This is a lesson plan for C2 students preparing to take the Cambridge Proficiency exam. Students will learn exam techniques to tackle part 7 of paper 1, the multiple matching exercise. The example task is taken from CUP test book 1. Download the PowerPoint and task below:
Lead students through the steps in the PowerPoint. Students should focus on the list of questions first, underlining key words and trying to paraphrase the questions into simpler language where possible. The PowerPoint contains some examples of paraphrasing. Students should then tackle the reading texts in order while referring back to their notes. Encourage them to underline the parts of the text that they think answer each question.
Students should complete the first paraphrasing exercise in pairs. Then for the reading, they should work individually, set a time limit of 15 minutes for them to complete the exercise. Students should then compare their answers and show their partner the sections of the text that they have underlined for each question.
You will find the answer key and annotated copy of the texts on the final slides of the PowerPoint. You should set students another part 7 for homework so that they can put the technique into practice.
This is a guest post by Soleil García Brito just in time for Halloween. This lesson plan is for C1 students. They will discover the spooky origins of the jack-o-lantern and then learn about the new phenomenon of “spoopy” by doing a gapped text reading exercise. Download the handout and teacher’s notes below:
Watch the video (x2) until 5:17 and fill the gaps (1 to 3 words):
Once you think about the name “Jack-o’-lantern”, it becomes evident that this tradition comes from ____________.
Stingy Jack’s personal qualities made the devil ____________.
On his way home Jack saw _______________ on the ground.
The mutilated corpse’s voice was _____________ Satan himself.
The devil was surprised by Jack’s ______________.
Jack prevented the devil from climbing down the tree by surrounding it with ___________.
The devil gave Jack a glowing ember as a _____________.
According to the legend, Jack walks around _____________________ on October 31st.
Reading and Use of English (Part 7)
Read the text and choose the correct paragraph from [A]-[G] to fill in the gaps [1]-[6]. There is one extra paragraph, which you do not need to use.
ADAPTED FROM CULTURE DESK – San Francisco Chronicle
What is spoopy? Your guide to the Internet’s favorite Halloween aesthetic
For the past few years, October has not only heralded the return of Halloween and pumpkin spice lattes, it has also marked the dawning of spoopy season. For a small group of people who belong in the center of a Venn diagram of mellowed-out goths and the “extremely online,” the spoopy aesthetic has become a source of joy and comfort in turbulent times.
[1]
“Spookiness is campy, but spoopiness is campy in a very specific way,” says John Paul Brammer, a New York City writer and advice columnist whose popular memes about the demonic goat from the movie “The Witch” are more of the former. “Spoopy’s whole thing is that it is not frightening. It’s not threatening, not arcane, but uses the trappings of the threatening and the arcane to make the joke: OoOoOooOo!!! SpoooOOoooOOooky!!”
[2]
Its origin is much more straightforward than its meaning. In 2009, the word was spotted on a skeleton-theme sign displayed at a Ross Dress For Less store. Though its ascent took some time, the term gained popularity on niche social media communities like Tumblr until it finally reached escape velocity to spread even further.
[3]
Though it might seem random, the delight of this sort of banal creepiness stems from the desire to look an object of fear in the eye — and laugh.
[4]
In political discourse, Prevas points to anti-transgender activists using the image of Frankenstein’s monster to demonize transgender people. Historically, monsters have often stood in for types of people who were undesirable: racial minorities, immigrants, queer people, anyone outside the “normal.” “I love the unsettling part of (spoopiness),” Prevas says, “that disconnect between seeing the creatures which we expect to see in a horror scenario in a perfectly quotidian scene.”
[5]
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it resonates so well right now, at a time when marginalized people’s status feels extremely fraught and political rhetoric insists on estranging us from polite society. This aesthetic defies the imperative to be afraid: Instead, we embrace the monsters as part of ourselves, as neighbours. To let the monster out is, in a sense, letting oneself out.
[6]
When we look at the skeleton riding a bike, it almost feels aspirational: This is what life could look like if our cloistered selves were set free. As it turns out, spoopiness might be just what we need right now.
[A] Because I’m a restaurant critic, my gauge of whether or not something has hit the mainstream is “The Great British Bake-Off.” In the 10th season, currently airing on the British Channel 4 and Netflix, Spanish contestant Helena Garcia has emerged as a fan favourite thanks to her memorably macabre but cute creations like a chocolate orange tarantula flanked by macadamia nut spider eggs, eldritch horror pies and bloody green “witch finger” biscuits.
[B] What is “spoopy”? It’s the coupling of wildly absurdist humour with terror — an aesthetic unto itself that, like camp, can be hard to articulate.
[C] Spoopy is a reclamation and reframing of these monsters, a mind-set that boasts, “You say I should be scared of this? Hilarious!”
[D] In fables and literary fiction, monsters are the embodiments of everything that society represses: a “warning system” of sorts, says Christine Prevas, a Columbia University Ph.D. candidate whose research focuses on applying queer theory to contemporary horror. The monster is a taboo made flesh: A prepubescent girl turned foul-mouthed, vomiting demon in “The Exorcist”; a bad sexual encounter run amok in “It Follows.”
[E] When I look at this stuff, it reminds me of how I like to “watch” horror movies by reading their plot summaries on Wikipedia: a digital version of peeking at Medusa’s face by holding up a mirror.
[F] This disruption of the narrative of otherness mirrors the way people actually want to be seen. For instance, queer people can be queer outside of designated contexts like gay bars and the privacy of one’s bedroom, Prevas says. “We’re also queer in the grocery store. We’re also queer on a bicycle.”
[G] Much easier than defining it is sorting through what is and isn’t spoopy. As a start, think of it as friendly and somewhat sarcastic horror: A skeleton isn’t, but a skeleton riding a bike? Definitely spoopy. The Babadook isn’t, but the memes that claim that the monster is a proud gay man? Super spoopy.
Language focus (15 min)
Vocabulary
Look at the words in bold in the text and discuss the meaning with a partner:
Former
Somewhat
Spotted
Gauge
Embodiments
Unsettling
Mirrors
Next, fill in the gaps with the vocabulary words in the correct form to fit the context:
Jack saw a mutilated corpse with a(n) _____________ look on its face.
His mood ___________ the gloomy weather on that Halloween night.
Between risking being tricked and facing Jack’s grumbling stomach for the rest of the trip, the devil chose the _________.
Some consider him the very _____________ of evil.
The devil was ____________ confused by Jack’s request to pay the bill at the bar.
Jack ___________ a mutilated corpse on the ground on his way home from the bar.
USEFUL CHUNKS
Use the trappings of (sth) Stem from Run amok In a sense
After Jack __________ the level of danger he was in, he decided to trap the devil by using crosses.
A new worksheet for B2+ students to help them add more cohesion to their writing through the use of formal linkers and connectors. Download the handout and key below:
Lead students through the worksheet. Encourage creativity in the final activity. Set students an FCE or CAE part 1 essay for homework.
Label the groups of linkers (A, B, C, D) with the titles in the box based on their function.
REASON ADDITION CONTRAST/CONCESSION CONDITIONALS
____________________
One of the main benefits of research into green energy is the impact it can have on the environment. Furthermore, by switching to renewable energy sources, we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels such as oil.
The project failed to live up to the expectations of the management team. What is more, it was €100,000 over budget.
Construction of the solar farm was finished on time. Moreover, workers were able to increase power output by 15% in the first month.
____________________
Many parts of the world are being ravaged by extreme weather conditions due to/owing to the impact of climate change.
Emissions of harmful greenhouse gases have increased owing to/due to the fact that the world’s population keeps growing.
Further research is needed in order to push the boundaries of our scientific knowledge.
Governments should provide more funding for green energy projects so as to increase their efficiency.
More charging stations for electric cars should be installed so that there are enough to meet demand.
____________________
Space exploration is undoubtedly an exciting area of research. Even so, is it really the most pressing issue humankind is facing right now?
In spite of/Despite recent technological advancements we have seen, we still know very little about the universe.
In spite of/Despite the fact that time is running out, we must not give up and accept our fate.
Much progress has been made in this field. Nevertheless, there is still a lot to be done.
____________________
Unless we take steps to combat climate change now, we may be too late.
Even if we manage to reduce emissions considerably, there is no guarantee that it will be enough.
We are still not sure whether or not we are alone in the universe.
Sentence Structure Rules
Group A:
What do you notice about the way all 4 linkers are used?
Group B:
Look at the sentences and choose the correct alternative:
Due to/owing to + a noun // a clause (subject + verb + object)
Due to/owing to the fact that + a noun // a clause (subject + verb + object)
In order to + a verb // a clause
So as to + a verb // a clause
So that + a verb // a clause
Group C
What do “even so” and “nevertheless” have in common?
Look at the sentences and choose the correct alternative:
In spite of/Despite + a noun // a clause (subject + verb + object)
In spite of/Despite the fact that + a noun // a clause (subject + verb + object)
Group D
Look at the linkers in group D and match them to their meaning
“it doesn’t matter if”
“If we don’t”
“If or not”
Practice
Complete the sentences with a linker from the previous exercise, more than one answer might be possible.
They brought in extra seats …………. everyone could sit down.
………… you were the only man in the world, I still wouldn’t go out with you.
They planted trees in the garden …………… attract more wildlife.
His CV is impressive. ………….., I’m still not sure if he’s the right candidate.
…………. all their hard work, they weren’t able to complete the project on time.
I was unable to attend the meeting ……………. the heavy snowfall.
Many people have chosen to move out of the city ……………….. house prices have fallen in the countryside.
One benefit of city life is the superior health facilities. ……………….., there are many more job opportunities.
It seems like a very tempting offer. ……………….., I feel I must reject it.
……………….. we run, we’re going to miss the last train.
I’m still not sure ……………….. we made the right decision.
He cancelled all his morning appointments ……………….. spend time with his family.
Creative Practice
Use linkers to upgrade these sentences for use in a C1 essay. You can also upgrade the language in the sentences.
Shopping in shops is good, but shopping online is better.
We should build more parks because they’re good for people.
People got sad because the pandemic was bad.
It doesn’t matter if you recycle, big companies are bad for the planet.
There are too many cars, that’s why there’s lots of pollution.
We should make drivers pay more to make them take the bus.
Veganism is good but I don’t think I could do it.
Books are good because they help you learn words and you imagine things.
This is a lesson plan for B2+ students. It is based on a text from https://www.iflscience.com/ on the subject of wild animals. It will serve as good exam practice for students preparing to take Cambridge exams and should also be an engaging topic of conversation for teenagers and adults. Download the handouts and slides below:
Show students the second slide of the PowerPoint, encourage them to guess which animal would win.
Show them the second and have them speculate about how a goat would beat a bear.
Give out handout and have students read to confirm their speculations, check in open class.
Have students complete the open cloze, they could work in pairs or individually and then check with their partner. Good practice for Cambridge exams use of English.
Lead students through the vocabulary exercises.
Discussion: Which animal could you beat in a fight? Show students the fourth slide and explain the statistics to them. Put students in groups and have them discuss which animals they think they could beat and how they would do it.
Lead a discussion on the best way to tackle certain large, dangerous animals. Have students speculate on the best thing to do in each encounter, then check on the internet to see whether or not they would have survived. Board any emergent language and exploit it for recall later.
Open Cloze Key
Apex predators make (1) IT to the top (2) BY being the most efficient hunters in their domain, but every now and (3) THEN an underdog crops up to disrupt the food chain. (4) SUCH an example played out on the mountains of Burgess Pass in Yoho National Park, where Parks Canada retrieved the body of a female grizzly bear. Such a creature would usually (5) BE the slayer rather than the slain, and most surprisingly of all the assailant turned (6) OUT to be a goat.
The battle (7) TOOK place sometime before September 4 after which Parks Canada was made aware (8) OF the presence of a carcass. Bodies such (9) AS these need to be removed as they can otherwise lure in wildlife that could put visitors to the pass (10) AT risk.
The discovery of a slain bear merits a forensic investigation to determine the (11) CAUSE of death, and so a necropsy (12) WAS conducted on the animal. During the examination, staff noticed that the fatal wounds were at the base of the bear’s neck and in (13) ITS armpits. The attack sites might sound random to the uninitiated, but to experienced park rangers, this was the work (14) OF one extremely lucky mountain goat.
“When grizzly bears attack, they tend (15) TO focus (16) ON the head, neck, and shoulders of the prey, usually (17) FROM above,” Alison Biles, Public Relations and Communications Officer for Parks Canada, told IFLScience. “In turn, the defensive response of mountain goats would (18) BE to protect themselves using (19) THEIR sharp horns.”
“Grizzly bear predation of mountain goats is relatively common and significant goat activity was observed (20) IN the immediate area. (21) IN this case, it appears that the mountain goat was (22) TRYING/ABLE to defend itself. While rare, other cases of mountain goats defensively killing bears have (23) BEEN reported in the past, (24) WHICH is not completely surprising since mountain goats are strong animals that are well-equipped to defend (25) THEMSELVES”
Check out this great blog for teachers. It has tonnes of info, everything from classroom tips and teaching supplies to information about training and professional development opportunities. Take a look!
This is a short text I wrote for C2 students who had to to a proficiency writing on a possession with sentimental value. I haven’t designed a full lesson plan around it yet but it might be useful for other teachers of high levels:
Do you have any possessions that you have inherited from other family members?
Do they have sentimental value to you?
If your house caught fire and you had enough time to save one thing, what would you choose? My great grandpa’s old stamp collection is a priceless family heirloom that has been handed down from generation to generation. It was his prized possession and he held onto it through thick and thin, travelling the world to collect over 2000 different stamps. Leafing through the pages gives a fascinating insight intoa bygone era. Smelling the pages evokes memories of a seemingly simpler time before all the noise and stress of life in the 21st century. Some would call it a dusty old knick knack but the collection has huge sentimental value to me and has been a source of endless hours of pleasure. It seems that my dad really was a chip off the old block because he has his own collection. This geeky fascination with stamps really seems to run in the family because now my son is crazy about stamps too, I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Apparently a rival collector once offered my dad €200,000 for the collection but he turned it down out of hand. You can’t put a price on that slice of history. Blood really is thicker than water.
The fifth episode of our new podcast for B2+ English students and teachers alike is now live! In this episode we’re talking about our pet hates or things that really annoy us. Go to our SoundCloud page and download the teacher’s notes below:
This is another guest post from Josh Widdows to all English teachers looking for summer work.
Thinking about what to do this summer? Want to earn some good cash doing a job that will further your teaching career and put you in a better position next September? Then being an English Teacher at a reputable and renowned summer school is the way forward!
Is that the question? Well, it doesn’t need to be any more – the answer is YES!
Every teacher has heard horror stories of being stuck in a summer camp teaching groups twice the size of that the job spec promised. Over-worked and underpaid are just some of the negative words that spring to mind. Being contracted to work 12 ‘sessions’ a week, but ending up working every hour God sends and basically babysitting the little darlings. But, don’t be deterred. Thames Valley Summer Schools offer teachers the chance to work for a reputable, long-standing and thoroughly rewarding summer camp, dispelling the myths of hardship and exhaustion. At TVSS being a team-player and ensuring you get what you want out of a summer school is at the heart of what they do.
So, you’ve done the hard bit, the CELTA or the CertTESOL and you’ve got at least an academic year’s experience under your belt. Your ´year-long´ academy, (in some far-flung sunny destination), doesn’t provide you with work over the summer, and you’re wondering what to do with three months off. If you’re looking for the opportunity to get more experience working with young learners, develop your skills and stand yourself in good stead for a better-paid job back in the EFL world come September, then Thames Valley is the one for you.
Earning a competitive weekly salary, eating healthy, well-prepared food on-site, sleeping in your own bedroom, and being closely-located to London, (except Rugby, albeit only a 2-hour train ride away), you’ll barely spend a penny. What better way to save up some good cash for your summer adventures?
You still have just a few questions, right? Of course you do, you’re an inquisitive teacher looking for summer work that you’ll enjoy and get a lot out of. Remember, you’re going to be teaching in a multi-lingual context, away from the dramas of your mono-lingual teaching environment of bickering Italian or Korean teens. TVSS has a team of supportive and experienced management and academic staff who will guide you in your planning and teaching to deliver fun and engaging lessons.
Being a residential camp, you’ll still have your work cut out. But, you can rest assured that at TVSS you will only teach about 17 hours a week and work a maximum of 11 sessions, (which is much less than other schools). That works out at about 55 hours a week – not that bad right? You’ll have some free time to plan lessons, chill out in your room or in the grounds, or get away from it all and go to London. And a mega ´plus´ is that most schools are only a maximum of 3-4 weeks, so burn-out isn’t an issue.
There are more questions, aren’t there? Will I be involved in recreation and social activities? You´re at a residential summer school, so naturally, you’ll be participating in them, but there´s no need to worry. This school goes above and beyond to make sure you’re placed where your skills and talents lie. If you’re good at volleyball and rugby, don’t be shy to put yourself forward. If you see yourself as a calmer, creative type, then arts and crafts will be your station. Whatever tickles your fancy, being a team-player is central to the role, so be ready to get involved with whatever is going on at any given moment.
Still think you’re up for a challenging, yet fun and rewarding chance to further your teaching experience and have lots of laughs while you’re at it?
Thames Valley is waiting for your application. Don’t forget to put: ‘Recommendation & Tim’s Free Lesson Plans’ in the ‘Where did you hear about us’ field on your form: https://www.thamesvalleysummer.com/work-for-us.aspx .
Feel free to email me, should you have any other questions: Josh Widdows TVSS Director of Studies at St John’s: joshwiddows@hotmail.com
This is a Christmas themed lesson plan for young learners. Students will learn some Christmas vocabulary then put it to use in a drawing dictation exercise. You will need and A4 piece of white card for each student and this quizlet set. Download the lesson plan below:
Put students in pairs and give them 1 minute to come up with as many English words related to Christmas as they can. Check in open class, award 1 point for each correctly spelt word and two points for any unique words (no other group wrote it down).
Introduce Vocabulary
Use a projector and the quizlet set to introduce the Christmas target language. There are 23 words in the set which is probably too many for most groups, use the star function to select the ones you want to study. When introducing each word, associate it with a different action i.e for “bells” you could mime ringing hand bells. For slightly higher levels, introduce the word as part of a sentence: “I ring the bells”
Games
You can then play the “match” game on quizlet on the projector. Put students in pairs and have them take turns to play “match” trying to complete the game faster than the other teams. If you don’t have access to a projector, you could print out two copies of each flashcard and play a giant game of “memory” or “pairs” on the board or on the floor at the students’ feet.
Prepositions
Quickly revise the most common prepositions of place (next to, behind, under, above, on, at the top, in front of etc.) you could do this a number of ways:
Use a chair – you stand next to/behind/in front of etc. the chair and say “Where am I?”
Use a pen and paper – put the pen under/in front of/behind etc. the paper and say “Where’s the pen?”
Use a picture – show the picture of the Christmas tree below and elicit where the things are: “the presents are under the tree”
Drawing Dictation
Give each student an A4 piece of white card folded in half like a Christmas card. Tell students that they are going to make a Christmas card for their parents, but they have to listen carefully to your instructions. You then start describing a festive scene: “In the middle there is a big Christmas tree.” “Next to the tree I can see Father Christmas.” “Under the tree there are lots of presents!!” Monitor and check that students are following your instructions correctly.
You can then dictate a message for them to write inside the card and let them colour and decorate the card however they like. While they’re colouring play some Christmas music to get them in the festive spirit!
I can’t remember where I got this idea from, I think it was Lindsay Clandfield at the Barcelona IH Conference two weeks ago. This is a quick lesson plan designed for use with teenagers of almost any level. Download the lesson plan below:
Write what you did at the weekend, but, write it in emojis. Like this:
Take a photo of the emojis and either print them out or project them in some way.
Class Procedure
Show students the emojis and tell them that they represent your weekend. In pairs students have to recreate your weekend as a text, this is a good opportunity for them to practice past simple and also language of sequencing: After that/afterwards, later, in the afternoon, firstly, secondly, finally etc.
Give students about 5 mins to prepare their text, monitoring and boarding any vocabulary. Students then read out their version of your weekend. The pair whose version is closest to the real version is the winner. You can also award points for imagination. Below is the text version of my weekend.
My Weekend
On Saturday morning I had a lie-in because I was very tired. I woke up at around 11 and had a cooked breakfast. Then I watched a football match on TV. After that I went to the city centre to go clothes shopping, I bought a new shirt and some trousers. Then I stopped in a kebab shop for lunch. When I got home I watched an action film on my laptop and went to bed early.
On Sunday I had to get up early, I got up at 7am. I ate two bananas for breakfast and then I ran the Barcelona half-marathon. I finished the race and won a medal. Afterwards I went to a bar with some friends to celebrate. I drank some beers and ate a hamburger. When I got home I had a shower, played some videogames and went to bed, I was exhausted!
Pair-work
Now give students 2 minutes to draw their weekend in emojis. If you want you could have students send their emoji weekend to each other via a messenger app, this may not be advisable with some groups. They should know most of the emojis but if they don’t use the pictures below:
Students then have to guess what their partner did by looking at their emojis. They then tell each other if they were wrong or right and explain the real version.
