Just found this link on the Cambridge University Press website with loads of free vocab worksheets! Bonus!
Tag: vocabulary
Video Lesson: Mr. Bean
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This is a video lesson based around the video “Mr. Bean packs his suitcase” thanks to British Council for bringing it to my attention in their lesson plan on making predictions but I’ve adapted it for use in different ways with different levels.
Kids and lower levels
The aim of this lesson plan is to practice holiday vocabulary (clothes and items that go in a suitcase) and some basic grammar structure.
Project a picture of a suitcase on to the board (or draw one) and ask “What do you put in your suitcase when you go on holiday?” Brainstorm things that you pack on the board. Make sure students know:
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- swimming shorts/trunks
- towel
- underpants
- can of baked beans
- cloth/flannel
- soap
- book
- suitcase
- trousers
- shorts
- shoes
- teddy bear
- scissors
You could also use this quizlet set to go over clothes vocabulary.
If children are old enough to write, put them in pairs and hand out post-it-notes and a pencil to each pair. Tell them they are going to watch a video of a silly man packing his suitcase, they have to write 5 things on the post-it that they think he will put in his suitcase. Have them copy the following:
Mr. Bean will put
- _________
- _________
- _________
- _________
- _________
in his suitcase.
Then stick all the post-its on the board and show the video. The team that guesses the most objects correctly wins. Have them read out their original post-it using past simple affirmative and negative forms: “Mr.Bean put a shirt in his suitcase. He didn’t put a mobile phone in his suitcase.”
Higher levels – video dictations
Ask students: What do you have to do before you go on holiday?
Buy your ticket, pack your suitcase, find your passport etc.
Pre-teach the following vocabulary:
Objects:
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- swimming shorts/trunks
- towel
- underpants
- can of baked beans
- cloth/flannel
- soap
- book
- suitcase
- trousers
- shorts
- shoes
- teddy bear
- scissors
Verbs:
- to fit (the chair doesn’t in my bag)
- to take out (I took a pen out of my bag)
- to pack a suitcase
- to swap (I swapped the shirt for a t-shirt)
- pick up (I picked up the pen)
- throw away (I threw away the coke can)
- to choose (I chose the red shirt)
- to do eeny-meany-miney-mo
- to realise (I realised I had forgotten my passport)
- to squeeze (I squeezed the toothpaste)
- to snap in half (He snapped the pencil in half)
Put students in pairs and arrange them so that 1 is facing the screen and one has their back to the screen. Tell them that the one facing the screen is going to watch 20 seconds of the video then describe it to their partner, their partner will then repeat back what they’ve heard to make sure they have understood. Students then change positions and repeat until minute 3:14. Then let all students watch the end together. Alternatively students could come up with predictions for how the video will end.
I recommend pausing the video quite frequently so that students can concentrate on describing 2 or three actions accurately rather than trying to describe a big chunk of the video.
Then replay the whole video from the start so that everyone can watch it together, ask students if they think their partner described the action well.
CPE resources I have found
I’ve recently taken on a CPE exam group who are taking the exam in December and I’ve been scouring the internet for suitable materials to boost their vocabulary before the big day. Here are the fruits of my labour:
MES flashcards: Games for young learners
This is a post in a series of 30 minute classes for young learners. They have been made for groups I teach which range from 4th to 6th of primary.
This is post is simply a list of games to use with the amazing free resources from:
They have a fantastic selection of downloadable flashcards divided into loads of categories. Each week I have been picking a new category, printing the flashcards and they game cards and playing one of the following games with my groups, it’s a great and fun way to quickly expand students vocabulary.
First stick the set of flashcards to the board and elicit the vocabulary and drill pronunciation.
Games:
Bingo – Students draw a 3×3 grid on a piece of paper and fill each box with a piece of vocabulary. You then read out sentences about each character, for example: “I breath fire and fly over the castle.” (Dragon) “I do magic and mix magic potions” (wizard) they cross off the characters they have as you describe them until they get a line or bingo (when they have crossed off all 9 squares).
Mimic – Print out the set of fantasy game cards from MES as well. Split the class into groups of 3-4, encourage the groups to think of an English name for their team. Then they take it in turns to send one member up to the board, this member then has 1 minute to mimic as many of the different characters using the game cards. Their team receives one point for each correctly guessed character. The team with the most points wins.
Board Games – Print out this great pirate gameboard:
Put students in groups of 3-4. Number the flashcards on the board 1-33 (cards will have more than 1 number) students then play the board game but every time they land on a square they have to make a sentence with the corresponding piece of vocabulary: EG “I brush my teeth with a toothbrush.”
Memory/Go fish – Print out multiple sets of the MES game cards, split students into groups of 3-4. Give them two sets of game cards, they spread the cards out face down on the table and play pairs/memory/go fish/whatever you call it where you’re from. Every time they turn over a card they have to say the vocab word and when they find a pair they have to make a complete sentence.
I welcome any more suggestions you might have for other flashcard games.
Once upon a time: Stories and fantasy vocabulary for young learners
This is a lesson plan from a new series for young learners. I originally taught these classes spread over 2-3 half hour classes, they could obviously be combined into one hour and a half class.
Part 1 – Fantasy vocabulary
Print out this set of flashcards from MES:
Click to access fantasy1_flash.pdf
MES flashcards are a fantastic resource, I’ve been steadily working my way through all of the different categories with my primary classes.
Stick the flashcards to the board in 3 columns with enough space to write the names in next to each one. Then encourage students to name the ones they know. However,they also have to say where the flashcard is on the board: “on the left/right, in the middle, at the top/bottom, above, below, between, the 1st/2nd/3rd one down.”
Once you have gone through all the names and drilled the pronunciation you could play a number of games with the vocab:
Bingo – Students draw a 3×3 grid on a piece of paper and fill each box with a piece of vocabulary. You then read out sentences about each character, for example: “I breath fire and fly over the castle.” (Dragon) “I do magic and mix magic potions” (wizard) they cross off the characters they have as you describe them until they get a line or bingo (when they have crossed off all 9 squares).
Mimic – Print out the set of fantasy game cards from MES as well. Split the class into groups of 3-4, encourage the groups to think of an English name for their team. Then they take it in turns to send one member up to the board, this member then has 1 minute to mimic as many of the different characters using the game cards. Their team receives one point for each correctly guessed character. The team with the most points wins.
Part 2 – Running dictation
By now students should have picked up most of the vocabulary. Put them in pairs, one student sits at one end of the room with a pen and paper. Stick the dragon story handout to the opposite wall of the classroom. The other student in the pair has to run across the class room, memorise a sentence from the story and then tell it to their partner who writes it on the paper. Ensure that students copy the sentences in order and that they speak in English the whole time, especially when spelling out words to their partner. Set a time limit of 10 minutes for this activity. Students switch roles after sentence 5.
Once they have finished have them sit back in front of the board and dictate the sentences back to you. The students then correct their versions of the story, the winning team is the one with the fewest mistakes. You should also clear up any vocabulary issues, paying particular attention to the past verbs used in the story, they will be needed in part 3.
Part 3 – Write a fantasy story
Students can either stay in their pairs or you can put them in bigger groups. Encourage them to work together to invent a new fantasy story, they can use any of the vocabulary covered in part one. They will also need some extra vocabulary:
Once upon a time there was……
lived/rescued/saved/cast a spell/fought/killed/captured/went/gave/kissed
They all lived happily ever after.
They will also want to use more vocabulary so ensure they ask for it properly: “How do you say ________ in English?” If your knowledge of your student’s L1 isn’t too hot make sure you have a good dictionary. Guide and help them as they write their story, set a time limit of 10-15 minutes. Then give them 5-10 minutes to practice telling their story and acting it out for part 4.
Part 4 – Story telling and acting
Each group should either nominate a narrator or share narration amongst them (the latter is the best option). Encourage whoever is narrating to do it SLOWLY and LOUDLY, so that the others can actually hear the story. Then each group puts on their little play. My kids loved doing this, some where in stitches, make sure they take a bow at the end and give each other a round of applause. You could award prizes for various things: best actor/actress, most imaginative story, best narrator, best vocabulary, best grammar. Ensure every group gets at least one prize.
Wrap-up
Kids have to name one of the characters from the flashcards before they are allowed to leave the classroom.
Dragon story:
- Once upon a time there was an enormous castle.
- In the castle lived a King, a queen and a beautiful princess.
- One day an evil dragon and an evil troll came to the castle and kidnapped the princess.
- The king and queen were very sad.
- But then, a brave knight and a famous wizard arrived at the castle, they decided to rescue the princess.
- They travelled to the cave where the troll and the dragon lived.
- The knight fought the dragon and the wizard fought the troll.
- The knight and the wizard won the battle and saved the princess.
- And they all lived happily ever after.
Make or Do: Place Your Bets
This is another post in the series of 30 minute activities for moody teenagers. It’s based around a betting game to review make/do collocations.
Tell students that this week we are in the casino. What do people do in a casino?
Try to Elicit some vocabulary: bet, gamble, win, lose etc.
Split the class into groups of 2-3. Tell each group to think of a team name and put them on the board.
Tell each group they have €100 (dollars/pounds etc.) to spend in the casino and that they should spend it carefully. The winning team is the one that finished the class with the most money.
On the board draw pictures of poker chips representing €10 €20 and €50. Tell students that they can bet their money in these three quantities.
Start with a simple example:
I always _____ my homework.
Tell students to discuss whether it is make/do in their groups. They then place their bets using the structure:
We bet €10/€20/€50 on “I always do my homework” – Ensure that they repeat the whole sentences when they place their bets so that the collocation is repeated.
Once everyone has placed their bets you reveal the correct answer. Any team who selected the correct answer doubles their money: a €50 bet wins €100 so that team would now have €150.
Then drill the correct collocation with the whole class.
Note: it’s important that you rotate the team that places their bet first and ensure that the teams bet in order because they will copy each other.
Continue the game using the following sentences:
1. This company _____ business with big corporations. (Answer: does)
2. The young children ______ a lot of noise in class. (make)
3. I need to _____ my make-up before I go out. (do)
4. You need to ______ an effort, if you’re going to pass the exam. (make)
5. John _____ well in his exams. (did)
6. I need to _____ an appointment to see the dentist. (make)
7. My best friend _____ me a favour by helping me move house. (did)
8. I had to ______ a speech in front of the whole school. (make)
9. My Mum always ______ the ironing. (does)
10. You need to ______ a decision about your holidays. (make)
11. I have _____ plans for the weekend. (made)
12. The fresh air will _____ you good. (do)
13. He _____ a promise to help his Mum with the housework. (made)
14. He’s always _____ excuses to avoid doing his homework. (making)
Wrap up
Test the student memory of the collocations with a quiz.
Word Formation List FCE/CAE/CPE
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/
Word Formation List
Thanks to Valerie Collins for bringing this great list to my attention.
Exhaustive quizlet set for house vocabulary.
It took ages so I thought I’d share it. Loads of useful home vocabulary.
http://quizlet.com/26992468/home-vocabulary-english-spanish-flash-cards/?oldPage
I’ve been a bit quiet recently but term is just starting up again so watch this space………………
CPE / CAE Vocab quizlet set
Here is a useful quizlet set for set phrases with determiners:
http://quizlet.com/23316030/set-phrases-with-determiners-flash-cards/
CAE Gapped sentences practice
The gapped sentences exercise appears in the use of English section of the CAE, and is a part that many students tend to struggle with. Each correct answer in this section is worth 2 points so they make up a considerable part of the final mark. This class will try to present ways to practice and prepare for this exercise.
Here is a link to quizlet set of flashcards for this exercise:
http://quizlet.com/11177000/cae-gapped-sentences-flash-cards/
In the gapped sentences exercise students are presented with 3 sentences with a word missing in each. The same word completes all three sentences.
Example:
Gillian decided it was time to turn over a new _______ and forget her past mistakes.
Why don’t you take a _______ out of Simon’s book and start helping.
Autumn came suddenly and the first _______ had fallen before August had even ended.
Answer: leaf
The exercise tests the students vocabulary: their knowledge of collocations, phrasal verbs and expressions. As you can see from the example above the uses of the word can be very different.
Lesson plan:
Put the above example on the board, or print it out and hand it out to the students to complete in pairs. If needed explain the two expressions with leaf:
to turn over a new leaf – to make a resolution to change for the better.
to take a leaf out of someone’s book – to copy someone or try to be more like someone.
Load up http://www.wordreference.com and ask students to volunteer words to look for. Alternatively you can search for a typical words that often come up in this exercise. These are often words that require no transformation from verb to noun. For example “mark” or “place”. The idea is to give the students an idea as to the number or different uses each word has.
Class Exercise:
Put students in pairs and give each pair a word from the following list:
A: couple
B: place
C: stood
D: show
E: care
F: left
G: fell
H: mark
I: right
Give each pair a dictionary or allow them to use word reference on their smartphones. Tell them that they have to make a gapped sentence set for the rest of the class to complete. Encourage them to use more difficult meanings of the word. While they work go around and aid with sentence construction. Collect in the gapped sentences and put them on the board. The whole class then completes all the exercises.
Homework
Students create another set of gapped sentences at home. Encourage them to use word reference or a good dictionary to find more obscure uses of different words. Tell them to make them as difficult as possible.
The following class you can take them in, correct them and then print them out for class or homework, or post them online for the students to complete.
Here are some examples made by my CAE exam class:
1. He can usually be contacted at his……………….. of work.
2. Excuse me I seem to have lost my……………………… on the course.
3. I’ve saved you a ……………………., come and sit here.
(place)
1. We all………………….. around in the corridor waiting.
2. We …………………..up in order to get a better view.
3. The house …………………….. empty for a long time.
(stood)
1. She wants to ………………… her friends her new pair of heels.
2. He will ……………………… off during the football match.
3. The play will be on …………………….. at 10pm tonight.
(show)
1. The girl knows more than she would ………………….. to admit.
2. You don’t mean anything to me, I don’t …………………… what you think.
3. He doesn’t take ……………………. of Jack.
(care)
1. My eyes ………………………. before his steady gaze.
2. The city ………………………… to the enemy.
3. After 3 years his shoes ………………………….. apart.
(fell)
1.The cup left a ………………….. on the table.
2. The temperature hit the forty degree ……………………..
3. They shook hands as a ………………………. of respect.
(mark)
Here is a link to a set of gapped sentence examples on quizlet.com
http://quizlet.com/11177000/cae-gapped-sentences-flash-cards/
9/3/13 Title was amended as gapped sentences is no long part of the CPE exam.
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