Twelve Classroom Ideas

Michael Berman, UK

Michael Berman works as a teacher and a writer. Publications include The Power of Metaphor for Crown House, The Nature of Shamanism and the Shamanic Story for Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Shamanic Journeys through the Caucasus for O-Books, and All God’s Creatures: Stories Old and New for Pendraig Publishing. ELT publications include A Multiple Intelligences Road to an ELT Classroom, In a Faraway Land (a resource book for teachers on storytelling), and On Business and for Pleasure (a self-study workbook).
For more information: www.Thestoryteller.org.uk
E-mail: michaelberman@blueyonder.co.uk

Menu

1. Making a recipe: The seven doors to mastering a language
How much do you know about idioms?
Cold-Calling
Being self-employed and how to punctuate it!
What makes a good leader?
2. Making the boring bits interesting
To practise using the indefinite article /…/
To practise using the indefinite and definite articles /.../:
To practise using the zero and definite articles /…/
To practise fixed expressions with the zero and definite articles /…/
To practise gerund and infinitive
3. Grammar review
Discrimination in the workplace
Visualizing your ideal job
Pronunciation
References

1. Making a recipe: The seven doors to mastering a language

When making a recipe, if some of the ingredients are missing, you go out and look for them, probably to your local market or supermarket. In language learning, this means recognising you have a need and looking for a course, probably on the internet these days. As educators, our first job is to help our learners recognize that something is missing or something is not quite right, as it is only once they do so that they have any reason for learning. This article presents material for advanced level students that can be used to facilitate this process:

Why seven doors? Seven is a mystic or sacred number in many different traditions. Among the Babylonians and Egyptians, there were believed to be seven planets, and the alchemists recognized seven planets too. In the Old Testament there are seven days in creation, and for the Hebrews every seventh year was Sabbatical too. There are seven virtues, seven sins, seven ages in the life of man, seven wonders of the world, and the number seven repeatedly occurs in the Apocalypse as well. The Muslims talk of there being seven heavens, with the seventh being formed of divine light that is beyond the power of words to describe, and the Kabbalists also believe there are seven heavens–each arising above the other, with the seventh being the abode of God. And although the cosmology described in Creation Myths varies from culture to culture, the structure of the whole cosmos is frequently symbolized by the number seven too, which is made up of the four directions, the centre, the zenith in heaven, and the nadir in the underworld. The essential axes of this structure are the four cardinal points and a central vertical axis passing through their point of intersection that connects the Upper World, the Middle World and the Lower World.

When making a recipe, if some of the ingredients are missing, you go out and look for them, probably to your local market or supermarket. Alternatively, you find substitute ingredients. In language learning, this means recognising you have a need and looking for a course, probably on the internet these days. Alternatively, it could mean making do with sign language instead, at least until that proves ineffective.

So the first stage is entering the silence and going within; this leads to the second stage - recognising something is missing or something is not quite right; the third, to listen to or look at others, to find out what that is; the fourth, to realize change is required; the fifth, to journey in order to seek out the required knowledge; the sixth, to apply it in practice; the seventh, to hold on to it. (And one way of achieving this would be by teaching it to others of course).

The tripartite ritual framework explicated by Arnold van Gennep in 1909 can be applied to this process as it consists of separation from everyday life in order to go within, the ritual proper (the learning process), and then reintegration back into everyday life (applying what you learn). Cahill and Halpern (1991) refer to the three stages as Severance, entering Sacred Time & Space, and Reincorporation.

As educators, our first job is to help our learners recognize that something is missing or something is not quite right, as it is only once they do so that they have any reason for learning more than they already know. And one way of achieving this, with advanced level learners, is by setting exercises like the following examples.

How much do you know about idioms?

Decide whether the following statements are true or false and give reasons for the choices you make:

1. All phrasal verbs are idioms and all idioms are phrasal verbs.
2. Idioms are a separate part of the language you can choose either to use or omit.
3. Idioms can be defined as colloquial expressions.
4. Idioms are fixed expressions that cannot be changed.
5. Words with grammatical functions can be used idiomatically.
6. All proverbs are idioms.
7. All proverbs are sayings.
8. You are more likely to find idioms in quality newspapers than in the tabloids or popular press.
9. All idioms, by definition, are clichés.
10. One of the problems for language learners is that idioms tend to be culturally bound.

All the answers are false except for numbers five, seven and ten. To find out the reasons, take a look at the explanations below:

1. False. All phrasal verbs are idioms but not all idioms are phrasal verbs. Certain idioms contain no verbs. You appeared "out of the blue" and caught me by surprise, for example.
2. False. They form an essential part of the general vocabulary of English and "I hope you get the point and see what I mean" to give you two examples!
3. False. They can appear in formal style and in slang, in poetry or in the language of Shakespeare and the Bible.
4. False. Not all idioms are fixed. Sometimes the tense of the verb can be changed: "I'm going to have forty winks" or "I had forty winks" And sometimes the adjective can be varied: "You'd better keep a careful/close/sharp/watchful eye on her"
5. True. An example is the use of SHALL to offer help or to make a suggestion: "Shall I carry the bag for you?" or "Shall we have an early night for a change?"
6. False. All proverbs can be used idiomatically but a number of proverbs are also statements of fact and easily understood in their literal meaning. For example: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again"
7. True. In the "Advanced Learner's Dictionary" a proverb is defined as "a short well-known sentence that states a general truth about life or gives advice" and a saying is defined as "a well-known phrase, expression or proverb"
8. False. You are far more likely to find idioms in the tabloids.
9. False. According to the "Advanced Learner's Dictionary" a cliché is a phrase "which is used so often that it is no longer interesting, effective or relevant" If this definition could be applied to all idioms, there would be little point in teaching them!
10. True. A good example of this is "as cool as a cucumber" The connection between cool and cucumber is far from obvious. However, every native speaker will naturally put the two words together. In English we say "as stubborn as a mule" whereas in Turkish the association is "as stubborn as a pig" In English we say "as strong as an ox" whereas in Dutch the association is "as strong as a bear"

Cold-Calling

Choose the best answer from each pair of alternatives. In most cases, only one of the answers is correct, but sometimes they both might be suitable. So be careful!

1 A / The fact of the matter is that if I want to buy something, I will go out and look 2 at / for it so cold-calling 3 on / to me is a total 4 loss / waste of time. 5 Moreover / Nevertheless, the people who are unfortunate enough to have to do this for a 6 life / living 7 appear / seem to be oblivious to this. I 8 wander / wonder how you 9 deal / tackle with 10 a / the problem. When door-to-door salesmen 11 assure / ensure you that they won’t take up much of your time, you know that is 12 exactly / precisely what they will do. And if they 13 say / tell that “I’m sure you’ll find what I have to say interesting”, then you can be equally sure that it will not be. 14 However / Moreover, for some reason they just never seem to get 15 a / the message. What they fail to understand about people like me is that the 16 more / most they persist, the 17 more / most certain it is that I won’t buy anything at all from them. 18 As / Like many the majority of people I know, I do not respond to this kind of approach so why on earth do people do such 19 jobs / works? The answer of 20 coarse / course is that many of them work for nothing more than a basic 21 salary / wage and have to depend on the commission they earn to make enough to live on, and this helps to explain why they are so desperate. I suppose we should feel sorry 22 about / for them. 23 However, Moreover, when you get woken up on Sunday morning at seven o’ clock by someone trying 24 selling / to sell you already have, or have absolutely no use 25 at all / whatsoever for, you tend to forget this!

Cold-Calling: 1 The 2 for 3 on 4 waste 5 Nevertheless 6 living 7 appear / seem 8 wonder 9 deal 10 the 11assure 12 exactly / precisely 13 say 14 However 15 the 16 more 17 more 18 Like 19 jobs 20 course 21 salary / wage (both possible, but with different meanings. A salary is usually paid monthly whereas a wage is paid weekly) 22 for 23 However 24 to sell 25 at all / whatsoever

Being self-employed and how to punctuate it!

Decide which of these sentences need commas inserted into them, where they should be placed, and why:

1. If you’re self-employed you don’t work for anyone except for yourself.
2. You don’t work for anyone except for yourself if you’re self-employed.
3. I’m currently self-employed. I have worked for companies in the past though.
4. I’m a self-employed person who would never make the mistake of working for a company again.
5. I’m self-employed which means I’m my own boss.
6. I’m self-employed. However I have sometimes worked for a company in the past.
7. I’m self-employed. Moreover it’s a position I choose to be in.
8. Being self-employed I’m only answerable to myself.
9. In my opinion being your own boss is the ideal situation to be in.
10. I don’t work for a company because I’ve found that it does not suit me.

ANSWERS: a A comma is required after an IF clause in front position in a sentence b No comma is used when the IF clause comes second in a sentence c A comma is required before THOUGH d No comma is used before a defining clause e A comma is required before a non-defining clause f A comma is required after the connector HOWEVER in front position g A comma is required after the connector MOREOVER in front position h A comma is required after a participle clause I A comma is required after the sentence opener IN MY OPINION j No comma is used before BECAUSE

What makes a good leader?

Choose the best answer from each pair of alternatives. In most cases, only one of the answers is correct, but sometimes they both might be suitable. So be careful!

1 An / The answer to this question is 2 worth / worthy of its weight in 3 diamonds / gold. 4 In my opinion / If you ask me, a good leader is someone 5 who / that 6 conducts / leads 7 by / with example, but at 8 same / the same time has the 9 capability / ability to delegate. 10 Another / Other requirement for the 11 job / work is clearly good 12 communication / communicative skills. 13 Beside / Besides these 14 attributes / qualities, he or she 15 also would / would also benefit 16 from / of vision, originality and attention to 17 detail / details. 18 Being / To be able to 19 handle / handle with awkward members of 20 staff / stuff is a great asset too. When deadlines have to be met, I would also expect a good leader to roll up his or her 21 sleeves / trouser legs and get 22 down / up to work just like everyone else in the company is required to do in such situations. 23 Moreover / However, I would be interested to know what your opinion 24 of / on the subject is and what you 25 consider / regard to be important.

What makes a good Leader? 1 The 2 worth 3 gold 4 In my opinion / If you ask me 5 who / that 6 leads 7 by 8 the same 9 ability 10 Another 11 job 12 communication 13 Besides 14 attributes / qualities 15 would also 16 from 17 detail 18 Being 19 handle 20 staff 21 sleeves 22 down 23 However 24 on 25 consider

2. Making the boring bits interesting

If we are honest with ourselves, whenever we have to take time off teaching and someone is required to stand in for us, we tend to leave them the dirty work to do – teaching what are traditionally regarded as “the boring bits”. Use of the Articles can be included in this category, as unimaginative gap fill exercises are often the only resource we can find to use for the purpose. There are, however, fun ways of teaching Use of the Articles, and four activities are outlined below that you might like to try.

To practise using the indefinite article /…/

Tomatoes were originally yellow: hence the Italian name pomodoro ('golden apple'). Red tomatoes came later, discovered in Mexico by two Jesuit priests who brought their seeds back to Europe.

Someone once said “A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.” When it comes to cooking, my favourite ingredient is chilli, and a world without chilli for me, is a world without any colour.

I wonder what your favourite food or ingredient is. Make a sentence about it like the example, and then share it with the rest of the class:

A world without _______________________ is like a _______________________ without _______________________

To practise using the indefinite and definite articles /.../:

I’ve got a ring.
I bought the ring earlier this year when I was on holiday in India.

Why do we use A in the first sentence and THE in the second sentence? Because we use the indefinite article to introduce something new but the definite article to refer to something already mentioned or known.

Now I’m going to tell you about something I have. I would like you to repeat what I say and to then tell me about something you have. We are going to work around the room in a circle like this, with each person adding information about something they have, but only after repeating everything previously said.

I’ve got a __________.
The __________ comes from __________.

You’ve got a __________.
The __________ comes from __________.
I’ve got a __________
The __________ comes from __________.

To practise using the zero and definite articles /…/

Travelling broadens the mind.
The travelling I have done has mainly been in Eastern Europe.

Why do we use no article in the first sentence and the definite article in the second sentence? Because we use no article to refer to something in general but the definite example to refer to a particular example.

Now choose a number between 1 and 25, then go to the number you have chosen in the list. Make two sentences using the noun – one to refer to the subject in general and one to refer to a particular example of it.

Coffee __________.
The Coffee ___________.

Coffee is a stimulant.
The coffee I like best comes from Columbia.

1 Exams / 2 Happiness / 3 Tea / 4 Love / 5 Holidays / 6 Time / 7 Water / 8 Paintings
9 Work / 10 Cigarettes / 11 Friends / 12 Health / 13 Money / 14 Death / 15 Breakfast
16 Accommodation / 17 Pollution / 18 Drugs / 19 Education / 20 Junk food / 21 Marriage / 22 Children / 23 Music / 24 Pets / 25 Transport

To practise fixed expressions with the zero and definite articles /…/

Working individually, in pairs or small groups, design a business trip or the holiday of a lifetime by completing the “skeleton” version below:

Last year we sailed to ____________________ (a continent) across the ____________________ (a sea or an ocean) on the ____________________ (the name of a ship).

We then visited ____________________ (the name of a city) where we stayed at the ____________________ (the name of a hotel). We spent the afternoon in the ____________________ (the name of a gallery or a museum) and in the evening we went to the ____________________ (the name of a concert hall or a theatre).

To practise gerund and infinitive

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GERUND AND THE INFINITIVE QUIZ ?!?!?!

1. TO is always followed by the infinitive of a verb.
2. MAKE is the only verb that is followed by an object and the plain infinitive.
3. Modal verbs are always followed by the plain infinitive.
4. The verb TO START can be followed by the gerund or the TO infinitive but with a change of meaning.
5. The gerund can be used as the subject of a sentence but not the TO infinitive.
6. Verbs expressing likes and dislikes can be followed by the gerund or the TO infinitive without any change of meaning.
7. The following sentence is grammatically incorrect: "I suggest that she buy an English- English dictionary."
8. The following sentences both have the same meaning: "He helped me carry the luggage" and "He helped me to carry the luggage."
9. The verb LET has no passive form.
10. Both the gerund and the infinitive are defective because they have no perfect forms to talk about actions earlier in time.

All the statements are false except for number eight. To find out the reasons, take a look at the explanations below:

1. False. "I'm looking forward to meeting you" and "He confessed to murdering his mother-in-law" are two of many examples when TO is followed by the gerund.
2. False. LET is also followed by an object and the plain infinitive: My parents never used to let me smoke.
3. False. OUGHT is followed by the TO infinitive: You ought to buy yourself an English-English dictionary.
4. False. The verb TO START can be followed by the gerund or the TO infinitive and the two forms are interchangeable: When did you start studying/to study English?
5. False. The gerund is more commonly used as the subject of a sentence but the TO infinitive can also be used: To be or not to be, that is the question.
6. False. Verbs expressing likes and dislikes are followed by the gerund when talking in general and followed by the TO infinitive to refer to particular events: Do you like dancing? Would you like to dance with me?
7. False. The verb TO SUGGEST can be followed by the gerund or a THAT clause: The guide suggested visiting the Tower of London. The guide suggested (that) the tourist (should) visit the Tower of London.
8. True. HELP can be followed by an object and the plain or the TO infinitive without any change of meaning.
9. False. "The prisoners were let out of their cells twice a day" is an example of the verb used in the passive. However, when LET SOMEONE DO is used to express permission there is no passive form of the verb: My boss let me go home early.
10. False. "Joan of Arc is said to have been a witch" and "The suspect confessed to having committed the crime" are examples of the perfect forms.

3. Grammar review

The following three exercises focus on a variety of grammar points. The issues in the texts are as important as the grammar.

Discrimination in the workplace

Choose the best answer from each pair of alternatives. In most cases, only one of the answers is correct, but sometimes they both might be suitable. So be careful!

In its 1 broadest / widest terms 2 discrimination / the discrimination in the workplace is when an employer or their employee treats you less favourably 3 as / than anyone else, and it can 4 manifest / show itself into two main types – direct and indirect. 5 Direct / The Direct discrimination tends to cover straightforward actions where an employee is obviously being treated less favourably 6 because of / on account of their sex or race. For example, 7 consider / take the case of a woman 8 that / who obviously is more qualified than the other members of staff 9 in / under consideration, but who is turned 10 down / over for promotion because she happens to be pregnant. As for 11 indirect / the indirect discrimination, it is a 12 more subtle / subtler version where it is not always obvious when the discrimination takes place. An example of this would be when 13 it / there is an imposed requirement or condition, 14 that / which 15 leads to / results in discrimination against individuals 16 on the grounds of / for reasons of gender or race. For instance: Imposing an age requirement 17 in / on a job advert, or 18 asking / to ask for qualifications above the requirement for the post. 19 As / Together with all legislation, it is one thing to identify someone breaking the law but 20 another / the other when it comes to 21 implement / implementing the rules. The office is a close community, at least in 22 conditions / terms of people's distance from each other, and it is a place where it is easy to feel 23 intimidated / intimidating. But the only way to get 24 disposed / rid of bad 25 practice / practise is to highlight it when you see it.

Discrimination in the Workplace 1 broadest 2 discrimination 3 than 4 manifest 5 Direct 6 because of / on account of 7 consider / take 8 that / who 9 under 10 down 11 indirect 12 more subtle / subtler 13 there 14 which 15 leads to / results in 16 on the grounds of / for reasons of 17 in 18 asking 19 As 20 another 21 implementing 22 terms 23 intimidated 24 rid 25 practice

Visualizing your ideal job

Choose the best answer from each pair of alternatives. In most cases, only one of the answers is correct, but sometimes they both might be suitable. So be careful!

How much time do you spend 1 bitching / to bitch about your lousy boss, ridiculously low salary, hellish commute 2 and etc. / and so on? As satisfying 3 as / than a good gripe session is, you're 4 losing / wasting precious energy 5 in / on the wrong picture. Five minutes a day spent 6 to visualize / visualizing your 7ideal / idealistic work-life and fashioning a plan to get you there will move you 8 far / much 9 closer / nearer to your goal than 30 minutes of moaning and groaning 10 about / at what you don't want. The most successful entrepreneurs love what 11 do they do / they do. So if you haven't quite 12 figured / worked out where your passion 13 lays / lies, start 14paying / to pay attention instead 15 of / to what it is that does hold your interest. In 16 other / the other words, try to 17 tune / tuning into what it is you really love and want to do. What characteristics or talents do people compliment you 18for / on? What kind of work or lifestyles do you envy? And if you don't 19 still / yet have the knowledge or skills to turn your heart work 20 into / on a business venture, 21 do / make it your business to fill the gaps. Remember that unless you 22 don’t walk / walk out into the unknown, the 23 chances / odds of making a profound difference in your life are 24minimal / minimum. But to 25 keep / prevent yourself from being overwhelmed - yet still make headway - break your larger goal down into more manageable steps. And at the same 26 moment / time you're setting your 27 sights / vision on achieving your future goal, be 28 aware / mindful of how much abundance you have in your life right now! Changing course is a journey. 29 Add up / Count your blessings and enjoy the 30 ride / trip. When you think about it, it's all we really have.

Visualizing your Ideal Job 1 bitching 2 and so on 3 as 4 wasting 5 on 6 visualizing 7 ideal 8 far / much 9 closer 10 about 11 they do 12 figured / worked 13 lies 14 paying / to pay 15 to 16 other 17 tune 18 on 19 yet 20 into 21 make 22 walk 23 chances / odds 24 minimal 25 keep / prevent 26 time 27 sights 28 aware / mindful 29 Count 30 ride

Pronunciation

Homonyms are words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, FINE (adjective) and A FINE (noun), for example. Now find the homonyms that fit into the following pairs of sentences:

1a. If people are happy the way they are, we should let sleeping dogs ....
1b. If you ... when under oath, you can be convicted of perjury.
2a. Thread the cotton through the ... of the needle, then you can start to sew.
2b. Please keep an ... on the children for me to make sure they behave themselves.
3a. Every worker in the company has an important ... to play to ensure its success.
3b. I hope we can stay together forever - till death do us ..., as they say.
4a. I'm single and I live on my ... in a studio flat.
4b. Everything I ... will go to my children when I die because they are my sole heirs.
5a. If you want a ... with a sea view, then you have to pay a supplement.
5b. There isn't enough... for all of us here so I'm afraid you'll have to find somewhere else to stay.
6a. The doctor will try to ... the patient with antibiotics to clear up the infection.
6b. On my birthday, as a special ..., my partner brought me breakfast in bed.
7a. One ... doesn't make a summer.
7b. When you've got a sore throat it's difficult to ....
8a. If you exceed the speed limit, you have to pay a ....
8b. I'm feeling absolutely ... so please stop worrying about me.
9a. If there was a General Election tomorrow, which political ... would you vote for?
9b. I'd like to invite you to my birthday ... and I hope you can come.
10a. To tell you the truth, you're getting on my nerves and I'll be pleased to see the ... of you.
10b. If I'm going to stand up against the Director of the company, I need to know that my colleagues will ... me.
11a. Reserve team football matches are an opportunity for coaches to ... new players.
11b. It was a gruesome sight at the scene of the crime and it made my ... run cold.
12a. Are you going to ... the bill, or shall we go Dutch this time?
12b. I decided not to bring the car and I came on ... this time.
13a. All work and no ... makes Jack a dull boy.
13b. Shakespeare's most famous ... is probably Hamlet.
14a. You can't judge a ... by its cover.
14b. If you want a low cost flight, you need to ... at least one month in advance.
15a. I don't know how you can justify such a position. You haven't got a leg to ... on.
15b. I can't ... it when you keep nagging me all the time. How about giving me some peace for a change?

ANSWERS: 1. lie 2. eye 3. part 4. own 5. room 6. treat 7. swallow 8. fine 9. party 10. back 11. blood 12. foot 13. Play 14. book 15. stand

Sources

Words Confused and Words Misused can be found in my book “On Business and for Pleasure”, How Much Do You know About … sets of statements can be found in “A Multiple Intelligences Road to an ELT Classroom”, and Being self-employed and how to punctuate it comes from “On Business and for Pleasure Again”.

References

Berman, M. (2002) A Multiple Intelligences Road to an ELT Classroom, Carmarthen, Wales: Crown House Publishing.

Berman, M. (2010) On Business and for Pleasure, Hampshire: O-Books.

Berman, M. (2011) On Business and for Pleasure Again, Hampshire: O-Books.

Cahill, S., & Halpern, J. (1991) The Ceremonial Circle Shamanic Practice, Ritual and Renewal, London: Mandala.

Turner, V. (1995) The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, Chicago, Illinois: Aldine Publishing Company (first published in 1969).

Van Gennep, A. (1977) The Rites of Passage, London: Routledge and Keegan Paul (original work published in 1909).

Please check the Creative Methodology for the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Methodology and Language for Secondary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the CLIL: Content and Methodology for Secondary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the CLIL General Methodology course at Pilgrims website.