■osm íľmM 1 using background knowledge Look at the pictures of six sleeping positions. Which position do you sleep in? 2 activating topic vocabulary Look at these words and phrases to describe character. Are they positive (P), negative (N), or both (P/N)? Use a dictionary if necessary. suspicious a good listener sensible easy-going sensitive confident make friends easily sociable gullible set high standards reserved tough 3 predicting a Read the introduction. Do you think Professor Idzikowski is right? b Match the character descriptions in exercise 2 to the six sleeping positions in the pictures. example I think people who sleep in this position are sensitive. 4 reading for specific information a Read the six descriptions of sleeping positions (1-6) and match them to the pictures (A-F). b Read the descriptions again and check your ideas in exercise 3b. 5 responding to the text Do you agree with the description of your personality for your sleeping position? Sleeping secrets A scientist believes he has discovered a direct link between people's favourite sleeping position and their personality. Professor Chris Idzikowski has described six different positions and what each one says about a person's character. The professor, who did the research for a hotel group, said, 'We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our posture says about us when we are asleep.' At the moment, Professor Idzikowski is trying to sleep in a yoga position that involves crossing your legs around your neck. He says there is no perfect position for sleeping. 1 THE STARFISH 'Starfish' sleep flat on their back with their arms raised. They are good listeners who make friends easily but do not like to be the centre of attention. 2 THEYEARNER 'Yearners' sleep on their side with their arms raised. They are suspicious and have a very sensible approach to life. 3 THE FOETUS The most popular position, particularly among women. They sleep curled up on their side, holding on to the pillow. They appear to be tough but are actually sensitive and shy. 4 THEFREEFALLER Only 6.5% of people prefer to sleep on their front, making this the least popular sleeping position. 'Freefallers'seem very confident, although this hides a nervous personality. 5 THE LOG The 'log' position is similar to the 'yearner' but with arms by the sides. 'Logs'are easygoing and sociable, but can be seen as too gullible. 6 THE SOLDIER 'Soldiers', who sleep on their back with their arms by their sides, are quiet and reserved. They set high standards for themselves and do not like noisy social situations. posture 'pDstJa position curled up like a ball, with legs pulled up to your stomach pillow 'pilau a soft object that you rest your head on in bed hides covers up (so it can't be seen) 40 go to self-assessment p. 60 vocabulary diary p. 62 PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS text theme sleeping positions and personality time 40-50 mins 1 using background knowledge • For exercise 1, focus students on the pictures of six sleeping positions and ask them to answer the question in pairs or threes. This is simply to raise interest in the topic and the material, so keep this brief. 2 activating topic vocabulary • Some words and phrases in exercise 2 will be familiar to students and some will be new, so put them in groups of three to share what they know. • Give each group an appropriate dictionary for the level (e.g. Oxford Wordpower) and tell them to divide up the new words between themselves. They should then explain them to their group. • Students should then decide if the descriptions are positive, negative, or both, e.g. sensitive may be positive if you are sensitive to other people's feelings, but negative if you are easily upset. It is, therefore, important to be flexible about the categorizing and allow for some differences of opinion. guidance notes There is a high vocabulary load in the six paragraphs, but much of it focuses on these character adjectives and descriptions. By dealing with this lexis before reading, you will be making the reading stages much more enjoyable and accessible. Depending on your class profile and the availability of monolingual dictionaries, you may decide that students should use bilingual dictionaries. If you do this in a multilingual class, however, you should be aware that students may find it difficult to explain the definitions to their groups. answer key positive: sensible, make friends easily, a good listener, easy-going, confident, sociable negative: suspicious, gullible, reserved both: sensitive, set high standards, tough (Whether a description is positive or negative may depend on the degree, i.e. quiet may be fine, but too quiet may make someone a difficult or boring companion.) 3 predicting For exercise 3a, ask the class for a response to the question when they have read the introduction. This will put the rest of the text and the pictures into context. For exercise 3b, focus students on the six pictures again, and explain that you want them to guess what type of character the people who sleep in each position might have. This activates some of the vocabulary from exercise 2 and will help them to predict the content of the descriptions. Do the first picture together, and encourage students to use the model sentence provided. They can stay in the same groups of three, or you might want to split them into pairs. Tell them not to write anything down. In feedback, you could put some of the students' ideas on the board (if there is any sort of agreement between them!), but don't take too long over this stage. guidance notes The text is part of an article from The Daily Telegraph, a quality daily newspaper. Aimed at the general public, the article reports the results of new research from a science journal in an accessible way. reading for specific information • For exercise 4a, encourage students to read fairly quickly as they are simply looking for information relating to the 'position' of the sleeper. Check the answers before moving on to exercise 4b. • For exercise 4b, let students work in the same pairs or groups as in exercise 3. They could read one paragraph at a time, comparing with their partner(s) after each one. guidance notes If students have done the preparation in exercises 2 and 3, they shouldn't have too many problems with the six paragraphs. They may well ask you about the names for each type of sleeper. Explain briefly if you feel ifs necessary or will add something, but don't encourage students to dwell on the meanings (they are rather hard and oblique and not essential for an understanding of the text). answer key 1 C, 2 E, 3 A, 4 D, 5 F, 6 B responding to the text • Give students a chance to respond naturally to the text. It would be a good idea for them to work in the same groups they were in for exercise 2, when they discussed the character descriptions. ideas plus Depending on the cultural context / class profile, you could follow this up by doing a class survey to try to find all the different sleeping positions. Alternatively, you could ask students to guess how other people sleep depending on what they know of each other's character, then go round checking to see if they were right. It is important to keep this light-hearted and there would need to be a good rapport in the class. 41 how to ... make and break arrangements 1 generating ideas Read Julie's e-mails. Then discuss the questions in pairs. 1 Which e-mail is to a colleague and which is to a friend? How do you know? 2 What arrangements is she cancelling? Why? 3 Think about the last time you cancelled an arrangement. • What did you cancel? Why? • What reason did you give? Hi Susan I'm really sorry, but I can't come to lunch on Saturday. I've had flu for a week now and still feel terrible. I went to the doctor yesterday and she gave me antibiotics and told me to stay in bed for a few days. I'm so sorry - I was really looking forward to seeing you. Let's fix another date as soon as possible. Are you around on Saturday April 18th? If not, then maybe we could meet later in the month. Let me know when you're free. Love Julie x H Dear John I'm afraid I have to cancel the meeting on Friday morning. I've got flu and won't be able to come. Would it be possible to rearrange it for next week? Are you available on Tuesday or Thursday morning? Please could you let me know which day is better for you as soon as you can. Many apologies once again for this. I hope it doesn't make things too difficult for you. All the best. Julie 3 making and breaking informal arrangements a Order the words to make sentences. 1 know / free / let / you / me / are / when /. 2 could/maybe/go/we/to/Brown's/. 3 can't / sorry /1 / come / I'm / tonight / but / 4 week/ let's / a / for / next / meet / drink /. b Order the sentences in exercise 3a to make a paragraph. Decide where this missing sentence should go in the paragraph: I fell over yesterday and hurt my leg, so I won't be able to dance! 4 breaking formal arrangements Complete the e-mail extract below using words from Julie's e-mail to John. I'm(l) have to cancel my appointment with Dr Rushdon on Tuesday, May 15th. I will be away on business then. (2)___________it be (3)___________to rearrange the appointment for later in the month? Please (4)___________you (5)___________me know as (6)___________as you can. Many (7) for this. 2 understanding language in use a In the e-mail to Susan, find and underline: • two apologies for breaking an arrangement • two suggestions for a new arrangement • two uses of let b Notice the more formal style in the e-mail to John. Find and underline: • two apologies for breaking an arrangement • a suggestion for a new arrangement • two requests Writing task a Write an e-mail to a friend or colleague to cancel an arrangement. Suggest an alternative arrangement. Use your ideas in exercise 1. b 'Send' your e-mail to a classmate or your teacher. Ask them how they feel about your e-mail. goto self-assessment p. 61 vocabulary diary p. 63 42 PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS aims to develop use of appropriate language for making and breaking arrangements writing task an e-mail to a friend or colleague cancelling an arrangement time 40-50 mins generating ideas • For exercise 1, focus students on the form and then the content of Julie's e-mails. This should prompt them with ideas for question 3 but if some students can't think of an arrangement they have cancelled, tell them not to worry. Put students into small groups and tell them to listen to other people discussing this. If that doesn't jog their memory, then they can use other students' experiences or their imagination for the writing task later. guidance notes More and more of this type of information is being communicated via e-mail, due to its speed (it's faster and more efficient than sending a letter) and slightly less personal contact (it's sometimes easier than talking to someone on the phone). Although register is more fluid in e-mails, many of the formal and semi-formal conventions still exist and reflect the nature of the relationship between the writer and reader. answer key 1 Susan is a friend (Hi/ Love Julie x); the content also makes the relationship clear. John is a colleague (Dear/ All the best); the language is generally more formal in comparison to the first e-mail (I'm afraid/ Would it be possible ,..?/ Are you available ...?/ Many apologies ...); the context makes the relationship clear. 2 She is cancelling lunch and a meeting because she is ill with the flu. 2 understanding language in use • Ask the class to find and underline an apology in Susan's e-mail. Let them continue in pairs. Write to a friend and to a colleague in two columns on the board and when you are doing the feedback, write up the phrases they have underlined. Encourage students to record these phrases in their notebooks. guidance notes This noticing task in exercise 2 highlights two things: the functional language we use to make and break arrangements, and the different phrases we select depending on who we are writing to (i.e. the use of an informal, semi-formal, or formal register). answer key a two apologies: I'm really sorry, but... /I'm so sorry ...; two suggestions: Are you around on ... / maybe we could meet later in the month; two uses of let: Let's fix another date (suggestion) / Let me know ... (request) b two apologies: I'm afraid I have to ... / Many apologies ... for this.; a suggestion: Are you available on ... ?; two requests: Would it be possible to ... / Please could you let me know... making and breaking informal arrangements • Exercises 3a and 3b give students controlled practice in the accurate use of some high-frequency apologies and suggestions at both sentence and paragraph level. If you want to increase the challenge or pace, you could do exercise 3a as a race in pairs. Then tell students to discuss the order of the sentences to make a coherent paragraph, and to decide on the best position for the 'excuse'. answer key a 1 Let me know when you are free. 2 Maybe we could go to Brown's. 3 I'm sorry, but I can't come tonight. 4 Let's meet for a drink next week. b possible answer: I'm sorry, but I can't come tonight. I fell over yesterday and hurt my leg, so I won't be able to dance! Let's meet for a drink next week. Maybe we could go to Brown's. Let me know when you're free. breaking formal arrangements • For exercise 4, tell students not to look at Julie's e-mail at this stage but to think about the gaps alone before comparing their ideas with a partner. They should then check their ideas in the e-mail to John and complete the exercise. answer key 1 afraid, 2 Would, 3 possible, 4 could, 5 let, 6 soon, 7 apologies writing task Suggest to students that they use their own previous experience of cancelling an arrangement (which they talked about in exercise 1) as the basis for their e-mail. Point out that depending on the 'reader' they should write in an informal or more formal register and select their language accordingly. For exercise b, make sure everyone reads an e-mail (even if they have not been written to) and encourage students to explain how they would feel on receiving the e-mail so that the writer can gauge whether he / she has used appropriate language. 43 1 using background knowledge a Which of these do you look at when you choose a book in a bookshop? • the cover picture • the title • the author's name • information on the back of the book (book blurb) • recommendations from famous or qualified people b Look quickly at the book blurb (text A). Is it from: 1 a novel? 2 a self-help book? 3 a text book? How do you know? 2 understanding the main points a Read text A. Discuss these questions with a partner. 1 According to the book blurb, why do some interviews go wrong? 2 How much experience does the writer have of working with companies and individuals? 3 What advice does the book offer about the beginning of an interview? 4 What information does the book provide on interview questions? 5 In the final paragraph, what does the book say it will help readers to do? b Would you be interested in reading the book? Why?/Why not? 3 activating topic vocabulary a Tick / the things which make a good impression on interviewers. Use a dictionary for new words and phrases. I I appropriate clothes I I making eye contact I I a firm handshake I I grinning all the time I I staring at the interviewer 0 leaning forward when seated 1 I crossing your legs Q folding your arms Q using your hands to show how you feel Q fidgeting b Read the book extract (text B) and check your ideas. 4 responding to the text a Do you agree with the advice? b Has your answer to exercise 2b changed after reading the extract? Succeed at your job interview A practical guide to being interviewed GEORGE HEAVISIDE Attending an interview can be one of the most stressful situations in your working life. How many times have you applied for a job and got an interview, but do badly because you are nervous and not properly prepared? In Succeed at your job interview, George Heaviside shares the knowledge he has gained as an occupational psychologist over the past twenty years in his work with people and organizations. He gives advice on preparing for the interview and explains how you can give a good impression from the moment of walking into the interview room. There is detailed information on the type of questions you are likely to be asked and how to answer them. Finally, advice is also given on improving your performance in the interview. Easy-to-iead and packed full of encouraging advice, Succeed at your job interview is the first step towards getting your ideal job. CHAPTER 3 How can I make a good impression? YOUR BODY LANGUAGE As soon as you enter the room, the interviewers will start to judge you - on your body language, not on what you say. They will be watching the way you walk, sit, touch and make eye contact as well as your gestures and facial expressions. They will be forming both positive and negative impressions of you from the start. These first impressions are very important when interviewers make their final decisions. BODY LANGUAGE CHECKLIST • Dress in an appropriate way for the culture you are in and the job you are applying for. • Touch is important. Start positively with a good, firm handshake. • When you are sitting, don't lean too far forward or backward. Try to open up your body and only move forward when you want to show interest. • Give the interviewer as much eye contact as you can to catch their attention, but don't stare at them. • Let your face come alive. Smile in a friendly manner without grinning all the time. • Don't fold your arms, cross your legs or fidget too much. Use your hands, arms and body when you speak to show how you feel. impression im'prejn the opinion judge (v) d3Ad3 to form an opinion about sb/sth gestures 'd3estj9Z movements of the hand, head, etc. which show how you feel forming starting to develop / make or feeling that you get about sb performance the way in which you do sth goto self-assessmentp.60 vocabulary diary p. 62 44 PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS text theme interview advice time 40-50 mins using background knowledge • It would be useful to have a couple of books with you so you can demonstrate what the vocabulary means in exercise la. (If you can have one of each type mentioned in exercise lb, then this would allow you to pre-teach the book genres also before they look at the book blurb.) Talk about exercise la as a class, and encourage students to give different responses and to distinguish between different kinds of books if possible, e.g. the author's name and the title might be sufficient in a novel, whereas they might need to read everything for a text book. For exercise lb, encourage students to look at the book blurb and point to things which help them to answer the question, e.g. the title and subtitle. In feedback, ask them what they based their answer on. Depending on your class profile, you could then ask how many people in the class read or have read self-help books and if they have found them helpful. guidance notes The lesson exposes students to two very different text types; the book blurb is designed to draw the reader in and encourage them to read the book, while the extract gives students a 'taster' of what is in the book (i.e. information and advice). Students will find the vocabulary in exercise 1 useful while they are doing the remaining tasks. If students have never read a self-help book, the lesson should raise awareness both of the genre (self-help) and the text type (book blurbs). answer key b 2 a self-help book understanding the main points • Give students a few minutes to read the blurb, using the glossary if necessary. • Put students in pairs and tell them to scan the blurb to answer the questions in exercise 2a. • For exercise 2b, ask students to explain their reasons, and encourage them to base their answers on the information in the blurb, as well as on their personal situation. guidance notes The questions in exercise 2a direct students to the most important information in the blurb, i.e. the information they would look for if reading the blurb in real life. They would need to understand this information in order to decide whether they were interested in reading the book. answer key a 1 because people are nervous and not properly prepared, 2 twenty years, 3 how you can give a good impression, 4 the type of questions you may be asked and how to answer them, 5 get their ideal job activating topic vocabulary • Put students in pairs or groups of three to do exercise 3a. Tell them to help each other with the vocabulary and to use dictionaries to look up new words and phrases. • You should get a variety of opinions here, particularly if you have students from a range of different cultures. However, there should be a number of points which everyone agrees on, e.g. appropriate clothes (though what type of clothes will depend on the culture and the job), staring at the interviewer, etc. • For exercise 3b, let students read and check alone before comparing answers with a partner or small group. Emphasize that they are checking against the text, not saying whether they agree with the advice at this stage. They will be able to discuss their opinions in the next stage. Get some feedback from the class. guidance notes The extract is written in a very different style to the book blurb and offers some of the 'encouraging advice' promised in the blurb. Pre-teaching this vocabulary will help to make the body language checklist accessible to students, but also serves as a prediction stage which should motivate them to read the actual checklist. Remind students to keep a record of new words and phrases in the vocabulary diary on p. 62 or in their notebooks. answer key b appropriate clothes, making eye contact, a firm handshake, using your hands to show how you feel responding to the text • For exercise 4a, give students time to go through the checklist in pairs, discussing their response to the advice. Get some feedback from the class; if any students feel strongly about not doing things in the checklist, ask them to explain why. • For exercise 4b, encourage students to say whether the extract was what they were expecting, after reading the blurb, and if it changed their opinions about whether or not the book was worth reading. ideas plus For a further reading project, ask students to visit Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com and research other self-help titles. Tell them to choose a book on a subject of their choice and find out what they can about the book (it is possible to read extracts from some books). They can use any information that is provided online to present the book to the class. 45 eleven writing how to ... describe yourself in a letter of application 1 generating ideas a Read the advertisement opposite. You are going to apply for the job. Make notes about: • your past experience. • your interests and skills. • your character. • your hopes and plans for the future. b Read extracts A and B from Penny and Mohammed's letters of application. Who is better for the job? Why? 2 giving information about yourself Complete these sentences for (a) Penny (b) Mohammed (c) yourself. 1 I have lived in ... (for) ... 2 I have studied English for ... 3 At the moment, I am ... (work or studies) 4 I enjoy playing ... and ... (interests) 5 I love ... (more interests and/or skills) 6 I am ... (character) 3 focusing on plans for the future a Read extract C, the second paragraph of Penny's letter. Then cover the text and talk about Penny by completing these sentences. 1 After her course. Penny would / find /job working / children / teenagers. 2 Next year, Penny plans / return / Hong Kong / live. 3 In the future, Penny hopes / teacher. b Complete these sentences about your own plans using would like, plan and hope. 1 After this course, I... 2 Next year, I... 3 In the future, I... c Now read about other students' plans and guess who they are. 4 writing about plans for the future Look at Mohammed's plans for the future. Write his second paragraph. • after college: travel • next year: degree in Tourism Management • future home: Bahrain • future job: travel agent a Write part of a letter to Bill Maxwell, applying for the job in the advertisement. Give information about yourself and explain your plans for the future. b Read other people's letters. Who is the best person for the job? Why? WANTED We are looking for an enthusiastic, responsible person to help out in our annual summer camp in the USA. Some experience of working with young people is helpful but not essential. Tell us about yourself and your plans for the future. Write to Bill Maxwell at (avu from. rtov^cj Kov^q, and I cav^t to the UjSA two years ago to learn. Eľvglish. I s-pofee very little e^vglish before, but \ am, ia,ow confident usino) Bnqlísh in all situations. At the movutnt, I avu. studying business Aal ľvú nistratio n. in ttong Xx>no) i was a ľvcent-ber of mu local ijouth cUtb for five years, and i often helped to organize events, such as discos and film, eights. (lt.teeplayi.Mvg basteetball and hockey and i love art. i avx^friendlu and calm., and I ecvjoy spending tii^e with uoung people. B X owr\ -from Xndia, bu+ X have lived \y\ Bahrain mo5+ of m^ li-fe X have s+udied English for -five years and am currently revising -for m>o -final exams a+ uywersi+v) X havens worked v/i+h voung people, bu+ X have spent a lo+ of- fime wi+h rrwi nephews and nieces X en^ovj .spor-hs, such as swimminq and •tennis and X love lis-teninq +o music X am ctolei and hard-working and X en^os) helping other people When1 fviA-t-sh m.y course, I would li-teeto find a job wortelvvg with children or teenagers, so this job would be perfect for vue. Next year. I plait to return to Hong Kong to live. itA, the future, i hope to be a teacher. 46 goto self-assessmentp.62 vocabulary diary p. 63 PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS aim to write a positive personal description in a work context writing task part of a formal letter applying for a job time 50-60 mins generating ideas • Tell students to read the job advertisement and discuss as a class what kind of qualities the employers would probably be looking for. Then give students a few minutes to think about themselves and make brief notes about the four areas in the list. • Students read extracts A and B and decide who they think is better for the job and why. guidance notes You may well have students in your class who would not be interested in this job, but emphasize that the point of the lesson is the personal description they are going to write; the advertisement is actually very open and is flexible enough to allow students to write a useful profile of themselves. answer key b Penny would appear to be better qualified for the position because of her experience at the youth club. She also seems to be more outgoing, as she describes herself as friendly and enjoys team games, rather than the more solitary activities Mohammed writes about. giving information about yourself • Students can work in pairs to complete the sentences about Penny and Mohammed. Check they have completed this information correctly before they write about themselves. Tell students to use dictionaries for new words but you should also walk round and help with vocabulary or the formulation of ideas while they are completing the sentences about themselves. • Tell pairs to swap papers when they have finished their sentences, and read about their partners. Encourage them to ask questions to find out more about their partner's information and to say if they find anything surprising. Ask about this in class feedback at the end. guidance notes Students may often be asked to describe themselves at this level, but it is important to emphasize the context of the description. As with Penny and Mohammed, they should be focusing on the positive aspects of themselves, i.e. the sort of things they would want an employer to know about. answer key Penny: 1 the USA for two years, 2 two years, 3 studying Business Administration, 4 basketball and hockey, 5 art, 6 friendly and calm Mohammed: 1 Bahrain most of my life, 2 five years, 3 revising for my final exams at university, 4 tennis, 5 listening to music (and swimming), 6 quiet and hard-working focusing on plans for the future • Tell students to read the second paragraph of Penny's letter very carefully. Ask them to underline the structures she uses to talk about her hopes and plans for the future. Then tell them to cover the text and talk with a partner about Penny using the prompts in exercise 3a. Check this as a class by asking students to dictate the sentences for you to write up on the board. • For exercise 3b, give students a clean piece of paper to write about their own plans for the future. Walk round and help while they are writing. • For exercise 3c, collect up their papers and redistribute them around the class, making sure no-one gets their own. Tell students to read the sentences and check their guesses by mingling and asking questions about the sentences, e.g. Would you like to ... after this course? If they guess the wrong person, they should move on and ask questions until they find the right person. guidance notes This stage gives students lots of controlled practice in the use of these three structures for describing their future hopes and plans. It involves integrated skills practice (writing, reading, speaking, and listening), which should help to 'fix' the structures in students' minds and help them to produce the forms accurately in the writing task later._______________________________________ answer key a 1 ... Penny would like to find a job working with children or teenagers. 2 ... Penny plans to return to Hong Kong to live. 3 ... Penny hopes to be a teacher. writing about plans for the future • This stage gives students some guided writing practice and should give them confidence in using the three structures in the context of a formal letter of application. • Put students in pairs to talk about Mohammed's plans for the future and encourage them to elaborate on the prompts. They should decide how to organize the information and what structures to use. Remind them that they can use Penny's second paragraph as a model. writing task Tell students to write two paragraphs about themselves as part of a letter applying for the job in the summer camp. The first paragraph should give information about themselves, and the second should explain their plans for the future. Tell students not to worry about the beginning and end of the letter at this stage; the focus of this task is to write a positive description of themselves which is appropriate for a formal letter applying for a job. If it is relevant for your students, you can follow this up with a lesson about the conventions of writing a job application letter in general. 47 t XOHTOts AND THE Blftf>S^ 1 predicting a Look at the title of the story and the three pictures. Find these things in the pictures. tortoise shell birds feast feathers sky wing parrot b What do you think happens in the story? 2 reading for gist Read one part of the story and match it to the correct picture. Is it the beginning, middle, or end? 3 understanding the main points a Answer the questions about your part of the story. A 1 Why did Tortoise want his wife to bring soft things outside his house? 2 What message did Parrot give Tortoise's wife? 3 What happened to Tortoise's shell? B 1 Why did Tortoise want to travel to the sky? 2 How did the birds help Tortoise? 3 What did Tortoise tell the birds to do? C 1 Why did Tortoise eat first? 2 What did the birds take from Tortoise? 3 What did Parrot say he would do? b Practise retelling your part of the story in your own words. 4 following a narrative a Work in new groups. Take turns to tell the complete story in the correct order. Were your ideas about the story in exercise lb the same? b Now read the complete story. 5 responding to the text This kind of story often contains a moral. In your opinion, what is the best moral? Why? 1 You should not trick your friends. 2 Be careful who you trust. 3 It is better to share than to fight. a Parrot, my good friend.' said Tortoise. 'Tell my wife to bring out all the soft things in my house so that I can jump down from the sky without danger.' Parrot flew away. But when he reached Tortoise's house, Parrot told his wife to bring out all the hard things in the house. Tortoise looked down from the sky and saw his wife, but it was too far to see what she was bringing out. When everything was ready he jumped. He fell and fell and fell and landed with a great crash on the ground. He wasn't hurt but his shell broke into many pieces. However, there was a great doctor in tne neighbourhood. Tortoise's wife sent for him and he collected all the bits of shell and stuck them together. And that is why Tortoise's shell is not smooth. H Once upon a time all the birds were invited to a feast by the people of the sky. Now Tortoise was very clever and very hungry, and as soon as he heard about the great feast he began to plan how he would travel to the sky. Tortoise went to the birds and asked if he could go with them. All the birds agreed, and they each gave him a feather with which he made two wings. At last the great day came and Tortoise and the birds set off on their journey. There is one important thing which we must not forget,* he said as they flew on their way. When people are invited to a great feast like this, they take new names.* And so they each took a new name and Tortoise also took one. He was to be called All of you. m At last the birds and Tortoise arrived at if\the party. The people of the sky invited the birds to eat the delicious food they had prepared. But Tortoise asked: "For whom have you prepared this feast?* 'For all of you,' replied the people of the sky. Tortoise turned to the birds and said, 'Remember that my name is All of you. You will eat after me.* The birds waited angrily as Tortoise ate and drank most of the feast. Then they came forward to cat but some of them were too angry to eat. Before flying home, each bird took back the feather he had lent to Tortoise. So there he stood in his hard shell full of food and drink but without any wings to fly home. He asked the birds to take a message for his wife, but they all refused except Parrot. go to self-assessment p.60 vocabulary diary p.62 48 PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS text theme a friendship fable time 40-50 mins predicting • For exercise la, focus students on the pictures and the title and encourage them to guess any new words, before checking with each other or with dictionaries. Check the pronunciation of all the words. This exercise provides some of the essential vocabulary students will need to be able to talk about the story and should provide them with the support they need to be able to guess, roughly, what the story is about. • Ask students to work in groups of three to predict the story in exercise lb using the title, pictures, and words from exercise la. guidance notes The story is adapted from a Nigerian folk tale (retold by Chinua Achebe in his book Things Fall Apart). reading for gist • Keep students in the same groups of three and assign one section of the story to each group. Give them a couple of minutes to read the text fairly quickly, and to say which picture it goes with and where it comes in the story. guidance notes The reason for reading a folk tale or fable in 'real life' would primarily be for pleasure and perhaps to learn something from the moral. This text is rather long, so dividing it up into three sections should make it easier for students to deal with. By the time they read the complete text they should be able to understand it easily. answer key A end, B beginning, C middle understanding the main points • Encourage students to guess unknown words in the text from context as far as possible. • Ask students to read the three questions about their section of the story and to discuss the answers with their group. They should refer back to the text for details and to check their ideas where necessary. Monitor carefully to check students' comprehension. Make sure students are clear about their section of the story before moving on to the retelling phase in exercise 3b. • Give students time to practise retelling their section in the same groups while you monitor and help if necessary. Encourage them to use their own words, and to take turns telling their part to the group, who can prompt or correct each other where necessary. guidance notes Folk tales and fables come from an oral tradition. The jigsaw task gives students an opportunity to retell (and listen to) the story, and to interact with the text while they are piecing it together. One way to organize the class for the jigsaw task is to give each group of three in exercise 3b one letter, i.e. As, Bs, and Cs. answer key A 1 so he wouldn't hurt himself when he landed on the ground; 2 to bring out the hard things; 3 it got broken into pieces, but a doctor stuck it back together B 1 he wanted to go to a feast for the birds; 2 they each gave him a feather to make wings; 3 to take new names (he took one too, All of you) C 1 because the people of the sky said the feast was for All of you, which was Tortoise's new name; 2 their feathers; 3 he said he would give a message to Tortoise's wife following a narrative • When students are ready, swap the groups round so that you have one student for each part of the story (see guidance notes). Explain that they can now hear the complete story by taking it in turns to tell their section to the new group. • When they have finished telling and listening to the story, ask the different groups how close the 'real' story was to their own predictions. • Finally, ask the class to read the complete story. guidance notes For exercise 4a, put students into new groups of three, each containing an A, B, and C. If you have extra students, include two students with the same letter in different groups, i.e. A, B, B, C. It is important to make the point that students' versions are perfectly valid and that differences from the original do not make their versions wrong. responding to the text • Encourage students to stand back from the text now and think about the meaning (or moral) of the story. There is no right answer, so encourage students to express their opinions and explain their reasons. If students wish to, tell them to make up their own moral for the story and let the class choose the best one. ideas plus There is access to hundreds of folk tales and stories from around the world on the Internet, e.g. www.awrsd.org and www.gate.net (fables with teaching ideas). You could direct students to the websites to do further reading, or ask them to find a story which is new to them, and prepare to retell it to the class. Listeners could decide on a suitable moral for the stories they hear. 49 how to ... write a film review 1 generating ideas a Think about a film you have seen recently. Talk with a partner. • What was it about? • Would you recommend the film? Why? / Why not? b Read the review of Lost in Translation, which appeared in an entertainments magazine. Give three facts about the film. 2 expressing opinions a Underline words and phrases in the review which express the writer's opinions. example unusual (line 2) b What did the writer like about the film? c Use these adjectives to describe films or TV programmes that you have seen. Use a dictionary for new words. moving unusual sad amusing boring well acted powerful clever fascinating funny exciting frightening Q Directed by Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation is an unusual romantic comedy. It stars Bill Murray as Bob, a bored, middle-aged actor, and Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte, a young philosophy graduate who is unhappily married to a photographer. Set in Tokyo, the film tells the story of the two Americans who meet one night in the bar of their hotel. Duringthe film, they become close friends. What I liked about this film is that it is about the characters, not about action or events. It looks at how people communicate and how they can change each other. Not much happens, but that doesn't matter. It's clever, funny and well acted. If you like 'feel good movies', I can highly recommend this one. I feel good movies films which make people feel happy 3 describing a film a Complete these sentences with information about Lost in Translation. 1 The film is called... (title) 2 It is a ... (type) 3 It is directed by ... (director's name) 4 It stars ... (actors' names) 5 It is set in ... (Location) 6 It is about... (story) 7 It's ... (description using adjectives) 8 If you like ... (recommendation) b Complete as many sentences as you can with information about a different film. 4 connecting ideas in longer sentences a What information from exercise 3a is connected in sentences 1 and 2? 1 Directed by Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation is an unusual romantic comedy. 2 Set in Tokyo, the film tells the story of the two Americans who meet one night in the bar of their hotel. b What is the subject and main verb in the sentences? c Rewrite your sentences in exercise 3b to connect information about the film you saw. Directed by (name), (title) is (type). Set in (location), the film is about (story). Starring (names), the film is (description). a Write a review of a film you have seen recently for your class magazine. b Read other people's reviews. 1 Do you agree with their review? (if you've seen the film) 2 Would you like to see the film? (if you haven't seen it) go to self-assessment p.61 vocabulary diary p.63 50 PH0T0C0PIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS M3ÖM3 writing __ aim to develop a range of language to describe a film writing task a film review for the class magazine 1 generating ideas • For exercise la, students can talk about a new or old film, for instance, if they haven't been to the cinema recently, they can talk about a film they have seen on television. Make sure they understand recommend. • For exercise lb, find out if anyone has seen Lost in Translation, and see if they can come up with three facts about the film. Then let the class read the review and check the facts. If no-one has seen the film, then follow the instructions given. 2 expressing opinions • These exercises direct students' attention to an important purpose of a film review, which is to express the writer's opinion (as opposed to simply telling the story). Let students do exercise 2a in pairs before checking as a class. This will lead naturally into exercise 2b. • Exercise 2c gives students a bank of useful adjectives for describing films, which they can use in the writing task later. Make sure students have access to dictionaries. Alternatively, go through the list of adjectives, checking understanding and pronunciation. In feedback, ask students to give you examples of films or programmes for each adjective. 3 describing a film • Students can do exercise 3a orally in pairs, as preparation for writing their sentences in exercise 3b. Check their answers as a class. • For exercise 3 b, emphasize that students need to choose a film they know well, i.e. the more sentences they can complete, the better. If you have access to computers, students can look for information on the Internet. 4 connecting ideas in longer sentences • For exercise 4a, write the first sentence on the board. Underline the first part and ask which information in brackets from exercise 3a it refers to (director's name). Ask students what two bits of information are connected in the rest of the sentence. • For exercise 4b, ask students to tell you what the subject of the sentence is (Lost in Translation), and circle it on the board. Then ask what the main verb is. See if they can do the second sentence in pairs. • Point out that students' reviews will sound more interesting if they can connect their ideas together in longer sentences. It's a good idea to do one or two examples as a class. Ask the class for the name of a film and elicit information about the film onto the board. Then tell the class to dictate sentences about the film to you, using the skeleton sentences in exercise 4c. When they are confident, tell them to write two or three sentences about a film they have seen. III i time 50-60 mins guidance notes Writing a film review is useful because students need to use the language of description, narration, and evaluation - language functions which are required in many different contexts. Encourage students to express their opinions about films, but emphasize that they should always give reasons for their opinions. This will help them when they come to write their reviews. answer key b any three facts, e.g. the director, genre, stars, nationality of actors, location, etc. answer key a What I liked about this film is that it is about the characters, ...; Not much happens, but that doesn't matter. It's clever, funny and well acted. If you ... I can highly recommend this one. b It's about the characters, not about action or events. guidance notes These exercises give students a basic framework for a film review. However, although the sentences are fine individually, to combine them into a paragraph would make for a repetitive and not very interesting review in terms of style. This stage is therefore a stepping stone towards writing a paragraph in the final writing task. answer key 1 The film is called Lost in Translation. 2 It is a romantic comedy. 3 It is directed by Sofia Coppola. 4 It stars Bill Murray (as Bob) and Scarlett Johansson (as Charlotte). 5 It is set in Tokyo. 6 It is about two Americans (who meet in their hotel) in Tokyo, who become close friends. 7 It's clever, funny and well acted. 8 If you like 'feel good movies', I can highly recommend this one. guidance notes Participle clauses like these are a common feature of reviews, but they will also give students an example of how they can form longer sentences in any context. If students want more information about the grammatical forms, you can explain that directed and set are past participles (because they happened in the past) and starring is a present participle (because we talk about the actors in the present). answer key a 1 director's name, title and genre; 2 location and story b 1 subject: Lost in Translation, verb: is; 2 subject: the film, verb: tells writing task Students can write about the same film they have referred to during the previous exercises, or they can choose a different film. Remind them to include some of the adjectives in exercise 2c, as much information as possible from exercise 3, some longer sentences, and their own opinion about the film. For exercise b, you could display students' reviews on the classroom walls so they can walk round and read each other's work. Get feedback on their response to the reviews. 51 thirteen reading 1 using background knowledge a Look at this dictionary definition for the word intuitive. intuitive /m'tjuirtiv/ adj. (of people) able to understand sth by listening to your feelings: Are women really more intuitive than men? b How intuitive are you? Put a cross (X) on the scale. Give reasons for your answer. sunny rooms in block of -flats rvzax tLz s&k. 5hflUlng ujiün 2. fnendly ^irls and cod. 5+ud