Using Creativity to Practice Articles with Geographical Names

Natia Katamadze, Georgia

Natia Katamadze is a lecturer at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University and teaches English at the Centre of Teaching English INT, Batumi, Georgia. She is an approved British Council /ETAG ( English Teachers’ Association of Georgia ) teacher trainer . Her primary interests are student autonomy and creativity in a language classroom. E-mail: natia.katamadze@gmail.com

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Introduction
Aims
Warm-up
Presentation
Practice
Free practice
Cooler
References

Introduction

Article is one of the most problematic issues in teaching English, students find it difficult to use the article correctly and often make mistakes. Provided lesson plan will help teachers practice the article with geographical names using different fun activities.

Aims

1. practice the usage of articles with geographical names
2. encourage students to use articles with geographical names in their own context

Warm-up

plip /plop which stand for indefinite and definite articles

Teacher gives contextual guessing: 1. plip is singular / plop is both; 2. plip is shorter than plop; 3. plip consists of one letter , plop of three; 4.plip is general , plop is specific ;

Presentation

Step 1. Teacher tells the students to listen to her and write down the geographical names with the article or no article

1. I am lucky to say that I have visited only England but unfortunately I can’t say that I have visited all the parts of Great Britain or the United Kingdom. Neither have I visited the USA. I plan to visit Greece and France. People say you have to see the Netherlands and the Philippines but I don’t feel like visiting them.
2. I have never dreamed of climbing the Alps , though it is the dream of many people as for Mount Everest it is the most popular place of mountaineers. I would like to have a look at the Nile, the Amazon since I have heard so much about these rivers . Frankly , I am not interested much in seeing Lake Ontario or Victoria but I am keen on seeing The Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean with wonderful sandy beaches .I think most of us would be eager to see the Thames just because you have read so much about it.

Step 2. Teacher elicits when we should use the definite article and when we shouldn’t.

Step 3. Teacher gets feedback

Practice

Step 1. Students read , analyze and expand the sentences: Variants: I am sorry … I think the people who have emigrated from … are lucky , or People who have emigrated from … are forced

1. A lot of people have emigrated to Europe to the United States. 2.Tourists also come to see Scotland’s beautiful landscape: the lakes such as Loch Lomond or Loch Ness. 3. Many Europeans would like to visit the Canary islands in summer. 4.Corsica which is an island in the Mediterranean sea is a great draw for tourists. 5. The River Danube is considered to be one of the most beautiful ones in summer. 6. I would rather see Prague in winter than in summer. 7. The English Channel impresses those who see it for the first time.

Step 2. Finish the sentences using different geographical names

1. If I were you , I would visit ……because….. 2. If I were you, I would go sailing around …..because … 3. If I were you , I would climb …. because…. 4. If I were you , I would tramp around …. because…. 5. You should have taken a swim in ….. because…. 6. I am convinced you will enjoy yachting …. 7. It will be delightful … 8. I was impressed when ….

Filler a. The , the the…. b . No no no…

Students stand in a circle and the teacher calls out geographical names given below, students say the or no, game goes as fast as possible, the last person in the circle is the winner.

Thames , Caucasus , Thames , British Isles , Bali , Great Britain, UK , US , Netherlands, Indian Ocean, Black Sea

Free practice

Step 1. Teacher gives out pictures or maps and ask them to use the structure - a. it might be the Nile because …. , b. I would like to visit the Alps because….. c. It seems it will be great fun if I visit ….

The Rockies, , Hudson Bay, The Adriatic Sea, The Balearics - The Balearics Islands , Ibiza, Majorca, Minorca - islands - belong to Spain in the Mediterranean sea , Bali Island in Indonesia , The Persian Gulf, Vancouver in the Pacific Ocean , Lake Geneva, Croatia , Italy- Mediterrean

Cooler

Look at these hands . The owner has mixed up the geographical places and placed them the way he wanted . Which countries do you think he has on the tips of his fingers , on the right /left thumbs/ on the middle finger … and why

References

Michael Harris, David Mower, Anna Sikorzynska . (2006) New opportunities. www.longman.com

John Eastwood.( 2006) Oxford Practice Grammar.Intermediate . Oxford University press

teachingenglish@britishcouncil.org . Comparative plip/plops.Derek Spafford , October 2012

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.