Finally, a pronunciation maze at Handout Hub! This basic-level one forces students to guide themselves through an intoxicating maze of dozens of words, carefully following the /3:/ route. A nice platform for later drilling.
1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.
2. Focus students' attention on the instructions and the start square. Drill with students the start word 'third' and the sound /ɜ:/ compared to words such as 'then' or 'thorn' necessary for them to complete the maze. Explain to students that they must find their way through the maze by using words only with the /ɜ:/ sound.
3. When most students have finished, get them to guide you through it, using the opportunity as a chance to practise pronunciation through drilling.
Type:
A pronunciation activity
Skill:
Pronunciation
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Pronunciation practice
Work:
Students work individually
Focus:
/i:/ and /ɪ/
A pronunciation maze targeted at lower-level English students coming to grips with the two different sounds /I/ and /i:/. Let them guide you through the maze of /I/ allowing them to practise pronunciation followed by your drilling.
1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.
2. Focus students' attention on the instructions and the start square. Drill with students the start word 'fish' and the sound /I/ compared to words such as 'cheese' /i:/and mine /ɑɪ/ necessary for them to complete the maze. Explain to students that they must find their way through the maze by using words only with the /I/ sound.
3. When most students have finished, get them to guide you through it, using the opportunity as a chance to practise pronunciation through drilling.
Type:
A pronunciation activity
Skill:
Pronunciation
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Pronunciation practice
Work:
Students work individually
Focus:
/θ/ and /ð/
At this point in an English student's experience it is time to differentiate between the two 'th' sounds of English. This pronunciation handout does that through the framework of a challenging pronunciation maze.
1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.
2. Focus students' attention on the instructions and the start square. Drill with students the start word 'the' and the sound /ð/ compared to words such as 'think' or 'three' (both /θ/) necessary for them to complete the maze. Explain to students that they must find their way through the maze by using words only with the /ð/ sound.
3. When most students have finished, get them to guide you through it, using the opportunity as a chance to practise pronunciation through drilling.
Type:
An individual extended writing task
Skill:
Writing
Time:
20-30 minutes
Stage:
Free grammar writing practice
Work:
Students work individually
Focus:
A Holiday Postcard
Writing postcards might seem like a drag on holiday, but not in your classroom! In this extension task students write about a recent holiday they went on, practising the past simple, time phrases and holiday vocabulary.
1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.
2. Read through the instructions with the students and outline the language and vocabulary requirements of the task. Give students a generous time limit of between 20-30 minutes depending on their ability.
3. Monitor the students and provide language input or inspiration when appropriate. Don't worry about errors at this stage.
4. The best feedback for this task involves collecting the work and marking it. To lessen your workload, reduce the number of words/time in the task. Feedback common errors on the board at the next opportunity.
Type:
An individual extended writing task
Skill:
Writing
Time:
20-30 minutes
Stage:
Free grammar writing practice
Work:
Students work individually
Focus:
A Personal Profile
For a constructive writing challenge and a fun speaking activity, this is a great handout. Students complete anonymous profiles about themselves which you can stick around the room. Students get up, read each other's and guess who they are.
1. Copy one handout for each individual student, put a number in the small box for every student you have. Shuffle the handouts and distribute them.
2. Read through the instructions with the students and outline the language and vocabulary requirements of the task. Give students a time limit of between 10-15 minutes to sketch the picture and write the sentences. Ensure students don't write their names on the worksheets.
3. Tell students firmly that there time is up. Take in the work sheets, shuffle them and stick them up on the walls with blue-tac or cello tape..
4. Next, get students to stand up, walk around the room and read the other students handouts. Students have to guess who each person is.
Type:
A pronunciation activity
Skill:
Pronunciation
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Lead-in
Work:
Drill with individual students as a whole class
Focus:
A Vocalisation Game
For a fun pronunciation game that tests a students pronunciation fluency, use this. Students repeat short phrases clearly and quickly to 'sound out' a well-known name or phrase.
1. Copy one sheet per pair of students, and cut the sheets up into A and B.
2. Put the students into pairs with an A and B student, and distribute the worksheets.
3. The aim of the task is to pronounce the words both clearly and quickly so that a name or phrase is revealed to both students. Student A reads out the sentence to B repeatedly until A can guess what the name or phrase is. Student B has the answers so can correct him/her. Model the pronunciation yourself with examples to help students along.
4. This activity can be done as a lead-in or at any time in the lesson to energise lethargic students. If done at the beginning, why not revisit it at the end to see if the students remember?
Type:
An individual writing task
Skill:
Writing
Time:
20 minutes
Stage:
Controlled grammar writing practice
Work:
Students work individually
Focus:
A, An, Some, and Any
Tired of gap fills that don't challenge your students? This writing worksheet provides students with constructive practice of writing using quantifiers and with houses and furniture vocabulary.
1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.
2. Focus students' attention on the instructions. Students must write true sentences about the subjects 1-14 using the quantifiers; a/an, some, and any. Students can use either 'have' or there is/are as the main verb. In this context there is no actual difference in meaning which is relevant for elementary level.
3. Monitor the students, and when appropriate provide any necessary individual language or vocabulary input.
4. Give students a warning when their time limit is about to expire and then insist on pens down and heads up.
5. For feedback, there are a number of options including collecting and marking the work, students writing some/all of the answers on the board, students orally contributing their answers etc.
6. Draw the students' attention to any specific mistakes which seem prevalent through the work and offer language input.
Type:
A pair work activity
Skill:
Speaking
Time:
30 minutes
Stage:
Controlled grammar speaking practice
Work:
Students work individually then in pairs
Focus:
A, An, Some, and Any
If it's a productive pair work speaking task you're after on quantifiers, this is it. This worksheet involves both written and speaking practice of quantifiers and food vocabulary, and asks the crucial question; what is in your fridge?
1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.
2. Firstly, students write ten short sentences about the contents of their fridge. students should use quantifiers a/an and some.
3. Students then turn these ten sentences into ten questions, again with quantifiers (this time with a/an and any).
4. Once the writing part is complete, put the students in pairs. Students then ask their partner their questions to find out if they have the same things in their fridge.
5. Monitor the students, providing language input or error correction when necessary.
6. Finally, elicit responses from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.
Type:
A pair work activity
Skill:
Speaking
Time:
15 minutes
Stage:
Controlled grammar speaking practice
Work:
Students work individually then in pairs
Focus:
A, An, Some, and Any
This great split speaking quantifiers practice is handy for lower-level students to improve their coherence with articles 'a' and 'an' with countable nouns along with 'any' in questions and some in statements.
1. Copy one handout per pair of students, and cut the handouts up into A and B.
2. Put the students into pairs with an A and B student, and distribute the handouts.
3. Focus students' attention on the instructions and get them to do part A. This involves students inserting the missing word into the questions; a, an, or any. Offer individual input where appropriate or if your class is weaker, go through the correct questions on the board when they are finished.
4. Next, with students in pairs, encourage them to ask the questions using a, an, and any along with answering using the same words plus some.
5. Monitor the students, providing language input or error correction when necessary.
6. Finally, elicit responses from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.
Type:
A spelling test
Skill:
Writing
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Lead-in
Work:
Students work individually
Focus:
Adjectives
Use this handout as a spelling test, a vocabulary review or for pronunciation practice. Containing basic adjectives and their opposites, this split sheet is a great way to start a lesson and challenge your students.
1. Copy one sheet for each pair of students, and cut the sheets in two.
2. Distribute the sheets and give students a strict time limit in which to complete the test.
3. To feedback, redistribute the papers and get students to mark someone else's test. Elicit responses from the students and write up the answers on the board.
4. To review either after or later in the lesson, get learners to fold their test along the middle and repeat to you or their partner the pictures using the words they remember. Drill if necessary to correct pronunciation.