Speaking Cycle 17: Get festive!

festival

1. Activating

· What different kinds of festival can you think of?

· What kinds of activities can you find at festivals?

2. Sharing

· Think of one or more festival which you have been to.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group about these festivals. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have been to any similar festivals.

3. Preparing

· Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person who went to the festival or if they talk about a festival experience described by someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as what kind of festival it was; when and where it took place; who the person went to the festival with; and what the person enjoyed/disliked most about it; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions.

a) What kind of festival was it?

b) When and where did it take place?

c) Who did the person go with?

d) What did the person enjoy/dislike most about the festival?

e) Would you like to go to a similar festival?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, check your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, most enjoys going to festivals.

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Speaking Cycle 16: Mythbusting

untitled

1. Activating

· What different mythological or legendary characters can you think of?

· What different qualities do characters in myths and legends have?

2. Sharing

· Think of one or more myths or legends associated with your country.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group about some of these myths and legends. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have similar myths in your country.

3. Preparing

· Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person who described the myth or if they talk about a myth described by someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as what different people or characters form the myth; what time and place the myth is associated with; what are the main events connected with the myth; and what are the modern-day consequences or legacies of the myth; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions.

a) What characters does the story involve?

b) What time and place is associated with the story?

c) What events are associated with the story?

d) What consequences of the story are evident today?

e) Why do people believe the story?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, check your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the myths you have heard about, in your opinion, is more based in fact.

Speaking Cycle 15: A holiday to remember!

holidays-last-minute-deals-post-1

  1. Activating
  • How many different kinds of holiday can you think of?
  • For what different reasons do people go on holiday?
  1. Sharing
  • Think about some memorable holidays you have had.
  • Work in groups of three. Tell your group about some of these holidays. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have had similar holidays.
  1. Preparing
  • Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person whose experience it was or if they talk about an experience of someone else in their group).
  • Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as who went on the holiday, and who were they with; where did they go, and how long did they go for; how did they travel, and what was the reason for the holiday; what made the holiday memorable; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.
  1. Performing
  • The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.
  • As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions.

a) Who was the holidaymaker?

b) Where did they go?

c) When did the holiday take place and who was the person with?

d) What form of transport was used and what was the reason for the holiday?

e) Would you like to have a similar holiday yourself?

         5. Reporting

  • When you have heard the speaker from each group, check your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.
  • As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, had the most memorable holiday.

Speaking Cycle 14: Chchchchchanges!

change

  1. Activating
  • What different kinds of change might someone experience in their life?
  • How do people feel when they experience change in their lives?
  1. Sharing
  • Think of different changes you have experienced in your life.
  • Work in groups of three. Tell your group about some of these changes. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have experienced similar changes.
  1. Preparing
  • Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person whose experience it was or if they talk about an experience of someone else in their group).
  • Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as what kind of change it was; when and why the change took place; how did the person feel before, during, and after the change; and whether the person would behave differently if they experienced a similar change in the future; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.
  1. Performing
  • The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.
  • As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions.

a) What kind of change did each person experience?

b) When and why did he change occur?

c) How did the person feel before, during, and after the change?

d) Would the person behave differently if they experienced a similar change again?

e) Which person found it most difficult to adapt to the change?

         5. Reporting

  • When you have heard the speaker from each group, check your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.
  • As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, is the most open to change.

Speaking Cycle 13: Testing times

Exam

1. Activating

· What different kinds of test can you think of?

· For what different reasons do people take tests?

2. Sharing

· Think of different tests you have taken.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group about some of these tests. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have taken similar tests.

3. Preparing

· Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person whose experience it was or if they talk about an experience of someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as what kind of test it was; when and why the test took place; how did the person prepare for the test (if at all); what was the result of the test; and whether the person would prepare for the test differently next time; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions.

a) What kind of test did each person take?

b) When and why did they take these tests?

c) What preparation did each person do for the test?

d) What was the result of each test?

e) Which person prepared most effectively for their test?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, check your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, is the best at preparing for tests.

Speaking Cycle 12: The best of friends

friendship

1. Activating

· What different ways do people typically make new friends?

· What different kinds of things do people enjoy doing with friends?

2. Sharing

· Think of different friends you had when you were growing up.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group about some of these friends. As you listen to your partners, decide if you had similar friendships when you were growing up.

3. Preparing

· Choose one childhood friend of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this friend (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person whose friend it was or if they talk about a friend of someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as what the friend’s name was; when and how the friendship began; what kinds of things the two friends involved used to do together; how the friendship developed; and whether the two people involved are still friends now; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions.

a) What was the name of the friend in each case?

b) When and how did each friendship begin?

c) How did each friendship develop?

d) Are the people involved in each friendship still friends now?

e) Which of the friendships is most similar to friendships you’ve had yourself?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, check your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the friendships you have heard about was, in your opinion, the strongest.

Speaking Cycle 11: Emotional intelligence

Sam

1. Activating

· How many different emotions can you think of?

· In what situations do people express these emotions?

2. Sharing

· Think about a time when you expressed a particular emotion.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group about this experience. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have had similar experiences to theirs.

3. Preparing

· Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person who had the experience or if they talk about the experience of someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as what the emotion was; when and where the person involved expressed the emotion; why they expressed this emotion and in what way they expressed it; and what the consequence was; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions:

a) What emotion was expressed?

b) When and where did each situation take place?

c) What caused each person to express the emotion?

d) Were there any particular consequences in each case?

e) Do you think you would have expressed the same emotions, and in a similar way?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, compare your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, expresses their emotions most clearly.

Speaking Cycle 10: Special occasions

champagne

1. Activating

· What different personal occasions do people typically celebrate during their life?

· What different ways do people typically mark these occasions?

2. Sharing

· Think about some of the personal occasions you have celebrated.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group what you did to celebrate these occasions. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have ever celebrated personal occasions in similar ways.

3. Preparing

· Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person who had the experience or if they talk about the experience of someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as what the occasion was; when and where it took place; who the person celebrated with; what the person did to celebrate the occasion; and why the celebration was particularly memorable; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions:

a) What was the reason for the celebration?

b) When and where did the celebration take place?

c) What form did the celebration take?

d) What was particularly special or memorable about the celebration?

e) Have you ever celebrated a personal occasion in the same way?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, compare your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, enjoys celebrating personal occasions the most.

Speaking Cycle 9: Bon voyage!

hitchhiker

1. Activating

· 1. Activating

· How many different ways of travelling can you think of?

· For what different reasons do people go on journeys?

2. Sharing

· Think about some memorable journeys you have made.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group about these experiences. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have had any similar experiences yourself.

3. Preparing

· Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person who had the experience or if they talk about the experience of someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as who went on the journey, and who were they with; where did they travel from and to, and how long did the journey take; how did they travel, and what was the reason for the journey; what made the journey memorable; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions:

a) Who was the traveller?

b) Where did they travel from/to?

c) When did the journey take place and who was the person with?

d) What form of transport was used and what was the reason for the
journey?

e) Would you like to have a similar journey yourself?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, compare your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, had the most memorable travelling experience.

Speaking Cycle 8: Lifelong learning

learning

1. Activating

· How many different things can you think of which people might learn to do?

· What different ways might people learn how to do things?

2. Sharing

· Think about times when you have tried to learn something.

· Work in groups of three. Tell your group about these experiences. As you listen to your partners, decide if you have had any similar experiences yourself.

3. Preparing

· Choose one experience of one member of your group. One of you is going to tell the rest of the class about this experience (it doesn’t matter if the person who speaks is the person who had the experience or if they talk about the experience of someone else in their group).

· Spend 15 minutes, as a group, preparing what the speaker is going to say. Think about a) information, such as who was the learner; what were they trying to learn, and why; how long did they try for; how did they try to learn, and how successful were they; what did the experience teach them about learning; and b) the organisation and structure of what the speaker will say.

4. Performing

· The speaker from each group talks to the rest of the class.

· As you are listening to other speakers, try to answer the following questions:

a) Who was the learner?

b) What were they trying to learn, and why?

c) How did the person try to learn?

d) How successful was the learning experience?

e) Have you ever tried to learn the same thing?

5. Reporting

· When you have heard the speaker from each group, compare your answers to the questions with the other members of your group.

· As a group, decide which of the people you have heard about, in your opinion, had the most successful learning experience.