Method (Pre-Int to Intermediate Level):

Pre-task: Elicit: what is an idiom? i.e. A fixed phrase with a meaning that isn’t clear from the words used in the phrase.

1. SS work in pairs. They discuss together which ones they know already.

2. Group feedback.

3. SS check ones they don’t know in the dictionary or online.

4. Group feedback. Go through the list in order. Give examples. Elicit examples from SS. Check that everyone understands each idiom.

5. SS work together to prepare a dialogue or performance that includes all 20 idioms. Give them around 15 mins. Make a cup of tea for yourself; have a break; er, I mean monitor SS… Dialogues could be set in the past, with SS talking about a past relationship, or in various scenes set throughout the course of a relationship; or discussing future foreseen problems that might arise in a present relationship… etc.

6. SS read out or act their dialogues/scenes. Give feedback. Solicit feedback from other groups. Make a note of errors.

7. Error correction on the board with the whole group.

8. Homework, or follow-on activity: find 10 more idioms or phrasal verbs on the topic of Love and Relationships, and write a sentence using each one.

Note: for higher levels, you could mix up the order and get them to put them into their own order to make a story of a relationship.

It worked well and passed the time nicely for about 50 minutes. SS seemed happy to be learning (a lot) of new idioms. Do let me know how you got on, if you used this lesson plan! Thanks

http://membean.com

We’ve recently been trying out a brand new web service which aims to help you to extend your vocabulary. Membean is a really fun way to “lock in” new words – through a variety of methods.

We asked Membean Founder and CEO Ragav Satish to explain more about the goals of this valuable site:

“Membean is a unique web-based vocabulary learning environment that has its roots in research on human memory and learning. At Membean vocabulary comes to life through engaging video, rich imagery, interactive visualizations, quirky memory devices and unforgettable passages. Once a word is learned it must be maintained in the memory. This is where Membean’s unique Adaptive Reinforcement Engine comes in. Based on your interaction with the tool, it knows when to show you a new word, what questions to ask you and when you need to re-learn a word.” It really is fantastic! Here is an example of a word definition page, for the word “panache”:

The other great thing about Membean is that it really motivates you to learn – plus it is totally addictive! You can sign up for a free membership today, and find out what we mean!

http://membean.com

Tickets are available from the venue here:

http://www.greshams.com/About-Us/Auden-Theatre.aspx

‘When I Fall in Love’ – Saturday 11th February 2012 ~ 8pm (Bar opens 7.30 pm).

The Auden Theatre, Gresham’s School, Holt, UK. A selection of songs from the heart.

Soprano ~ Jayne May-Sysum

Pianist/Accompanist ~ Jonathan Wortley

A romantic programme for the ‘season of love’ including music by George Gershwin, Richard Strauss, Cole Porter and Giacomo Puccini.

Tickets £12.00

Box Office, Auden Theatre

01263 713444

email boxoffice@greshams.com

The Box Office is also open one hour before the performance.

It is clear that the Big Grammar Book has wide appeal too, because it is the number one recommended resource in 5 out of 6 of the age categories:

You can download YOUR free copy of the Big Grammar Book here: Big Grammar Book – Free Download.

Visit the Guardian Teacher Network here: Guardian Teacher Network.

Reblogged from gemmateaches:

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://englishbanana.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/mind-maps/feed/ 0 englishbanana http://englishbanana.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/read-about-8-more-teachers-who-are-using-english-banana-com-free-licences/ http://englishbanana.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/read-about-8-more-teachers-who-are-using-english-banana-com-free-licences/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:52:42 +0000 englishbanana http://englishbanana.wordpress.com/?p=231 ]]> We’ve just updated our Google Map which shows the location of various people who using English Banana.com material and free licences around the world. There are new teachers from Malaysia, The Philippines, India, Sudan, Pakistan, Brazil, and The USA all making use of our Free Copying Licence and Free Licence to Run Courses! Check out the newly-updated map here:

http://goo.gl/SotZJ

Here are a couple of the new posts:

If you would like to find out more about our free licences, please click here.

The actual total to date is 1,615,276 , which averages out at 1,224 free downloads every day over the past 3.5 years!

This stat comes from the number of books downloaded from our pages on CNET and Scribd. Check them out and maybe you will find something useful for either teaching or learning English! This figure doesn’t include downloads from other websites where the books are hosted as well, e.g. Google Books, Guardian Teacher Network, Slideshare, and other file-sharing sites – so the total number of English Banana.com books downloaded over the past few years will be actually much higher!

The last time we did the count (about this time last year) the total figure was just over 820,000 books downloaded, which means that the number of people who have been able to benefit from our free material has more than doubled  in one year! This is really exciting for us here at English Banana.com!

The most popular free English Banana.com books – by a large margin – are Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1, and Big Grammar Book. We are absolutely thrilled to see that the material is being so widely distributed on the internet and used in many different teaching situations around the world. We love getting feedback every day from teachers and students who are benefiting from using the material. You can see some of the places where they are being used on this Google Map, and find out how people are using our free licences, which make the free material really FREE.

If you are a teacher or student who enjoys working with English Banana.com material, why not email us a picture of yourself using it in the classroom. We’d love to see it!