What is charm?

You are going to

• listen to a discussion about "charm"
• talk about being charming and being polite
• look at adjectives to describe personality / character

1) Discuss

• What is "charm"?
  
• In what jobs do you need to be charming?
• Can both women and men be charming?
• Are people less charming than they used to be?
• What are the origins of the word?
• Are charm and charisma the same thing?
• Can charm be learnt?

2) Listen
Author and critic Stephen Bayley has said the UK is becoming less charming. In this discussion from Radio 4's Today program he debates the subject along with columnist Rowan Pelling.
1) Listen to the clip. How many of the questions above are answered?

Useful vocabulary
You will hear these words. Do you know what they mean?

commodity, acquire, manipulative, sinister, "glass ceiling", detrimental, deprecating, tag, ooze, attribute, disparage, charisma, Machiavellian

listen to ‘Are we becoming less charming?’ on Audioboo

https://audioboo.fm/boos/1988206-are-we-becoming-less-charming


2) Listen again and do the quiz


Printable version here





3) Vocabulary
A) Look at these adjectives

• Do you know what they mean?
• How many are positive ways to describe someone?
• How many are negative?
• How many would you associate with someone who was "charming"

Highlight below to see the positive words
=  appealing, attractive, bewitching, captivating, charismatic, enchanting, engaging, entrancing, glamorous, magnetic, seductive, spellbinding, exciting, hypnotizing, interesting, pleasant


B) Write
Think of some people you know. Describe them in a sentence. Use the adjectives in the list. Say why he / she is appealing, engaging, glamorous etc




4) Discuss
Look at the postcard
What does it tell you about being polite in English?

• Do you think being polite or having good manners is the same as being charming?
• Are being charming and having good manners important?
• Why are we polite to each other?
• In what situations is it important to be polite or charming?
• Are you likely to be more impressed by someone who is polite or charming?
• In what ways do you show politeness or respect in your language?
• Does politeness change according to language and culture?
• How do we show politeness in English? What words or expressions do we use?

More
What is love? Intermediate , Listening, Love, Relationships, Upper Intermediate 

Why are jeans so popular? Fashion, Intermediate, Jeans, Listening, Passive, Past Simple, Reading, Tenses Review, Upper Intermediate   

Willpower - How can you improve it? Advanced, Upper Intermediate, CAE, FCE, IELTS, Life and how to live it, Listening, Success, 

What is beauty?

You are going to

• discuss fashion, beauty and health
• practise words to describe people
• listen to someone talking about ideas of fashion, beauty and health

1) Discuss in pairs / write a list
In 60 seconds how many words can you think of which describe a person's appearance?
Make a note / write a list of them
eg tall, short...










2) Match
A) Choose the right category for each of the words below. Is it Build, Hair, Height or Opinion?







B) Now make a table and put all the words from the exercise and your list in the right column

Build	Hair	Height	Opinion
		tall

3) Discuss

• What is beauty?
• What makes someone beautiful or attractive?
• Where do we get our ideas of beauty from?
• Do ideas of beauty vary around the world?

4) Watch
Watch the clip "Food for Thought" below.
You are going to watch a woman called Mable talk about the first time she came to the UK.
A) Listen and answer

• Where does Mabel get her idea of beauty from?
• Why is she scared of coming to England?
• What does she learn about the British?

B) Watch again and fill in the gaps in the sentences

5) Discuss

• Why does Mabel think that beauty is what she sees in the magazines?
• What do you think “junk in the trunk” means? Junk = rubbish. Trunk (American) = the place where you put the bags in a car (boot in UK English). Can you guess what she means when describing people?
• Why do you think it is easier for an African to eat well and be healthy than for the British?
• Is it easy to eat healthily in your country? 
• Do you eat healthily?
• She says "the magazines show what the British want to look like."  Do you think this is true for all nationalities?
• Why do we want to look like the people in the magazines?
• Why does Mabel think she is lucky at the end?

6) Do the crossword

Click on a number and type in your answer. Click check to see the answers.

All the words are used to describe people.

Crossword printable version here

Printable exercises here






7) Play a game
20 questions.
Someone in the class thinks of a famous person. The others ask Yes / No questions to guess the name of the person.
- Is it a man? Yes it is
- Is he tall? - Yes he is.
- Has he got long hair? Yes he has

Continue until you guess. If you can't guess in 20 questions you lose!








8) Discuss / Write

A) In Pairs. Describe someone. Talk about their appearance and their personality. Don't say their name. Read your description to your partner or to the class. Can they guess who you are describing?


B) - IELTS

• The Fashion and clothing industry is becoming increasingly important in modern society. Is this a good or bad thing?

• Eating a balanced diet is the most important factor for a healthy life. To what extent do you agree?

More

• What Britain Loves Advertising, Beginners, Gerunds, Life in the UK, Present Simple, Travel and Tourism

• What's cooking? - 1. "Bubble and Squeak" Crossword, Elementary, Food, Imperatives, Instructions, Listening, Recipes

• Life in the UK; The British and how to understand them Discussion Activities, Elementary, Intermediate, Life in the UK, Present Simple, Reading, Webquest, Writing a report

• What is the weight of the human race? Advice, Crossword, FCE, Food, Health, IELTS, Jamie Oliver, Listening, Obesity, Obligation, Writing, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate 

 

Tom and Jerry - "Buddies Thicker Than Water"

You are going to

• watch a Tom and Jerry cartoon
• practise there is / are, a / some / any, adjectives, to be, plural nouns, present simple

1) Watch the cartoon
Look at the list of nouns.
Watch the cartoon below and put "Yes" if you can see them or "No" if you can't.

Buddies, Thicker Than Water by MistyIsland1

2) Some /Any /A

Look at the sentences and choose the right answer

3) True or False?

4) Adjectives

Choose the best adjective for each picture

5) Summary

Fill in the gaps

Printable worksheets here

More

Practise with another Tom and Jerry cartoon

http://efllecturer.blogspot.com.es/2012/09/tom-and-jerry-feedin-kiddie.html

Tom and Jerry on Cartoon network

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/tomjerry/index.html

Tom And Jerry - "Feedin' The Kiddie"

You are going to 

• watch a Tom and Jerry cartoon
• practise food, colours and the present simple
• do some gap-fill exercises

1) Watch the cartoon

Look at the words. Watch the cartoon below. Can you see them in the cartoon?  
Watch and put "Yes" or "No"

Tom And Jerry Feedin The Kiddie Episode 107 (WatchCartoonOnline.Us) 

2) Can you remember the colours?

3) Look at the pictures. What can you see?

4) Summary. Write a word in the gaps

5) A, An or Some?

More

Printable worksheets are here

Food activities for young learners http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/foodTopic.htm

Pages for colouring http://www.tomandjerryonline.com/coloring.cfm

Achievements - Laura Dekker: a heroine for our times?

You are going to

• Review past tenses
• Read and analyse a text about Laura Dekker
• Look at vocabulary and expressions to describe personality
• Discuss keeping diaries and blogs
• Discuss and write about an achievement using a variety of past tenses
• Discuss and write some IELTS style questions

1) Introduction
A) Who is Laura Dekker?
What do you know about her?

• Where is she from?
• How old is she?
• What is her achievement?
• How long did it take?
• Why did the authorities try to stop her?

 

B) Watch the news report to check your answers

C) Watch again, listen and fill in the spaces in the gap-fill exercise with a verb

D) Grammar - Look again. What are the tenses in each sentence?

2) Discuss

Look at the map below

• Would you like to sail around the world on your own?
• What skills do you think you need?
• What kind of a person do you need to be? Think of some adjectives or expressions.
• Do you agree with the Dutch authorities that Laura was too young to do the trip?
• What do you think Laura learned from the trip?

3) Reading

3a) Read the text below quickly and put these paragraph headings into the correct spaces in the text. Each heading describes the paragraph which follows

   A) She is determined

   B) She is a reluctant superstar

   C) She is good with cockroaches

   D) She was born to sail

   E) She becomes the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe

Read the text again and find the answers to these questions.

3b) What expressions or adjectives are used to describe Laura?
3c) What did she learn from the trip?

4) Vocabulary

Check / Guess / Find out
What do these underlined expressions from the text mean? Try and guess from the other words in the sentence.

Paragraph 1

a trip her father had hoped would "cure her wanderlust"

Paragraph 2
She took on six-metre-high waves and extreme weather
heading into the Cape of Good Hope
her storm jib (a sail used in storms) got jammed
Another of her sails ripped completely
She dodged near-collisions with cargo ships
Not in the least squeamish, she had to rescue live flying fish that had flung themselves into her cabin, and scrub the stinking remains of decomposing squid from the deck
the ants and cockroaches that had stowed away in her cabin.
Paragraph 3

she set off

in the meantime

Paragraph 4

Dekker has just pipped the previous youngest

Now do the exercise

5) Grammar

Tenses. Look again at part 1D. What were the tenses?
How many tenses can you find in the reading text? Give one example of each.

• Find a past simple =   She survived weeks at sea...
• Find a past continuous =
• Find a present perfect =
• Find a past perfect = 
• Find a conditional = 
• Find a passive = 

6) Discuss

• What do you think of Laura's achievement?
• Do you think she is a heroine?
• Was she right to follow her dream or was she too young?
• Were the Dutch authorities right to try and stop her?
• How much do you think she learned on the trip?
• Would she have learned as much at school?

Look at Laura's blog http://www.lauradekker.nl/English/News.html

• Why do you think she kept a diary / blog?
• Do you keep a diary or blog?
• What are the advantages of keeping a learning diary or blog in English?

Think of an achievement in your life and talk about it eg learning to drive, learning English, entering a competition, doing a course...

• Why did you decide to do it?
• Describe doing it. Was it difficult? How did you feel during and after?
• What did you learn from it?
• What did you learn about yourself?

7a) Writing

Now write about your achievement
Organise and plan

• Paragraph 1 - Introduce the achievement. Say why you wanted to do it. Use past tenses  - past simple and continuous / past perfect

• Paragraph 2 / 3 - Describe doing it - preparation, difficulties, your feelings. Use past tenses - past simple and continuous / past perfect. Use some adjectives to describe the activity and your feelings.

• Paragraph 4 - What have you learnt from doing it? How has it changed your life? How have you changed? What are the benefits? Would you recommend the activity to others? Try and use a variety of tenses; past simple and continuous / past perfect / present perfect / conditional / passive

7b) Writing (IELTS)

Discuss and prepare to write about one of these questions

• Should parents be obliged to send their children to school? Or should they have the right to choose how to educate them?

• Some people believe that governments have a duty to make sure all their citizens are healthy, safe and well educated. Others say that this can lead to state interference and infringes on the freedom of the individual to choose how to live. Discuss both views and give your opinion

• “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

8) More reading

• Laura Dekker's website http://www.lauradekker.nl/English/About_Laura.html
• Laura Decker: A heroine for our times by Emine Saner.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/23/laura-dekker-sailing-heroine-times
• Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089989/Laura-Dekker-Dutch-girl-16-youngest-sail-world-own.html

Ex 3 and 4 - Printable version here 
Other answers - Highlight below

1C Answers
1) has. 2) arrived, set. 3) had. 4) were, was 5) were, wanted, wanted. 6) had, have. 7) has.

1D Answers 1) Present Perfect. 2) Past Simple. 3) Past Perfect. 4) Past Simple, Past Passive. 5) Past Simple x 3. 6) Past Perfect, Past modal - should. 7) Present Perfect Passive.

3a) Answers
She was born to sail
She is good with cockroaches
She is determined
She becomes the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe
She is a reluctant superstar

3b) Answers 

stoic, a cool head, wanderlust, not in the least squeamish, determined, experienced solo sailor, values solitude and a proximity to nature, has a deep appreciation of the beauty the world has to offer, "mostly I simply enjoy the endless silky blue ocean and the quiet peace that it brings,"  "At sea, I feel comfortable and I come to rest."

3c) Answers
 - To prepare for the trip Dekker had done training in first aid and sleep management, and had become a more experienced solo sailor,
 - Sailing around the world, navigating difficult port approaches, storms, dangerous reefs, and the full  - responsibility of keeping herself and her boat safe
 - Learned to value and appreciate nature


5) Answers
past simple - She survived weeks at sea...
past continuous - Her Dutch parents were living on a yacht...
present perfect - Her mother has said...
past perfect - ... flying fish that had flung themselves into her cabin
conditional - If Laura had drowned people would have accused us of not doing enough to protect her
passive - Dekker was placed under state guardianship by a Dutch court

Visit Britain - You're invited.

You are going to

• watch 3 tourist adverts for Great Britain
• do some listening and vocabulary activities
• look at adjectives to describe feelings and places
• write or present a descriptive advert for your country

Discuss

What do you know about Great Britain?

• What is it famous for?
• What famous British people do you know?
• What are the famous places in Great Britain?
• How do you feel when you visit new places?

Watch Advert 1

You are going to watch an advert for Great Britain. 

1) What adjectives can you hear?

Source http://www.visitbritain.com/en/GB/

2) Now look at the exercise below. Match the correct meaning to the participles on the left.
You can drag and drop the expressions into the right place.

Answer these questions
How do you feel when you go on holiday?
How do you feel when you watch a good film?
How do you feel when you fall deeply in love with someone or something?
How do you feel when you see a magic trick?
How do you feel when you do something dangerous?
How do you feel when your teacher tells you that you are a brilliant student?

Watch Advert 2

You are going to watch Jamie Oliver. Jamie is a famous TV chef.

1) Here are some adjectives. Watch the advert and match them with these topics;

cities  |  countryside |  seaside |  food

• amazing = cities
• busy
• bustling
• (really) special
• lush
• green
• amazing
• (absolutely) incredible
• great
• some of the very best (in the world)

Now do the exercise.

2) Jamie says the UK is "steeped in loads of tradition" but also we are a "magpie culture"

• What does he mean by "magpie culture"? (A magpie is a bird. It can also describe a person who collects and keeps many things)
• What examples does he give?

Answers - highlight below

• We are very multicultural. We take and embrace bits from different cultures.
• Food. Music. Fashion. The arts. 

Watch Advert 3

You are going to watch Dev Patel in London's Leicester Square. Dev Patel starred in the film Slumdog Millionaire

1) Before you watch. What do these expressions mean?  Double click on each word to find out.

cutting edge, forefront, really into, a melting pot, diverse, chilled out, buzzing, energetic, boisterous

2) Read his introduction. Why does he like Leicester Square?

Coming from the suburbs most exciting thing about central London for my friends and me was the energy of Leicester square. I always wanted to be an actor and this is the place where all the big premieres happen and I dreamt of one day having one of my films here too. My dream did come true. The British "Slum Dog Millionaire" film premier was down in Leicester Square.

3) Watch the advert. What adjectives does he use to describe Britain?

4) Now put these sentences from the video in the correct order. Watch again if you need to.
 You can drag and drop the sentences into the right place

Writing / Presentation

Write or present a short advert for your country, city or region
Look on the internet to find important information
Talk about the cities, countryside, food, culture and customs


Don't forget to use lots of adjectives

• Past participles say how something makes you feel - invigorated, involved, inspired...
• Adjectives describe something - amazing, busy, bustling, really special, lush, green, amazing, absolutely incredible, some of the very best, cutting edge, diverse, chilled out, buzzing, energetic, boisterous...

Reading and practice

More infomation and reading about Great Britain

http://www.visitbritain.com/en/GB/
Look at the Cities and Towns. Where would you like to go?
Choose 3 places. Say why you would like to go there.

More on participial adjectives http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/passive3a.html