26
Sep
2024

Chocolate: Meet a real Willy Wonka – B1-B2 Lesson plan for teens and adults

categories: Teaching Ideas

This lesson plan has been based on a podcast from BBC Learning English.

Pre-listening Activities

  1. Debate: Popular Chocolate Bars (10 minutes):
    • Ask students to work in small groups and discuss:
      • “What makes a chocolate bar popular?”
      • “What factors do you think influence people’s choice of chocolate?”
      • “Which chocolate bar would you predict to be the best-seller in the UK? Why?”
    • After the discussions, have a brief class debate where each group presents their argument.
  2. Prediction Based on Keywords (10 minutes):
    • Write keywords from the script on the board (chocolate maker, dream job, consumer demand, launch, flop).
    • In pairs, students make predictions about what the listening will be about, encouraging them to justify their answers in more detail: “How do you think these words are related?”
  3. Survey: Favorite Chocolate Brands (5 minutes):
    • Conduct a quick survey where students ask their classmates about their favorite chocolate brands and why. They then share the results, highlighting trends in preferences.

Vocabulary Activities

  1. Vocabulary in Context (15 minutes):
    • Provide students with sentences from the script and ask them to guess the meaning of new vocabulary words based on the context. For example:
      • “After they invent a new chocolate bar, Helle’s team carefully choose the best time to launch it.”
      • Discuss how the context helps in understanding words like launch, consumer demand, and flop.
  2. Vocabulary Discussion (10 minutes):
    • For each key term (e.g., a dream come true, launch, hit the shelves, flop), ask students to come up with their own examples from real life. For example:
      • “Can you think of a product that was a flop?”
      • “Have you ever experienced something that was a dream come true?”
  3. Word Formation Challenge (10 minutes):
    • Ask students to think of related words (noun, verb, adjective) from the vocabulary in the script. For example:
      • Launch (verb), a launch (noun)
      • Consumer (noun), consume (verb), consumable (adjective)

Discussion Questions

  1. Before Listening (10 minutes):
    • “What do you think is more important in creating a successful product: good marketing, consumer demand, or quality? Why?”
    • “What do you think are the risks of launching a new product that hasn’t been tested well in the market?”
  2. After Listening (15 minutes):
    • “What qualities do you think make Helle’s job as a chocolate maker ‘a dream come true’?”
    • “Can you think of any products that failed despite being launched by popular companies? What do you think went wrong?”
    • “What factors do you think companies should consider before they launch a product? Why is timing important?”
    • “Do you agree that even flops are important because they teach companies valuable lessons? Why or why not?”

Critical Thinking Activity

Product Development Role Play (20 minutes):

  • Divide the class into groups. Each group will act as a team of chocolate makers developing a new product. They will:
    • Discuss what type of chocolate bar they would create.
    • Decide when and how to launch it.
    • Consider potential risks and ways to avoid their product being a flop.
  • Each group will present their chocolate bar and launch plan to the class, followed by a Q&A session where others can challenge their decisions.
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24
Sep
2024

Chocolate: Meet a real Willy Wonka – A2-B1 Lesson plan for YLs

categories: Teaching Ideas

This lesson plan has been based on a podcast from BBC Learning English.

Pre-listening Activities

  1. Picture Discussion (5 minutes):
    • Show the students pictures of various popular chocolate bars (e.g., KitKat, Snickers, Mars). Ask them:
      • “Which of these chocolates do you like? Why?”
      • “What do you think is the most popular chocolate in the UK?”
      • “What is your favorite chocolate flavor?”
  2. Word Prediction (5 minutes):
    • Write the following words on the board: chocolate, factory, job, consumer, invention, flop.
    • Ask students to work in pairs and predict how these words might be related to the listening activity.
  3. Quick Poll (3 minutes):
    • Ask students to vote on the answer to this week’s question: What is Britain’s best-selling chocolate bar?
    • Options: KitKat, Snickers, or Mars. See which chocolate bar they think is the most popular.

Vocabulary Activities

  1. Match the Definitions (10 minutes):
    • Prepare a worksheet where students have to match the vocabulary words from the script to their definitions.
      • Words: a dream (come true), launch, consumer demand, hit the shelves, go for (something), a flop.
      • Definitions:
        1. Introduce something new to the public.
        2. A complete failure.
        3. Something you really want that seems unlikely but happens.
        4. Become available for purchase.
        5. Choose something.
        6. Measurement of how much people want to buy a product.
  2. Fill in the Gap (10 minutes):
    • Create sentences with gaps where students have to fill in the missing vocabulary word.
      • “When a new product ____, people can buy it in shops.” (Answer: hits the shelves)
      • “The new chocolate bar was a ____. Nobody liked it.” (Answer: flop)
      • “I will ____ the chocolate ice cream for dessert.” (Answer: go for)
  3. Mime and Guess (8 minutes):
    • Have students mime one of the vocabulary words, and their classmates guess which word they are acting out (e.g., miming tasting chocolate for a dream come true, or failing for a flop).

Discussion Questions

  1. Before Listening (5 minutes):
    • “If you could create your own chocolate bar, what ingredients would you use?”
    • “Do you think being a chocolate inventor is an easy or hard job? Why?”
  2. After Listening (10 minutes):
    • “What surprised you about Helle Anttila’s job?”
    • “What do you think would make a chocolate product a flop? Can you think of any flavours that might fail?”
    • “How would you feel if your favourite chocolate hit the shelves?”
    • “Do you think consumer demand is important for creating new products? Why or why not?”
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14
Jun
2023

Swimsuits – B1 Preliminary (for schools) Reading Part 5

categories: Materials for Students

Swimsuits – The Perfect Beach Attire

Swimsuits are an essential item for enjoying a day at the beach or pool. They provide both (1)_______________ and style, allowing individuals to relax and soak up the sun. When selecting a swimsuit, it’s important to consider factors such as (2) _______________, design, and personal preference.

Swimsuits come in various styles, including bikinis, one-pieces, and swim shorts. Each style offers a different level of (3) _______________ and allows individuals to express their unique fashion sense. It’s crucial to find a swimsuit that makes you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin.

To ensure the longevity of swimsuits, proper (4) _______________ is essential. After each use, it’s recommended to rinse the swimsuit with (5) _______________ to remove chlorine or salt. Additionally, it’s important to avoid excessive (6) _______________ to sunlight, as it can cause fading and damage to the fabric.

Choose the correct word for each numbered space:

1. A) convenience B) style C) flexibility D) comfort
2. A) size B) fit C) color D) pattern
3. A) protection B) coverage C) exposure D) fashion
4. A) wash B) treatment C) care D) maintenance
5. A) warm B) cold C) fresh D) cool
6. A) time B) usage C) application D) exposure
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07
Jun
2023

Summer holiday – B1 Preliminary (for schools) Reading Part 5

categories: Materials for Students

Summer Holiday

Summer holidays are a time of (1) _______________ and relaxation. It’s the perfect opportunity to escape from daily routines and explore new destinations. Whether you prefer lounging on sandy beaches or embarking on adventurous hikes, there is something for everyone during this (2) _______________ season.

One popular summer holiday activity is swimming in (3) _______________ water. Many people flock to seaside resorts or lakeside retreats to enjoy the refreshing (4) _______________. The sound of waves crashing against the shore creates a sense of tranquillity and serenity.

Another great aspect of summer holidays is the abundance of (5) _______________ activities. From beach volleyball to water sports like surfing and kayaking, there are endless opportunities to stay active and have fun. Families often engage in (6) _______________ competitions or build sandcastles together, creating cherished memories.

Choose the correct word for each numbered space:

1. A) adventure B) relaxation C) excitement D) enjoyment
2. A) sunny B) cold C) crowded D) festive
3. A) warm B) frozen C) deep D) clear
4. A) breeze B) heat C) shade D) rainfall
5. A) outdoor B) indoor C) educational D) cultural
6. A) competitive B) solo C) passive D) indoor
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17
May
2023

Strangers on a train – Summary – B1 Preliminary Reading activities

categories: Materials for Students

1. For each question, choose the correct answer.

Strangers on a Train, published in 1950, was Patricia Highsmith’s first novel. It is a taut crime thriller, with a highly unusual plot.

A   This thriller was the only book that Patricia Highsmith wrote in the XX century.

B   This thriller has quite a boring plot because it was Patricia Highsmith’s first book.

C   Patricia Highsmith’s first book is a well-written page-turner.

2. For each question, choose the correct answer.

An American, Guy Haines, is 1) ___ a train to his home town to meet his unfaithful wife, Miriam, 2) ___ he wants to divorce. He has dinner with a rich young man called Charles Bruno. Bruno, who becomes 3) ___ drunk, tells Guy that he hates his father. He suggests that he 4) ___ murder Miriam and that Guy 4) ___ murder his father. This, he says, would be 5) ___ perfect murder. Guy is disgusted and resolves never to 6) ___ Bruno again.

1. a) in b) on c) at d) by
2. a) who b) that c) which d) whom
3. a) very b) so c) little d) such
4. a) should b) must c) may d) might
5. a) a b) the c) an d) some
6. a) stare b) look c) watch d) see

3. For each question, choose the correct answer.

Write one word in each gap:

Bruno, however, is mad. He finds 1) ___ where Miriam lives and murders her. Guy suspects that Bruno is the murderer 2) ___ knows that if he goes to the police Bruno will simply say that Bruno asked him to kill Miriam.

Guy tries to live 3) _ normal life with his new fiancée, Anne. But Bruno phones him, writes to him and finally meets him. He threatens 4) __ tell the police that Guy paid him to kill Miriam, 5) ______ Guy kills his father. Finally Guy breaks and does as Bruno wishes; 6) __ murders Bruno’s father.

4. Five sentences have been removed from the text below.

For each question, choose the correct answer,

From this point on Guy is haunted by terrible guilt. 1) _____ He marries Anne, and Bruno appears at his wedding. He hates Bruno, but at the same time feels a close and terrible bond with him. Meanwhile, a detective, Arthur Gerard, is hot on the trail of both Bruno and Guy. 2) _____ There is nothing he can do. 3) _____ They go sailing, and Bruno, drunk as usual, falls into the sea and drowns. Guy feels terribly lonely. 4) _____ He goes to visit Miriam’s fiancé and confesses the story of the murders. Unknown to him, Arthur Gerard is listening. ‘Take me,’ says Guy.

Strangers on a Train is a crime story with a difference. 5) _____ Patricia Highsmith once commented that she is ‘interested in the effect of guilt’ on her heroes. This novel is a study of guilt, and of the kind of pressure that destroys a man’s soul.

A    By now, Bruno is a friend of Anne.

B   Guy feels utterly trapped.

C   It is a psychological study of madness, entrapment and guilt.

D   He feels that he is split into two men – the murderer, and the good man with his charming fiancée.

E   He has lost his brother.

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