More tested lessons, suggestions, tips and techniques which have all

worked for ETp readers. Try them out for yourself – and then send us your
own contribution. Don’t forget to include your postal address.
All the contributors to It Works in Practice in this issue of ETp will receive a
copy of In Company 3.0 by Simon Clarke, published by Macmillan. Macmillan
have kindly agreed to be sponsors of It Works in Practice for this year.

Self-guided interviews
This is a very motivating activity that before passing their sheet to the student order in which they would like to answer
draws upon the students’ interests and on the right. They read the sheet they them. At this point, they can also choose
knowledge. It allows them to practise receive and write a question that they to omit some questions, if they feel they
question formation, interviewing and would like to ask the new famous figure, can’t answer them, or would not like to.
organising. It is student-driven and before passing the sheet on again. This Finally, in pairs, (possibly in front of
suitable for learners from pre-intermediate continues until the sheets have circled the the class, in mock ‘chat show’ format), the
level upwards. class and are back with their owner. To students swap sheets and interview each
The students sit in a circle. On a sheet avoid confusion, the students should other, one person taking the role of the
of paper, they write the name of a famous imagine that the famous people are all interviewer, one the celebrity.
person (the person can be alive or dead – alive and being interviewed in the present. This activity can be followed up by
or even fictional) whom they are interested in The teacher then tells the students getting the students to write a profile of
and know something about. They then write that they are going to imagine they are ‘their person’, using the questions as
two or three sentences about the person, as their famous person and that they are prompts, or a piece of writing saying why
if they were explaining who they were to going to be interviewed, using the they are particularly interested in the
someone who knows nothing about them. questions on their sheet. Aided by the individual, and what they would ask them if
Each student then writes one question teacher when appropriate, the students they had the opportunity.
that they would like to ask their famous check that the questions are written Tim Ashurst
person if they were interviewing them, correctly, before numbering them in the York, UK

Making exam classes challenging and fun

I have developed some downloadable Do expressions/idioms work in Spanish Write part of a composition in class in
materials and worksheets to make and in English? (I teach in Spain) groups – beginning, middle or end – and
Cambridge exam-level classes more fun. Noticing similarities and differences compare with the original text.
I have grouped the materials under four between L1 and L2 in context. Composition dictogloss – reconstruct and
headings. compare with the original.
Translating song lyrics.
Learner autonomy Back translation from reading texts + Target reader photos – who are you
SWOT questionnaires – repeat follow-up noticing activity. writing to?
throughout the year to help students Composition overview of task-type and
analyse and work on their own strengths Collocation dictionaries
analysis.
and weaknesses. Find a better word for [x] in the
dictionary. Register: moving from formal neutral
Learning strategies and course informal language equivalents.
expectations questionnaires – let the Guess the word from its synonyms and
students take responsibility for their usage. If you would like to download these
progress and set realistic goals for Explore a word through student-made materials and worksheets, go to this
themselves during the course. gap-fill exercises. wiki and have a look –

Use of L1 www.b1toc2materials.pbworks.com.
Writing
Questionnaire on attitudes to the use Draw a story – put pictures in order or It’s all there to share!
of L1 in class. guess which story is represented in the Elspeth Pollock
Student-made vocabulary tests. pictures. Seville, Spain

38 • Issue 90 January 2014 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Food for talk
Speaking is probably one of the most daunting challenges Act on CO2
language students face. How can we expose them to authentic www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnaKb7yZAi4
audio-visual material that will break communication barriers and Content areas: Sources of energy: oil, gas, coal. The environment
get them speaking English? and global warming. Show in two parts:
I have found TV adverts helpful for a number of reasons. Not only Part 1: How we waste electricity
are they boredom-proof – the average lasting just 30 seconds Part 2: How we can adopt energy-saving measures
– but they are also catchy and certainly entertaining. Here are The Lexus GS Hybrid – 120 Heartbeats
some of the benefits TV adverts offer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht-_CxBB-kc
They expose learners to authentic language in natural Content areas: Protecting the environment. The effects of
situations. adrenaline on heart rate and blood flow.
They expose learners to a variety of voices, accents, dialects The next three adverts are good for focusing on natural language
and cultures. and giving examples of different voices, accents, dialects and
The topics are familiar and relevant to personal experience. cultures.
They provide a situational and visual context to language
interactions. Nespresso – What else?
They provide scaffolding to help students understand www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfyeXrdZZ1o
linguistic meaning. Language: Adjectives
They arouse curiosity. Discussion topics: Misconceptions; describing people and things
They encourage critical thinking. Coca-Cola for everyone
They are motivating. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcCSa77mzWk
They provide a break from classroom routine. Language: Nouns and adjectives for describing people; synonyms
There are adverts covering every possible language and and antonyms
content requirement, and the fact that they are short makes Discussion topics: Describing oneself, family members, friends, etc
them easy to select, manipulate and prepare.
Weetabix – Fuel for big days
Here are some adverts and suggested activities you can do with www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x1s60tXJtQ
them. All the adverts can be used to present and practise topics Language: Everyday activities; family members; have to for
and vocabulary, encourage extensive and intensive listening and obligation; present simple for habits/routine
stimulate discussion of attitudes and feelings. Discussion topics: My worst/best day; a day in the life of …
Hamlet cigars (the commercial set in a photo booth) The next two adverts both have adaptations of Gloria Gaynor’s song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlYMID5qCdE ‘I will survive’.
Activity: Running commentary
The students sit in pairs, with only Student A facing the screen. Weetabix: Driving Instructor
Student A describes what is happening in the ad. Student B then www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0mq-gdGfg4
relates what they have understood. The students then switch Weetabix: Vet
roles and repeat the activity. Together, they will produce a more www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho9ZrHBdnvo
precise description of the advert. Activity: Play the version of the song sung by the driving
Activity: Discussion instructor, then ask the students to write their own version of ‘I will
The slogan of the advert is ‘Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet’. survive’ for a vet. When they have finished, play the second advert
Here are some discussion topics based on this: for them to compare with their versions.
What does ‘happiness’ mean to you? Language: Jobs and related words and expressions; conditionals;
When you’re feeling down, what do you do to cheer yourself imperatives; various verb tenses
up? Discussion topics: Risky jobs; my ideal job
Should smoking be banned in public places?
In order to ensure there are no hiccups caused by a poor internet
Should tobacco advertising be banned?
connection in class, I recommend downloading adverts from
The next three adverts are useful for CLIL, as they contribute to YouTube using a simple freeware application called aTube Catcher.
information in the content areas common to CLIL courses. They This downloads video and converts it to the format requested for
provide scaffolding to help students understand linguistic viewing offline. Get it from http://atube-catcher.softonic.com.
meaning, and encourage the development of critical thinking Remember that by bringing variety and fun into learning you will be
skills. creating a relaxed classroom atmosphere which will, in turn,
Sprite Camo TV commercial optimise learning.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3paXOX2JqE Stephanie Williams
Content areas: Physical properties of materials: colour, texture, Barcelona, Spain
shape. Animals and camouflage – the hunter or the hunted? [email protected]

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 90 January 2014 • 39