Orientation Lesson Plan: Session 1 Part 1 - Living In China

Lesson Level:  Trainee Teacher  s                    Duration:  One Hour

Lesson Title:     Life In China

Lesson Objectives

To introduce the trainees to the problems/situations they may face living in China.

Materials Required

Slide show (Power Point or other format)¹

Preparation

Prepare slide show. Check computer available. Check computer set up and software working.

Procedure

1 (5 Minutes/5 Minutes)

Introduce yourself. Write name on board. Tell students how long  that you have been teaching in China and where you have taught.

Show ball². Tell students to buy a couple.

Ball toss game³.

                                                When you get the ball

                                                            stand up

                                                            tell class your name, you country,

                                                                                    and something you know about China

                                                            throw ball to a new student

Double ball toss game

                                                Whoever has GREEN must say the name and country

                                                of whoever has BLUE.

2 (2 Minutes/7 Minutes)

Tell students that this session is mainly you talking.

Tell students they can stop you and ask questions whenever they like.

Start Power Point (or write list on board⁴)

Run through headings.

3 (5 Minutes/12 Minutes)

One Housing

Tell students about getting posted to Baiyin⁵

SLIDE 1: APARTMENT EXTERIOR

SLIDE 2: STAIRWELL

Tell students how you felt.

SLIDES 3-6: APARTMENT INTERIOR

Explain about showers, toilets etc

                        showers may not be great, low pressure, not very hot

                        toilets in apartments usually western

                        elsewhere usually not

                        BROKEN LEG STORY⁶

Explain about apartments on campus/off campus

                        Advantages

                                    Very secure

                                    Very close to workplace

                                    Easier to get problems sorted out

                        Disadvantages

                                    Not as easy to have visitors or private students

                                    Lack of privacy

                                    Need to get past security if returning late at night

4 (8/20)

Two: Food

WARN FIRST THAT NOT FOR SQUEAMISH

Ask if any vegetarians.

SLIDES 5-12: WEIRD FOODS

Tell students Chinese eat out much more than westerners. Most cities will have hundreds of restaurants. Within two minutes walk of my apartment in Baiyin  there were fourteen

Unfortunately not usuaslly manywestern restaurants. May be a McDonald’s or KFC.

Likely to be invited to dinner a lot. Very hard to pay. How to pay.

Tell Megan's birthday story.⁷

Wash or peel all food at home. Standards of hygiene are low. Use iodine if you have it. At very least wash in boiling water.

Western food depends on where you are. Bigger city supermarkets often have some.

Very unlikely to get cheese. Butter and yoghurt usually available.

Western style packaged foods not usually.

Street food:

At your own risk. I eat it and haven't had problems. Other people have had real problems – even had to go to hospital.

Bottom Line:YOU WILL GET SICK SOMETIMES – do what you would do at home. Stop eating and drink only bottled water for a couple of days.

Which brings us to

5.(8/28)

Part 3: Medicine.

You can get western medicine if you try. Lots of pharmacies.

Chinese friends will try to insist Chinese TCM/ acupuncture etc. is better.

Personally I like proven evidenced remedies but it's up to you.

By all means use the Chinese medicines if you trust them.

If you do have to go to hospital don't worry – standards are usually good :

Medicines often given using intravenous drip rather than injections.

Chinese friends will try to take you to hospital for every little thing. Sneeze once and they will want you to go on a drip.

The drips are often just antibiotics which are not only ineffective but in the long run counterproductive.

6 (8/36)

Part 4: Dangers and annoyances

SLIDES 13-18

                        Just list, show talk about

                                                Health and Safety⁸

                                                Electrical standards⁹

                                                Manhole covers¹⁰

                                                Traffic¹¹

                                                Noise¹²

                                                Spitting/ Public Urination¹³

                                                Polution

 7 (5/41)

Part 5: Difficulties For Women (had to consult colleagues)

                        Just getting hit on¹⁴

                        Marriage proposals from lots of men, often from married men

                        Getting clothes – especially underwear –  to fit¹⁵

                        Getting hair dye

                        Getting cosmetics that don't have whitening agents

                        Getting unscented sanitary products

                        Smoking in public by women is frowned upon in most places¹⁶

8 (4/45)

Part 6: Getting about

SLIDES 19-21

                        Polution is the big problem

                        Taxis cheap

                        Buses even cheaper.

9. Good things. Show and describe the slides illustrating Chinese parks, markets, hosptality and KTV.

10 (10/55)

Allow time at end of session for any questions and answers about living in China.

Questions about working and schools will be dealt with in the next session.

Notes

1. See below for all slides used during the presentation.

2. See blog entry on “Squishy-throwy things”

3. See blog entry on “Ball Toss Activities”

4. Housing, Food, Medicine and Health, Dangers and Annoyances, Problems For Women, Getting About

5. See blog entry on ”Give it a chance”.

6. I had my leg in plaster for six weeks. With your leg in plaster ankle to hip it’s damned near impossible to use a western toilet. Chinese ones are a torture devised for Dante’s Inferno.

7. See blog entry on “Eating with friends”

8. The Chinese approach to Health and Safety is not to have any. Your safety is your responsibility. It can be very scary at first. Whether you are crossing the road, changing a fuse or trying not to fall down open manholes it’s up to you to be careful.

9. See “A morning walk in my underwear” blog entry.

10.  Open manholes and drains are pretty common. Even in unlit alleys at night. Always use a flashlight and always take care to look where you are going. Even where there are no holes in the ground the pavements can be very uneven. If you fall into one and wonder who you can sue, see 8 above.

11.  See blog entry on “Driving In China”

12.  It won’t take you long to realize that China is a noisy country, a very noisy country. Get used to it. It isn’t going to change.

13.  And the same goes for spitting and public urination. It won’t stop so you just have to learn to ignore it. (Or join in!)

14.  I am assured that western women often get pestered by Chinese men. I have no advice to offer other than do whatever you would do back home if someone was bothering you. You should be aware that pepper spray and similar deterrents are illegal here. As for marriage proposals, I know one teacher who received about a dozen in her first year here. Some from married men and one from a man’s mother on behalf of her son.

15.  Applies to men generally in terms of clothing (and especially shoe) sizes but I am told that getting bras that are the correct fit can be very difficult for women.

16.  Women do smoke in bars and coffee shops but, apart from in the big tourist centres, rarely on the street. With that said, you won’t have a problem as contrary to some things you may here, nowadays people don’t consider it to indicate loose morals, just to be something you don’t do. If you smoke, just don’t do it in the school and it will be fine.

Power Point Slides

A morning walk in my underwear.

China has a simple approach to Health and Safety - there isn't any. Unfenced, unlit holes may be found in many streets whether  broad daylight or the dead of night. I've tripped down a few myself. A colleague once fell down one as we were walking through an alley from her apartment to the main road. One minute she was there and the next she was in a hole, fortunately unharmed beyond scrapes and bruises.

This cavalier approach extends to building sites (where unsecured loads of bricks in wheelbarrows are precariously hauled up five floors on ropes), roadworks,(which are often unsignposted and unguarded), driving (where the preferred overtaking location seems to be on blind bends) and, of course, electrical fitting.

I fell foul of this on one cold winter morning. I had just stripped off for a shower. I went in, turned the water on and the main fuse blew. Now this isn't an unusual occurrence, fuses here often blow, but the fuse box location is invariably on the landing in the stairwell outside the apartment. I pulled on my boxer shorts, stepped into my flip flops and nipped out to throw the switch. As I did so the door closed behind me.

Naturally my money, keys and phone were all inside the apartment and none of my neighbours would have been able to help as none of them spoke any English at all.

Fortunately I had a spare set of keys at another teacher's apartment. Unfortunately she lived about two miles away. So at seven on a very cold morning, in my underwear and flip flops I marched through the streets, all the time praying that she would be at home.

She was. After I'd recounted my woes she gave me the keys, a bright pink womans T- shirt and the money for a cab.

Of course dressed like that, I could find no cab driver willing to stop for me so, cursing all the way I marched back and let myself in.

You may be wondering where the connection with electrical standards is. Well, when I flipped the switch it tripped again immediately so I checked the wiring. The wire from the water heater ran behind a mirror and lifting it off the wall I discovered that two loose cables had been joined together with sellotape which had, naturally burned through over time, allowing the wires to touch. Hence the short that tripped the fuse.

This "good enough is good enough" attitude is pretty common and you can't allow yourself to worry about it or you would worry yourself into an early grave (if the wiring didn't get you first.)

You just need to be extra vigilant and remember that standards that you are used to may not apply here.

Eating With Friends

There is a point of dining etiquette that people new to China may not be aware of. It's best illustrated by a story from my early days in Baiyin. There were, at that time several foreign teachers in the city and one of them had a birthday coming and decided to celebrate in a local restaurant that we used quite a lot. She invited all the teachers and a similar number of Chinese friends and we went and had a good meal and a good evening but things turned a little sour at the end. She was expecting the western custom of splitting the bill - which the teachers all understood - but that just isn't the way things work in China. Over here if you invite someone to join you for dinner, whether formally or casually, it's expected that you will be paying the whole bill. The Chinese guest were seriously unimpressed.

With that said, it can be quite difficult to live up to the obligation. A few months ago I was revisiting Baiyin and took a bunch of friends out o dinner. I was fully expecting to pay but only managed it by a whisker and by sneaking out during the meal. Mere minutes after I had paid one of my friends also went out, only to return looking rather nonplussed a few moments later. He had tried to pay the bill only to be informed that I had already paid it.

The correct etiquette is for the host to pay. If others offer it's polite to refuse and if you see anyone surreptitiously leaving the meal it's best to follow them and then race them to the cashier so that you can pay first.

Fighting the school

Something has happened today that gives a useful insight into a problem that might come up from time to time. What do you do when the school insists that you do something you know to be ineffective, stupid or just flat out wrong?

Let me tell you what happened.

 A few days ago I was told by my school that the students would soon be getting a new oral English text book and I was expected to make it my sole, or at least primary, source for future lessons.

I've now got a copy of the book.

I wish I was writing this as a parody but the reality is so ridiculous as to be beyond satire. Remember this is supposed to be the only Oral English text book that I use and I have been instructed by the school to use it exclusively. It's an instruction that I fully intend to disregard – disregard to the extent of not using it at all. I'll fight my corner when they complain. The whole thing seems to be based on the premise that every single student in the school will leave school and become a local tour guide.

The title of the book tells you what to expect. It doesn't mention English at all – it's called “Travelling Around Yangshuo”.

There are fifteen units and I am supposed to use one a week.

The titles of the units – and this is verbatim from the contents page – are

A Brief Introduction to Yangshuo

Food In Yangshuo: Local Cuisine

Food In Yangshuo: Special Snacks of Yangshuo

Food In Yangshuo: Special Agricultural Products

Accommodation In Yangshuo: Living Environment

Accommodation In Yangshuo:Famous Hotels

Accommodation In Yangshuo:Special Homestay

Famous Scenic Sites In Yangshuo: Travel Plans

Famous Scenic Sites In Yangshuo: Travel Information

Famous Scenic Sites In Yangshuo: Packing For The Tour

Famous Scenic Sites In Yangshuo: Asking The Way On The Trip

Famous Scenic Sites In Yangshuo: Sighteseeing

Famous Scenic Sites In Yangshuo: Tips On Tours

Transportation About Yangshou: How To Get To Yangshuo

Transportation About Yangshou: Activities Around Yangshuo

Talk about monomania! I have no idea whose ill-conceived project this is but if if I try to teach that I'll have a riot on my hands by week three. So, as I said, I shall do what I have done before with such daft ideas and ignore it totally. I'm fully prepared to argue my case with the teachers, the principals and everybody else involved. What I'm not prepared to do is waste my time and the students efforts in this daft enterprise.

This isn't the first time I've come into conflict with schools over what they want me to do and what I know, as a pretty experienced teacher, is the right thing to do. When that happens you have only two choices. You can just say "OK, I get paid either way" and do it or you can take a stand and argue for doing the right thing. I always do the latter. Imagine how difficult my classes will be to control by the time we get to the tenth lesson on the same subject. I've sometimes been told to adopt a more Chinese style - with more drilling and rote learning. My answer to that is "fire me and hire a Chinese teacher - it's cheaper". So far no one ever has. 

"I'm not saying you should get into knock-down arguments about every little thing but there are times when you should politely and respectfully say "No". Whenever this has happened in the past the school has ALWAYS backed down. What I'll do when I hit a situation where they won't back down remains to be seen.

Give It A Chance

During orientation one of my jobs is to describe what living conditions are likely to be like. In some ways it's an impossible task.  I have only visited a handful of Chinese cities and only lived in two - albeit in about six different apartments. Unless you are posted to Baiyin - an unlikely possibility, as we no longer have any teachers there - I can't really tell you much about the schools or the living standards. On the other hand I can tell you what my experience was when I moved there which might help.

When I first came over here I had to do a week of orientation when I was told about living and teaching in China and I had to demonstrate a lesson. Then I was given my placement and I didn't like the sound of it. Not at all. The write-up provided by the previous teacher made Baiyin sound like a hellish place to live. Reluctantly, I agreed to the posting and flew up to Gansu province. The ride from the airport - ninety minutes through bleak desert - did nothing to reassure me. The first sight of my apartment, and even moreso of the horrible grey concrete stairwell convinced me that I was now in Hell on Earth.

And then I went into my apartment and I was suddenly much happier. Apartments vary but that apartment was the best furnished of all the ones I've lived in in the last four years. I settled into the apartment and over the next few weeks got to know the city. It cannot, it has to be said, be described as beautiful. It's an ordinary, industrial city in the middle of a desert. It is never going to be an oasis of loveliness. There's pollution from the factories and occasional sandstorms. With that said I discovered quickly that while it might not have everything I would have liked, it certainly had everything I needed. There were good shops, more great restaurants than I could count, plenty of  bars and pool halls and even a cinema that usually had one English film.

Above all that though, the people and the schools were friendly and helpful and I quickly started to enjoy my life there. I even got a girlfriend.

At the end of the year, when I was asked to stay on in the city, I did not take too much persuading. And I stayed for another year after that. When I left to come to Yangshuo there were a number of reasons but none of them had to do with the city or the schools, especially not to do with the people. I had by then made many Chinese friends who I was sad to say goodbye to. Living apart from my girlfriend has, of course, been a particular wrench.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone has the same experience. It's quite possible that people will be placed in situations that they just don't like for whatever reason. In situations that they genuinely can't tolerate. Some of my apartments haven't been of that standard, for example and sometimes the schools and administrators don't understand the expectations of western teachers, but my point is simple. I started out hating my posting and ended up not wanting to leave. Unless your situation is genuinely very bad, it's worth trying to stick with it and give it a chance.

Tip #4 - Ball toss activities

One of the previous tips was called "squishy-throwy things" and it suggested that bath sponges are ideal for throwing around the class.
Here are a few tips for what to do with them.

1. Choosing students. You won't remember every student's name. You could have up to 1000 students a week and it's just impossible. So when you need to select students to answer a question, tossing the ball to them and getting them to stand is a good way to identify who you are talking to and to make it fun.

2. Letting them toss the ball to each other. When you have an activity that involves many students doing the same thing - for example if you have asked the whole class to name 'types of building in a town', toss the ball to a student and then let them toss it from student to student with each new student providing an answer.

3. Double ball toss activity. If you have a question and answer drill, for example one student asking another student "What is your favourite..." and the second student replying, you can use two different coloured sponges with students with one colour asking and the other colour answering. Let the students toss them around. If, as often happens, you end up with one student with both balls, let him ask and answer his own question before throwing them to two other students. It always raises a laugh.

4. Getting the attention of students. You will need to practice your throwing skills for this but if you see  students who is gazing down into their laps, they are probably reading  books or playing with their phones. If you can accurately drop the ball into their laps from the front of the class it startles them. The whole class laughs and then you can target your next question at them.

5. Waking sleeping students. Number 4 works just as well to wake sleeping students, though if you have belligerent older students it might be better to either wake them gently or let them sleep.

What if they just won't cooperate

One of the teachers from my last orientation group has asked me what to do if students just won't work in a group.

It can be a problem but it's part of a wider issue - what if they just won't work at all?

When I first started at my original school here in China most of my classes were great - a little noisy at times - but mostly pretty great. However there was one class  of Senior 2 students who weren't. They simply wouldn't even attempt the work that I set them, no matter how easy it was. I simplified and simplified until I was teaching them the same lessons that I was teaching my Junior 1 classes. I still couldn't get them to work. I talked with their class teacher and discovered that this class had been deliberately put together from all the most difficult students in the grade and that every teacher had the same problems with them. There was virtually nothing to be done with them. The way that the class had been assembled virtually guaranteed that they would fail. Still, you have to teach every class, whether they are easy or not. All I could do was keep on trying, pitching the easiest lessons I could with the most interesting tasks I could manage. I never did manage to get through to that class but that's the way it goes sometimes. You just have to accept that you can't win them all and try the best you can.

On the other hand I had a class in another school where after a couple of lacklustre lessons I started to teach one afternoon and got literally no response from them. They weren't my strongest class but they were far from being my weakest. Once again I couldn't get them to do anything - even down to the level of answering questions like "what is your name". On that occasion I had to go to get their class teacher, a colleague who spoke excellent English, and have him explain to them in Chinese that even if they didn't know the answers or were too embarrassed to try they had to respond and - right or wrong - I wouldn't be angry with them. I just needed them to answer. After that they were still reluctant but they got better as time went on  and once they realised that I really didn't mind wrong answers - that I was there to help them fix those problems, they started to be a pretty good class.

The point is this, whether it's an individual or a whole class that won't participate you need to find out why. The first class was just made up of the grade's most difficult students and was hard for everybody. The second class were  an average group but wouldn't participate because they were afraid of making mistakes.

There are all kinds of reasons that students - or classes - won't participate but I'm fairly sure that "they hate me" is bottom of the list. Let's think for a minute of what some of  those reasons might be.

They are unused to working with western teaching methods. (For example, in groups.)

They don't understand what you want them to do.

The task you have set them is too difficult for them

The task you have set them is too easy for them.

The task that you have set is too boring for them.

You have grouped them with other students that they don't get along with.

They are afraid to show their lack of knowledge.

They understand but don't have any confidence.

They are shy.

They genuinely have no interest in learning English.

They are too tired because of their heavy schedules.

Individual students may have family problems or emotional issues.

They think they are, in the western phrase, "too cool for school".

They don't want to show off how clever they are in front of their friends.

They physical layout of the classroom may prevent them working easily with other people.

Those are just a few reasons that are straight off the top of my head. I could sit here and think up as many again... and again... but the point I'm making is that unless you can figure out why the class - or the student - won't join in, there is no effective way to address it. Once you figure out "why" the rest still might not be easy but it's definitely easier.

Some of these things you can deal with easily... if the tasks are too hard, too easy or too boring the answer is right there in your hands. If they are shy or scared or don't want to show off, then simple encouragement and trying to be sensitive to the issue is the way to go.

Others are more difficult but you'll get nowhere until you start with the right question.

Moving on to the problem with groups there are certainly some things that you can do that will help out in general.

You should begin by thinking about the way groups are organised - the physical grouping, the size of the groups and whether or not it's actually possible for them to work as a group. Having ten students sitting in pairs behind each other means that they can't actually talk to each other. If you can't move them around then try to use smaller groups.

When you are designing the activity make sure that it is at the right level and that it's interesting enough. And - though it should be obvious - make sure it's actually doable... trial it. Think about the instructions, plan exactly what you are going to say and write on the board.

When you set up the groups make the strongest student in each group the leader and tell them that it's their job to ask everyone else in the group for their ideas.

While the activity is taking place make sure that you monitor all the groups. If any of them aren't participating then help them.

But most of all remember that while you have to try to reach every student there is always the chance that you won't be able to reach some of them. You do your best, set things up properly and monitor them but if you have done everything right and it still doesn't work... try not to let it get you down.

Sometimes life's just like that.

A note on Chinese driving

Chinese Rules of The Road

1. Right of way works on the “chicken” principle.

2. Driving is on the right. Unless you prefer the left. Motorcyclists may optionally use the pavements. (In either direction)

3. Use of lights at night is optional for all vehicles except motorcycles and bicycles for which it is forbidden.

4. All vehicles must sound their horns at least once for every thirty metres travelled, or thirty seconds elapsed, whichever is shorter.

5. Pedestrian safety is the responsibility of pedestrians. It is forbidden to slow down to avoid hitting them.

6. All road marking, road signage and traffic light systems are purely decorative.

7. Whenever driving you should look only straight ahead. Checking left or right is forbidden especially at junctions.

8. When reversing “blind” from a narrow space onto a busy road, no assistance may be sought or given.

9. Overtaking is ALWAYS permitted but no account must be taken of oncoming traffic. Blind bends are the preferred location.

10. Where a road has multiple lanes you may only change lanes if there is less than one metre between your new position and the car immediately behind you.

11. Where a road has multiple lanes AND they are marked by white lines, the purpose of the white line is to indicate where the centre of your car should be positioned.

12. When merging onto a busier road it is not your responsibility to merge safely, it is everyone else’s responsibility to get out of your way. Your car will go into any gap that is at least one centimetre bigger than the vehicle.

While these rules may be somewhat cynically stated, they are in broad principle correct.

If you doubt me I found this video on YouTube which is nothing unusual, just an everyday drive in any Chinese town. It lists a few more rules that I missed above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPxinqO3f8o

Now go out, have your brain surgically removed and apply for that Chinese license.

Important Note

If you look at the top of the page you will see two new tabs - Lesson Plan Index and Articles Index. They do exactly what they say. They list, and tell you where to find, all the lesson plans and articles that I have posted to this blog. For teachers that I trained both should be useful.

Enjoy.

Lesson Plan: In My Garden

This lesson should be done in the week following the lesson on "Spring".

Lesson Level:     Junior                   Duration:  40 Minutes

Lesson Title:     In My Garden

Grammar and Vocabulary

Revise vocabulary from previous lesson (Spring)

Additional vocabulary for gardens

Flower bed/vegetable/path/garden shed/bushes/lawn mower/lawn .

Lesson Objectives

Students will revise vocabulary from previous lesson and add new vocabulary to describe gardens.

Students will discuss what they like in a garden and design their own gardens.

Students will present their gardens to the class.

Materials Required

None

Preparation

None

Procedure

1

Write “In My Garden” on board.

Elicit meaning of “Garden”

Explain Yard/Garden (What is called a “garden” in England is called a “yard” in America. In England the word “yard” only means a concrete area with no grass or plants, In America “garden” only means an area for growing flowers or vegetables.)

2

Ask who remembers the flowers from last week.

Elicit bluebell/daffodil/snowdrop/primrose/tulip/buttercup and write on board.

Play hangman variation using the vocabulary words.

For this variation draw a flower pot with a flower consisting of a stem, two leaves and six petals. At each wrong guess remove one of these 9 items (two leaves count as one item.)

Add words to vocabulary list on board. Explain meanings of new words.

3

Select students using ball toss and ask if they have a garden.

Ask what is in their garden.

4

Divide class into groups of four.

Play “quicklists” game.

Each group starts with three lives. The groups, in turn, must say a word for something you can find in a garden. It cannot be something already on the board. A group has only ten seconds to answer. If they answer the word is added to the board. If they fail to answer that team loses a life. All three lives lost means the group is out. The last group to be in are the winners.

5.

Using the vocabulary on the board (you can add additional vocabulary if you need it) and suggestions from the class design a garden.

Start by drawing a large square. Ask students where you should have a path. Draw path.

Ask students if you need a shed and where to put it.

Ask students for types of flowers or vegetables and where to put them

Continue until you have a sample design on the board.

(Alternatively for weaker classes just draw a layout then label it with the words “path”, “shed”, “lawn etc and recheck meanings with the class.

6

Tell groups they must now draw and label their own gardens.

Give about ten minutes for this activity.

Monitor and assist as necessary.

7

Choose some of the best gardens and ask students from those groups to come and draw their gardens on the board.

Ask ANOTHER student from each of the groups who have drawn to tell the class about the garden.

8

If there is time, repeat with more groups.

Lesson Plan: Spring

Lesson Level:  Junior                    Duration:  40

Lesson Title:     Spring

Grammar and Vocabulary

Names of various flowers¹. .

I like…

I like… because

I don’t like…

I don’t like… because

Lesson Objectives

Students will learn names of various flowers associated with Spring.

Students will discuss things that they like to do in spring.

Materials Required

Handouts.²

  

Preparation

Prepare enough handouts to give one per group.

Procedure

1

Write “Spring” on board.

Elicit what it means from the class.

2

Tell class you will show them some pictures of flowers.

Divide class into groups.

Give each group the pictures.

Write the flower vocabulary on board.

Use ball toss to get students to read and describe the flowers in the pictures.

3

Give the other handout.

Get two students to read.

Get two more students to read.

Check understanding by asking questions about the dialogue.

4

Clear the board except for the flower names..

Get students to match the descriptions on the handouts to the names.

5.

Tell students to look at the quotes about Spring.³

Get individual students to read out the quotes.

In groups decide how each person feels about Spring.

Elicit answers from the class.

6

Write on board.

In your groups try to answer these questions.

Do you like Spring or dislike it?

Why?

What can you see in Spring?

What can you do in Spring?

Which is your favourite season?

7

Monitor groups during discussion and then elicit feedback answering the various questions.

Notes

1 You need pictures (from the internet) of the following flowers.

bluebell, snowdrop, primrose, tulip daffodil, buttercup

2 (Note. These materials are adapted from Practical Oral English: Junior 2 Spring Term)

Cathy	Spring is my favourite season.
Danielle	Mine too. In England, Spring usually starts in April and the weather is usually showery.
Cathy	Yes. I love it when all the flowers come out in spring. My favourite thing to do is to go for a walk in the woods where all the bluebells are growing.
Danielle	Yes, I love that too. It's best if you go when the sun comes out after a shower... after a sweet shower. Then everything smells so fresh and lovely.
Cathy	Let's go down for a walk now. We can go down past all the buttercups on the hill and into the woods to see the bluebells and the snowdrops.
Danielle	I like the daffodils best. Are there any daffodils yet?
Cathy	Yes, of course, down near the stream, there are lots. There are even some primroses and a few tulips.
Danielle	Sounds great. Come on, let's go.
Cathy	Wait a minute. I'll get my camera and we can take some pictures. I love Spring.
Danielle	So do I.

What Do You Remember?

Without looking back at the dialogue or the  pictures, try to match these descriptions to the flowers mentioned.

Has a large yellow bell-shaped flower.  ....................................................................................

A small flower with three white petals that hangs down towards the ground  ....................................

A tightly-closed flower that can come in many different colours  ....................................................

A beautiful flat flower that often has a different coloured centre ......................................................

A small blue flower shaped like a bell ...............................................................................................

A tiny bright yellow flower that can cover a whole field   ...............................................................

 “When spring came there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people.”  ― Ernest Hemingway

“It's called spring fever. And when you've got it, you don't know what you want, but it just makes your heart ache, you want it so much!” ― Mark Twain

“People always  talk about the beauty of the spring, but I can't see it. The trees are brown and bare, slimy with rain.” ― M.T. Anderson 

“I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright.”  ― Millard Kaufman

3 Some of the activities in this lesson may need to be dropped for weaker classes.