. Download the handout and key below:
Rhetorical Devices in Speech and Writing – Student Handout
We can use the following rhetorical devices to make our speeches and writings more engaging.
Ask a question that you don’t expect an answer to.
“How can we encourage more people to recycle? Well, one way would be to…”
“How much impact do one person’s habits really have on the environment? Surprisingly, ….
Giving human actions or emotions to non-living/inanimate things.
“I could hear the pack of cookies calling to me from the cupboard.”
“The music industry chewed him up and spat him out.”
“The soft bed welcomed me with open arms.”
“The fear of failure chased him wherever he went.”
Using exaggeration to draw attention to the severity of the matter or to make a strong point.
“I called her a thousand times.”
“I will literally die if they ask me to give a speech to the whole class.”
“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
Ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary
“How did Steve look when you visited him? Not great to be honest.”
“How was the film? Yeah, not bad.”
“Let’s just say he doesn’t have the best attendance record.”
Repetition of the last word in a phrase at the beginning of the next phrase or sentence.
“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering.” –Yoda, Star Wars
“We ordered a pizza. A pizza that changed our lives.”
“She got on the bus, and on that bus she met a man. A man who would turn out to be the love of her life. A life that would be tragically cut short at only 25 years old.”
A simile is a comparison in which something is said to figuratively be like something else. They usually contain “like” or “as”.
“It was as hot as a desert this morning.”
“His heart was beating like a broken clock.”
“My grandad is as blind as a bat and as deaf as a post.”
Identify the different rhetorical devices:
This time on the pod Katy and Tim discuss some dilemmas from the popular Reddit thread AITA (Am I the A**hole?).
Listen along and decide who you think is in the wrong in each of the situations.
We’re back with episode 54 of the podcast. Katy & Tim describe some crazy inventions and discuss their usefulness. How many gadgets do you own?
Listen on SoundCloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the episode, come join us on the socials for more great content:
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This is a lesson plan to help students tackle part 4 of the use of English in the main suit Cambridge exams, the key word transformations. I use this PowerPoint in conjunction with the C1 Advanced Key Word Transformation Mega Test handout but it can also be adapted for B2 First and C2 Proficiency students. Download the PowerPoint below:
Lead students through the techniques outlined in the PowerPoint then have them do page 1 of the mega test individually as practice. Then have students compare their answers before correcting in open class. You can then work through the rest of the mega test over the next few classes and for homework. You can also share the original quizlet set with them for self-study.
This is the first in a new series of classroom pragmatics lesson plans designed to help develop students’ pragmatic competence in specific social interactions that take place in the classroom. In this case, how to apologise for arriving late and how to request to leave early. Download the handout with key below:
First students rate a good and a bad apology/request. Then they must break the apology/request down into separate functions or speech acts, then practice making their own apologies and requests in a role-play. This should prepare them for the real-life interaction if/when it arises.
Rate this late arrival:
Teacher: What time do you call this?
Student: Sorry I’m late, …. traffic ….., I was eating, lost the bus.”
Now this one:
Teacher: What time do you call this?
Student: Hi Tim, I’m really sorry for being late. It’s my fault, you see, I was having lunch with my friends and I lost track of time. It won’t happen again.
Identify the different stages:
Useful language
| Initial apology | Accept responsibility |
| I’m really sorry for ….ingApologies for ….ingI apologise profusely for ….ing | It’s (all) my fault…I’m to blame…It’s on me… |
| Introduce explanation or excuse | Promise action |
| You see,…It’s just that…What happened was… | It won’t happen again.I’ll try harder to …. next time.I promise I’ll/I won’t… |
https://rolladie.net/roll-a-d20-die – roll a 20-sided die to choose your excuse then role-play the situation with your partner.
Excuse Table
| I overslept. My last class/meeting overran. I lost track of time. I missed the bus and had to wait for the next one. I got stuck in traffic. The metro line was down. I got distracted. I had a (dentist’s) appointment. My (pet/family member) was sick. I lost my (bag/phone/etc.) | My bag got stolen. I fell over/tripped and hurt my (ankle/knee) I had a car/bike/motorbike accident. My car/bike/motorbike broke down. My house/flat got burgled/broken into. A water pipe burst in my house/flat. I got held up at the (doctor’s/dentist’s/bank) I got caught in the rain/snow. I got splashed by a puddle. There’s been a death in the family. |
Rate this request:
Student: I have to leave early today. I have to go to the dentist. Here you have a note from my dad.
Now this one:
Student: Hi Tim, would it be ok if I left early today? I’ll only miss the last 20 minutes of class. The thing is, I have a dentist’s appointment at 3 o’clock, it’s the only slot they had. I’ll get the notes off María before next class and if you could let me know the homework, that’d be great.
Identify the different stages:
| Polite Requests | Introducing explanations |
| Would it be of if + past simpleWould it be possible to + inf.Do you think I could + verb…? | The thing is,…It’s just that,….You see,…. |
https://rolladie.net/roll-a-d10-die – roll a 10-sided die to choose your excuse then role-play the situation with your partner. Think of ways to soften the request (I’ll only miss 20 minutes of class)
Excuse Table
| It’s your (family member’s) birthday. You have a big sporting event. You have an important exam tomorrow morning. You have a flight/train to catch. You have a dentist’s appointment. You have a doctor’s appointment. You have an appointment at the hairdresser’s. You have an important business meeting. You have to go home to look after your kids/younger siblings. You have an important family dinner. |
KEY – ARRIVING LATE
Teacher: What time do you call this?
Student: Hi Tim, I’m really sorry for being late. It’s my fault, you see, I was having lunch with my friends and I lost track of time. It won’t happen again.
Identify the different stages:
LEAVING EARLY
Student: Hi Tim, would it be ok if I left early today? I’ll only miss the last 20 minutes of class. The thing is, I have a dentist’s appointment at 3 o’clock, it’s the only slot they had. I’ll get the notes off María before next class and if you could let me know the homework, that’d be great.
Identify the different stages:
This is a guest post by Soleil García Brito. It’s a Cambridge exam style multiple choice reading activity based on an article from the New York Times by Charlotte Lieberman on the topic of procrastination. Watch this space for another activity on the topic coming soon… Download the handout and teacher’s notes below:
Reading and Use of English – Part 5
Read the text below and answer the following questions:
Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control)
By Charlotte Lieberman
If you’ve ever put off an important task by, say, alphabetizing your spice drawer, you know it wouldn’t be fair to describe yourself as lazy. After all, alphabetizing requires focus and effort — and hey, maybe you even went the extra mile to wipe down each bottle before putting it back. And it’s not like you’re hanging out with friends or watching Netflix. You’re cleaning — something your parents would be proud of! This isn’t laziness or bad time management. This is procrastination.
When we procrastinate, we’re not only aware that we’re avoiding the task in question, but also that doing so is probably going to have a detrimental effect on our morale. And yet, we do it anyway.
“This is why we say that procrastination is essentially irrational,” said Dr. Fuschia Sirois, professor of psychology at the University of Sheffield. “It doesn’t make sense to do something you know is going to have negative consequences.” She added: “People engage in this pointless cycle of chronic procrastination because of an inability to manage negative moods associated with a task.”
The particular nature of our aversion depends on the given task or situation. It may be due to something inherently unpleasant about the task itself — having to clean a dirty bathroom or organizing a long, boring spreadsheet for your boss. But it might also stem from deeper feelings related to the task, such as self-doubt, low self-esteem, anxiety or insecurity. Staring at a blank document, you might be thinking, I’m not smart enough to write this. Even if I am, what will people think of it? What if I do a bad job?
There’s an entire body of research dedicated to the ruminative, self-blaming thoughts many of us tend to have in the wake of procrastination, which are known as “procrastinatory cognitions.” According to Dr. Sirois, the thoughts we have about procrastination typically exacerbate our distress and stress, which contribute to further procrastination.
Although procrastination offers momentary relief, Dr. Sirois argues that it is what makes the cycle especially vicious. In the immediate present, shelving a task provides relief — “you’ve been rewarded for procrastinating,” Dr. Sirois said. This is precisely why procrastination tends not to be a one-off behavior, but a cycle, one that easily becomes a chronic habit. Over time, chronic procrastination has not only productivity costs, but measurably destructive effects on our mental and physical health, including chronic stress, general psychological distress and low life satisfaction, symptoms of depression and anxiety, unhealthy behavior, chronic illness and even hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
If it seems ironic that we procrastinate to avoid negative feelings, but end up feeling even worse, that’s because it is. And once again, we have evolution to thank. Procrastination is a perfect example of present bias, our hard-wired tendency to prioritize short-term needs ahead of long-term ones.
“We really weren’t designed to think ahead into the further future because we needed to focus on providing for ourselves in the here and now,” said psychologist Dr. Hal Hershfield, a professor of marketing at the U.C.L.A. Anderson School of Management.
His research has shown that, on a neural level, we perceive our “future selves” more like strangers than as parts of ourselves. When we procrastinate, parts of our brains actually think that the tasks we’re putting off — and the accompanying negative feelings that await us on the other side — are somebody else’s problem.
The human ability to procrastinate is deeply existential, as it raises questions about individual agency and how we want to spend our time as opposed to how we actually do. But it’s also a reminder of our commonality — we’re all vulnerable to painful feelings, and most of us just want to be happy with the choices we make. In the end, we have to find a better reward than avoidance — one that can relieve our challenging feelings in the present moment without causing harm to our future selves.
Questions:
Language focus:
| Phrasal verbs and vocabulary | Idioms and collocations |
| Put off a task/doing something | To go the extra mile |
| Detrimental effect on/to | To stem from |
| Inherently (+adjective) | In the wake of |
| Shelving (as a verb) | A one-off (behavior) |
| Hard-wired (as an adjective) | To have (something) to thank for |
| Await (vs wait?) | To raise questions |
| Agency (as an abstract noun) | Prioritize X ahead of Y |
| Commonality | In the here and now |
This is a vocab lesson plan based on an exercise from the Expert Proficiency Course book. It expands a short exercise from the book out into a full activity with exam practice and a speaking task. Students learn expressions with the words brain, face, head and wits and put them into practice in a key word transformation exercise and a discussion activity. Download the handout with key below:
Expert Proficiency Coursebook page 74
Complete the expressions in the sentences with brain, face, head, or mind.
| Become arrogant after success From memory A relief Thinking really hard Very stressed, not know what to do Be within touching distance Suffer damage to one’s reputation/social standing Tell sb off/reprimand | Wasting my time, actions have no effect Maintain one’s reputation Occurred to me The person who thought of an idea Seem capable of thought and independent action Not laugh/show signs of amusement Be alert/keep an eye out |
Complete the sentences with one of the expressions.
BRAIN
I’ve …………………..………….. to remember where I left my keys.
FACE
It can be devastating for teenagers ……………………..……………..….. Group.
WITS
It’s vital that you ……………………..……………..….. any information slip in the meeting.
TOP
I can’t recall any examples off ……………………..……………..….. in no doubt that there are loads.
BRAINS
Steve Jobs ……………………..……………..….. the Ipod.
HEADS
The old rapper advised the newbies …………………………………………………..
MIND
My car stereo ……………………………………………….., there’s no controlling it.
Complete the questions with one of the expressions, then answer the questions with a partner.
KEY – SENTENCE COMPLETION + DEFINITION MATCH
KEY – KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS
KEY – CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
This is a vocabulary lesson plan for C1/C2 students on the topic of fame and celebrities. Students read a text on the pros and cons of fame, examine some advanced expressions on the topic, then put them into practice in a Cambridge-style exercise, a discussion and a debate. Download the handout below, you’ll find the key for the key word transformations on page 3:
Read the text.
Does it mention anything you discussed in part 1?
The life of a celeb isn’t all a bed of roses, you know. It really is a double-edged sword and it’s difficult to know if the pros outweigh the cons. Being in the limelight 24/7 can’t be good for your mental health. Being under constant scrutiny, having every aspect of your life dissected by the tabloids, it’s enough to drive you round the bend. It’s no wonder so many child stars go off the rails in such a spectacular fashion. They get their big breaks and rise to fame at such a young age then burn out in a blaze of glory for all to see. Keeping your feet on the ground is no mean feat when you’re surrounded by so many hangers-on blowing smoke up your backside. It must be so easy to let the fame go to your head and start thinking you’re the best thing since sliced bread. Then, if things take a turn for the worse, the fall from grace can be precipitous.
It’s not all doom and gloom however, being in the public eye does have its perks. For one thing you get to lead a glamorous lifestyle; on the guestlist for every event, endorsed by all the biggest brands, it’s ironic that some of the richest people in the world hardly have to pay for anything. Designers and companies bend over backwards to get those publicity shots of you decked out in their latest products. But brands and products aren’t the only ones that can benefit by association with a megastar; some A-listers choose to use their platforms to raise awareness of various issues and campaigns, drawing their followers’ attention to the plights of various disenfranchised groups around the world.
So, have you still got your heart set on making a name for yourself in the world of show business? If so, be warned, you’ve got to learn to take the rough with the smooth. And should you happen to make it to the top, against all odds, enjoy your time in the sun, make the most of your 15 minutes of fame, because they might be over in the blink of an eye.
Read the text again.
Answer the questions.
Look at the underlined expressions.
Discuss the meaning with your partner.
Memory test:
The life of a celeb isn’t all a …… of roses, you know. It really is a double-…….. sword and it’s difficult to know if the pros ……… the cons. Being in the l……… 24/7 can’t be good for your mental health. Being …….. constant scrutiny, having every aspect of your life dissected by the t………, it’s enough to drive you r…….. the b…….. It’s no …….. so many child stars go off the …….. in such a spectacular fashion. They get their big …….. and r……. to fame at such a young age then burn ……. in a blaze of glory for all to see. Keeping your feet on the …….. is no m……. feat when you’re surrounded by so many h……..-on blowing s……… up your b……… It must be so easy to let the fame go to your ……. and start thinking you’re the best thing since s…….. b…….. Then, if things take a ……. for the worse, the fall from ……… can be p………..
It’s not all d…… and g……. however, being in the …….. eye does have its perks. For one thing you get to ……. a glamorous lifestyle; …… the guestlist for every event, endorsed by all the biggest brands, it’s ironic that some of the richest people in the world hardly have to pay for anything. Designers and companies bend over b……… to get those publicity shots of you d……. out in their latest products. But brands and products aren’t the only ones that can benefit by association with a m……..; some A-l……… choose to use their p…….. to …….. awareness of various issues and campaigns, ……… their followers’ attention to the p…….. of various dis………….. groups around the world.
So, have you still got your …….. set on making a ……. for yourself in the world of ……..business? If so, be w…….., you’ve got to learn to take the r…….. with the s………. And should you happen to make it to the ……, against all o……., enjoy your time in the sun, make the most of your ……. minutes of fame, because they might be over in the …….. of an eye.
Key Word Transformations
ATTENTION
My agent…………………………………………. some of the articles that had appeared in the papers.
FEET
Newly famous celebrities struggle ……………………………………………………………..
BED
The life of a famous dancer………………………………………………………………….
NAME
He moved to New York with the intention ………………………………………………… the art world.
HEART
She …………………………………………………………………………… an actress.
RAISE
His objective is ………………………………………………………….. of the indigenous population.
Debate topic: Celebrities have a positive effect on society
KEY
Key Word Transformations
ATTENTION
My agent DREW MY ATTENTION // TO some of the articles that had appeared in the papers.
FEET
Newly famous celebrities struggle TO KEEP THEIR FEET // ON THE GROUND.
BED
The life of a famous dancer ISN’T ALL A BED // OF ROSES.
NAME
He moved to New York with the intention OF MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN the art world.
HEART
She HAS (GOT) HER HEART SET // ON BECOMING an actress.
RAISE
His objective is TO RAISE AWARENESS // OF THE PLIGHT of the indigenous population.