describe personal qualities

1 | Describe personal qualities • Unit 22 ©2018 Berlitz Languages, Inc.

In this lesson you will ...

Describe personal qualities

Vocabulary & Expressions Language Focus

personal qualitiespleasantunpleasantreliableunreliablefairunfairhonestdishonestorganizeddisorganizeddecisiveindecisiveflexibleinflexiblematureimmaturepatientimpatientliterateilliterate

computer literatelogicalillogicalrationalirrationalhardworkinglazyenthusiastic (about + -ing)indifferentoutgoing (= personality type)shynervousto consider (my)self …to seem to be …strengthweaknessdependentindependentindependentlyto bite (my) tongue

Negating prefixes: un-, dis-, in-, im-, ir-, il-

Greet students. Review previous lesson and homework.

Review key points from previous lesson, check any assigned homework, and check for questions.

Set customized Speaking Goal. Ask questions to find out about students’ needs and experiences.

Do you need to have certain personal qualities for your job? Which ones?

etc.

Set a customized speaking goal. For example: Our goal is to describe your personal qualities to your boss. Write the goal on the board and get agreement from students.

Warm-up. Present and practice, as needed: personal qualities

GOAL-SETTING01

UNIT 22

©2018 Berlitz Languages, Inc.

Contrast: Is a receptionist usually nice? Friendly? Helpful? Are these skills?

[N] → personal qualities

Did anyone ask you about your personal qualities in your last job interview?

etc.

Have students look at the photo in the SG. Say: These people work together as a team in a department. What kind of personal qualities do you think they have? Which of these qualities do you have?

Alternatively, refer back to the warm-up picture in the previous unit and ask: What personal qualities should these people have? Which of these qualities

do you have?

Warm-up

Present and practice: unavailable (rev.) / un- / (un)pleasant / (un)reliable / (un)fair / dis- / (dis)honest / (dis)organized

Substitution: The receptionist is on the phone. Can you talk to her? [N] →She’s unavailable.

Draw two faces happy / unhappy on the board: Is she happy? [Y] Is he

happy? [N] → unhappy

Substitution: Is the receptionist friendly to everyone? → pleasant

Have you ever had an unpleasant boss / neighbor?

Dictionary: Is she always there on time? Does she always do her job well? →She is reliable.

Contrast: Is Clive a reliable person? [N] → He’s unreliable.

Dictionary: Does Mr. Bennett try to treat all the employees the same way?

[Y] Does he have any favorite employees? [N] → He tries to be fair.

Contrast: Do children often think their parents aren’t fair? → unfair

Write on the board: satisfied, dissatisfied

Dictionary: Does Mr. Simpson ever say something that isn’t true? [N] Does

he ever steal things? [N] → He is an honest man.

Contrast: Is everyone honest? → some people are dishonest

Dictionary: Do you always know where you put all your things? Can you find

them quickly? Do you manage all your appointments well? [Y] → You are

organized.

Contrast: Is everyone organized? [N] → some people are disorganized.

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PRESENTATION02

Describe personal qualities • Unit 22 | 2


Why should you always be pleasant when you meet customers for the first

time? Have you ever met an unpleasant customer? Are most of your friends

reliable? Is your boss always fair? etc.

QA & QFS

Are your coworkers friendly or unfriendly?

Do you think taxes in this country are fair?

Who is the most reliable / unreliable (person in your family / employee in

your department)? etc.

Correct the teacher: un- or dis-?

1. My boss is a lot nicer to some people than others. He’s very fair. → He’s very unfair.

2. It was honest of Tim to take money from his mother’s purse.

3. Stella never completes her work on time. She’s very reliable.

4. I’m so organized that I can never find my phone.

5. The clerk we spoke to was pleasant; she never smiled once. etc.

Present and practice: in- / (in)decisive / (in)flexible / im- / (im)mature / (im)patient / il- / (il)literate / (il)logical/ computer (il)literate / ir- / (ir)rational

Write on board and review as needed: efficient, polite, responsible, legal

Write on board: in-, im-, il-, ir-

What do you think the opposites of these words are?

Substitution: Can you make decisions quickly? → decisive

Can you change your plans or your schedule quickly? → flexible

Dictionary: Is Emily Simpson 16 or 36? [16] Does she think and speak like

an adult? [Y] → She’s mature (for her age).

Does Mrs. Bennett wait for her students to answer her questions? [Y] →She’s patient (with her students).

Contrast: Are all employees polite with customers? [N]→ impolite (listen for correct pronunciation)

Is Andrew Simpson mature? [N] → immature

When people are waiting for the newest (iPhone) are they patient? [N] →

impatient

Substitution: Do you know how to read and write? → literate

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PRESENTATION

PRACTICE

PRACTICE

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Contrast: Are there people who don’t know how to read and write? Use a

computer? → (computer) illiterate

Substitution: Do computer programmers think in a very clear, organized

way? → logical thinkers

Contrast: Is English spelling logical? → sometimes illogical

Dictionary: Are doctors usually calm in an emergency? Do they think

clearly? → Doctors are rational in an emergency.

Contrast: In an emergency, do people think clearly? → sometimes irrational

Are you decisive or indecisive? In which situations do you need to be

flexible? Are you a logical thinker? Do you sometimes get impatient? Have

you ever been impolite to a friend or colleague? etc.

Give us an example!

Read the statements aloud. Students state what quality the people have or need. Model as needed. For example:

I: Paramedics at an accident scene. S: → They are decisive and rational.

1. A child standing in front of the ice cream counter.

2. A teacher with a group of young children.

3. A flight attendant during a long flight.

4. A college graduate looking for an IT job. etc.

Present and practice, as needed: hardworking / lazy / enthusiastic (about + -ing) / indifferent / outgoing / shy / calm (rev.) / nervous / I consider myself … / to seem to be … / strength / weakness

Substitution: Is the office clerk a hard worker? → hardworking

Contrast: Are all of the people in the conference room hardworking? →Some of them are lazy.

This woman is a sales rep, isn’t she?

Substitution: Does she like selling? Is she excited by it? → enthusiastic

(about sales / selling)

Contrast: Is she enthusiastic about working weekends? → indifferent

Dictionary: When she goes to conferences, does she talk to everyone?

Strangers, too? → outgoing person

Contrast: Is the office clerk an outgoing person, too? [N] → shy

Do sales reps make many presentations?

Naming / Gesture: How does she feel before a presentation? → (Deep breath, still hands) Is she calm? → (Shaking, trembling hands) Or is she

nervous?

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PRESENTATION

PRACTICE

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Substitution: Do you think you are a shy person or an outgoing person? →

You consider yourself an outgoing person. → I consider myself an outgoing

person.

Contrast: Do you know 100% if someone is outgoing? [N] → (he) seems to

be outgoing

Substitution: Is this a good quality? [Y/N] → (not a) strength

Contrast: Is being lazy a strength, too? [N] → weakness

Do you enjoy being lazy on the weekends? Is (your colleague) hardworking?

In which situations do you get nervous? Are you enthusiastic about working

on the new project? Is there a shy colleague in your department or is

everyone pretty outgoing? etc.

Draw four lines on the board, with adjectives at one end and their opposites at the other. Make statements and have students say where to place an X on the line.

For example: I consider myself hardworking usually, but sometimes on the

weekends, I’m a little lazy.

I’m always outgoing, and never shy.

lazy -------------X---------------------------------- hardworking

indifferent ---------------------------------X------- enthusiastic

shy X-------------------------------------------------- outgoing

nervous -X-------------------------------------------- calm

1 • 2 • 3Pre-listening. Present and practice, as needed: dependent / independent(ly) / to bite (my) tongue

Substitution: Can babies live without someone else’s help? [N] → Babies are

dependent on others.

Contrast: Do you need someone’s help at work? [N] You can do your work

by yourself, right? [Y] → can work independently

Build-up: Is it always a good idea to tell someone what you’re thinking? [N]

Do you have to stop yourself from saying it? → bite your tongue

Who are you dependent on when you work on a project? Do you enjoy

working independently? etc.

Listening 1. Set the scene: Three people are talking about their strengths and weaknesses. Set task: Listen for what each person does. Play the recordings.

Track:LISTENING

PRACTICE

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[ANSWERS: 1. Annette is a buyer for a large department store. 2. Daniel is a

student. 3. Charlene is a flight attendant.]

What else do you remember about Annette, Daniel, and Charlene?

Listening 2. Set task: Listen again. This time, listen for the strengths and weaknesses they mention. Complete the sentences in your book.

Play the recordings one at a time, pausing for students to write their answers. To elicit the answers, call on students to ask each other questions about the statements. Ask students what else they remember about the recordings.

[ANSWERS: A. 1. decisive; 2. independently; 3. impatient; B. 1. friendly; 2.

honest; 3. lazy; C. 1. fast; 2. organized; 3. rude; 4. polite (or pleasant)]

Post-listening. Ask: Do you think Annette and Charlene have the right skills for their jobs? Why (not)? Are you more like Annette, Daniel, or Charlene?

What are they like?

Pre-task. Elicit what the lesson goal was from students, or remind them of it and point it out on the board: Our goal today is to describe your personal qualities to your boss.

Task. Which personal qualities describe you (your best and worst qualities)? Which would you use with your CEO? Choose two words or expressions that you consider your biggest strengths and one that is your biggest weakness. In pairs, explain why you chose the personal qualities that you did.

Second enactment. Give feedback, correction, and praise.

For a weak performance, set up a second enactment and focus on increasing speed, fluency, and confidence. For a strong performance, add a complication to make the task more challenging, e.g., have students talk about the strengths / weaknesses of a friend's personality.

Post-task. Have students summarize what they have learned.

Confirm lesson goal achievement with students. Assign homework activities.

Describe personal qualities

PERFORMANCE10



Extension 1. Game / Vocabulary review

Call out an adjective used in the unit. Students give the opposite. If a student gives the correct prefix, he / she gets a point.

Extension 2. Reading / Discussion

Read the reference letter in the SG. Discuss.

To Whom It May Concern

Remind students to complete their homework activities online.ONLINE PRACTICE

CONSOLIDATE & APPLY

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describe personal qualities

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