07 November 2013 / by Radmila Gurkova

TEFL Course October 2013: Our favourite P2 Topic activity

Topic: The 127 Year Old Woman

Objective: Discuss old age, how to take care of your body. Learn about food and China

Level: Beginner

Author: Guro Stuan

article-2198608-14D851E1000005DC-854_306x448

 

Topic activities are a tricky area when we're talking about a low-level class. Topics demand conversation, opinion, and expression; which beginners lack the structure and vocabulary to communicate.

We can successfully transmit a topic to beginners, though, as long as we demonstrate the structure and the vocabulary in a clear and accessible manner, and keep the text short and direct so it can be digested without being overwhelming.

Our recent graduate Guro's activity is just this: direct, simple and effective, with great target language, well-suited and graded to the level it's being shown to.



The 127 Year Old Woman

This is an old woman. She is 127 years old. She is China's oldest person.

She has 40 grandchildren. But she doesn't need help from them. She is still fit. She can still do a lot of things.

She feeds her chickens every day. The old woman also likes to eat and drink a lot. Her favourite hobby is singing.

(Target language in bold)

CCQs:

How old is this woman?
Where is she from?
Is she the oldest woman in China?
What is her favourite hobby?
How many grandchildren does she have?

Discussion:

What age is the best? Why?
Her favourite hobby is singing. What is your favourite hobby?
Do you have any children or grandchildren?
What age do you want to live to?
Do you have chickens?
Do you have any animals? Do you feed them?

Wrap Up:

Are you fit? Is Messi fit?
Make a sentence with the word feed.
What is your favourite age?

15

March 2012
250 EXTRA hours of daylight a year?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVpFc9xERdY This month we ‘Spring Forward’ and move the clocks on by one hour to move into Summertime. In the UK MP’s are deliberating whether to permanently move the clocks forward by one hour to continuously keep the same time. By putting the clocks forward, (Spring Forward or Fall B...

15

March 2012
iPhones - easier than tying your shoelaces
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzi2RIt8_nk Did you know that children today find it much easier to use an iPhone than to tie their shoelaces? A report shows today that as many as 45 per cent of children in the UK aged between five and 13 cannot tie their shoelaces but 67 per cent know how to use their iPhones and DVD players. ...

10

March 2012
Tag questions can be difficult, can't they?
by Radmila Gurkova
P4 - tag questions  Use: Tag questions are used to verify if a statement is true or not. Something we use them in a sarcastic tone to make a strong point. Tag Questions:...

10

March 2012
She COULD be a good teacher
by Radmila Gurkova
P4 - Modals (could) for expressing ability, request, permission, possibility subject + could + main verb Can you use modal verb?  Use - Could does not change Remember: Could cannot be used with to I could to swi...

10

March 2012
I am GOING TO learn English
by Radmila Gurkova
P2 - expressing future actions with "to be going to" We use 'will' and 'be going to' to express future actions but what is the difference? Future tense - things that are going to happen Two ways to talk about the future: Will - Tomorrow I will eat a sandwich To be going to - I am going to eat pasta...

10

March 2012
Help!!!!! How to use exclamations?
by Radmila Gurkova
P2 - exclamations Please Help Me! What a lovely day! Don't do that! That's amazing! Exclamations are often used outside of formal writing to express strong feelings such as, surprise, joy, anger. It is used at the end of the sentence instead of a full stop. Exclamations ofte...

09

March 2012
Friday Fun: The History of English #10
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70KHDbLmr_I The history of the English language series concludes with this final video that shows how English has now spread around the world and is spoken by over 1.5 billion people. It's interesting to note that only 1/4 of these people are native English speakers. So there's no reason to not learn English!...

08

March 2012
St. Patrick's Day - Don't make a parade out it!!!!
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y07at1bU89Q Many people around the world celebrate St Patrick's Day on the March 17th He is the most commonly recognised Patron saint of Ireland and commemorates Christianity being introduced to this Emerald Isle. However - St Patrick was not Irish; he was from Wales and therefore Welsh. He used t...

08

March 2012
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
by Radmila Gurkova
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson recently challenged the way we educate our children and made a profound case stating that schools undermine rather than nurture. He feels that ‘‘we are educating people out of their creativity,'' and that children today are ignored and stigmatized....

08

March 2012
February Monthly Quiz
by Radmila Gurkova
Test your knowledge with our monthly quiz ...