Unit 8: What is John like?
Language goal
In this unit students learn to talk about what people are like.
New language
Who's that? That's Mike.
What's he like? He's shy.
What's she like? She's unfriendly.
Section A
Additional materials to bring to class:
pictures from newspapers and magazines for Follow-up activity 1 .
Ask a student to stand in front of the class. Ask students questions about this student using language they already know. For example, What's his/her name? Where is be/she from? What's his/her address? What's his/her favorite kind of music?
Then say, In this unit we're going to learn to say more about people. Write the six new words from page 47 on the board and use one or two of the words to describe the student standing in front of the class. For example,He's/She's friendly. He's/She's smart. Use gestures, facial expressions and/or translation to clarify the meaning of each statement. Point to each word on the board as you
use it to describe the student.
1 a This activity introduces the key vocabulary.
Focus attention on the picture. Ask students to tell what the people look like. They may mention that some one is tall, has blond hair, etc. Then point to a person in the picture, name the kind of personality he or she represents (smart, funny, serious, friendly, shy, or unfriendly) and ask students to repeat each word. Say a sentence or two about each kind of personality. She's smart. She studies a lot. She getsA's in all her classes.
Point out the numbered list of words. Say each one and ask students to repeat these words. , -
Then ask students to match each word with one of the people. Say, Write the letter of each person next to one of the words. Point out the sample answer.
Check the answers.
1 b This activity gives students practice in understanding the target language in spoken conversation.
Point to the picture. Ask students to identify the person ality type of each person. For example: She's smart.He's funny.
Play the recording the first time. Students only listen.
Play the recording a second time. This time, point to the six people. Ask students to write the number 1 next to Billy, the number 3 next to Jane and the number 2 next to Angela. You may wish to write these names and numbers on the board for students to look at as they work.
Correct the answers.
1 c This activity provides guided oral practice using the target language.
Point to the example in the speech bubbles in activity la. Ask two students to read it.
Say, Now work with a partner. Make your own conversations about Billy and Jane. Student A talks about Billy. Student B talks about Jane.
Have students work in pairs making conversations about Billy and Jane. As they talk, move around the room monitoring their work. Offer language or pronunciation support as needed.
Ask some pairs to present their conversations to the class.
2a This activity provides guided listening practice using the target language.
Point out the chart. Read the column headings to the class. Then have one student read the list of names to the class, another student read the list of relationships to the class, and a third student read the list of personality words to the class.
Say, You will hear a recording of four conversations.In the chart, circle all of the words that you hear.
Play the tape the first time. Students only listen.
Play the tape a second time. Say, Circle all the words you hear in these three columns.
You may want to play the tape several times so students can finish and check their answers.
Correct the answers.
2b This activity provides listening practice using the target language.
Call attention again to the chart. Point out the lines that are drawn between "Mike", "Peter's brother", and "shy"!
Say, I will play the tape again. This time, draw lines to match the words that are about each person in the chart. Mike is Peter's brother and he is shy, so lines are drawn to connect all those words. Please do this for the other three people.
Play the tape. Students draw lines connecting the related words.
Check the answers.
2c This activity provides guided oral practice using the target language.
Point to the example in the speech bubbles. Ask two students to read the dialogue. Show students how this dialogue connects with the chart in activity 2a.
Say, Now work with a partner. Make your own conversations about the chart. You can use sentences like the ones in activity 2c.
As students work in pairs, move around the room monitoring their work. Offer language or pronunciatiol support as needed.
3a This activity provides guided oral practice using the target language.
Point out the four sentences next to the picture.Ask different students to say one of the sentences each.
Say, Now number the sentences so that they make a conversation. The first one is done for you. The first line of the conversation is "Who's the tall, thin boy with curly hair?" Please work in pairs.As students work, move around the room monitoring progress.
After students have finished numbering the sentences, check the answer. Then say. Now please practice the conversation. Take turns asking about Jack.
Ask several pairs of students to read the dialogue to the class.
3b This activity provides oral practice using the target language.
Call attention to the example in the chart. Ask one student to introduce "Anne" to the class (Anne's smart and interesting. She likes monies and Kung Fu).
Explain that students have to write words that describe their riends' personalities and hobbies. Ask,Are they friendly or nfriendly? erious or funny? Smart or shy? What sports do they like? What do they like to do in their leisure time? What clothes do they like to wear?What else can you say about them?
Have students complete the chart individually. As they work, move around the classroom monitoring progress.
When they have completed the chart, ask students to introduce their friends to their partners.
Ask several students to introduce one of their friends to the rest of the class.
4 This game provides guided listening, speaking, and writing practice using the target language.
Point out the questions and answers in the speech bubbles. Ask two students to perform the dialogue.
Reintroduce the question, What are you like? by asking one or two students the question and prompting a reasonable answer, such as, I'm serious or I'm friendly.
Read the instructions to the class or have a student do this.
Point out the list of six personality types and the sample answer, Dave. Say, Now talk to your class mates. Ask the question, "What are you like?" Get as many answers as you can in ten minutes.
Answer any questions students have about how to play the game. Remind students that you will stop the game in ten minutes.
When the game is over, ask. Who has ten names on your chart? Who has twelve names? Continue until you find the student with the most names. That student is the winner of the game.
Ask the winner to read his/her list of personality types and names to the class.
Alternative: If you do not want students to get up and walk round the class, then you can ask them to do ?the activity sitting down. They an ask students sitting near them, "What are you like?" The student who finds the largest number of different personal ity types is the winner.
Section B
New language
more words to describe people's personalities: generous,outgoing, easygoing, moody
1 This activity introduces more key vocabulary.
Focus attention on the four pictures. Ask students to tell what they see in each picture. Guide students to understand the meaning of each word through facial gestures and/or translation.
Then review the four words again, adding a sentence or two describing each personality type. For example you might say, She's generous. She gives people things.She doesn't keep everything/or herself She's a generous person.
Point out the numbered list of words. Say each one and ask students to repeat.
Then ask students to match each word with one of the pictures. Say, Write the letter of each picture next to one of the words. Point out the sample answer.
Check the answers.
2a This activity provides listening practice using the target language.
Say, You are going to hear a conversation. Mary is talking with a friend. Listen to the conversation and flu in the blanks in the chart under "Personality".These words tell what the people are like.
Play the recording the first time. Students only listen.
Play the recording a second time. This time ask students to fill in the words under "Personality" that describe the people's personalities.
Check the answers.
2b This activity provides more guided listening practice using the target language.
Say, Now you are going to hear the conversation again. This time listen to the conversation and/ill in the blanks under "Appearance." These words tell what the people look like.
Play the recording the first time. Students only listen.
Play the recording a second time. This time ask student to fill in the words under "Appearance" that describe what people look like.
Check the answers.
2c This activity provides guided listening and speaking practice using the target language.
Point to the example in the speech bubbles. Ask two students to read it to the class.
Ask students to work in pairs. Say, Use the chart in activity 2 a to ask and answer questions about the people in the picture.
As students work, move around the room monitorin progress.
Ask some pairs to present their conversations to the class.
3a This activity provides reading and writing practice using the target language.
Call attention to the letter and ask students to read one sentence each to the class. Ask some comprehension questions to be sure students understand the main ideas in the letter. For example, What is the girl's name?Where does she want to go? How old is she?
Point out the application form. Point to and read the five headings to the class. Say, Now use the information in the letter to fill in the application form. Ask students to work individually.
Correct the answers.
3b This activity provides more reading and writing practice using the target language.
Call attention to the application form. Point out that it looks just like the one they just filled in.
Say, Now read the information on this form and write a letter like the letter in activity 3a. You can look back at that letter/or ideas.
Ask students to work independently. As they work,move around the room monitoring progress and offering assistance where eeded.
Ask a student to read his or her letter to the class.
3c This activity provides writing practice using the target
language.
On the board, make a five-part chart similar to the ones in activities 3a and 3b. Include 1. Name, 2. Age,3. Nationality,4. Likes, 5. Personality.
Say, Copy this chart on separate paper and fill in the information about yourself before you start writing the letter. Offer spelling and pronunciation help with any new likes or personality types students wish to use in their letters. Write each new word on the board and have the class repeat it.
Ask students to work Independently. As they work,move around the room monitoring progress and offering assistance where needed. .
Ask several students to read their letters to the class.
4 This activity provides listening and speaking practice using the target language.
Read the directions to the class.
Say, What do we ask to find out someone's name?Guide students to answer. What's your name? Write this on the board. Elicit more topics to ask about.
Afterward, point to each of the questions on the board. Ask students to repeat each one after you. Compare the What do you like? and What are you like? questions and point out different answers to each.
Ask students to work with their partners to ask and answer questions. Suggest that they each take the student and the teacher role once.
Ask several pairs to present their conversations to the class.