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In SPAIN Pub!ished lbir EdibE

ft

Coriterts
Pages 4S
School year beginning:
survival tips.
Pages t5q
The top I most voted Rew
Wonders of rsats.sre.

..

Pages 10 to 12
Transactional phrases to
communicate in the
classroom.
Page 13
Planning is it really
necessary?
Pages 14 to 11
Photocopiable activities.

I)

ear colleague

Pages 20 21

Before saying good-bye and sending you our best wishes for these
summer holidays, we would like to anticipate your next teaching
period bringing you a colourful calendar that will open the door to
speaking, writing and researching on the most voted natural places in the
world.
You will also find several survival lips to have in mind at the beginning of
the school year; easy-to-make labels to make the classroom a rich learning
environment and fix vocabulary in a natural way; transactional language
cards to promote real communication in class and an article that will help
you reflect on your planning for next year.
Songs and stories and haunted underground vaults in Edinburgh with
plenty of photocopiable activities complete this issue. We ltope you find
them useful as fillers or complement of your yearly revision,
Have a great holiday!
The Teacher's Magazine team

Songs and stories.

Pages 22 23
Edinburgh near everyone.
Haurted underground vaults
in this irtriguing city.
Pages 24, 25

Label the classroom

Page 26
Making friends.

Page 21
Welcome cards.
Poster 1
2012-2013 Calendar
Poster 2
Transactional phrases.
Poster 2
Welcome.

ID

New web page

with free resources!
and coming soon ....
Mr. Been Small App!

tarting a new school year always finds

teachers experiencing a mixture of
' emotions: annoyance at having to put an end
to the always welcome holidays, nervousness
because we do not know how things are going to
turn up this year, curiosity and eagerness to get to know our
students, and tiredness of just thinking about all the hard
work we will have to do. Even after many years of teaching
we cannot help feeling a pang in our stomachs the night
before while we wonder, Will they like me? Am I going to like
them?
In my first years of teaching, I used to spend a lot of time
preparing and photocopying a lot of revision worksheets for
the first classes. I was really afraid of being unprepared, or
finding myself in the middle of a class having run out of
materials and not knowing what to do next. Being busy and
with my hands full made me feel safer and more secure (or at
least I thought so). However, after a few years teaching, I have
realised that it is much better to relax, embrace the unknown
and be ready to focus on what really matters: our learners.
I believe the first week of class to be of real importance. It is
the opportunity we have to create good bonds with our
students. This will help us to avoid problems and
misunderstandings in the future. In this article we will share
some tips, to help you start this year on a positive note.

year 4d4
Spend time talking and getting to know them in a real sense;
asking them questions, trying to find out their likes, interests.
Do not feel this is a waste of time. Do not worry if you spend
a whole lesson just chatting with them. Your students will
appreciate it and it may even avoid future problems, especially
with the so-called "toughest students". Maybe, for some of
them, this is the first time an adult listens to them. Every
student has gifts or hidden talents they may be willing to
share, if they are just given the opportunity to communicate,

c Is's

Co4tcqct

A typical activity we tend to do on the first class is to

discuss rules from a code of conduct, and after that, ask

students to sign it, agreeing to follow it during the year. I can

bet, one month later nobody remembers any of those
regulations. Why? Because students have not been asked to
decide on anything, there was no room to say I don't agree on
this. How can we make this activity more meaningful? First,
reduce the number of rules to a manageable amount (4 or S
are enough). Second, ask students to discuss in groups the
"punishments" for not following them. 1 used to finish the
activity here. However, Dave Dodgson', an EFL teacher and
blogger from Turkey, gave me this idea: end up the activity by
asking students to write 4 rules for the teacher, and devise
punishments for not respecting them. Of course, you can
negotiate some adjustments to them, but it is important that
whatever it is agreed, you follow it to the letter to set the
example. If you follow the rules, they will too.

decide not to follow the order presented in it, to skip activities

or adapt them to your needs. You can even have students
become the main content creators of materials this year.

ickCAC
ofs

n4

rtil

1.4

As Larry Ferlazzo points out in one of his artirles2 "When

schools involve parents they are leading with their
institutional self-interest and desires. When schools engage
parents they are leading with the parents' self-interests (their
wants and dreams) in an effort to develop a genuine
partnership." Do not be afraid to ask parents for ideas, to
involve them in their children's learning. If you manage to

If you can, change your classroom set up. Think about your
students preferences, how they like learning, and adapt it to
their needs. Allow them to participate in the decision .making.
'fly to cater for different learning needs. Remember especially
that kids need space to look around and explore. For example,
you can leave some space for whole class activities and circle
work with a carpet and some cushions; have a small library in
the classroom and some ready-made activities for fast
finishers, and many more. Be creative and think outside the
box. If you do not have much space in your classroom, as it is
my case, start thinking about different parts of the school that
may serve the same purposes. I usually go to the library, to
the school yard or to the computer lab. You can also
encourage students to decorate the classrooms in whatever
way they like. This will promote a feeling of belonging. You
may be surprised at the results.

161C

This school year do not stick to the book. Try a more

flexible approach, which caters for your students' specific
needs, interests, and likes. In general, we do not trust so much
in our ability for creating our own activities and lesson plans.
But it is unbelievable what wonderful things we can do, if we
just give it a try. You are the one who knows your students
best, so feel free to choose what will work in the book, to

establish a collaborative relationship with them, they may be

able to help you with any problem that arises during the year.
Whenever I meet a new class, I write an email or letter to
them explaining my plans or ideas for the year and asking for
their opinions and suggestions. I sometimes include a line or
two about their child to show them that I really care about
them.

lW MOSt

I 1r ortartt

1i

0f

hq

4tI:

ft&

As it is stated in the Fun Theory: "something as simple as

fun is the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the
better."
Sabrina De Vita

1 www.davedodgson.com/p/about-ne.html
2 '/.Imrning5ru.arg/LarryFerlazzoParenttngagement
3 www.thefuntheorycmI

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etcome to our 2012/13 calendar! This

f IF year we bring you a colourful calendar to

learn, speak and research on the most
voted natural places in the world.
According to the New7 Wonders foundation in Switzerland, organisers
of this global poll, the world's new seven wonders of nature include:
the Amazon rainforest, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French
Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela; Halong Bay, Vietnam;
Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil; Jeju Island, South Korea; Komodo,
Indonesia; Puerto Princesa Underground River, the Phillippines and
Table Mountain, South Africa.
We would like to pay tribute to these places, which were crowned as
the most voted around the world. They were voted out of 440 locations
in over 220 countries. This group was reduced to 28 finalists some of
which were the Great Barrier Reef in Australia; the Galapagos Islands off
the coast of Ecuador, the Abu Dhabi archipelago of Bu Tinah: Mount
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; the Dead Sea in Jordan, Israel and West Bank
and the Great Canyon in the USA among many, many others.
Our 2012/13 calendar in poster 1 is illustrated by pictures of the lop
seven most voted new wonders of nature as listed above. Once you have
displayed it in your classroom, you can show your students the different
places in the calendar. Tell them to describe the pictures and ask them if
they know where they are. It is possible they do not know most of them.
So, ask them to locate them on a map and explain to them they are going
to do some projects to learn about them.
A different place a month
From September to April you can organise a project per month; one
month for each place.
Working in groups, the students will find out information of one of the
seven wonders, put it together and present the project as a whole.

A topic for each group

Divide the students in groups. Write
the
groups choose a different topic.
Let's take the Amazon Rainforest as an example. The topics the
students are going to do research on include: the countries it occupies,
its extension; the Amazon River; species; other tropical rainforests in
the world; its importance to the environment; what would happen if it
was destroyed.
They may apply the same topics to each wonder.

Tourists on the run

Present the following situation to the class. They have decided to go
on a trip to visit one of the seven wonders, so they will have to
prepare for the trip from the very beginning. Preparations will include
checking flights' timetables, stopovers, packing the right kind of
clothing, choosing the hotel, checking for good facilities and
convenient daily rates, currency needed, planning excursions,
sightseeing tours, going to the airport, checking in, going through
customs and arriving at the hotel.
This project will involve lots of work, from looking up information on
the Internet, going to travel agencies to ask for brochures and checking
on package tours to all the necessary tips to get to the chosen
destination.
Once the students have gathered all the information they may act out
different situations in every stage of the trip. They will need to team
functions such as asking for information, changing currency,
checking in at the airport and a hotel, going through customs, asking
for food/beverage on board, asking for directions, and so on.
Each group may act Out a different stage on the trip; they may even
put a photo album together to show the places they have visited to
their families and friends.
Ambitious as it is, this project will entail using the language
meaningfully, which the students will enjoy doing since it will be a
true-life experience.

Natural science wonders

The students interested in nature may want to research on the
ecosystems and species of each place. For example, one of the
reasons to choose Komodo as one of the seven wonders was to
protect the Komodo dragon, unique in this area, together with
many other species including marine animals.
Three larger islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar are of volcanic
origin and form a national park in Indonesia where the species are
protected and safe.

ticJH ml

The Amazonia and the Amazon River will give thousands of

possibilities to do research on: climate, environment, ecosystems
and native tribes, are some examples of the topics that may
appeal to the students.

Geopolitical features
The study of the effects of the countries' location, population, etc.
on their political character and development would complete
these projects to get 10 know these countries in depth. This task
will also add an extra bonus to the task already carried out by the
students.

1'-i
ZV

al

In fact, these projects will open your students' minds further on

the most voted seven wonders.

--,
Age: Chdrerr/Adolescents

Level: Pre-istermediate

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE THE MOST VOTED rj WONDERS?

Use Google Maps to locate the most voted 7 wonders. Match the names with the correct map.

A)The Axwm
TainOTeS

B)Hag Ban

Olndonesa

0IgrazuFa1s

D]
D)Jeju Islarid

71

Vietnam

E)Komodo

LI F) Pt. Prircesa
ridergrormd -river

OBoliva/Br&j1/ Colombia /
Ec/FrerthGuiana/
Gra/Peru/Stcirarrae/
Venezu

F-

g-

01.7

iki

--

G)TabteMowitairi

.
.-

So* Komi

KeyA)3B)2C)4O) 7;E) 1F) 5G)6.

Level: Elementary /Pre-intermediate

Age ChildreniAdolescents/Adu)ts

THE LARGEST LIVING LIZARD

A) Read the text about Komodo dragons.
Komodo dragons are the biggest and the heaviest lizards on Earth. As adults, they can reach 3 metres long and weigh over
70 kilograms.
They are only found on Indonesian Lesser Sunda Islands. They have wide, flat heads, rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs,
curved claws, and huge, muscular tails. Their yellow tongues flick in and out all the rime.
As the dominant predators, Komodo dragons eat anything they find in their way: dead animals (carrion), deer, water buffalo,
pigs, smaller dragons, and sometimes human beings! They just lie camouflaging in bushes or tall grasses waiting for their
prey. When it passes by, they pounce on it and sink their sharklike teeth in. They can eat huge chunks of meat because their
jaws are powerful and their throats are flexible. Like snakes, they use the rips of their tongues to smell their prey. They also
have an acute sense of hearing.
They are quite agile is spire of their size and weight; they can run up to 18 kilometres an hour, climb up trees and swim very
well. They live 30 or 40 years in the wild.
Female dragons lay up to 30 eggs, which they guard for seven to eight months. When hatched, babies stay in she trees until
they are strong enough to live on the ground.
The Komodo dragons' wild population is estimated at 3,000 - 5,000 being their worst threat volcanic activity on the islands,
fire, habitat alteration, tourism and poaching, although commercial trade in specimens and skins is illegal.
B) Label the picture using adjectives and nouns and complete the facts.

Fast Facts

C) Complete the sentences. Oh, Komodo Dragon,

tl ... what curved claws you have got!

& sycat 'n14 pirxu.. 'r'n.as.'ue,

21 what powerful jows you have got!

31 ... what a flexible throat you have got!
41

...what a huge and muscular tail you have got!

Si

. . what a long tongue you have got!

Key: 61 11 rounded toout;2l wide, fiathead; al scaly ski o;4l powerful jaw;sl yei low tong ue;:61 large, muscular tail; 7l bowed iegs;B) cooed clawsFa st Facts: Phy5ical characteristics: 3 metres long, 70 kilograms. Habitat: Indonesia's Lesser Sunda islarrds. Diet: carrion, pgt, deer, etc. Behaviour: swim s,
roes,eiirrsbs op trees, pocrsceson prey. Life espectancy: 3s-4v years. C! Stu dnres'xwe ocsocnrc.

'1 L
v

way of promoting English as real communication

and active language learning skills is to make
sure the students know and use simple
transactional phrases.
Generally, it is quite hard to break the habit of using
these phrases in the native language since they come so
naturally that the target language is forgotten. To help the
students learn and remember these simple phrases, we are
presenting poster 2 with a list that can be updated with
additional phrases as the need arises. This list of useful
phrases will be available whenever the students need them
and it will act as a reminder of the expressions they should
use in class.
When you teach What is it? teach I don't know as well. When
the students get used to using this expression, teach Can you
help me, please? so that you can provide hints for them to get
the right answer or ask their mates for help.
Can you say it again, please? and Can you play it again,
please? are expressions your students should use during
dictations or listening practice activities when they cannot
understand. Take every chance to put them into practice when
doing this kind of exercises.
You may go on with those phrases which will help them
express their wishes and have their needs met, for instance,
How do you spell...? How do you pronounce... in English?
Can you help rue, please? Can Igo to the toilet? These requests
show the most repeated situations when the students express

their basic needs so encouragement and repetition will do

their work.
When your plan does not include any of these expressions,
you can spare some minutes of the lesson to review them. You
may want to present this review as a game giving your
students gesture prompts: shrug to have the students say I
don't understand/ I don't know; start to write something on
the board and stop half way to get a I don't remember or How
do you spell...?; cup your ear with your hand to mean Can you
say it again? etc.
As a variant of this exercise, you can provide the first word of
the expression and have the students complete it until they
gain confidence using it.
Divide your students into small groups and assign a different
phrase to each group (see photocopiabte cards on page 12).
They should make up a situation where the phrase will be
used and act it out in front of the whole class; or you may
choose to give each group a situation and ask them to act it
out including the appropriate expression. For example: It is
very late and the class has already started; one of the students
rushes into the class and says, Sorry I'm late?
Remember that the intensive use of these transactional
phrases will help students enjoy using the language, develop
their confidence and give them a sense of accomplishment
when real communication takes place in the classroom.
On the next page we present
the complete list of phrases for students
to have as a reference in their folders.

Level: A1

9e: All

TRANSACTIONAL PHRASES

L1P 5

SORRY I M LATE
PARDON?
SAY THAT AGAIN.
COME AGAIN

.
bee

if

CAN YOU
REPEAT,
PLEASE?

HOW p)YOU
PRONOUNCE
IN ENGLISH?

SORRY, iPON
VNOW/REMEMER.

CAN YOU HELP ME, PLEASE?

NOW 90 YOU SAY
IN ENGLISH?

a 6 11

YOU1 PON'T UNPERSTANP.

HAVE
GOTA

NOW P0 YOU SPELL

IS THIS
RIGHT/WRONG?

. SPARE

?
CAN YOU PLAY IT
AGAIN, PLEASE?

CAN YOU SAY IT

AGAIN, PLEASE?

4 11

CAN I FORROW
YOUR ..., PLEASE?

WHAT'S THE MEANING OF ?

WHAT DOES MEAN?

4'?

THE ENGLISH FOR

IL

AM
0.00 0

:0

...

)
7

EL
1!1111F I

NEXT CLAS

41,

GOOD AFTERNOO

04

a so

GOOD EVENING!

HAVE A

a!" es * a GOOD DAY

HAVE A
0 a

* fe

* *

a
a

NICE WEEk/END!

so
so go

966

-LeveA All

Age: All

TRANSACTIONAL PHRASES

Pardon

w do
sorryvmJ

o;[aCome again.

Ft

How do you
g o to the toilet?
pronounce
I g
in Eng lsh.2
iLoYou5PehhuiI1

Wip

.0

1
ldont understand.

Can you help me,

please?

Can I borrow your ...

please?

ANN&
Have you got
spare
(

What's the meaning r

Wh's the English Can you say it again,
mean?

LMM

Can you play it again,

please?

p
See you
next class!

Good morning!
Good afternoon!
Good evening!

Have a nice
weekend!

How are you?

Have a
good day!

Photocopy these phrases and use them

in the activities suggested on page 10.

IF-

"i

whole year may be one of the most tiring and

tedious activities teachers have to undertake
11 at the beginning of the year, especially because
in many cases we have to hand in the plan before
we actually get to know the group we are teaching. However,
we may also argue that it is necessary to define our objectives
and organise the contents we intend to teach.
We need to make decisions before the beginning of the school
year as regards what, why and how we are going to teach in
an effective and long-lasting way. In order to do this, we need
to reflect upon the pedagogical theories we stand by and the
practices we consider most appropriate according to the
students' age, level, interests and background.
Planning is a mental process that involves tracing a plan of
what and how we are going to teach including the contents
and the activities that both students and teachers are going to
perform.

Why do we plan?
We make an annual plan to determine the contents we are
going to teach, the aims we have according to different factors
such as the particular group of students we have, their
context, specific needs and interests, the most suitable way of
working with them, kinds of activities, materials and so on.
The teacher is the main agent who can put the curricula into
practice, since it is the teacher who actually faces students and
who finally decides what to teach in each class. If teachers do
not take curricular designs into their classes, they will only
remain on paper and they will not show reality.
We may have our own effective techniques, our perfect
textbook, but we undoubtedly need to bear in mind the
curricular design; study it and take it to the class.

How much of our initial planning actually

corresponds to the classes we teach throughout
the year?
The plan we have made at the beginning of the year will serve
as a model or guide, but may not be followed word by word.
There might be many opportunities when we might need to
change it, mainly because we may notice that other contents,
activities or materials may be more appropriate for certain
situations than the ones we had originally considered.
Therefore, our annual plan can be used as a draft text as its
contents may be constantly restructured and reorganised to fit
the ever-changing reality of the teaching process.

Why should projects be included in annual

planning?
Throughout secondary school, students are supposed to be
working on different projects, depending on the year, the
school's orientation and the students' individual interests.
There is a reason why this is so. Taking a foreign language
class implies working on specific goals instead of just learning
vocabulary and grammar. The completion of a project has to
do with solving a problem through different activities and
obtaining a final product. This will undoubtedly make
students feel much more involved and motivated, since these
projects should be somehow connected to their lives outside
the school.
Consequently, annual planning should undeniably include the

projects we plan to do throughout the year, according to your

students' level, depending on the year they are attending and
the school's orientation.
Who do we plan for?
Is the plan that we have to hand in aimed for the school, the
schools principal or ourselves? Actually, as mentioned before,
it is a guide that will help tin organise our classes. But the
main recipient of this plan is the group of students in our
class.
Each student is a complex social individual in a specific 00cmhistorical context that cannot be left aside. They relate to their
environment, language, culture, and fellow individuals.
Why is planning both a challenge and a great
opportunity?
Planning is a mental process and we do not know how much
of our annual planning will actually be taught or somehow
modified according to the specific group of students and the
context.
While planning, we may also have to reconsider our practices,
especially if they have not been effective. If our students do
not pay attention in class, want to do something else, are
distracted or even somehow absent, we should think about
possible solutions to deal with these situations. Planning time
is the perfect time to ponder these issues and figure out
different possibilities to tackle problems in the near future.
Planning can also be part of or reflexive practice, if we take
this time to reflect upon what we do in class every day.
Geraldine Salabersy Serrano

-,y
Students name

. Grade

HOW DO YOU LEARN BEST?

!,
M.M "

A) Read the statements below and tick the ones that are true for you. There are no right or wrong answers.
Be honest, the information you provide will help your teacher know you better and plan lessons more
appropriately.

j
'1

El I write things down in order to learn or remember them.

El I prefer working in groups.
I prefer working independently.

-.

LI Ilikecopying from the board.

LI I enjoy working with photocopies.

LI 111kv puzzles.
LI I enjoy hands-on activities they require you to get involved and learn by doing tasks).

LI I often reflect upon my learning process.

LI I like participating in role-playing and/or drama.

PEI

LI I like activities where I physically move objects.

LI 111kv activities where I am sitting and everyone is quiet.
LI I prefer activities where I have to move around the classroom.
LI It helps me to listen to background music when I am working.
LI lam good at languages.

LI I am good at Maths.
LI 1 enjoy watching films or videos.
LI I enjoy listening to music.
LI 1 like learning outside.
LI I enjoy topics that deal with my personal life.
LI l like reading and writing poems.
LI I like reading and writing stories.
LI I enjoy class debates or discussions.

(1

El It helps me remember new vocabulary when the teacher brings real objects to the classroom.

LI It helps me remember new vocabulary when the teacher brings pictures to the classroom,
El I like helping my classmates.
El i can read written texts and understand them.

LI I can speak and communicate my ideas.

1 can listen to a conversation or short tent and understand it.

LI I canwritesentencesorshorttexts.
LI l can answer questions.
I can make questions.

LI l can describe apicture.

C I usually use classroom language.
LI I like learning other subjects (Maths, Science, Social Studies, Art, etc.) in English.

Students name

FAVOURITE

Grade

Topics

Circle the topics you would like to deal with this year.

,NATURE AND ANIMALS

11I
jJ

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

. CELEBRATIONS
SPORTS

11

THE WEATHER

MUSIC
FILMS

MY CITY / MY COUNTRY

FAMOUS PEOPLE

LIFE IN THE PAST

TECHNOLOGY

LIFE IN THE FUTURE

FOOD AND COOKING

CLOTHES AND SHOPPING

OTHERS.............................................................................................................

MY EXPECTATIONS
What do you expect this school year to be like? Answer the questions.
1. What do you expect this subject to be like?

2. What doyou expect from your teacher?

3. What do you expect from your classmates?

4. What do you expect from yourself?

................................................................................

--,

Level: All

Age: Al

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS!

How fast can you complete this chart? Challenge your friend!
How many items starting with the different letters of the alphabet can you write in one minute?

Age: Adolescents

Level: Pm-Intermediate +

WORDS, MORE WORDS!

A) How many words can you write out of this word?

U
.... ...............

.......
.

...........

............ ....

--

-------- ..... ...

..

.......

...........

..............

...........
.......

...............
............. r ........
...........

.....................
............

B) What is the meaning of the word in A? Choose the right option,

2)Itis said of something that
cannot be copyrighted.

1) It is said of somebody that

cannot copy something right.

C) What is curious about the word uncopyrightable? Look carefully.

D) What are these words called?

2) isogeaphs

1) isograrns

E) Is it a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb?

adverb

adjective

verb

noun

F) Without looking, how many letters has it got: thirteen, fourteen or fifteen?

13

14

15

)"------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key: B) 2;c) No I etter isrepeated; DI isogam:; Elan adjestive;F)fifteen.

',
C..

Level; Intermediate +

Age: Adolescents

WORD TRIVIA
A) Answer the following questions.
?

1) What do facetious and arsenious have in common?

2) Which word is misspelled: Polish orpolish?

3) What is curious about these letters: A HIM 0 TU V WX Vt

4) Which 8-letter word can be written using only the right part of the keyboard?

5) Which 12-letterword can be written using only the left part ofthe keyboard?

6) What name is formed with the first letter of the months from July to November?

7) What is curious about the word queuing?

8) Look at the word rhythm; do you notice anything in particular?

13) Are the following statements true or false?

1) The term Mayday used for asking for help comes from the French term MAnidezwhicb is
pronounced Mayoay and means Help Me.
)]

2) The don over the letter i is called title.

ifi

F3) The word pixel is a contraction of 'picture element?

IT
rn

In
7

4) In Chinese, the words for crisis and opportunity are the same.
5) The Chinese ideogram for trouble symbolises 'two women living under one roof.
6) Th e wo rd ro bot co mes fro m th e Czec h wo rd ro botova t, a nd eseansto work veryhard.

E!1

7) The stress in Hungarian words always falls on the last syllable.

8) The word brunch comes from breakfast and punch.

C) Look up these words in the dictionary and write the definitions.

arsenious
facetious
Polish

-1

polish
stewardess
queue
brunch

D) Choose four words from exercise C and make sentences.

Key: Al 11 Both wards have the five nenuls in the right order; 21 Nose, Polish is a nationality (from Poland) and polish is verb Ito make something shiny
by rubbing itl;Oh They are ail symmetric; 4) 1aiIipop5) 5tnnardnsrns;6)]aruon;7) it has got four vowels together; 8/There are no vowels in it, B) I) T2) Fir is
wind tittle; 3) T:41T;55 T:BlI;71 F. the stress goes in the first syllable: 8) Fit comes from breakfast and lunch.

Teacher: you can establish different levels of difficulty when doing this activity. Low level groups can make sentences in she present continuous tense. If
necessary, provide she verbs in the infinitive.
With higher levels you can ask students to describe the scene using the past simple and continuous tenses, imagining this is a scene from their lass holidays.

19

SONGS
P"i 4

tIllt

u66E5TED F.W-UP mVS

''

So
Fast Car by Tracy

The song is about a girl and her boyfriend,

Chapman, from the

who has got a car. She sees that as an

album Tracy

Cisaprrsarr,

choose a car, research into new designs and make an

oral presentation about them.

opportunity to go away from her small

think of a journey, where they would go, how many

released in 1988 by

villageand her wea k dru n ken dad. Still,the

stops they would make and whereto refill the tank.

Elektra Records.

ride was not what she had expected.

think they are singers and write a letter of application to

ask for ajob in the new city.
do

Moors Over Bourbon

Street by Sting, from the
album The Dream of the
Blue Turtles, released in

This song is about a vampire; it is not

imagine how and when he became a vampire.

openly mentioned but there are many

research into Bourbon Street and write n brochure or

hints this is so. The character is walking

article.

around the city late at night; be is in love

you are the vampire; write a letter to the girl.

1990 by ASM Records.

with a girl but he suffers because he know

describe the city at night from the point of view of a

he cannot do anything about that.

vampire.
write a review of movie about vampires.

She is Leaving Home by

It is about an adolescent who has not got

the Beatles, from the

good communication with her parents so

- create a dialogue that involves the family.

album Sgt. Pepper's

Lonely Hearts Cirah Barn!

she decides to run away, leaving a letter

behind. She is meeting a man; meanwhile

make a list of typical arguments between adolescents

and parents.
- write an article about adolescents and parents.

write the letter mentioned in the song.

released in 1967, by EMI

her parents find the letter and wonder

Records.

what went wrong.

Another Day In Paradise

by Phil Collins, from the
album . But Seriously

A homeless woman, who begs for money

make up the actual dialogue between the characters.

in the Street, asks a man to help her but he

interview the man and ask him why he does not help

refuses to do so, even though he sees she

the lady.

released in 1989, by

has blisters on her feet and can't walk.

account for the title of the song.

qua'

Virgin Records.

look for information about organisations that help

-

homele people.

California Dreatrsirtg

It is about a boy who goes for a walk

- compare L.A. with other cities in California.

from the album If

because he misses L.A. It is very cold, so he

- choose their favourite season and talk about it.

finds shelter in a church, where he stays for

- find reasons why the singer goes out for a walk on such

a while,

a cold day.

You
Can't Believe Your Eyes
Atrcf Ears byThe Mamas
and the Papas, released in
1963 by Dunhill Records.

-imagine why he moved from one city to another.

STORIES
sWZTB

Ji

vrf2)'

So

Sr'Ap'

5uc,c,5TD

T(S

make hypotheses about why the singer is walking

City Streets by Carole

The singer is walking along the city streets

King in 1989, from the

at dawn; she can see the landscape and

alone at that time of the day.

many couples heading home while she is

The chorus says"city streets, the stories they can tell...

alone,

they can be heaven, they can be hell", students can

album City

Streets by

Capital Records.

choose to write a story in which the streets are heaven

(happy ending) or hell sad ending).

Mv Girl by Madness,

A boy watts to stay home and watch TV

from the album One Step

while his girlfriend wants to go out to see

Beyond, released in 1979,

a movie, so they argue over the telephone.

role play the conversation.

suggest different possibilities to find alternatives in
order to do something together.
list the positive and negative aspects of staying home

by Stiff Records.

or going out.

I Will Survive by Gloria

It is about a woman whose boyfriend left

Gaynor, from the album

some time ago and now he comes back to

give reasons why the couple broke up.

role play a couple's therapy session.

go on with the relationship, but she

Love Tracks, released in
1978 by Polydor Records. Juses to do so.

ltis about a girl who talks to her father

Papa Don't Preaclsby'1
because she is pregnant and afraid, but
Madonna, from the

createa dialogue between the father and the daughter.

la role play: the girl, the boyfriend and her friends who
think she is making a mistake.

album flue B/try,

she trusts that everything will be al right

released in 1986 by

because her boyfriend supports her and

think they are counselors and give advice to the young

they have got plans for the future.

couple and the father.

Warner Bros. Records.

guess what the future will be like for the character.

thirtkabout prejudices people have towards different

Skater Boy by Avril

Itsa story a bout two com pletely d ifferent

Lavigne, from the album

characters: a girl who did ballet and a boy

things.

Let Go, released in 2002

who was a skater; the girl's friends gave

write a letter from the girl to the boy, or vice versa.

by Arista Records.

her advice, which makes the couple break

describe the boy and the girl.

up. In the end, the boy is very successful

compare the different lifestyles.

while the girl ends up at home watching

TV

s
Aurea obel
The titles and pictures of the songs and the albums are real. Their referenceir justinformative and for dwvtirrri purposes.

21

-#q
Level: Pre-intermediate/Intermediate

Age: Children/Adolescents

EDINBURGH NEAR EVERYONE

Hacrted underground vaults in this irtriguirt9 city
A) Find the following words related to the Edinburgh vaults (-0 -11).
haunted - underground - rooms - merchants - craftsmen - bridge - sunlight - ventilation - overcrowded

I W 0 0 0 K T STE

0 K S E N I i

:T

;*J

iJH
:

0 5 T N A [ H C REEM N
W

DL 5

P 5 0 F H K L W
G I B 0

PG1MC

EE I U R M A S RJER
D

LI

LI

OPO

UV N I D E I N U A H
U J
L A S N

K N H N

EIjI9P

I D S F

LI

0) Put the following paragraphs in the right order.

C) Answer the questions using your own words.

1) Why did the Edinburgh Council have to build

- -

the New City?

v-------

3) Why were the vault: extremely uninhabitable?

4) Do you believe that there could be g hosts
living

it

the vaults?

D) Read part 2 to find out more and choose the right word.

E) After reading both parts of the text, answer these questions.

1) Do you believe any of thesehaunted vaults stories?

2) Have you ever heard similar stories about places in your city?
3) What do you think is the effect of these stories on students and on tourists?

F) Imagine you were in Edinburgh vaults last night. Write a story telling us what happened. Who did you go
with? What/who did you find? What did you do? (It can be a horror or funny story).

Key: Al Avttrtsr uentilatienctafrsrnren meehant huuoted;Ooe'n: overcrowded, sunlight, bridge, underground. mown 51 1432.0 11 Because these were a let
of people living its the Old Town of Edin burg b;2l Merchants, craftsmen and also families used them to stow then pttsducts; 3)They were uninhabitable
because there was no sun l!ghr and no ventilation Is: waste and used water had noway out); 4) ttudento'ariswern Dill tepont; 21 people; 3)talos;4l attention;
5) died; 6) girl; 7)dol I; a) d[d;9) been; 10) expl a nation; 11) peopie.E) Stud L-ntSr a nswers.

always add context to language learning

Il soisuals
we are going to give you some ideas to make

a p-'--

quick and easy-to-make labels to name objects

around the classroom. They will create a rich
learning environment and allow for repetition and a
proper starting point for the students to fix vocabulary in a
natural way. You may use these labels to present other areas of
vocabulary such as the parts of the body, tools, professions,
fruits and vegetables, and so on. You may also prepare the
labels and have the students tape pieces of paper holding on
them the words you would like them to learn.

....................-m::m ....

Materials
Paper towel tubes Sellotape tubes Hessian rectangles Felt rectangles
Cardboard trays Plastic containers lids Dotted, striped or checked paper
Cardboard of different colours Eva foam strips Paint Coloured markers
Glue Scissors.

Convex labels
Cut the paper towel and aellotape tubes in halves. Cover them with a piece of
dotted or checked paper. Paste a strip of Eva foam or cardboard. These labels are
appropriate to stand on your desk or any other flat surface.

Soft labels
Take the hessian and felt rectangles. Paste smaller cardboard rectangles on them;
choose contrasting colours to make them more attractive. Add pieces of felt,
dotted, striped of checked paper to cover the borders of the cardboard rectangle
and frame the label. You may want to add a soft piece of Velcro so that you can
fasten these labels to any other surface holding a piece of rough Velcro. The
advantage is that you can use any surface such as walls, board, noticeboard,
carboard, etc.

Hard labels
Paint the cardboard trays with shocking pink paint and paste a plastic container
lid in the middle. It will be ready to write your label with coloured markers.

25

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Address:.....
Name: ..............................Facebook .................
Address-......................................Telephone-........
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E-mail...........................Facebook................................................
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26

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EDIBA Digital offers the possibility for motivating

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and xr[rinij through educational digital
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