HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ( B1 LEVEL)

FOR STUDENTS

Make sure you understand the words in the table.  imagine you are meeting someone for the first time. Ask the question ‘How do you spend your time?'  In this activity you are going to learn how to keep a conversation going. Student B should answer the question in detail, and student A is expected to ask follow up questions. Use the phrases provided, but try to add your own ideas.

FOR TEACHERS

Give students time to prepare what they are going to say and ask you for any vocabulary they do not understand. Encourage them to fill in each category with the words given as well as the vocabulary they already know. Encourage them to use the phrases provided, but emphasise that they can add their own ideas if they want. Explain that to carry out the task, they should try to  find out as much as possible about each other. 

They should make notes to help them when they report back to the class. As they interview each other, feed in any language they need in an informal way and refer them to the phrases provided.  Do not correct at this stage unless absolutely necessary, as this will interrupt communication. Note down errors with language used for analysis at the end of the task.

CLASSROOM LANGUAGE

This is a worksheet I like using on the 1st day of class to practise student-teacher classroom language. Students are expected to fill in the gaps according to the pictures provided. This set of classroom vocabulary is very helpful for elementary/ pre-intermediate students to interact with the teacher in English. Hope you like it. 

30 DIFFERENT WAYS TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION IN ENGLISH WITHOUT SAYING "I THINK".

TALKING ABOUT JOBS: USEFUL VOCABULARY

The diagram above shows vocabulary related to jobs. Below are some questions for talking about jobs, which will allow you to discuss the type of job you do, where you work, and so on. 

1. Do you work or are you a student?
2. What do you do for a living?
3. Do you enjoy your job?
4. What's the best thing about your job?
5. How many days a week do you work?
6. Do you prefer working alone or with others? Why? Do you get on well with your co-workers?
7. What responsibilities do you have at work?
8. Would you like to change your job in the future?Would you like to do the same job for the rest of your life?
9. What is your typical day like at work?
10. What would you change about your job?
11. What are the advantages of having your own business rather than working for someone else?
12. What kind of work would you like to do in the future?
13. What qualifications are required for this job?
14. How many hours would you like to work each week?
15. Do you consider it important to have a career?
16. What jobs are most popular among young people these days?Are there enough jobs for people who want to do this kind of work?
17. Is it easier to change jobs now than in the past?
18. Is it a good idea to leave a secure job in order to pursue a dream?
19. What career advice should be given to young people?
20. Which do you  prefer, indoor or outdoor jobs?
21. Does your job pay a good salary?
22. What are the advantages and disadvantages to your job?
23. Which do you think are some of the more demanding jobs?
24. Which are the least demanding jobs?
25. Which jobs are badly paid?
26. Which jobs are over-paid?
27. Are there any jobs which can only be done by one gender?
28. At what age do people usually begin to work in your country?
29. At what age do people usually retire in your country?When do plan to retire?
30. Do women usually work after they get married in your country?
31. Do you think it is more important to make a lot of money or to enjoy your job?
32. Do you think that working conditions have improved? If so, in what ways?
33. What skills are most valued by employers?
34. The level of education you achieve has no connection to how much money you can earn. Do you agree?
35. Would you consider teaching as a career?

ENGLISH COOKING VERBS

Are you keen on cooking? Have a look at the verbs above, which usually appear when reading the cooking instructions in recipes. 

Here are some other verbs you will probably come across in recipe books. I do hope this short glossary will make your understanding of English recipes a lot easier.

add: To put ingredients together; to put one ingredient with the others.

beat: To mix quickly and continually, commonly used with eggs.

crush: To cause to separate or flatten by extreme force, often used with garlic.

grease: To coat with oil or butter.

scramble: To mix the white and yellow parts of eggs together while cooking them in a pan.

COLLOCATIONS : HOUSEHOLD CHORES

This is a matching worksheet to practise collocations. All the phrases ( verb+ noun) have to do with household chores. Note that ‘do’ is a common verb when it comes to housework.

Possible answers:

do the washing up/ the dishes, the ironing, the laundry, the shopping, the hoovering;

dust the furniture

hang out the washing / hang the washing out.

lay/ set the table

make the beds

sweep the floor

mop the floor

dry the dishes

take out the garbage/ take the garbage out

tidy the room

take out the dog/ take the dog out

feed the pet

make dinner

WORDS, PHRASES AND IDIOMS TO DO WITH SLEEP AND DREAMS.

Vocabulary building: Words, phrases and idioms to do with sleep and dreams. Questions to practise using these in context, with notes on informal phrases.

1. What time do you usually go to bed?
2. Do you enjoy sleeping? Why? Why not?
3. Have you ever overslept? If so, what happened? 
4. Is it difficult for you to fall asleep?What do you usually do to help you fall asleep?
5. Do you snore?
6. Have you ever fallen asleep in class?
7. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?
8. How often do you recall your dreams upon awakening?
9. Have you ever dreamed that you died?
10. Do you have any sleep disorders ?a) isomnia b)sleep apnea c)sleep talking?
11. What makes you toss and turn at night?
12. How many hours sleep do you normally have? How do you feel if you don't get this amount?
13. What language do you speak in your dreams?
14. How often do you remember your dreams?
15. Some people say that dreams are unconscious messages or predictions of the future. What do you think? Do you believe in premonitory dreams?
16. In some parts of the world the heat reaches its peak in the afternoon and it becomes too hot to be outside, so people take the siesta. Do you have this custom in your country?
17. On average, how many hours of sleep do you usually get?
18. Do you sleep soundly (like a log) or do you have a light sleep?
19. 19.Have you ever been to a pyjama^BrE/pajama^AmE party? 
20. 20. Walt Disney once said that “A dream is a wish our heart makes". Do you agree? 
21. What steps are you taking to make your dreams come true?
22. Have you ever been to a slumber party?
23.  Are you a habitual nap-taker? 
24. In your opinion, are naps good of you? If so, what are some of its benefits?

Useful Language

1. to fall asleep= to begin sleeping

To be asleep is the opposite of to be awake.

2)When you want to sleep, you:

• feel sleepy ( =ready for or in need of sleep)
• feel drowsy
• be/ feel half-asleep

3) If you have problems to fall asleep/ while sleeping, you may:

• have sleep apnoea
• have nightmares (=bad dreams)
• have/ suffer from insomnia
• sleep badly 
• sleepwalk
• wake up in the middle of the night.
• toss and turn in bed (= e.g.I tossed and turned last night because I am stressed.
• take sleeping pills( =to take medicine to help you fall asleep)
• snore
• have bruxism
• be a night owl (=a person who often stays up late at night.)

4)When you very sleep well, you:

• have a good night sleep
• have sweet dreams
• sleep non-stop
• sleep like a log
• sleep like a rock
• sleep soundly

5) To sleep longer than usual. 

• sleep in= You do this deliberately. e.g I usually sleep in on Sundays.
• oversleep.= It means that you were so deeply asleep that you simply did not wake up in time.

6) When you remain awake during the night

• pull an all-nighter= remain awake all night long, especially so as to study or to complete something. 
• not to get a wink of sleep. e.g.My baby is ill, so I didn’t manage to get a wink of sleep last night.

7) When you sleep for a short time, you:

• take a nap= a light sleep
• snooze
• catch forty winks ( e.g I was so tired at lunch time that I just wanted to put my feet up and catch forty winks before going back to work
• catnap
• to doze off (informal)=a short sleep during the day 
• doze lightly

8. Products for better sleeping

• pillow
• blanket, 
• sheet, 
• bed, 
• cradle (= a small bed for a baby)
• hammock
• bunkbeds ( =two beds attached together, one on top of the other)

9 Before you go to bed, you: 

• say goodnight to someone
• kiss someone good night.

10) Social occasion (especially for children/teenagers)

• slumber party/ sleepover party/ overnight party 
• e.g.My 12-year-old daughter is having a slumber party tonight.

11) Common gestures you make, when you wake up:

• yawn = open your mouth 
• stretch=  make your arms and legs straight to exercise the joints.

12) dream about Vs dream of

dream about=  have mental pictures while asleep.

dream of=  think about something that you want very much. You are awake (e.g. I dream of becoming a doctor.)

HUMAN NOISES IN ENGLISH (B1/B2 LEVEL)

We use sounds to communicate- in other words, when humans make sounds, they convey thoughts as well as feelings. Do you know how to use this rather specific vocabulary in English? 

Well, if you really want to speak a foreign language fluently and/or if you are interested in taking a foreign language examination, it is important to have a broad vocabulary.Taking this into account, I’ve prepared this handout with a list of sounds made by humans.  As you can see, the task is pretty simple: you are expected to match the sounds to their definitions. I hope the pictures will make each meaning clearer and help you memorize the new words. As this is far from being an exhaustive list, add words that come up to your mind, OK?