|
Introduction:
Studying a language in the classroom, particularly for younger learners, can often seem very far away from their 'real' lives. This lesson has some ideas for helping to make the language more relevant.
Aims:
- To give students a wider context for learning English
- To use English culture to raise intercultural awareness
- Using comparatives to describe monuments
- Introducing superlatives
- Asking for and giving directions (optional)
Materials:
- An OHT of a map of the world or a large poster
- Photocopies of the map of the world for each child
- A black and white copy of the Union Flag to colour in
- Flag flashcards
- Photos of your country - if possible put a few onto transparencies in colour
- Packs of country names split onto two cards for each name - enough for one pack per four children
Back to top
Stage 1: Geography (1)
Use the map of the world to create interest in the subject. The bigger the better.
- Ask children to identify France and England. This way you start with what they are most likely to know.
- Distribute photocopies of the world map to each child and get them to write in England and France onto it.
Back to top
Stage 2: Matching game
This is a great alternative to presenting vocabulary and merely giving out a list of country names. This way the children discover the names together.
- They should try to complete the country names before you distribute packs of corresponding country flags.
- You should ensure that all groups are comfortable with the country names and model the pronunciation for them paying attention to word stress. Point to the outspread fingers of your left hand with the palm facing you, starting from your little finger, to demonstrate the number of syllables and where they should say the stress.
- Once they've found the country names they should place the corresponding flag next to the country name. You are still working with what they know so they may find this part quite challenging.
- Be ready with your own set of country names and flags on the board with magnets or blu-tack to help them with a couple for elimination purposes.
- Once countries are matched to flags ask the class what they think the link is between all these countries. (They are all English Speaking Countries)
Back to top
Stage 3: Geography (2)
Refer back to the map of the world. Before placing these countries on your class map of the world yourself see if any of the children would like to come up and find the countries.
- Use written cards or flags on sticks with blu-tack. The latter will take much more time to prepare though.
- Proceed in the same way as with France and England where they then write down the country names onto their individual maps. If you can get hold of a copy of 'The King and I' there's a great scene of a Geography / English lesson for the King's children where the song 'Getting to Know You' is sung. They are looking at a world map and discover the different sizes of countries and where England is in the world.
Back to top
Stage 4: Show and tell
Children will always be interested when you share part of your culture with them. Keep it as real as possible and personal. Say "This is a photo of my town" "It's very beautiful" Compare this to their town.
- Put up an OHT photo of a famous monument from England and elicit the name.
- Adapting the level of the language to your students, describe it's appearance and what it represents for English people. So for Big Ben you might say; "It's a tall building." "It's a clock."
- If possible get the children to describe the building through their own eyes, within their groups of four. Then compare each group's descriptions. Ask with each photo if they can compare this monument to one from France and say what is similar about the two.
- This section does not have to be done around monuments. You can choose to represent your country through its buildings, countryside, different types of houses or people. It depends what photos you have available and what you are genuinely interested in. The more interested you are the more involved you and your students will be.
Back to top
Stage 5: Role play
This can be a revision stage from the start of the year or more of a consolidation of everything they have learned over the year in terms of introducing themselves.
- Lead into this stage by saying that if your want to go and visit England or any other English speaking country you need to be able to talk to the people there. Try to relate this to their year of learning English with you and why it's a positive thing to do for their holidays.
- As a class you could create a short dialogue and write it on the board. This can be used as a model for the class, in pairs, to follow. One person can be the French tourist and the other one an English person. You can keep this stage as basic as necessary so it could stay at the "Hello, my name's Emily. What's your name?" stage or you could integrate directions and review the monument descriptions seen earlier with one person saying hello and asking how to find Big Ben. This is obviously for more advanced learners.
- Monitor and choose a few pairs to demonstrate their conversation to the whole class.
Back to top
Homework:
- Students choose one aspect of English life that you have shown them in the Show and tell stage i.e. school, and write a short composition comparing it to French school.
Follow up:
- Ask children to collect photos, magazine pictures or postcards or monuments from France that they are proud of. These can be used to make a class poster with short descriptions written by the children to accompany their photos.
- For a project they could devise a shoe box capsule to be sent to a child in England or another English speaking country. The idea being that they can put ten objects into it to represent France. You don't actually have to send them but they'll really enjoy thinking about their own culture and comparing their ideas with other groups. This could lead to some sort of table display work with the open shoe boxes and descriptions of the objects and what they represent to them.
Links:
Back to top
| 
