Steps in Speaking English (Шаги в разговорном английском)

Lesson I. Topics: Age groups, Life stages, Habits

Vocabulary. Age groups and corresponding institutions.

Baby, toddler1, child, pupil, teenager, school leaver2, student, high school graduate3, bachelor/graduate student4, master5, Doctor of Philosophy/PhD6, grown-up, adult, middle-aged, pensioner, old/elderly, nursery school, school, kindergarten, college university, institute, academy, job, army, pensioner's house

Mind the difference:

Institute – an organization having a particular purpose, especially one that is involved with science, education, or a specific profession

University – a high-level educational institution in which students study for degrees

Academy – a society or institution of distinguished scholars and artists or scientists that aims to promote and maintain standards in its particular field

Exercise 1. Answer these questions:

1. What do you think the age range for each time of life is?

2. What is the difference between a baby and a toddler?

3. What is the difference between a child and a teenager?

4. What is your life stage now?

5. What life stage is the happiest?

6. What life stage is the worst?

7. What institutions do people of different age groups attend?

Vocabulary. Life stages.

have children, buy a car, rebel against your parents, get a job, get engaged, have your first kiss, look after your grandchildren, build a house, retire, get married, graduate from university, earn a good salary, learn to drive a car, get a place of your own, army, education, career, family, win a competition, leave school, get the first job, to give birth to a child, to be in love at the first sight

Exercise 2. Answer these questions:

1. What is the typical age in your country to do the things above?

2. Have you ever rebelled against your parents? Why? In what way?

3. What is the ideal first kiss for you?

4. In what age do people usually learn to drive a car?

5. Why don’t young men want to go to the army?

6. What is the best age for having a child?

7. What marks did you leave school with?

8. What should you do for getting a job and earning a good salary?

9. How many children would you like to have?

10. What is more important: family or career?

11. What should be done earlier: getting a place of your own or getting married?

Exercise 3. Speak to other students and find someone who:

– is an only child

– isn’t married

– has got a summer cottage

– has got a car

– hasn’t got children

– lives in an apartment

– doesn’t like chocolate

– can act as a teacher

– can’t play a musical instrument

– enjoyed reading as a child

– can build a house

– gave birth to a child

– can swim

– has a pet

Exercise 4. Read the text.

Naomi Campbell is a British supermodel and actress. She did numerous fashion and beauty campaigns for big brands like Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, H&M, Louis Vuitton, Valentino and others. She is estimated to have acquired a wealth of US$28 million from modeling. But Naomi Campbell was not always rich and famous.

What sort of life did Naomi have as a child?

Naomi Campbell was born in 1970 in Streatham, South London.

In accordance with her mother's wishes, Campbell has never met her father, who abandoned her mother when she was four months pregnant. During her early years, Campbell lived in Rome, where her mother worked as a dancer. At the age of ten, she was accepted into the Italia Academy of Theatre Arts, where she studied ballet.

How did she start her successful career?

Campbell's first public appearance came at the age of seven, in 1978, when she was featured in the music video for Bob Marley's "Is This Love". In 1986, Campbell was scouted by Beth Boldt, head of the model agency. Her career quickly took off – before her sixteenth birthday, she appeared on the cover of British Elle. In January 1990, Campbell was declared as "the reigning megamodel".

What did she do later?

In the mid 1990s, Campbell branched out into other areas of the entertainment industry. Her novel "Swan" about a supermodel was released in 1994. That same year, Campbell released her music album "Babywoman". In 1995, Campbell invested in a chain of restaurants called the Fashion Cafe. Campbell also attempted an acting career.

Exercise 5. Make 3 questions about Naomi Campbell and ask them other students.

Vocabulary. Youth and old age.

do a lot of sport, be always active/energetic, have a lot of hair, be quite slim, not have a girl friend, have a bicycle, not have much money, have elastic pure skin, not do any sport, not have much hair, be overweight, be always tired/worn out, be married, have a car, get a good salary, have wrinkles and pigmentation

Exercise 6. Answer these questions.

1. What did people use to do/have in their youth?

2. What do people do/have in age?

3. How do you see yourself in age? Active or worn out?

Example: People in youth used to do a lot of sport. People in age don’t do any.

Exercise 7. Tell the students about yourself. What did you use to do when you were younger? What do you prefer to do now? Ex.: I used to play hockey when I was younger but now I prefer swimming.

Vocabulary. Bad and good habits.

eat junk food, eat healthily, be mentally active, be a heavy smoker, drink a lot of water, do physical exercises, think positively, go to bed very late, take a lot of medicine, wash hands before eating, bite one's nails7, blow one's nose8) drink clean filter water, pick one's nose 9, be a heavy drunkard

Exercise 8. Answer these questions.

1. What habits are good/bad?

2. How do habits influence our health?

3. What habits do you have?

4. Discuss in a group what habits can help to improve your health?

5. Which of the things did you use to do? Which do you do now?

Exercise 9. Role play these telephone situation.

Making contacts

Transferring the call

Making arrangements

Changing Arrangements

Complaining and showing understanding

Exercise 10. Complete dialogs for these situations:

1. You are a prosperous old businessmen but you want to retire so you make an arrangement with several candidates on your position. You want to sell your corporation.

2. You have agreed to make an appointment with your sales manager and have a business talk about new equipment but one of your offices has been robbed recently so you have to meet with police and change your arrangement with manager.

3. You have watched the car accident on TV and want to make sure that your mother wasn't its participant. You call to the company where your mother works, but your mother is a director and very busy, so you have to talk with her secretary.

4. Your boss organizes picnic for the colleagues on the weekend. But you have heard on the radio that it will rain, so you decide to phone your boss to confirm arrangement.

Lesson II. Topics: Every day routine, Housework,

Activities

Vocabulary. Everyday routine.

spend time with family, pay the telephone bill, wash the dishes, empty the rubbish, make a telephone call, use a computer, cook, work, study, stay at home, hand–launder, clean, do your homework, go shopping, play with your children, walk the dog10

Exercise 1. Answer these questions:

1. Who gets up first in your house?

2. What time do you get up?

3. Do you have a computer at home?

4. What kind of computer programs do you use every day?

5. Who uses Power Point the most?

6. Who makes the most phone calls?

7. Whom do you phone most often?

8. Who pays the bills in your house?

9. Who usually does the cooking?

10. And who empties the rubbish?

11. How many evenings a week do you stay at home?

12. Who spends the most time in the house?

13. What is “every day routine” for you?

14. Who does shopping in your family?

Vocabulary. Activities for weekends.

wake up, get up early, go to bad late, stay in bed late, have a lie-in, have a nap, fall asleep, have breakfast/lunch/dinner, have a snack, have a picnic, get a take–away pizza, listen to the radio, watch TV, check your mails, check your emails, chat on the phone, do exercise, go to the gym, have a shower, go for a walk, go clubbing, do nothing, catch a bus/train, lie on the beach, meet some friends, have a date, walk the dog, do shopping, take a bath, read books, watch films, go to the theatre, go to the cinema, visit granny, play football/ basketball/ tennis/ volleyball/ badminton

Exercise 2. Ask other students these questions and answer, using the words above:

1. What is your favourite time of the day/week? Why?

2. What is your least favourite time of the day/week? Why?

3. What is a typical day for you?

4. What do you enjoy doing?

5. What do you hate doing?

6. What irritates you?

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1

toddler – ребёнок, начинающий ходить

2

school leaver – выпускник школы, абитуриент

3

high school graduate – выпускник университета

4

bachelor/graduate student – бакалавр

5

master – магистр

6

Doctor of Philosophy/PhD – доктор наук

7

bite one's nails – грызть ногти

8

blow one's nose – сморкаться

9

pick one's nose – ковырять в носу

10

walk the dog – выгуливать собаку