Generalisations are general statements or opinions which are only partly true because they

are based on a few cases or incomplete knowledge. Below there is a list of my own ad hoc
"generalisations." They are sometimes quite cheeky, but the point is not to teach the
concept but to have fun, provoke the students gently and trigger verbal exchanges. Even the
most humble of statements will very often lead on to further talk, through opinion,
disagreement, comment, adding to, agreeing and so on.

Activity A
The following statements can be read out individually by the teacher, who awaits reaction
(and there should be in most cases) and the ensuing exchanges between all present; or
students can be divided into pairs to debate the statement, reporting back to the rest of the
group subsequently.

Married people are boring.

Footballers are not intelligent.

You can't be friends with your boss.

Old people have no fun.

Men are bad at languages.

Young girls are brighter than young boys.

Engineers and accountants are very rational people.

Mathematics are for intelligent people.

All politicians are corrupt.

Rich people have a great life.

Top sports stars have fewer worries than most other workers.

City people are more cultured than those from the country.

People who talk a lot don't say much.

People who act are basically exhibitionists.

Artists are different from most people.

Poor people are happy in their own way.

Times Have Changed

Gerard Counihan
profesorSs [at] blabla.es
Level: For upper intermediate and advanced levels.
Age: Adult
Some intellectual writers recently spoke wistfully of the war years in Europe, saying that
the people then were perhaps "better" than their contemporary counterparts (you and I)
because of having had to live through a war, with the trauma and misery which the latter
entails. They spoke of a sense of void reigning among modern youth and society in general,
saying that we are more concerned, for example, with football and insurance policies, than
with the real meaning of life.

Activity A
Obviously enough, you don't start off the class by making a sweeping statement on the
above ideas (I did, and the students of the first class were left speechless, a traumatic
experience in conversation class!). I went on to tackle the class in the following way; write
down these two headings, one on the left of a page, the other on the right:

People before

People nowadays

Then get the students to compare and contrast the people/society before with what is like
nowadays. Look for simple statements about the past/people in the past. If the students are
a bit slow to contribute, give them a few stereotypical comments on the past. Age is no
excuse, for everybody has some idea on life years ago, from their grandparents or from
films they have seen. Here are some of the statements they made in my classes (don't show
the students until they have produced their ideas):

People in the past watched less TV.

People nowadays prefer TV to talking.

They lived from day to day.

They are always thinking of the future.

They appreciated the small things.

They are very materialistic.

They made more sacrifices.

They are more selfish.

They had more babies.

They have very few.

They lived more in the street.

They cannot wait to get home.

They died more often from illnesses.

They live longer.

They took less medicine.

They have tablets for all.

They complained less.

They never stop.

They worried about staying alive, surviving.

They worry about football, cars, and jobs.

They had less expectations.

They have too many?

There was more solidarity.

They are individualistic.

They were more spiritual.

They have no time for that.

They were constantly challenged by life.

They have it easy.

They called it "hard work".

They call it "stress".

Start off a debate on your students' comments.

Activity B
Now, show the students' opinions. Many of the above statements can be challenged. For
example, people before had no televisions so it is little wonder they spoke more. For
example, what is "living from day to day?" What are the differences between those who
lived through a war and those who did not? For example: the former valued life more; they
feared for their life; they lived for their children; they were hungry, and did not waste or
throw away food; they did not throw away old things ... So, were they better people?

Activity C
An offshoot activity could be the following: What achievements or experiences will you
have to talk about when you are older, say 75? What stories will you tell your
grandchildren? If this is too abstract, get the students to remember stories, anecdotes and so
on that they were told by their grandparents. Or, what do the elderly talk about in general,
nowadays? What do children talk about at and after school?

Talking Cards
Michael J. Brown
mjbprac [at] datainternet.com
Hong Kong
Materials required:
One or two packs of playing cards and the questions sheet.
Objectives:
To get the student used to answering general questions at a level that resembles
normal speech. To give the students conversational confidence.
How to play:
You distribute the cards among your students. If you have a large class use two
packs of cards. The student answers the corresponding question to that card. The
student is awarded 4 points for a complete answer, 3 points for a reasonable answer,
2 points for an incomplete answer, and 1 point for any answer at all. If your class is
up to it, you can get them to award the points.

Spades (Describing things)

Ace
Describe your face.
King
Describe your clothes.
Queen
Describe your mother.
Jack
Describe your father.
Ten
Describe an apple.
Nine
Describe your bedroom.
Eight
Describe your best friend.
Seven
Describe what you had for breakfast today.
Six
Describe your English teacher.
Five
Describe the difference between a dog and a cat.
Four
Describe a pencil.
Three
Describe your favourite hobby.
Two
Describe this game.

Hearts (what questions)

Ace
What did you have for dinner last night?
King
What did you have for lunch today?
Queen
What is your favourite sport? Why?
Jack
What did you do last night?
Ten
What type of music do you like? Why?
Nine
What is your favourite game? Why?
Eight
What does your mother do?
Seven
What does your father do?
Six

What is your favourite lesson at school? Why?

Five
What did you do last Sunday?
Four
What is your favourite television programme? Why?
Three
What would you do if you could do anything in the world?
Two
What is the one thing you would change about yourself?

Clubs (mixed questions)

Ace
What is your address in English?
King
What time do you usually get up?
Queen
Where did you go for your last holiday?
Jack
Where were you born?
Ten
Why are you studying English?
Nine
Which do you prefer, summer or winter, and why?
Eight
Which magazines do you like to read?
Seven
How many hours do you usually sleep at night?
Six
Do you like shopping? Why?
Five
How often do you go to the cinema?
Four
What was the last movie you saw?
Three
Would you like to travel to other countries? Why?
Two
How many friends have you got and who are they?

Diamonds (if clause)

Ace
If you could have a pet what would it be?
King
If you had a million dollars what would you spend it on?
Queen

If you could meet any person in the world who would it be and why?
Jack
If you could change something about your school what would it be?
Ten
If you had to live in another country which one would you choose?
Nine
If you could do anything in the world what would you do?
Eight
If you could speak three languages well, what would they be?
Seven
If you were rich, what would you do?
Six
If you had to spend a day alone at home, what would you do?
Five
If everyone in the world suddenly disappeared, what would you do?
Four
If you could choose how old you were, how old would you be and why?
Three
If you could choose any meal you wanted, what would it be?
Two
If you found $100,000 what would you do?
The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. IV, No. 8, August 1998
http://iteslj.org/