speaking plans

Holidays and travel

© www.teachitworld.com 2012 17618 of 8

Teaching notes and key Level: intermediate (B1/B2). Aims:

listening for what is said – keywords and detail listening for how it is said – qualifiers (really, actually, quite) and conversational phrases.

Timing: approximately one hour. Preparation The audio recording for this lesson can be downloaded from www.teachitworld.com. It is an extract of a conversation between Lucy (British) and Dominika (Polish) and lasts just under four minutes. Before listening This is a warm-up task to get learners thinking about the topic of the listening. Listening for what is being said Listening for key words In this task learners just have to identify the words or understand the gist of what is being said. This should help them ‘tune in’ to the speakers’ voices. Answers:

1. hot 2. Australia, Mauritius, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland 3. quite sunny; near water 4. yes, in some ways.

Listening for detail This is a more challenging comprehension task. Answers:

1. Has visited: Australia, Mauritius, England, Wales. Would like to visit: Scotland.

2. “I love the sun and I also love the beaches, so I prefer just lie down on the beach and relax watching the ocean and all the little sparks on the water”

3. “this is an interesting thing for me, just to see the culture” 4. “it’s actually more expensive” than going abroad 5. “quite hilly”

“quite big (i.e. a lot of) traffic” “they’re doing road works” on Park Street, “so it’s quite hard to get past”.

Holidays and travel


Listening to how it is said These activities encourage learners to listen actively in order to avoid fossilisation and to carry on improving their spoken English. Qualifiers used in speech This task helps learners understand the meaning and use of really, actually and quite in conversation. Answers:

1b = It’s been very nice weather. 2a/b = It doesn’t in fact encourage people / It doesn’t encourage people very much. 3a/b = In fact, I haven’t. / Not very many. 4a = the place where, in fact, I live 5a = In fact, I’ve never been … 6d = fairly heavy traffic 7d = it’s fairly hard …

Note that quite tends to mean ‘totally’ in the expressions I quite agree and You’re quite right. Answers:

1. really x9 2. actually x6 3. quite x8.

If learners are still struggling to understand the recording, you could play it again with the transcript at this point. Conversational phrases This task encourages learners to use some typical spoken phrases from the recording.

Holidays and travel


Transcript L = Lucy; D = Dominika L: Where do you like to go when you’re on holiday? What do you like to do?

D: Well, I love to go to some places where it’s hot ’cause I love the sun and I also love the beaches, so, um, I prefer just lie down on the beach and relax, watching the ocean and, yeah, and all those little sparks on the water cause of the sun, yeah

L: So you said you’ve been to Australia …

D: Yeah.

L: Where else have you been?

D: Well, I’ve been to Mauritius as well, and that is a small island on Indian Ocean.

L: Mmm hmm.

D: Yeah, so this is a hot place as well. It’s like summer all over the, all year, actually

L: Mmm

D: Yeah.

L: Mmm, OK. And have you got any holiday plans this year?

D: Not really, no. I think that this year I’m going to stay in England, but this is an interesting thing for me, just to see the culture – it’s not really hot and sunny

L: That’s, that’s true [laughs].

D: Unfortunately, but it’s nice as well. I think Bristol’s quite a sunny place when it comes to England

L: That’s true, yeah, and relatively warm, and at least you do have the water, even if it’s not the sea.

D: Yeah, yeah, that’s true, but it’s been really nice weather last week.

L: Yeah, not bad at all.

D: It wasn’t raining, so … I’m happy.

L: And are you planning to visit any other parts of England while you’re here?

D: Well, I would like to go to Scotland

L: Mmm hmm

D: ’cause it seems interesting – it’s a bit further. I’ve been to some places around Bristol, and I’ve been to Wales as well, but I think I would like to see Scotland and get a taste of the culture

L: Right

D: and I think it’s quite rich there, isn’t it?

L: I have to say I’ve never actually been to Scotland.

D: Really?

L: Well, I have – I spent a day in Edinburgh, but that’s about it

D: Oh, OK, OK.

L: and I’ve never been to Ireland, either

D: Oh, OK.

L: so I’m very ignorant about the place where I actually live

D: Really?

L: [unclear]

D: [laughs] especially when it’s not that far from here

L: Well, that’s right, though, surprisingly it’s actually more expensive to go, say, to Scotland than it is to

Holidays and travel


D: Is it?

L: Well, ’cause you can get lots of cheap flights to places abroad, it’s actually cheaper to

D: Ah, yes that’s true, yeah – there are some bargains and things like the special offers.

L: Mmm, mmm.

D: That’s true.

L: Though I think these days there are more cheaper internal flights, so you can now fly from Bristol to Edinburgh

D: That’s true, yeah. This is true, yeah.

L: So maybe I should do that.

D: I think public transport is quite expensive in England, generally, like, like trains and buses – they’re really expensive

L: Yeah, it doesn’t really encourage people to …

D: That’s true, that’s true. This is, well, that’s probably why a lot of people cycles here.

L: Yeah, Bristol’s supposed to be the best place for cycling in the UK.

D: Yeah, it is. You can see a lot of bikes – yeah, by the roads and parked or people riding them …

L: Though it’s surprising for somewhere that’s actually quite hilly.

D: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

L: Have you tried cycling here?

D: Um, not really. I’m about to get a bicycle and probably I’ll cycle, but I’m looking for the perfect one, you know, like, with the basket and everything.

L: [laughs] Ah, that’s nice.

D: Yeah, I would like to get this.

L: You do have to be quite careful though. It depends where you go …

D: I know, I know, I know, ’cause there are streets and, yeah, quite big traffic as well – this is true.

L: Yeah, and going up Park Street at the moment is really a bit …

D: Is it?

L: a bit dangerous. Well, ’cause they’re doing road works on the street …

D: Oh, OK.

L: so it’s quite hard to get past.

D: Oh, OK. And there is also this problem with the hills, you know, ’cause it’s quite hard to cycle when you go upwards.

L: Mmm, sure.

D: Yeah.

L: But still, it’s a nice way to get around [unclear].

D: It is, it is, and you can also keep fit …

L: Absolutely.

D: and this is important.

Holidays and travel


Worksheet Before listening Discuss the following questions:

1. Where do you like to go when you are on

holiday?

2. What do you like to do?

3. Have you got any holiday plans this year?

4. Is cycling encouraged in your town?

5. What are the pros and cons of using a

bicycle? Listening for what is being said Listening for key words Read the questions first and then tick the answers as you listen. 1. What kind of weather does Dominika like when she goes on holiday?

hot

cold

warm

mild

sunny

snowy 2. Which countries does she talk

about?

Austria

Australia

Mauritius

Mauritania

England

Britain

Scotland

Wales

Ireland

Iceland

Germany

Holidays and travel


3. What is Bristol like?

really hot

quite sunny

by the sea

on a river

near water

flat

hilly

mountainous 4. Is Bristol a good city for cycling?

yes, perfect

yes, in some ways

no, not at all Listening for detail Read the questions before listening again. 1. Which countries has Dominika visited? Which would she like to visit? Tick the boxes.

Has visited Would like to visit

Australia

Mauritius

England

Scotland

Wales

Ireland

2. What does she like to do on the beach?

..............................................................................................................................................................................

3. Why is Bristol interesting for her? ..............................................................................................................................................................................

Holidays and travel


4. What does Lucy say about travel within the UK? ..............................................................................................................................................................................

5. Why are the disadvantages of cycling in Bristol? ..............................................................................................................................................................................

Listening to how it is said When we learn another language, we often reach a certain level then stop making progress. This is because we have reached a point where we can understand and make ourselves understood in most situations. Most mistakes at this stage are caused by translating from our own language. The way to overcome this is to listen actively to how the language is spoken as well as to what is being said. Qualifiers used in speech You will hear the words really, actually and quite used a lot in spoken English. They are called ‘qualifiers’ – they limit or add to the meaning of the other words in the phrase. Study the phrases below and try to decide what the qualifier means in each case. Write 1, 2, 3 or 4 next to each sentence.

a. in reality; in fact b. very; very much c. absolutely; totally d. fairly; moderately

1. it’s been really nice weather

2. It doesn’t really encourage people

3. Have you got any holiday plans this year? Not really.

4. the place where I actually live

5. I have to say I’ve never actually been to Scotland

6. quite big traffic

7. it’s quite hard to get past Now listen again and tick each time you hear the qualifiers.

1. really

2. actually

3. quite

Holidays and travel


Conversational phrases Look at the sentences below, which are from the dialogue, and discuss what they mean. Then make your own sentences/questions using the words in bold.

1. Where else have you been? ........................................................................................................................................................................

2. At least you do have the water, even if it’s not the sea. ........................................................................................................................................................................

3. Are you planning to visit any other parts of England while you’re here? ........................................................................................................................................................................

4. Bristol’s supposed to be the (long ‘ee’ for emphasis) place for cycling ........................................................................................................................................................................

5. I’m about to get a bike ........................................................................................................................................................................

6. I have to say I’ve never actually been to Scotland ........................................................................................................................................................................

7. … is nice way to get around ........................................................................................................................................................................

Now ask some other students your questions. If you are interested, try listening for a fourth time without reading anything and see if your understanding of the dialogue has improved. Photo credits Map © http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Britain_template.png

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