"warmers" для уроков английского языка
учебно-методический материал по английскому языку (5 класс) по теме

                                   Warmers

The Rizla game

Level: Pre-intermediate +

Ages: all ages

Time 5 – 10 minutes

Materials: some post-it notes

Purpose: practice in question forms and general revision

Method:

Step one – The teacher prepares a series of labels on post-it notes, as many labels as there are

people in the class. Each label has the name of a well-known person. The labels are stuck onto

the students where they can’t read them – e.g., on their foreheads or backs.

Step two – The teacher drills and rehearses with the class the kind of questions they will need.

Step three – The class then mingles and each person tries to find out “who they are” by asking

questions.

Anticipated problems: gaps in general knowledge

My aunt’s cat …

Level: Pre-intermediate +

Ages: all ages

Time 5 – 10 minutes

Materials: none

Purpose: A bit of fun and activation of a random set of vocabulary, revision of the sequence of

the alphabet, conditioned choice between "a" & "an"

Method:

Step one – The teacher presents the sentence – "My Aunt's cat is an active cat", generates

practice in the pronunciation of the sentence and then writes it up as a marker sentence on the

board. It's worth highlighting and drilling the connected speech phenomena in this sentence.

Step two – The class then take it in turns to repeat the sentence, replacing the adjective with

another starting with the next letter in the alphabet – i.e. bellicose, crafty etc.

Anticipated problems:

Some letters present problems for most classes – for example, xenophobic and xylophoneplaying

may be a bit far-fetched as descriptions of cats for most classes.

The Yes/No Interlude

Level: Pre-intermediate +

Ages: all ages

Time 5 – 10 minutes

Materials: a watch with a second hand

Purpose: fluency practice

Method:

Step one – the teacher selects one “victim” at a time to sit at the front of the class.

Step two – the teacher appoints a time-keeper and makes sure they have a watch or a mobile

phone with a facility for counting a minute.

Step three – the teacher explains the purpose of the activity. The “victim” is to answer all the

questions they are asked without using the words “yes” or “no”. They must try to survive the

ordeal for 60 seconds (few people manage it). At this stage, a demonstration is a good idea.

Step three – as each person fails or succeeds another takes their place.

Step four – if the teacher feels students can do it, they should take over the role of question

master.

Classroom bingo

Level: Pre-intermediate +

Ages: all ages

Time 5 – 10 minutes

Materials: none really, though a generous teacher might like to give each student a sheet of A4

Purpose: familiar vocabulary practice

Method:

Step one – The teacher instructs the class to each make a blank “bingo card” with say eight squares –

like this:

Step two – the teacher instructs the class, working individually, to look around the room and write the

names of eight objects they can see – one in each box. As they are doing this, the teacher similarly

makes as long a list as possible of visible objects for use when s/he becomes the “bingo caller”.

Step three – The teacher calls out the objects and the first student to cross out all the words on their

card shouts out “bingo” and is the winner.

Hotel receptionist

Level: Intermediate +

Ages: all ages

Time 10 – 15 minutes

Materials: slips of paper with prompts on them

Purpose: fluency practice

Method:

Step one – the teacher prepares slips of paper with problems written on them – one for each

member of the class (there are some samples here but some may not be suitable for your

classes).

Step two – the teacher forms the class into groups of six and distributes the slips. Students

must not show each other the slips.

Step three – the teacher explains the scenario. They are all guests at a hotel where there has

been a sudden outbreak of laryngitis. They have all lost their voices except the receptionists,

who live outside the hotel and have not been affected.

Step three –in each group of six, two people are to be the receptionists.

Step four – students take it in turns to mime their problem to the receptionists – the

receptionists can, of course, speak and prompt the guest, check their guesses etc.

Step five – as each “guest” gets their message across, they replace one of the receptionists.

Anticipated problems: despite being a mime activity, this can get quite noisy!

Prompts for hotel receptionist activity:

1. You went on your balcony this morning. Unfortunately you sneezed and your false teeth

flew out and landed in the deep end of the swimming pool six floors below. You can’t

swim.

2. You woke up this morning and found a complete stranger in the bed next to you. It’s a

man. He’s very fat and smells strongly of alcohol. He’s still there now … snoring!

3. Your wedding ring has fallen down the drain of your shower.

4. The remote control of your television doesn’t work and you can’t switch the television off.

5. A large bird has flown into your room. It has eaten your breakfast and is refusing to leave.

6. It’s a very hot today but the air-conditioning in your room is blowing out hot air. None of

the windows will open.

My bonnie

Level: All levels

Ages: all ages

Time 5 – 10 minutes

Materials: none

Purpose: a bit of fun

Method:

Step one – the teacher divides the class down the middle of the room into two groups.

Step two – the teacher tells the class they are going to sing a song – “My Bonnie”

Step three – if the song is unfamiliar to the students they should rehearse it once with the

teacher.

Step four – the teacher instructs the group on the right to stand up and the group on the left to

be ready to stand up.

Step five – the teacher explains that every time they reach a “b” in the song, anyone who is

standing must sit down and anyone who is sitting down must stand up.

Step six – sing the song together and enjoy the chaos!

The words of My Bonnie

My Bonnie lies over the ocean

My Bonnie lies over the sea

My Bonnie lies over the ocean

Oh! Bring back my Bonnie to me.

Bring back,

Bring back

Oh! Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me.

Bring back,

Bring back

Oh! Bring back my Bonnie to me.

(My Bonnie probably means my darling)

Anticipated problems: Not an activity for the inhibited or the faint-hearted but second to none

as a warmer.