Today’s Theme for speaking 2
Welcome to the Today’s Theme page for Culture. Here you will find 3 different topic questions related to the theme, vocabulary that can be used in the discussions, and optional grammar structures that can also be included. The three questions provided below are independent from each other. Choose one topic for one class and if you like, choose another to follow up further on this theme in the next class.
After the suggestions on how to use the themes & cards you will find for each topic:
● An opening question to introduce the theme and generate some focused interest
● The cards to be handed out to the students
● A few examples of the optional structures which reflect the current theme
● A final question to put to the class (ending the discussion in groups)
The suggested lesson plan basically follows this approach:
PRE-DISCUSSION
● Ask the class an open question to stimulate some interest and bring the students’ attention to the area of focus
● Hand out the cards and go over the vocabulary
● If you decide to include the grammar option, elicit or provide an example or two to make sure the students have an idea of what to include in their speaking
● Students read the passage and remind them to include the target language
DISCUSSION
● Students speak in groups of 2, 3 or 4 for about 5 to 10 minutes
● Monitor, note difficulties, steer them in the right direction if needed
POST DISCUSSION
● Elicit from the class what came up while discussing the question
● Give them feedback about how well they completed the task
SUGGESTED APPROACH to using
TODAY’S THEME speaking cards in class
Click here if you’d like to see a suggested step-by-step plan
on how to use the cards in class
This is a general guide for a lesson plan, one which you can refer to when you use any of the Today’s Theme speaking cards.
If you want to print a copy, click here or on the icon at the bottom of the page
TEACHER’S GUIDES
For every new Today’s Theme speaking card, there is a different
Teacher’s Guide to accompany it.
The guides are at the bottom of this page and you can select the one
appropriate to the card you wish to use.
The information is the same as shown on this page, but in printable form.
Each guide contains
● possible lead-in questions to introduce the topic
● an example of the card
● examples of the optional grammar structures
● a post discussion follow-up question
DISCUSSION TOPIC 1: Origin and meaning of our holidays
Possible opening questions to get the ball rolling
| 1 | Are there any historical heroes in your culture that played a special role in the country’s development? Are there any special celebrations to commemorate those people? |
| 2 | When was the last special holiday? What did you do on that day? |
| 3 | Do you know of any national holidays in other countries? What are they? Why are they important? |
TT 2-1 The origin and meaning of our holidays
Speaking theme card for students
(sb = somebody st = something)
Examples of optional grammar structures to be included in the speaking
Passives |
|
| Simple structures object of the verb = subject of the sentence + be auxiliary + verb (past participle form) + agent (not always) |
|
| ● The national anthem was written by a man who had fought in the civil war. | |
| ● All languages but this one were prohibited for many years. | |
| ● They were considered / regarded as heroes for their bravery against all odds. | |
| ● It / The story / The image is based on mythological creatures which represent our emotions and desires. | |
| ● She/He/It is known / remembered for…..( the symbols of excellence in achievement) | |
| Passives used in an introductory clause to the sentence. (the rest of the sentence could be active or passive.) | |
| ● It is believed / thought / understood that….. (they had lost the first battle but not the second one) | |
| ● It is said / rumoured that… (they had some help from the neighbouring country) | |
NOTE: If you think it important, you could do a very quick review of passives just before the speaking activity. You could simply remind or elicit a few points such as in both active and passive sentences, what the object is, the agent, the subject of the sentence. You could also draw attention to the ‘be’ auxiliary (which indicates the verb tense) + verb (always in the past participle form).
Possible questions to end the groups speaking and bring the focus back to the class (and you)
| 1 | What’s your favourite holiday? Why? |
| 2 | Were there any holidays you weren’t sure of? |
| 3 | If you could invent a new holiday, what would it be? |
Prompt the students with more questions, to share with the class what they have discussed in their groups, to explore the theme a little further and perhaps get a variety of perspectives. Also encourage them to use the vocabulary (and structures) in their speaking with you.
DISCUSSION TOPIC 2: Why is culture important?
Possible opening questions to get the ball rolling
| 1 | When you think of tacos, which country comes to mind? Where does opera come from? How about igloos? Cowboys? Karate? |
| 2 | If you travel to a new and exotic country, what kinds of things would you probably check out? |
| 3 | What things are done differently in different countries, like saying hello or eating habits? |
| 4 | What does culture mean? |
TT 2-2 Why is culture important?
Speaking theme card for students
(sb = somebody st = something)
Examples of optional grammar structures to be included in the speaking
ComparativesTwo different sets of structures can be looked at, or if you prefer, select one only |
|
| As | |
| ● It’s not quite as / not nearly as expensive as Norway. | |
| ● There’s almost / nearly as much variety here as there is in Venice. | |
| Than | |
| ● There are many more / a few more superheroes living in the US that there are in Canada. | |
| ● The food tastes much / a little better here than in that other place we went to yesterday. | |
NOTE: Try to encourage the students not only to include the comparatives in their speaking, but especially the adverbs which emphasize the amount of difference. Here is a little table you could copy onto the board for the students to use as a reference:
Possible questions to end the groups speaking and bring the focus back to the class (and you)
| 1 | Do you think it’s possible for people to live in a place without any culture at all? |
| 2 | Why is culture so important to us? |
Prompt the students with more questions, to share with the class what they have discussed in their groups, to explore the theme a little further and perhaps get a variety of perspectives. Also encourage them to use the vocabulary (and structures) in their speaking with you.
DISCUSSION TOPIC 3: Are subcultures important?
Possible opening questions to get the ball rolling
| 1 | What do hippies, squatters and religious cults have in common? |
| 2 | Not everyone can live in the mainstream culture. What alternative lifestyles do some people seek? |
TT 2-3 Are subcultures important?
Speaking theme card for students
(sb = somebody st = something)
Examples of optional grammar structures to be included in the speaking
ComparativesTwo different sets of structures can be looked at, or if you prefer, select one only |
|
| As | |
| ● It’s not quite as / not nearly as expensive as Norway. | |
| ● There’s almost / nearly as much variety here as there is in Venice. | |
| Than | |
| ● There are many more / a few more superheroes living in the US that there are in Canada. | |
| ● The food tastes much / a little better here than in that other place we went to yesterday. | |
NOTE: Try to encourage the students not only to include the comparatives in their speaking, but especially the adverbs which emphasize the amount of difference. Here is a little table you could copy onto the board for the students to use as a reference:
Possible questions to end the groups speaking and bring the focus back to the class (and you)
| 1 | Are there any particular subcultures you might consider joining? |
| 2 | Which subcultures do you think play or have played an important role in our culture? |
Prompt the students with more questions, to share with the class what they have discussed in their groups, to explore the theme a little further and perhaps get a variety of perspectives. Also encourage them to use the vocabulary (and structures) in their speaking with you.
