Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Identifying Family Members (beginner and intermediate learners)

Identifying family members as a second language not only includes the vocabulary but also some grammar structure.

Vocabulary: 

  • mother/mom
  • father/dad
  • sister(s)
  • brother(s)
  • aunt(s)
  • uncle(s)
  • cousin(s)
  • grandmother/grandma
  • grandfather/grandpa 


Basic (but not all) grammar items:

  • Who is _____?
  • He is_____/She is_____/They are_____/We are _____ 
  • How old is/are _____?
  • How many _____ do you have? 
Activities to incorporate vocabulary and grammar:
  • Interviews:
    • Procedure: Students work in pairs and interview each other (whether from a prepared sheet from the teacher or creates their own questions).  They must ask about the students family.
    • Modifications: Students as other English speakers at the school, in the community, or a pen pal.  

  • Guess who?:
    • Procedure: Students are in pairs and each have a set of the same pictures or drawings of people with the bottom labeled what part of the family they are.  The students secretly choose a picture and put it to the side.  The other person is trying to guess what family member their partner secretly chose.  They can only ask questions that have a yes or no answer. For example: Is your person a man?  Is your person part of the immediate/nuclear family?
    • Modifications: Students have a labeled taped on their back and they are trying to find out what family member is taped on their back.  They ask each other yes or no questions. For example: Am I a man?  Am I part of the immediate/nuclear family?   
  • Tell a funny story:
    • Procedure: Students tell a funny story about their family to a partner, small group, or whole class.  They must include who it is, how old they are, and what they did.  The people listening must ask a question related to the story, summarize, or answer comprehension questions afterwards.
    • Modifications: Storys are acted out and students must guess what is going on in the story.  The teller must still include who it was, how old, and what. 
  • Compare families around the world: 
    • Procedure: After watching a Families of the World video from youtube, students will compare Tico families to the family depicted in the video or two families from two videos using a Venn diagram.  
    • Modification: Students can write in complete sentences the differences of two families, students can give an oral report on the differences, students can illustrate and describe the differences of the two families.

  • Describe a family photo:
    • Procedure: Students can bring in their own family photo or teacher can provide a photo from a magazine, on line, etc.  The students are put into pairs and must describe the family in the photo.
    • Modification: Students can create a story from looking at the photo.  They can write down the descriptions or story.  Students can give an oral report.  




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