Route Map

Instructions - Plan - T's words

1) Pre-class

Watch the video (5 minutes at the most) and read the script carefully to familiarize with the material. Find ways of clarifying meaning if necessary (flashcards - dictionary definition - gesture - contextual examples). Identify the schematic and linguistic content and the way they will be exploited. Keep in mind a developmental sequence and prepare the worksheets. Consider WHO is telling WHAT to WHOM, WHERE, WHEN  and WHY.

Plan ahead and predict technical or methodological problems. Arrive in advance to check the TV set, the DVD player and the tape recorder. Decide on the seating arrangement and the disposition of the board in relation to the visual stimuli (e.i. if you use maps and flashcards) and the equipment. It is better to avoid changing classroom/seating arrangement after watching the video so as not to disrupt the atmosphere/concentration.

Let's consider a possible content of the video: different speakers talk about their experience of living abroad and missing their hometowns.

2) In class / Lead-in

To arouse sts’ interest in the topic

To activate schema

Sts will listen to different music extracts taken from the video.

Sts will infer where each melody may come from.

Sts will identify the countries on the world map and anticipate the traditions, customs, national characteristics, historical events or whatever they come up with.

To activate systemic knowledge

Sts will listen to the video audio only and identify what the speakers talk about.

3) Set up the activity

To activate further systemic and schematic knowledge

The sts will activate the context of people living in another country and understand the preferences about their home towns.

Sts will watch only or watch and listen to the video and spot the images of the content referred to by the speakers.

Sts will answer more specific questions and activate or learn new vocabulary.

The sts complete the activities in the handout that corresponds to the video and then they check the answers.

T shows a map of the world and asks the students to remember the places and locate them in the map.

4) Run the activity

T provides feedback on sts' comments or assumptions.

T elicits the situation, the topic, the necessary vocabulary.

The teacher monitors the process and follows the sts' pace.

5)Close the activity

T corrects the activities with the sts.

The sts report their findings and conclusions in pairs or groups. They are assigned a specific speaker to concentrate on.

The reporting stage may be oral or written to be read aloud.

6) Post activity

The class works with a short reading activity related to the topic of the video in order to introduce a new grammar point.

MUSIC 1 is from…

USA

IRELAND

TRINIDAD

MUSIC 2 is from…

TRINIDAD

AUSTRALIA

USA

MUSIC 3 is from…

AUSTRALIA

TRINIDAD

IRELAND

MUSIC 4 is from…

AUSTRALIA

USA

TRINIDAD

Speaker 1             PEOPLE   /   SPECIFIC PLACES   /   PETS  /  FAMILY  AND FRIENDS

Speaker 2               TV PROGRAMMES    /   THE WEATHER  /   FRIENDS 

Speaker 3                 THE WEATHER  /   FRIENDS  /   BEACHES    /  SWIMMING

Speaker 4         THE WEATHER  /   TV PROGRAMMES      /   BEACHES    /  SWIMMING

SPEAKER 1

1. People in Belfast are unfriendly.

2. She visits her family once a month.

SPEAKER 2

1. She lived in Erie for 15 years.

2. The summer is very hot and the winter is very cold there.

SPEAKER 3

1. The weather is very cold all the year in Trinidad.

2. You can go swimming on the beaches, scuba diving or snorkeling.

SPEAKER 4

1. When she lived in Perth, she loved the sunshine.

2. Sometimes the weather is too hot in Perth.

Route Map

Instructions - Plan - T's words

1) Pre-class

Read the text to be used as source of input for the presentation of grammar. Spot the areas of vocabulary exploited and possible problems of understanding (e.g. family, food, friends, pets, TV programmes and the weather). Prepare flashcards to clarify necessary items of vocabulary.

Identify the schematic and linguistic content and the way they will be exploited. Keep in mind a developmental sequence and prepare the worksheets.

Plan ahead and predict any problems that may arise. Bear in mind the number of students and the available room to move about the classroom with ease. If they are more than 10, device a way of organising the class into groups to play the game (during the game they may change partners as you clap your hands).

Device a worksheet suitable for the content and the vocabulary of the text to be dealt with in the grammar presentation stage.

2) In class / Lead-in

To arouse sts’ interest in the topic

To get to know each other better.

The students will listen to the teacher explanations about how they will work.

Sts will improve their understanding of specific lexical items (family, food, friends, pets, TV programmes and the weather).

T: “Now, to start to know each other we are going to play a game. It’s a bingo game.

3) Set up the activity

To activate systemic knowledge.

To set the purpose for reading and learning grammar.

T: “You need to get in pairs and make questions to each other (showing the handout). When the other person says YES to a question then he or she signs and then you look for another partner.

Let’s see an example. Can you help me Cintia?“

The T gives a handout to a st for him/her to read. The T answers the questions and then asks some other questions.”

Then the T explains that when he claps his hands the sts have to move and find another partner.

“When any of you complete a line shouts BINGO and becomes the winner.” T elicits the situation, the topic, the necessary vocabulary and answer queries.

4) Run the activity

The whole class plays the game.

T claps his hands to make sts change partners. T keeps the timing and organization of the game.

T provides further information if necessary.

The teacher monitors the process and follows the sts' pace, checking sts interact in English.

5)Close the activity

The T asks the winner who the sts that helped complete the line were and the teacher asks further questions to each of them.

Then the teacher asks about the sts that do not talk.

“Ok what is your name?

Mebel.

Ok. Who can tell me sth about Mabel.

The sts that had their handout signed answer and then the T asks personal questions for Mabel to expand.

After that the teacher asks who could complete 4 boxes, 3 boxes and 2 boxes and asks further questions to the sts

The sts report their findings and conclusions in pairs or groups. They are assigned a specific area of vocabulary to concentrate on.

6) Post activity

The class works with a reading activity related to the vocabulary of the bingo game in order to introduce a new grammar point (i.e. comparative adjectives).

Do you usually eat pizza?

Name:

When do you eat pizza?

Do you have brothers and sisters?

Name:

How many do you have?

Brothers:

Sisters:

Do you watch soap operas on TV?

Name:

Which is your favourite?

Do you have a pet?

Name:

Which animal is it?

Does it have a name? Which?

Do you like autumn?

Name:

What do you usually do in autumn?

Do you like summer?

Name:

What do you usually do in summer?

Do you have a cat at home?

Name:

Does it have a name? Which?

Do you like fruit salad?

Name:

Which fruit is your favourite?

Do you like watching sports on TV?

Name:

Which sport do you prefer watching?

Do you like staying at home with your parents at the weekend?

Name:

Do you often watch films with them?

Do you have a hamster at home?

Name:

Does it have a name? Which?

Do you like watching the news on TV?

Name:

Which news programme do you often watch?

Do you like going out with your brother or sister?

Name:

Where do you normally go?

Do you drink milk everyday?

Name:

When?

Do you like winter?

Name:

What do you often do in winter?

Do you like spring?

Name:

What do you do in spring?

Do you eat honey or marmalade for breakfast?

Name:

Which is your favourite marmalade?

Do you like ice cream?

Name:

Which is your favourite flavour?

Do you have a best friend?

Name:

What is his or her name?

Do you like watching films on TV?

Name:

Do you prefer: action films, science fiction films or love stories?

Do you have a goldfish at home?

Name:

Do you have a goldfish bowl or a fish tank? 

Do you have a big group of friends?

Name:

How many are they? Do you go out together?

Do you often eat out with your family?

Name:

Where do you go?

Do you like documentaries on TV?

Name:

Which channel do you usually watch?

Do you like apples?

Name:

Do you eat apples regularly?

City

Weather

Beijing

COLD

WINDY

SNOWY

COOL

Mexico City

DRY

WARM

COOL

WET

Tokyo

HUMID

CLOUDY

WINDY

RAINY

New York

SUNNY

WINDY

WET

COLD

Taipei

CLOUDY

COOL

WET

HOT

ADJECTIVES

COMPARATIVES

SUPERLATIVES

GOOD

BIG

BEAUTIFUL

BAD

IMPORTANT

TALL

RELAXED

YOUNG

EXCITING

OLD

big            cheap                   expensive          good            bad