talking about FAMILY

One of the first subject that you are able to talk about with beginner levels is FAMILY. Partly because you may use relatively easy language to do this, like verbs TO BE and TO HAVE GOT, but also because that's something close to everyone. My take on the subject is fairly simple and involves using pictures and a speaking game. Hope you'll like it.

SPEAKING

Remind the students the rules of using 's in expressing possessions or family relations. You may do it as follows:

• Whose book is it? It's my brother's book. - It is his book.
• Whose pen is it? It's my deskmate's pen. - It's her pen.
• Whose car is it? It's my grandparents' car. - It's their car.

The students are to look at the pictures. Ask them Who is who? to a person marked with a star.

Who is Mona to Marge?
Who is Patty?
Who is Herb?
etc.

Who is Ling to Abraham?
Who is Mona?
Who is Homer?
etc.

Who is Patty to Maggie?
Who is Lisa?
Who is Ling?
etc.

WRITING

You may also use the picture without stars and ask the students to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

Bart is Lisa's _________________________ 

Marge is Homer's_________________________ 

Clancy is Selma's_________________________ 

Abraham is Mona's_________________________ 

Maggie is Ling's_________________________ 

Lisa is Patty's_________________________ 

Homer is Abraham's_________________________ 

Selma is Ling's adoptive_________________________ 

Bart is Herb's_________________________ 

Abraham is Lisa's_________________________ 

Bart and Lisa are Marge's_________________________ 

Maggie is Jackie's_________________________ 

Maggie is Marge's_________________________ 

Herb is Marge's_________________________ 

Patty is Selma's_________________________ 

Abraham is Marge's_________________________ 

Herb is Maggie's_________________________ 

Jackie is Homer's_________________________ 

Marge is Herb's_________________________ 

Homer and Marge are Lisa's_________________________ 

Homer and Herb are Clancy's_________________________ 

Bart and Lisa are Maggie's_________________________ 

Marge is Mona's_________________________ 

Maggie and Bart are Ling's_________________________ 

SPEAKING GAME

Prepare cards with words representing different members of the family. Put them on a table face down. The student take turns to pick a card and using possessive 's explain the word to the class.

You may use the basic words but you may also enrich the game with words such as:

a boyfriend

a widower

a divorcee

twins

a stepmother

a great grandmother

etc.

DISCUSSION POINTS

• How big is your family?
• Which family is bigger: that on your father's side or your mother's?
• Who is the oldest in your family?
• Who is the youngest?
• How many brothers and sisters have you got?
• How many aunts and uncles have you got?
• How many (first) cousins have you go?
• Who are you named after?

talking about STEREOTYPES (again...)

I found the subject of STEREOTYPES not only appealing but also useful for practicing various structures. In the previous lesson concerning this topic I aimed at introducing TEND TO or HAVE A TENDENCY as alternative to unfair and rather harmful straight ahead language in opinion giving, such as "Americans love guns." which I altered with "Americans tend to love guns." This time I decided to focus on STEREOTYPES about my students' nationality (obviously I had my doubts about their reaction but they were more than happy to discuss their own vices and virtues) and a fixed phrase JUST BECAUSE... DOESN'T MEAN THAT... Enjoy.

GRAMMAR

Explain the way we use the expression JUST BECAUSE... DOESN'T MEAN THAT...

Although [A] happened, [B] will not necessarily happen as a result.

• JUST BECAUSE you study hard DOESN’T MEAN THAT you will pass the test.
• JUST BECAUSE we lost this match DOESN’T MEAN THAT we’ll lose the next one.
• JUST BECAUSE I was late yesterday DOESN’T MEAN THAT I'll be late tomorrow.

[A] is true, but [B] is not necessarily true as a result.

• JUST BECAUSE your mother is angry at you DOESN’T MEAN THAT she doesn’t love you.
• JUST BECAUSE I'm a girl DOESN’T MEAN THAT I'm sentimental.
• JUST BECAUSE it’s Saturday DOESN’T MEAN THAT you have to sleep late.

 We may also add NECESSARILY to the sentence.

JUST BECAUSE you think you are a good worker DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT you should be paid more.

GRAMMAR PRACTICE
Change these sentences to JUST BECAUSE... DOESN'T MEAN THAT... (the first one is done for you).

1. Evan had a steak for lunch, but he might not be full.
Just because Evan had a steak for lunch doesn’t mean that he’s full.

2. I didn’t answer my cell phone, but this doesn’t mean that I didn’t want to talk to you.
3. You should quit smoking even if you’re healthy.
4. You think you’re smart but some people may think otherwise.
5. He’s not a criminal even though he’s black and wears a hoodie and baggy jeans.
6. My room may be dirty but I am in fact an organized person.

SPEAKING PRACTICE

Each student receives a sentence representing one of stereotypes others may have about his/her country. The students are to decide if they are true or false, and justify their answer.

My students are Turkish so I've searched the Internet for stereotypes about Turkey. Here's a sample list.

• Turkish people have big families.
• Every Turkish woman wears a headscarf.
• Turkish people all have got black hair and dark skin.
• They buy only Mercedes or BMW.
• Turkey is a strict Muslim country with Islamic law.
• Turkish people are uneducated.
• Men are dominant, women have to listen to their husbands and stay at home.
• Turkish men are lazy.
• Turkish men are allowed  to have many wives.
• The country is unsafe.
• Everyone wears a fez and has a moustache.

VIDEO
The students watch a short video on their motherland and discuss what they've learnt from it. they are free to use the freshly learnt expression JUST BECAUSE... DOESN'T MEAN THAT...

Turkey in 2 minutes

talking about STEREOTYPES

It's been a considerably long time since I shared anything with you. But I'm back with new ideas. This time it's a conversation lesson on STEREOTYPES. Well, I've managed to sneak a little grammar in it as well by introducing an alternative to strong statements typical of expressing STEREOTYPES. Hope you'll enjoy it.

WARM-UP

A STEREOTYPE is a generalized view or popular belief on a particular group of people, usually inaccurate and sometimes offensive.

Look at the statements below. How accurate do you think these stereotypes are?

1. Italian people eat pasta on a daily basis.
2. Germans are hard working and never complain.
3. The French are the most romantic people. 
4. Americans are fat because they love fast food and never exercise.

Explain that the language used in the statements above is rather offensive and too general. Instead of putting those opinions like the above we may use a "softer" version.

Italian people TEND TO eat pasta on a daily basis. 

(Many Italians eat pasta on a daily basis but not all of them.)

Germans TEND TO be hard working and never complain. 

(While some Germans are hard working and never complain, many are lazy and grumpy.)

The French HAVE A TENDENCY to be very romantic. 

(Some French are romantic but some are not.)

Americans HAVE A TENDENCY to be fat because they love fast food and never exercise. 

(It's not true that all Americans are fat, love fast food and never exercise. Many are fit and lead a healthy lifestyle.)

GRAMMAR PRACTICE/SPEAKING
Give your opinion on the nationalities below using TEND TO or HAVE A TENDENCY. Remember about the grammar rule about them.

• TEND TO + V1
• HAVE A TENDENCY + V1

Russians * Thais * Arabs * Americans * the Chinese

SPEAKING

Stereotypes are not only about nationality but also about race, gender, age or religion. 

Watch the slideshow and and finish the sentences expression your views. Justify your choice.