In looking at routines, this chapter introduces adverbs of frequency, many of which will probably be unfamiliar to the students.
In looking at routines, this chapter introduces adverbs of frequency, many of which will probably be unfamiliar to the students.
chapters use a task-based format for the Conversation activities, and these are sequenced by level of difficulty, leading up to the final independent "Free Talking". This chapter starts with a "static" (controlled language, one-way flow of information) experience-based activity, concentrating on the input (adverbs of frequency) and giving the students little chance of making errors, by keeping the language simple and controlled. From this they can progress with less and less control, until they get to the "dynamic" (non-prescribed language, non-predictable two- way flow of information) free expression.
Such a sequencing is not always desirable however, and teachers should feel free to change the order as they feel fit, as well as supplementing or replacing activities with their own materials.
Using the same language, this activity moves from pair-work to group-work. Students interpret the pictures, write their own answers, and then ask other members of their group (or of the class) how often they perform those actions. Due to the unfamiliarity of many of the terms, the language is still controlled in this activity.
In an attempt to help in the explanation of the "Frequency" terms, a matching exercise is added to the crossword. The relevant terms in Korean however, tend not to be exactly equivalent to those in English, and some flexibility must be allowed in the association of the words. If students look in their dictionaries and decide that the answer key (below) is not entirely correct, then the action of coming to such a decision by accessing reference materials can only be welcomed.
The crossword takes on a different format this time; there is only one crossword, and partners have either "Across" clues or "Down" clues. It is important (as ever) that the explanation of the terms occurs in English!
Building on the game of the same name in Chapter 4, this is a "Find someone who ... " activity. Students ask their partner the questions, and write his/her name when s/he answers "Yes, I have". If the answer is "No, I haven't" however, students write nothing. This can take some checking to see if the students have understood the instructions correctly, as it is easy to misunderstand them. The final result should be two columns filled with names of members of the class.
The final three questions are left for the students to construct - either at the beginning or the end of the activity.
Being able to give the time with ease and fluency is not an easy skill, and there can be a number of problems involved. While looking at the area of "Daily Routines" therefore, it can be a valuable exercise to check on whether the students are comfortable with saying times in English.
In this "Timeline" activity, students progress along the line, asking each other questions about routines. Thus when a student lands on a time, s/he can either ask a question ("What do you do at five past seven?") or be asked a question about that time, according to the version chosen.
This timeline uses the 24-hour clock, giving students a chance either to practise using it ("What do you do at seven-o-five?") or to try converting it to the twelve-hour clock.
In the version in the students' book, everyone in the group has ten "Time" cards, and the "Action" cards are face down in a pile on the table. One student takes a card, and asks a question related to it ("When do you brush your teeth?"). The student whom s/he judges to give the best reply, receives the "Action" card. The job of turning over the "Action" cards and asking the questions can either rotate, or be assigned to one person.
The language is less directed now as students interview each other about their daily routines. This is combined with a look at "Connectors" in an attempt to encourage students to join their utterances together. However, it might be preferable to elicit a number of short sentences rather than confusing students.
Having found out his/her partners typical daily routines, and having noted them on the sheet in sequence, the student is asked to report this information to the other members of the group.
This activity continues the theme of asking the students to talk and write about themselves. This time the context is a letter to a penfriend. Hopefully students will feel more confident about their writing skills by now, and will be able to fill a fair proportion of the page. Since writing their first introduction to the teacher (Chapter 2), they have looked at how to talk about their homes, their preferences, and their routines, so this assignment should give a chance to revise those topics.
As an extension of this activity, students can be encouraged to make an email penfriend, and to use part of this homework in the first email letter, thus giving it immediate relevance to their situation.
Next Chapter of the Teacher's Notes
Links to the Students's Book
Contents | 1 | Skills | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Extra
Tell Me More - Task-based Conversation Activities
By Andrew Finch and Hyun Tae-duck
http://iteslj.org/t/tmm/
