Talking about Music - Why do we listen to music?

You are going to

• discuss music and use vocabulary to describe music
• listen to a discussion about the role music plays in our lives and do some comprehension activities

1) Discuss
Do you listen to music?

• What music do you like?
• Is music important in your life?
• Do you like to listen to music quietly or do you prefer to "crank it out" (play it loud)
• Does listening to old music transport you back to when you were younger?
• What is the role of music in our lives? Why do we listen to music?

2) Discuss
Vocabulary
In one minute how many words connected with music can you think of?
Think of these categories

• Musical instruments - guitar, cello...
• Kinds of music - classical, dance...
• Words to describe music - fast, melodic, jazzy...
• Feelings to describe listening to music - How does it make you feel? - happy, energetic, relaxed...

3) Discuss
Vocabulary for describing music / musicians / singers
Look at these words to describe music.

• How many were in your list?
• Do you understand them all?
• Think of some singers / groups / songs / kinds of music. In your opinion which adjectives describe the music / singer / song best? eg I think ______ is depressing / catchy / funky...

A racket (n.) Amazing Avant garde Awful Awesome Beautiful Bluesy Boring Catchy Commercial

Depressing Fast Funky Gentle Gorgeous Heavy Hypnotic Jazzy Makes you want to cry / dance / sing Melodic

Noisy Modern Old-fashioned Passionate Peaceful Popular Pretty Relaxing Repetitive Rocking Sad

Slow Soft Soulful Soulless Spiritual Stunning Swinging Traditional Tuneless Uplifting Violent

4) Discuss
Music in our lives
Look at these sentences. 
How many do you agree with?

1. All human beings are born musical.
2. Music can take us back to bad times in our lives
3. Music has a useful psychological effect.
4. Music makes you feel more positive about bad experiences
5. Music plays an important part in our lives even before we are born
6. Music transports people back to their formative years.
7. People often listen to music to make themselves sad.
8. People often say the best music was made during their adolescence.
9. Playing music loud at night helps children to sleep.
10. Singing and learning a musical instrument improves hearing.

5) Listen
You are going to listen to psychologist Victoria Williamson discussing the role of music from BBC Radio 4's "Today"
Put the sentences above in the order you hear them (see interactive exercise1 below).




http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01tclqw



1) Drag and drop the sentences on the right to put them in the order you hear them in the radio clip.

2) Listen again and do the comprehension quiz

6) Write
Answer. Why do we listen to music?
Use the ideas in the radio interview to help you.





7) Practise
Try the Interactive Crossword.
Click on a number in the crossword to see the clue and type the answer in the space.




Printable worksheets here
Activities
Crossword with answers




More
Go here and do a listening exercise about the sounds of music in nature
Is There Music in the Sounds of Nature? - The Rhythm of Life Advanced, Environment, Music, Nature, Upper Intermediate

Pop Quiz Games, Intermediate Music, Pre-Intermediate, Question Forms, Questions, Quizzes 

What's so special about the Beatles? British Culture, Famous People, Fashion, History, Life in the UK, Listening, Music, Upper Intermediate, Webquest




My favourite kinds of music
Finally, for anyone who is interested I have a blog where I write about my favourite kinds of music here stranger than known

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 

 

What's cooking? - 2. Strawberry jam / A full English breakfast

You are going to

• watch some food recipe videos
• practise the language of cooking
• practise sequencers and time expressions
• practise giving instructions
• do some gap-fill exercises and a food vocabulary crossword
• write a recipe

Discuss

• Do you like cooking?
• Do you know how to cook?
• What's your favourite recipe?
• What are the ingredients?
• How long does it take to prepare and cook?
• Where did you learn to cook it?
• Do you know how to make strawberry jam?
• Do you know how to make a full English breakfast?

List
Write a list of all the cooking words you can think of in 60 seconds

Starter
Watch the strawberry jam recipe

• How do you make strawberry jam?
• What are the ingredients?
• How many words from your list did the presenter use?

B) Watch again. 
Look at this gap-fill exercise and fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list

Main course
Watch "How to make a traditional full English breakfast"
Find out

• What are the ingredients?
• What utensils do you need?

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-traditional-full-english-breakfast

A) What words do we use to say when or in what order things happen?
eg After that, then... They are called sequencers. Can you think of any more?





B) Look at this gap-fill exercise and fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list

Write

Write a recipe of a food you know how to cook

• List the ingredients
• Write the instructions
• Use some of the sequencers, time expressions and verbs in the exercises

Dessert
Do the cooking crossword. 
Too easy? Try this more difficult crossword here

Printable crosswords here (Int) and here (U.Int)
Printable exercises here





More
Sequencers
http://esl.about.com/od/grammarintermediate/a/sequence.htm
Adverb Clauses with Time Expressions
http://esl.about.com/od/grammaradvanced/a/adverb_clauses.htm


The British breakfast
http://designerlessons.org/2012/07/04/esl-lesson-plan-a-full-english-breakfast/

British Food 
http://istudyabroad.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/exploring-british-food/


Activities
Esolcourses Food and Drink activities

Quiz-Busters - Food Quiz With Pronouns

BBC Lingo - Food and cooking


Recipes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/

http://foodupload.com/text_photo_recipes


Don't eat too much!
http://efllecturer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/what-is-weight-of-human-race.html

No more...

What's cooking? - 1. "Bubble and Squeak"

You are going to

• watch a food recipe video
• practise the language of cooking
• practise imperatives
• do a gap-fill exercise
• do a food vocabulary crossword
• write a recipe

1) Discuss

• Do you like cooking?
• Do you know how to cook?
• What's your favourite recipe?
• What are the ingredients?
• How long does it take to prepare and cook?
• Where did you learn to cook it?
• Do you know what "Bubble and Squeak" is?

2) List
A) Write a list of all the cooking words you can think of in 60 seconds

3) Watch "How to make Bubble and Squeak"

Find out

• What is "Bubble and Squeak"? 
• What are the ingredients?
• Does the presenter use any cooking words from your list?

.
Watch the video. 
Click on this link  http://video.about.com/britishfood/How-to-Make-Bubble-and-Squeak.htm and the video will open in a new tab.





4) Watch again
A) Look at the list of cooking words below.  Do you know all of them? Look up the words you don't know.
Watch the video again. How many of the words in the list do you hear? Put "Yes" or "No"









B) Look at this recipe and fill in the gaps with one of the expressions from the list

5) Write

Write a recipe of a food you know how to cook

• List the ingredients
• Write the instructions
• Use some of the verbs in the exercise

8) Do the vocabulary crossword

Printable exercise here
Printable crossword here

More

Now try this one
What's cooking? - 2. Strawberry jam / A full English breakfast  British Culture, Crossword, Differentiated Exercises, FCE, Food, IELTS, Imperatives, Instructions, Intermediate, Listening, Recipes, Sequencers, Time Expressions, Upper Intermediate 


Other Food Activities
Making a sandwich with Mr Bean

Esolcourses Food and Drink activities

Quiz-Busters - Food Quiz With Pronouns

BBC Lingo - Food and cooking

Recipes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/

http://foodupload.com/text_photo_recipes

What is the weight of the human race?

You are going to

• talk about obesity, eating and health
• read a text and do a gap-fill (with differentiated options for FCE and IELTS students)
• listen to a radio discussion on obesity and do a true / false exercise
• look at / listen to some comments by Jamie Oliver on solutions to the obesity problem and do a gap-fill exercise
• write an IELTS style question on the subject of obesity, food and health
• do a crossword to practise the vocabulary used in this post

1) Discuss

• Do you have a healthy diet?
• What is a healthy / unhealthy diet?
• Do some nations have better diets than others?

2) Watch

In 2009 www.globalpost.com compiled a list of the Top 10 Fattest Countries in the world based on national health surveys WHO compiled between 2000 and 2008.

• What countries do you think were on the list?

Watch the video and find out.

3) Discuss

• Is your country on the list?
• What do you think causes people to become overweight?
• Why are we all getting fatter?

4) Read

The Obesity Epidemic
Why are we getting fatter?
Read the text below and do the gap-fill to find out

Exam options

• Click here if you want to do the same text adapted for FCE practice
• Click here if you want to do the same text adapted for IELTS practice

5) Listen

• What do you think is the combined weight of the human race? If you added all our weights together what would it come to?

Listen and find out

listen to ‘What is the weight of the human race?’ on Audioboo

Listen again and do the true / false exercise

 6) Read

• What solutions can you think of to prevent world obesity?

A) Read these quotes from a speech Jamie Oliver made at TED (or watch the clip below)
What solutions does he give?



B) Now fill in the gaps with the correct word from the list.

C) Look at the sentences again.

1. Which sentences describe the problem?
2. Which sentences offer solutions?
3. What language does Jamie use to emphasize the urgency for solutions? 

Answers - highlight below

1. 1 - 6  describe the problem
2. 8 - 14  offer solutions
3. Urgency - have (got) to, need to, it's (profoundly) important that... , it's time for..., most importantly

If you have time watch the clip.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

7) Write (IELTS)

Plan and write the following essay
Obesity is becoming a serious problem in many countries. 
Explain the main causes and effects of this problem, and suggest some possible solutions. (250 words)

8) Crossword

Practise some of the vocabulary used in this post.

Printable worksheets are here
Crossword here

9) More

More reading and learning activities
Learning Activities

• Obesity http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0602/060203-obesity.html
• Problems with Food http://www.eslhandouts.com/worksheets/problems-with-food-vocabulary-lesson/
• BBC Learning English - Fit or Fat? http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/britain/fit.shtml
• Supersize Me http://efllecturer.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/supersize-me.html

Reading

• 10 fattest countries
• USA is no longer the fattest country
• Body Mass Index 
• Physical activity guidelines for adults
• www.jamieoliver.com/

Obesity Calculator “Obese” is someone with a BMI of 30 or higher. Use this calculator by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to see how you score http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/efl-esl-resources.php?c=6

 

UK goes online shopping

You are going to

• listen to a a radio interview about a report on commercial use of the internet
• do a gap fill exercise
• do a crossword based on the vocabulary used in the inteview

Note; the crossword can be done before or after the gap-fill

1) Discuss

• Do you use the internet for shopping or business?
• What kind of business can be done online?
• What are the advantages of using the internet for shopping and business?
• Do you think online shopping and e-commerce are trends that will grow in the future?

2) Vocabulary

Check you know these words
benefits      combination    consumption     contribution     development      downside      e-commerce     exports      GDP     household     incentives      infrastructure      investment      lead    locate     net     skills      workforce




3) Listen

A new study shows that the UK appears to be leading the world in the commercial use of the internet. The Boston Consulting Group's Paul Swillenberg, who wrote the report, explains why this is the case.
From BBC Radio 4 Today




Listen to the interview

• How much of the British economy is online?
• Why do people shop online?
• What recommendations are given to further support commercial use of the internet?

listen to ‘UK a 'world leader' in internet shopping’ on Audioboo

4) Gap-fill

Listen again and fill in the gaps

5) Do the crossword.

All vocabulary is from the listening

6) Discuss / Write

"We should also make sure people are not left behind. 10% of (UK) population is still not online and there are tremendous benefits if they were"
In what ways does having a large number of people with internet access benefit society and business? Do you agree that it is a positive development?

7) More

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17405016

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9706000/9706944.stm
 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/9151934/UK-most-web-connected-economy.html

Printable versions of gap-fill here
crossword here

Does more technology mean more communication?

You are going to

• discuss technology and communication
• listen to a short radio program about technology and communication
• do a sentence ordering exercise
• discuss, plan and write an IELTS style argument essay on the question
• practise some information and communication technology (ICT) vocabulary with a crossword

1) Discuss

• What kinds of technology do we communicate with?
• Is it easier to communicate now than 50 years ago? Why?
• How has technology affected communication and relationships?
• What are the good and bad things about modern forms of communicating?
• Do you use social network sites? Do you agree with any of the comments below?

2) Listen

You are going to listen to Rory Cellan-Jones, the technology correspondent of the BBC. He is going to find out whether more technology means more or better communication.
Look at these questions.

• What examples of information and communications technology (ICT) does he give?
• What disadvantages are mentioned?
• What advantages are given?
• What do you think is the Rory's opinion?

 

http://audioboo.fm/boos/605372-does-more-tech-more-communication-from-bbcr4today




3) Read
Look at the sentences below. You are going to put them in the right order to make a written summary of the program but before you do...
Read quickly and answer.

• Which sentence makes the best introduction? Why?
• Which sentence makes the best conclusion? Why?
• Which sentences can be seen as disadvantages?
• Which comments can be seen as advantages?

Now put the sentences in order. You can listen again to check.

4) Discuss

Look at the sentences again.

• How does Rory introduce the topic he is going to examine?
• How many examples of it does he give?
• How does he introduce the argument?
• How does he give a conclusion / sum up? Does he recognise more than one point of view?

What do you think?

• Does more technology mean more communication?
• Does more technology mean better communication?
• Do you agree that "technology is an addition, not a replacement" for face-to-face socialising and communication?

5) Write

Look at this IELTS question

Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology.

In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships that people make? Has this been a positive or negative development?

Plan your essay.
How many paragraphs are you going to write?
1. Write an introduction
  a) Introduce the topic to be discussed.
  b) Explain it and give a few examples.
  c) Introduce the argument. Restate the question in your own words.

2. Give examples of how technology is changing relationships. State some advantages and disadvantages of these changes. Support your ideas - give some specific examples of the positive or negative effects of these changes.

3. Write a conclusion. Sum up what you have discussed.

6) Vocabulary - Crossword

How much vocabulary can you remember? 
All the answers in the crossword are from the radio clip.

Printable version of crossword here
Printable reading exercise  here

STaRt!

Inspiring People

You are going to

• watch a video and talk about people who inspire others
• practise past simple
• practise some vocabulary connected with occupations and people who try to change the world
• talk about what / who inspires you

1) Discuss

What does inspiring mean?

• What kind of people or things inspire you?
• In what jobs is it necessary to try and inspire people?
• Why do people try to inspire others?

Look at the photos below. 

• How many of them do you know? 
• What do you know about them?

Look at their names

Top left to right - Mother Teresa, Winston Churchill, Muhammad Ali, Che Guevara, Bob Marley,

Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mohandas Gandhi, Emmeline Pankhurst

 

2) Do the matching exercise
How many do you know? Match the occupation with the name.
You can drag and drop the occupations to the names.

3) Discuss
Who do you think is the most inspiring of the 10?
Why?
Watch the clip. Do you agree with the choice of people?

4) Discuss

• Do you agree with the choice of people in the list? Why / Why not?
• What can you remember about the people in the clip?

5) Do the quiz

Be careful of spelling and punctuation. You can use numbers in some answers.

6) Read

Can you put the correct past forms in the gaps?

7) Do the crossword

The answers are all from the video / reading text.
How many can you remember?

Crossword printable version here
Printable exercises here



8) Speak
Do a balloon debate  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balloon_debate

9) Discuss / Write

Who inspires you?
Write about someone who inspires you.

Plan
1. Introduce the person. Who are they? Why are they important to you?
2. Describe the the person in more detail. Describe their character / personality. Why / How do they inspire you? Do they inspire you because of their beliefs / their actions? What exactly have you learnt from them?
3. Are you a better person because of them? How have they changed you? Give an example of something you do that they inspired.
4. Conclude. How would your life be different without them? Restate why they are important to you in a few words.

10) Read

What inspires you? Try a quiz
http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/1476632/what-inspires-you

http://www.quibblo.com/quiz/1hR2N3l/Who-inspires-you

11) More

Shakira and Beyonce / Writing a biography of someone you admire
http://efllecturer.blogspot.com/2011/10/shakira-and-beyonce-contrasting-writing.html


Occupy Education  http://occupyedu.tumblr.com/

Merry Christmas Mr Bean

Teacher's note;

The activities in the worksheet at the bottom of this post are based on the full episode available on DVD or on youtube http://youtu.be/L2UCRNldC3s (it cannot be embedded here).

This post contains some exercises based on the embeddable youtube clips. The answers are in the worksheet.

DVD available here

Mr Bean celebrates the traditional British Christmas: the baubles, the crackers, the nativity scene, the carols, the presents, the turkey and the mistletoe... they are all here. As no British Christmas is complete without a disaster or two that makes it the typical British Christmas!

You are going to

• discuss Christmas
• watch the Christmas Mr Bean episode and do some activities
• find Christmas words in a word search exercise
• write the story in the past tense
• find out more about the typical British Christmas and some of the Christmas things in the video.

Christmas Vocabulary – crackers,  mistletoe, Christmas tree, tinsel, carols, carol singers, Santa Claus / Father Christmas, stockings, presents, holly, turkey, stuffing, fairy lights, angel, star, cards, pudding, baubles, nativity scene, baby Jesus, manger.

Discuss

• Do you celebrate Christmas?
• What do people usually do on Christmas Eve in the UK?
• What do people usually do on Christmas Day in the UK?
• Do you know of any special Christmas food or Christmas customs in the UK?
• What decorations do we have?
• What’s a cracker?
• What’s mistletoe?
• What are carols?

Watch clip 1
Answer the questions in the interactive exercise after you watch

1. Did Mr Bean have any Christmas decorations?
2. What Christmas decorations did Mr Bean have?
3. What kind of films were on TV?
4. Did Mr Bean like the films?
5. What did the children sing?
6. Did Mr Bean like them?
7. What did he eat?
8. Did he give the children anything?

Now do  exercise 1 (the answers to questions 9 and 10 are in the next clip)

Watch clip 2

Answer the questions in the interactive exercise after you watch

1) What were his 3 Christmas presents and who were they for?


2) Who says it?
Put “B” for Bean or “G” for his girlfriend.

___”Are you alright in there?”
___“Fine, thank you”

___“Cup of tea?”
___“Oh Yes, if you’re having one”
___“Well I might”
___“Have you got the turkey on?”
___“Do you want a hand?”
___“No, no, thank you”



3) Fill in the gaps from this list of verbs                        
USE THE PAST FORMS                                                      
(You can use some verbs more than once)
Pull  Eat  Give  Do  Cry  Make  Be  Ring  Find  Leave  Want  Scream  Throw  Lose  Put  Hang  Be  See

1. Mr Bean _____  lunch
2. The turkey ______ very big
3. He ______ stuffing inside the turkey
4. He ______ his watch
5. His girlfriend ______ the doorbell
6. She ______ up the mistletoe
7. She ______ when she ___ Mr Bean
8. She ______ the coal bucket out the window
9. Mr Bean ______ his watch
10. They ______ sandwiches for lunch
11. She ______ him a present
12. She ______ a kiss
13. He ______ want to kiss her
14. He _____ her a present
15. She ______ after she ___  her present and ______ the flat
16. Mr Bean ______ the cracker
17. There ___ an explosion

Now do exercises 2 and 3

4) Do the word square

There are 19 Christmas words hidden in this box. Can you find them all?
The words go across → and down ↓
 

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5) Do the crossword

Printable version here



Worksheet and answers

Merry Christmas Mr Bean for EFL

View more documents from David Mainwood

5) Writing

• Tell the story of Mr Bean's Christmas in the past. Start Mr Bean went shopping in Harrods. He...
• Describe your typical Christmas 
• Describe a similar festival in your country (talk about the typical food, clothes, traditional activities etc)

6) Reading / Webquest
Find out about the typical British Christmas.

Click on the links to find the answers
Why do we decorate our houses at Christmas?
When is Boxing Day?
Why is it called Boxing Day?
What is Christmas Pudding? 
Why do we have Christmas trees?
Who is Father Christmas?
What are mince pies?
What is a nativity play?
What do children do at Christmas?
What are the 12 days of Christmas?

Read more about the traditional British Christmas here  http://projectbritain.com/Xmas/index.html#top

More activities here http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/christmas.html