From Health to Weather

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG

Faculdade de Letras – FALE

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos Linguísticos – POSLIN

Curso de Especialização em Ensino de Inglês – CEI

Teaching English to intermediate and upper-intermediate students from private language institutes: from health to weather

Trabalho apresentado ao Curso de Especialização em Ensino de Inglês, atividade do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos Linguísticos da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais como requisito parcial para a obtenção do título de Especialista em Ensino de Língua Inglesa.

Caroline Freire Xavier

Belo Horizonte

2013

Index

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………...3

Unit: Health Problems……………………………………………………………………5

Test Booklet: Health Problems………………………………………………………….15

Teacher’s guide: Health Problems………………………………………………………20

Unit: Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather………………………………………….26

Test Booklet: Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather………………………………....36

Teacher’s guide: Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather……………………………...41

Rationale………………………………………………………………………………...47

Websites consulted……………………………………………………………………...52

Introduction

This teaching material was created with the objective of promoting communicative practice among students, using different patterns of interaction, with the use of authentic materials, aiming at the practice of all four skills involved in language learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing. It consists of two units, with different themes and devised for different audiences. Each unit is followed by a test booklet that can be used to test students’ knowledge of the features taught in the unit and a teacher’s guide, with the answer-key for the activities in the unit itself and also in the test booklet, as well as instructions, guidance and suggestions for the teacher in charge of the class. The units were organized as described:

Health problems: this unit was devised having in mind intermediate level students from private language institutes with an age range from 18 years old (young adults) to adults. The topic is very relevant and rich and exposes students to related vocabulary (health problems), grammar (imperatives), texts (self-help guide, hospital signs and posters), videos (TV commercial) and communicative situations (interaction patient-doctor) very useful and likely to be found in real life.

Natural disasters and Extreme Weather: this unit deals with extreme situations, impacting pictures and videos and surprising facts, what has proved to be able to generate curiosity and interest among students. They have the chance to share knowledge they acquired about the theme by reading different materials or watching programmes related to it or even by their own experiences in their countries or other countries they might have had the chance to visit. The language is suitable for upper-intermediate students with an age range from 18 years old (young adults) to adults, also from private language institutes. Students are exposed to natural disasters and extreme weather words (vocabulary), superlatives (grammar), different texts such as quizzes, news article and news report (reading and writing), a video documentary (listening) and have also the chance of interacting among themselves in a collaborative speaking task.

Each unit is composed by the following sections:

Getting started: this section aims at introducing the topic to be discussed in the unit. It can be used as a warm-up activity, setting the scene for further sections, revealing students’ previous knowledge about the subject and bringing out related vocabulary which will be useful later on.

Vocabulary: expands and organizes the vocabulary that has probably popped out in the previous section in a more precise and systematized way. It also pre-teaches vocabulary that is likely to appear in the next section, working also as pre-reading activities.

Reading: entirely conceived with authentic texts taken from websites, exposes students to two different reading genres commonly found online – self-help guide and news article. The texts are followed by different types of interpretation questions in which students have to refer back to the text in order to answer, as well as questions in which their opinions and reactions towards what was read is also valued.

Pronunciation: familiarizes students to the phonetic symbols they may find in dictionaries, reinforces correct pronunciation of especially challenging sounds and provides practice on words/sounds somehow related to the topic, vocabulary or grammar exposed in the unit.

Figure it out: in this section students are led to think about the form, meaning and use of the grammar topic using contextualized examples as starting point. After that, they have the chance to practice by completing tasks which are related to the topic, likely to be found in real-life context and based in authentic materials.

Speaking: provides interaction among students in two different ways: a role-play and a collaborative activity. Students have the chance to put together grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation to complete the tasks, with the support of the ‘useful language’ box. They have also the opportunity of applying different language functions, such as agreeing, disagreeing, exposing one’s point of view, suggesting, giving advice, etc.

Listening: each unit has a listening section that uses authentic videos taken from youtube . The videos are connected to the theme and provide exposure to different accents and speech speeds. They also express different purposes, since one of the videos used is a TV commercial and the other is part of a documentary.

Writing: its objective is to generate genre awareness, making students reflect on what constitutes each specific genre – poster and news report - by answering the questions proposed after the authentic texts. After that, students are asked to write a sample of the same genre discussed before, with the help of a writing checklist.

This material has been created without commercial purposes and cannot be reproduced, unless with previous consent from the author.

Getting started

01) Discuss the questions below in pairs:

a) Can you list some health problems people commonly have? b) Have you ever experienced any of them? Which ones? c) What do you usually do when you have a health problem? d) How often do you seek for medical health? e) Have you ever searched for medical advice in websites? If so, was the information useful?

Vocabulary

01) The pictures below show some common health problems. Choose the correct option in the box to label them :

SORE THROAT – BACK PAIN – SPRAIN – COLD – NOSEBLEED - COUGH

a) ______b) ______c) ______

e) ______f) ______d) ______

Reading

01) The text below is a self-help and first aid guide with medical advice taken from a hospital website. Read the text and insert the words and expressions from the previous activity in the correct place:

http://www.richmondpractice.scot.nhs.uk/selfhelp.shtml

5 Self Help for common health problems a) ______

Treat with rest, fluids, regular paracetamol. A cold will last for five to seven days and will then subside. If after five days you are feeling worse, then consult the doctor. b) ______

If your throat is sore but you are otherwise fine, there is no need to see a doctor. Simply take paracetamol, syrup and fluids. c) ______

If you do not feel particularly ill there is no need to see a doctor. If you are hot and unwell and coughing up green spit you may need antibiotics and should come to the surgery.

Diarrhea & Vomiting

Avoid all food and milk as well as tea and coffee for a full 24 hours. Drink plenty of clear fluids starting with small amounts first if vomiting is a problem. After 24 hours, and if symptoms have been absent for at least six hours, start to eat a light diet. A normal diet can be resumed a day later. If symptoms persist longer than 48 hours or come on after a trip abroad come and see us at the surgery for further advice. d) ______

If the pain is not severe and does not go down your leg, take it easy and take any simple painkiller for a few days and things should settle. If pain persists for longer than three days, contact your doctor in surgery hours. If you develop persistent numbness or weakness of your leg, seek medical advice. e) ______

Remember “RICE” - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Rest the injured part, particularly an ankle or knee. Ice the area of injury immediately. Compression is best effected with a crepe bandage. Elevate the injury, particularly legs. If you are a keen sportsman advice from a physiotherapist may be valuable.

Burns

Place the burnt area under running cold water until the pain eases. This may take up to 15 minutes. Cover the area with a clean dry tea towel or something similar. Do not pull clothes off a burnt area. Do not prick blisters. Do not put oil or cream on a burn. If the burn is large then seek medical advice at casualty. f) ______

Sit in a chair leaning forwards with your mouth open and pinch the soft lower part of the nose, not the bone, for 10 minutes. Avoid blowing the nose for 24 hours. If the bleeding persists, contact the doctor.

6 02) Write true (T) or false (F) for the sentences below: a) You can have light food 18 hours after the beginning of diarrhea symptoms. ______b) Putting cream on a burn is advisable in some situations. ______c) In the case of a sprain, you should put ice in the area before applying compression. ______d) It is necessary to seek medical help if you feel worse 7 days after you have started experiencing the symptoms of a cold. ______e) If you are coughing up green spit you probably need to take some medicine. ______f) Drinking water is not a good advice for a sore throat. ______

03) There are three situations in which a person should see a doctor in case of back pain. What are they?

1- ______

2- ______

3- ______

04) Did you find the information in the text useful? In which situations would someone need to be aware of first aid and self-help instructions for health problems?

______

05) Were you surprised by any of the information you’ve read or you were aware of all of them?

______

06) Have you done something different from what was advised in a particular situation and found out it was wrong after reading the text? What happened?

______

7 Pronunciation th can be pronounced in two different ways.

01) Using a dictionary to help you (http://www.macmillandictionary.com/ ), listen and repeat the words below, taken from the previous text:

wi th th roat three

th e th an this

02) Now, insert the following words in the chart:

otherwise - things - further - physiotherapist - there – mouth

wi th th roat th ree

the th an th is

Figure it out!

01) Look at the sentences below, taken directly from the self help guide you’ve read :

Avoid all food and milk as well as tea and coffee for a full 24 hours.

Do not put oil or cream on a burn.

If the bleeding persists, contact the doctor.

02) The verbs in bold are called imperatives. Read the sentences again and complete the chart below:

Base form Affirmative imperative Negative imperative Avoid Contact don’t contact Pull Put Take Treat treat

03) Complete the imperatives rule:

Affirmative imperatives are formed with the ______of the verb, whereas negative imperatives are formed with ______+ the ______of the verb.

8 04) Check the alternatives that describe situations in which imperatives can be used:

( ) to give a direct order or command

( ) to express possibilities

( ) to give instructions

( ) to give advice

( ) to greet people

05) Apart from medical guides, give 2 other examples of where else you would expect to find imperative forms.

______

6) Look at the hospital signs and write a sentence using the correct imperative form. There’s an example for you.

Keep silence.

a) ______d) ______

b) ______e) ______

c) ______f) ______

9 Speaking

01) Work in pairs (A and B). Student A is a doctor, student B is a patient seeking for help. Use the information in the cards and exchange roles .

Student A

You are a doctor. Give medical advice to your patient. Ask about the following topics and complete the chart. Suggest a treatment and explain for how long your patient must follow it.

• Name • Health problem (reason for the visit) • Symptoms • Duration of the problem

Duration of Medical Duration Patient’s Health Symptoms the advice / of the name problem symptoms prescription treatment

Helpful language

- What’s the (matter/problem)? - How long have you had the (burn/cold/strain/etc…) - (Take/apply/use/etc…) this (medication/cream/antibiotics/etc…) for 7 days…

Student B

• You are a patient. Visit your doctor and ask for medical advice for a health problem. • Complete the chart with your problem, symptoms and duration of the symptoms. • Listen and answer to the doctor’s questions and insert information about the medical advice in the chart.

Duration of Medical Duration Doctor’s Health Symptoms the advice / of the name problem symptoms prescription treatment

Helpful language

- I have a (cold/burn/strain/etc…)? - I have (fever/headache/diarrhea/etc…) - I’ve had it for 5 days…

10 Listening

01) You are going to watch an Asian TV commercial about Dengue fever. In pairs, discuss the questions:

a) What do you know about Dengue? How is it transmitted? b) Have you had this disease before? How did you feel? What were the symptoms? c) Do you know any prevention actions we can take to prevent the mosquito from breeding? Which ones?

02) After watching the video, answer the questions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh0GCG2zn5o

a) What’s the purpose of the TV commercial?

______b) In your opinion, why have they chosen a famous actress to talk about that?

______c) According to the commercial, how much time does it take for you to protect your house against dengue?

______

11 03) The extracts below were taken from the video. Complete the missing information according to what you hear :

a) ______water b) ______over water from flower pot storage containers. plates; ______granular insecticide

c) ______blockages d) ______pole

in roof gutters and holders when not at use. ______BTI

insecticide.

04) From the prevention actions shown in the video, which ones have you tried doing in your house?

______

05) Do you intend to include others after watching the video? If so, which ones?

______

12 Writing

01) The posters below are part of a university campaign that aims at informing people about H1N1 flu symptoms and prevention. Read them and answer the questions:

http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2010/aug/H1N1082809.html a) Did the posters clearly inform about H1N1 flu symptoms and prevention? Why?

______b) Was the amount of text used and the organization in topics useful to make you understand the information in the posters? Why?

______c) Would the posters have the same impact if they were printed in black and white and had no images? Why/why not?

______d) What’s the importance of having an attractive and impacting title in posters?

13 ______e) Would it make a difference if you didn’t know the institution responsible for the poster? Would this fact impact the credibility of the information given?

______

02) In pairs or small groups create a digital poster (a glog) in www.glogster.com about Dengue Fever symptoms and prevention. Use the checklist below to help you creating an effective poster with attractive visual aids and useful information.

POSTER CHECKLIST 1) Does the title attract attention? ( ) yes ( ) no

2) Did you use colors and images? ( ) yes ( ) no

3) Is the information useful, brief and objective? ( ) yes ( ) no

4) Is the institution responsible for the poster informed? ( ) yes ( ) no

5) Did you revise spelling, punctuation and capitalization? ( ) yes ( ) no

14 01) Read the cues and insert the words in the crossword below:

02) Below you can find useful information taken from the British Red Cross website about accidents in roads. Put the sentences in the correct order:

What to do in a road accident: a) turn off park and the safely engine

______b) the move injured person don’t

______c) stop you can the if blood

______d) resuscitation start cardio-pulmonary

______e) the call services emergency

______http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/First-aid/First-aid-campaigns/Road-safety/What-to-do-in-a-road-accident

15 03) Read the article about Diabetes from the health section of the online New York Times newspaper:

Diabetes is usually a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood.

Causes Symptoms

People with diabetes have high High blood sugar levels can cause several blood sugar because their body symptoms, including: cannot move sugar into fat, liver, and muscle cells to be stored for • Blurry vision energy. This is because either: • Excess thirst • Fatigue • • Their pancreas does not Hunger • make enough insulin; Urinating often • Weight loss • Their cells do not respond to insulin normally; Because type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some • Both of the above. people with high blood sugar have no symptoms.

Types Treatment Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it is most often Treating both type 1 diagnosed in children, teens, diabetes and type 2 diabetes or young adults. In this involves medicines, diet, disease, the body makes little and exercise to control or no insulin. Daily injections blood sugar levels and of insulin are needed. The prevent symptoms and exact cause is unknown. problems.

Type 2 diabetes most often Getting better control over occurs in adulthood. Many your blood sugar, people with type 2 diabetes Prevention cholesterol, and blood do not know they have it. pressure levels helps reduce Keeping an ideal body the risk of kidney disease, Gestational diabetes is high weight and an active lifestyle eye disease, nervous system blood sugar that develops at may prevent type 2 diabetes. disease, heart attack, and any time during pregnancy in stroke. a woman who does not have There is no way yet to diabetes. prevent type 1 diabetes. http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/diabetes/overview.html

16 a) Write true (T) or false (F) according to the information in the text:

I) Oral medication is enough to treat some cases of Diabetes 1. ( )

II) Doctors know why people with Diabetes 1 produce little or no insulin. ( )

III) Diabetes 2 often occurs in children, teens and young adults. ( )

IV) Gestational diabetes is related to a previous diagnosis and family history. ( )

V) Keeping a healthy lifestyle helps preventing Diabetes 1. ( ) b) Answer the questions:

I) What is the objective of the text?

______

II) What are the two reasons why people might have high levels of sugar in their blood?

______

III) How can Diabetes be controlled?

______

IV) Looking for a doctor shortly after experiencing some of the symptoms listed in the text is always helpful to guarantee an early diagnosis of Diabetes 2? Explain.

______

V) Is it possible to prevent Diabetes 1 and 2? If so, what should be done?

______

17 04) Watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DizdkUayQBw ) and complete the eight steps on how to prevent food poisoning:

Food poisoning : an illness affecting your stomach, caused by eating food that contains harmful bacteria.

Did you know? Every year, food-borne diseases cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the

United States.

Step 1: ______dates on food products before purchasing them and ______them again before cooking.

Step 2: ______meat, fruit and vegetables for storage and ______any food that looks or smells questionable.

Step 3: ______your hands with anti-bacterial soap and hot water frequently.

Step 4: ______products in a solution of 1 part vinegar or lemon juice and 3 parts water. ______soaps, detergents or special cleaners.

Step 5: ______the same cutting boards on meat and vegetables unless you wash it between uses

Step 6: ______a meat thermometer to ensure that meats are cooked and wash the probe each time you check the temperature.

Step 7: ______food on clean plates

Step 8: Refrigerate or ______leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.

18 05) Your roommate has asked you to give him/her a few tips on how to avoid stress. Write a note with a list of 3 steps to help him:

How to prevent stress:

Step 1 :

Step 2:

Step3:

19 Teacher’s guide – Health problems

Overview

In this unit students will focus on giving and receiving medical advice.

Vocabulary Common health problems: sore throat, back pain, sprain, cold, nosebleed, cough Pronunciation th pronunciation Grammar Imperatives: affirmative and negative Reading Self-help and first aid guide Writing Genre: poster (online poster: glog) Speaking Role-play: talking about health problems, symptoms and treatments. Listening TV commercial: Dengue fever

Getting started

This activity can be used as a warmer so the teacher has a better idea of students’ previous knowledge regarding the theme: health problems.

Personal answers

Vocabulary

1 Still in pairs or small groups, ask students to label the pictures using the words in the box. Elicit the answers from volunteers. a) nosebleed b) cough c) back pain d) cold e) sore throat f) sprain

Reading

Direct students to the title and source of the text. Remind them of the discussion the class had in Getting Started , letter e (if any of the students answered yes to this question) or mention that this sort of information can easily be found online.

1 Individually, student’s use the words from the previous activity to complete the blanks. Let them compare the answers in pairs before eliciting the answers from volunteers. a) cold b) sore throat c)cough d)back pain e)sprain f)nosebleed

2 Tell students to read the statements and reread the text to answer true or false. Ask for volunteers to read their answers. 20 a)F b)F c)T d)F e)T f)F

3 Tell students to compare their answers in pairs. Go through answers as a class.

1. If pain persist for more than 3 days.

2. If you develop persistent numbness or weakness on your leg.

3. If the pain is severe and goes down the leg.

4, 5 and 6 After setting some time for students to answer these questions, discuss their answers as a class.

Personal answers

Pronunciation

These sounds can be particularly challenging to some students due to the fact that they may not be part of their first language sound system. If that’s the case, show the correct position of tongue when producing the sounds and insist on drilling.

1 Draw two columns on the board: 1 ; 2 . Play the audio once and tell students to write their answers in their books. Play the audio twice and ask them to call out the correct column, 1 or 2. Play the audio a third time and ask them to repeat. Monitor for accuracy.

With Throat th ree -things physiotherapist mouth

The Than th is Otherwise further there

Figure it out

In this section students will be lead to figure out the form, meaning and use of imperatives by themselves.

2 Direct students’ attention to the fact that the sentences were taken from the text and should be used to help them complete the chart. Ask them to complete the chart in pairs. Check answers as a class.

Base form Affirmative imperative Negative imperative Avoid avoid don’t avoid Contact contact don’t contact Pull pull don't pull Put put don't put Take take don't take Treat treat don't treat

3 Ask students to complete the rules in pairs. Check answers as a class.

Base form – don’t (or do not) + base form

4 Ask students to check the statements in pairs. Check answers as a class.

( X ) to give a direct order or command

( X ) to give instructions

( X ) to give advice

5 After setting time for this activity, let students compare their answers before checking answers as a class. Write all answers on the board and ask students to decide on the correct and incorrect ones.

Suggested answers: recipes and signs

6 After setting time for this activity, let students compare their answers before checking answers as a class. Let students know that there may be more than one answer for some signs.

Suggested answers: a) Wash your hands. b) Don’t use your mobile phone. c) Wear gloves. d) Don’t honk. e) Wear appropriate clothes. f) Don’t drink inside.

Speaking

In this section students will perform a role-play about giving and receiving/asking for medical advice, exchanging roles (doctor and patient).

1 Go through the cards with students and check understanding of the task and information in the cards (especially the helpful language). During the activity, monitor for accuracy but don’t interfere, unless communication is hindered. After the activity took place, write the most frequent mistakes on the board, but don’t identify the students who made them. Ask the class to help you correct the mistakes. Write the correct forms on the board.

Listening

Tell students they are going to watch an Asian TV commercial about Dengue Fever. Ask them if they have ever seen a TV commercial about this disease and what information they usually bring.

1 Ask students to discuss the questions orally in pairs and to report their answers to the rest of the class. a) Dengue virus is a tropical infectious disease caused by the dengue virus. Dengue is transmitted by the mosquito Aedes Aegypti. b) Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. c) The prevention of dengue requires control or eradication of the mosquitoes carrying the virus that causes dengue by emptying stagnant water from old tires, trash cans, and flower pots, for example.

2 Play the video once and set a time limit so that students can answer the questions. Go through the answers as a class. a) To warn people about how to protect their house and family against Dengue fever by taking prevention measures. b) To add credibility and empathy to the campaign. c) 10 minutes

3 Play the video again. Allow students to compare their answers in pairs. Ask for volunteers to read the answers.

a) Remove, add b) Turn c) Cover d) Clean, add

4 Play the video a third time if necessary . Set a time limit so that students can answer the questions. Go through the answers as a class.

Personal answers

5 Set a time limit so that students can answer the questions. Go through the answers as a class.

Personal answers

Writing

The purpose of this section is to generate genre awareness: poster.

1 Allow students some time to read the posters and answer the questions in pairs or small groups. When they have finished, allow them to compare their answers to another pair or group’s answers. Go through answers as a class: a) Yes. The information is being conveyed in an objective and effective way. b) Brief information organized in topics is more attractive and easier to read. c) No. Images and colors help a poster to become more attractive and to reach a greater number of readers. d) An attractive and impacting title draws people’s attention and increases the chances of a poster to be read. e) Yes. The source of the given information adds credibility to a poster.

2 This activity can be set as homework or done in a lab, if available. Help students create an account in the mentioned website and go through the basic tools. In pairs or small groups students should create a glog about Dengue fever: symptoms and prevention. Draw students’ attention to the writing checklist, which can be used by the group itself or as a tool for peer-editing. The final product can be shared with the whole class.

Test Booklet answer key

1) Across: 1. Back pain; 5. Sore throat; 6. Cold

Down: 2. Nosebleed; 3. Sprain; 4. Cough

2) a) Turn off the engine and park safely.

b) Don’t move the injured person.

c) Stop the blood if you can.

d) Start cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

e) Call the emergency services.

3) a) I. F; II. F; III. F; IV. F; V. F b) I. To inform about causes, types, symptoms, prevention and treatment of diabetes 1 and 2.

II. Their pancreas does not make enough insulin; their cells do not respond to insulin normally.

III. Treating both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes involves medicines, diet, and exercise to control blood sugar levels and prevent symptoms and problems.

IV. Because type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar have no symptoms.

V. Keeping an ideal body weight and an active lifestyle may prevent type 2 diabetes. There is no way yet to prevent type 1 diabetes.

4) Step 1: check; check

Step 2: separate, discard

Step 3: wash

Step 4: rinse, don´t use

Step 5: don’t use

Step 6: use

Step 7: serve

Step 8: freeze

5) Personal answers.

Getting Started

01) In pairs or small groups, discuss the questions below: a) Use the word net below to brainstorm natural disasters. How many of them could you think of?

b) Have you ever experienced a dangerous situation related to a natural disaster? Explain. c) Can you think of famous cases of natural disasters that have happened around the world? Which ones?

Vocabulary

01) Match the columns below:

1. Avalanche ____ a) a large amount of snow and ice that suddenly falls down a mountain 2. Earthquake ____ b) a very strong wind that goes quickly round 3. Flood ____ in a circle or funnel

4. Wildfire ____ c) a heavy fall of earth and rocks down the side 5. Landslide ____ of a mountain or steep slope

6. Tornado ____ d) a sudden shaking movement of the ground

7. Tsunami ____ e) a very large wave or series of waves caused when something such as an earthquake moves 8. Volcano Eruption ____ a large quantity of water in the sea

f) a large amount of water that covers an area that was dry before

g) when a volcano explodes inside and flames, rocks, and lava come out of the top

h) fire that starts in an area of countryside and spreads very quickly

02) Use the words from the previous activity in the correct form to complete the chart: a) b) c)

Shouting cannot cause an Powerful ______destroy ______strike near the Earth's plate homes, take lives and spread boundaries. disease. d) e) f)

Despite the damage they cause, The 1970 Bangladesh There was a huge small ______can be ______is the most ______when Mount good for forests. deadly in recorded history. St Helens erupted. g) h) i)

______form quickly Earthquakes can create deadly cause widespread destruction and and leave trails of destruction. ______. death but are vital for our survival.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/earth/natural_disasters

Reading

01) Read the text and answer the questions:

27 The Top 10 Most Terrifying Natural Disasters in History 10 - Typhoon Tip 9 - The Lake Nyos Limnic Eruption 8 - The 1960 Chile Earthquake

On October 12, 1979, Tip made Limnic eruptions are one of the most most The most powerful earthquake history with the lowest air pressure bizarre natural disasters known. ever recorded struck near Valdivia, ever recorded at sea level on Earth. Chile on May 22, 1960, at 2:11 PM On August 21, 1986, the carbon local time. As many as 6,000 Not only was it the strongest dioxide at the bottom of the lake people were killed. Many more cyclone, it was also the largest ever suddenly erupted all at once and would have been, had it not been recorded, half the size of the United released a cloud of carbon dioxide for Chile’s preparedness for States, excluding Alaska. from the lake. This cloud, being earthquakes, and the remote heavier than air, suffocated between location of the epicenter. 44 of the fatalities were fishermen in 1,700 and 1,800 people, not counting the open Pacific. Tip sank or all their livestock. grounded 8 ships. 5 - The Great Flood of 1931

7 - The 2003 European Heat Wave 6 - The Storm of the Century The deadliest natural disaster ever recorded occurred through the winter, Europe is not accustomed to hot From March 12 to 13, 1993, a spring, and summer of 1931 in central summers. Give them a break, hot cyclonic storm formed off the east China. There are three major rivers summers almost never happen there. coasts of the United States, so vast in draining this area, the Yangtze, the But in 2003, they got hit with one size that it caused a unique Yellow, and the Huai. All three that would make the southeastern hodgepodge of severe weather. flooded catastrophically. United States, or the Australian outback sit back and marvel. The Appalachians of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia received Somewhere between 3.7 and 4 million people were drowned or starved. There were at least 14,802 deaths as much as 3.5 feet of snow, with from the heat in France alone. Some drifts up to 35 feet. 300 people froze Nanjing City, China’s capital at the 2,000 people died in Portugal from to death throughout the eastern half time, became an island surrounded by the heat. About 300 died in of the country when the electrical over 100,000 square kilometers of Germany; 141 in Spain, 1,500 in the power was knocked out by falling water, more area than the state of Netherlands. trees. Indiana, or all of Portugal.

4 - The Tunguska Explosion 3 - The 1999 Bridge Creek F5 Tornado

On June 30, 1908, at about 7:14 This tornado was the most powerful windstorm ever recorded on Earth. It killed AM local time, an asteroid or 36 people, and traveled northeast from Amber, OK, through Bridge Creek and comet plummeted over the lower Moore. Had the tornado veered north into the city, it would have probably Tunguska River, in Krasnoyarsk, caused more deaths than any other tornado in history, and become the costliest . Russia. It exploded with the energy of the largest 2 - The 1815 Tambora Eruption thermonuclear bomb the United States has ever tested, the Castle It erupted from April 6 to 11, 1815, but the worst of this was at the end, from 10 Bravo bomb, 10-15 megatons. to 11 April. The power is rated as 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, making this eruption the most powerful in recorded history. No one was killed, because the nearest eyewitnesses were about The ash disrupted the weather, and caused global temperatures to decrease . 40 miles away from ground zero. 1816 was the coldest year of the 1810s, and the 1810s was the coldest decade of the century because of the eruption.

1 - The 1958 Lituya Bay Megatsunami

Megatsunamis were only theorized until July 9, 1958, when, in Lituya Bay, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook 90 million tons of rock and glacial ice off the mountainside at the head of the bay. This generated the highest wave ever recorded on Earth, 1,720 feet. It is, in fact, taller than all but the five t allest skyscrapers on Earth today. http://listverse.com/2010/03/15/top-10-most-terrifying-natural-disasters-in-history/ a) Answer true (T), false (F) or doesn’t say (DS) for the sentences below, according to the text:

I. a Typhoon is the same as a cyclone. ______

II. Chile’s lack of preparedness for a major disaster caused the death of 6,000 people. ______

III. In 2003 Europe faced the hottest summer ever registered. ______

IV. A blizzard hit the USA in 1993 and froze 300 people to death. ______

V. The Castle Bravo bomb explosion was responsible for the disaster in Tunguska, in 1908. ______

VI. The 1999 Bridge Creek F5 Tornado was the costliest in history. ______

VII. The ash from the Tambora Eruption caused global temperatures to decrease 2 degrees Celsius. ______b) Which of the disasters reported was:

I. the oldest: ______

II. the most recent: ______

III. the deadliest: ______

IV. The most powerful:

IV.I. storm: ______

IV.II. volcano eruption: ______

IV.III. earthquake: ______

V. The largest cyclone: ______

VI. The highest wave: ______c) Which of the disasters did you consider the worst? Why?

______d) Would you add any other terrifying natural disaster to the list? Which one(s)?

______

29 Figure it out!

01) Complete the chart using the expression in bold from the text:

Adjective Superlative

Low ______strong ______near ______cold ______tall ______high ______

Large ______

Hot the hottest

Deadly ______Costly ______

Terrifying the most terrifying bizarre ______powerful ______

Bad ______Good The best

02) How are superlatives formed? Match the columns:

1. one syllable adjectives

2. one syllable adjectives ending in a. take out ‘y’ and add ‘iest’ consonant + vowel + consonant b. double last consonant and add ‘est’ 3. adjectives ending in ‘e’ c. no rule 4. adjectives with 2 or more syllables d. add ‘st’ 5. adjectives ending in ‘y’ e. add ‘est’ 6. irregular f. add ‘the most’ before the adjective

03) Which is the correct answer? A or B? Read and answer:

We use superlatives: ______

30 a) To talk about one thing/person/place compared with another. b) To talk about one thing/person/place compared with all others.

04) Read the Extreme Earth quiz taken from National Geographic website and complete the gaps with the correct form of the words in brackets:

Extreme Earth Quiz The planet is full of superlatives. How much do you know about these one-of-a-kind places?

1) What country has 2) What is the 3) What country is 4) Where is the 5) Where is the the I.______Mariana Trench’s the world’s VII.______(great) number of claim to fame? V.______VI.______(dry) place on Earth: active volcanoes? (large) by area: (tall) waterfall? a) It’s the II. _____ a) Antarctica a) Indonesia biologically ______a) Canada a) South Africa (diverse) place on b) Sahara b) Japan Earth b) United Stated b) Canada c) Atacama Desert, c) Philippines b) It is the c) Canada c) Norway Chile III.______d) Italy (cold) place on Earth d) Russia d) Venezuela d) Northern Territories, Australia c) It is the IV.______(low) point on Earth

d) All of the above

4.1) Now do the quiz and check the answers below. How good are you?

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

31 http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/superlative-earth-quiz/

Score Result 0-1 Extreme Earth Amateur! 2-3 Extreme Earth Learner! 4-5 Extreme Earth Expert!

Pronunciation

01) Listen and repeat the words below using an online dictionary.

Most http://www.thefreedictionary.com/most

Largest http://www.thefreedictionary.com/largest

Driest http://www.thefreedictionary.com/driest

Biggest http://www.thefreedictionary.com/biggest

Listening

01) Complete the sentence below with the correct form of the words in brackets. Listen/watch and check your answers:

On the island of Sicily, Mount Etna is the ______(big) and ______(active) volcano in Europe.

02) Listen again and answer the questions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5FBwCZ6xOs a) In which country of Europe is Mount Etna located?

______b) How many times has Mount Etna erupted since the year 2,000?

32 ______c) Why is Mount Etna especially dangerous?

______d) What happens when lava flows go beyond the higher slopes of the mountain?

______e) Over the past 300 years, how many villages have been destroyed?

______

Speaking 01) In pairs / groups, create a hurricane preparedness plan. Agree on what to do in the event of a huge (the most powerful ever) hurricane approaching your town / city.

MOST IMPORTANT SECOND MOST THIRD MOST THING IMPORTANT THING IMPORTANT THING One week before

The day before

The day of the hurricane

During the hurricane

The day after the Hurricane

USEFUL LANGUAGE

Personal Point of View Agreeing with an opinion Disagreeing with an opinion

• In my experience… • Of course. • I don't agree with you. • As far as I'm • You're absolutely right. • That's not entirely true. concerned… • Yes, I agree. • I'm sorry to disagree • Speaking for myself… • I think so too. with you, but… • In my opinion… • That's a good point. • Yes, but don't you • Personally, I think… • Exactly. think… • I'd say that… • I don't think so either. • I'm afraid I have to • I'd suggest that… • So do I. disagree. • I believe that… • That's true. • I'm not so sure about • Neither do I. that. • That's just what I was thinking. • I couldn't agree more.

Writing

01) The text below is a news report about Hurricane Katrina. Read and answer the questions:

Hurricane Katrina Smashes Gulf Coast

Willie Drye for National Geographic News

August 29, 2005

Hurricane Katrina—a nightmare of a hurricane with 140-mile-an-hour (225-kilometer-an- hour) winds and a storm surge nearly two stories tall—came ashore early this morning at the mouth of the Mississippi River near New Orleans. Katrina is the hurricane that emergency- management and government officials have long feared would strike New Orleans. Many of the Louisiana city's 500,000 residents live below sea level and are surrounded by the waters of the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, and several bays.

"This is a biggie," said Steve Rinard, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana. "We've been dreading a storm like this."

Katrina began as a tropical depression just west of the Bahamas on August 23 and began slowly strengthening as it approached South Florida. The storm made landfall at Fort Lauderdale Thursday as a Category One hurricane with winds of about 80 miles an hour (129 kilometers an hour). Nine people in Florida died during the storm. The storm made an unexpected jog southward as it crossed the Florida peninsula. Katrina emerged near the southwestern tip of the peninsula and began rapidly strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall as a Category Four storm.

Hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents evacuated on Saturday and Sunday as the forecasts for Hurricane Katrina became more ominous. "All kinds of evacuations are going on, and shelters are filling up," Rinard said Sunday night. "There are shelters as far away as southeast Texas and all over central Louisiana."

A.J. Holloway, mayor of Biloxi, Mississippi, said Sunday night that most residents in the lowest-lying sections of his city of 55,000 had evacuated. "We don't know what to expect," Holloway said.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0829_050829_katrina.html a) What’s the importance of the title for a news report? Can you think of a better title?

______b) Why do you think the writer have chosen to include interesting detailed information in the introduction?

______c) The text includes some quotes of people involved in the stories being told. What’s the impact of this in the readers?

______

34 d) Why is it so important in a news report to address the 5 W’s and H (who, what, when, where, why, and how) concerning the fact being reported?

______

02) Research about one of the most famous natural disasters that have occurred in the world and write a news report about it. Use the checklist below to help you:

______

Does your text… © have a strong, catchy headline that gives meaning to the article? © begin with the most important or interesting detail in the introduction? © address the 5 W’s and H (who, what, when, where, why, and how)? © organize information into paragraphs? © include quotes from witnesses? Did you... © reread your text? © make sure ideas are clear and expressed in sentences? © correct spelling? © correct punctuation, capitalization, and grammar?

35 01) Use the words from the box to complete the chart:

avalanche – earthquake – flood – wildfire – landslide – tornado – tsunami - volcano eruption

Weather Event Ingredients present Weather Event Ingredients present heavy rainfall snow, ice, mountain

clouds, strong wind, earth, rocks, mountain rain, hail flames, rocks, lava movement, plate tectonics heat, dry, flames, large waves, smoke earthquake, water, sea

02) Complete the gaps in the texts with the correct form of the words in brackets:

a) ______(high) place The Atacama Desert is without Earth's c) ______(wet) on earth as we know it is Mount doubt b) ______(dry) place is Mawsynram, located in the Everest at 29, 035 feet (8,848m) place on Earth. A virtually Khasi Hills of eastern India. The above sea level. rainless plateau it lies between little village receives an average of the Andes Mountains and the 40 feet of precipitation per annum. Pacific Ocean in Chile and Peru. It is made up of salt basins, sand and old lava flows.

Situated in the South Atlantic, 2800 kms from Oymyakon, deep in Siberia, holds the record for being e) the nearest mainland, Cape of Good Hope in ______(cold) inhabited place on Earth. South Africa, Tristan da Cunha is without doubt Oymyakon lies just a few hundred miles south of the d) ______(isolated) habitable place on Arctic circle, and approximately 500 miles east of Earth. Yakust.

http://extremeearth.webs.com/themostisolated.htm

36 3) Watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz_CRzcIT-Q) and answer the questions:

a) What’s the objective of the video? ______

b) What’s the difference between climate and weather?

______

______c) How many climate zones does Earth have? ______d) Which areas are examples of:

I) mild climate zones: ______II) harsh climate zones: ______e) What makes possible for humans to survive in all kinds of severe and challenging climates nowadays?

______f) What damages can severe weather cause?

______g) How much money is spent in the US due to the destruction caused by natural disasters?

______h) Which state in the US shows the greatest number of natural disasters? What events are these?

______i) Is there a way of warning people about hurricanes, tornadoes and floods before they strike? What is necessary to do so? Which tools and equipment are used to make it possible?

______

4) Read the text and answer the questions:

37 6 Most Extreme Places on Earth, Where Only Bacteria Can Live

When we think of inhospitable places, we may think of areas like Antarctica, or, frankly D.C. in July where the almost 100% humidity makes you feel like you’re swimming down the street. But there are a whole host of other regions where we wouldn’t like to live, where other organisms thrive. Namely, bacteria and other prokaryotes.

Ordinarily when we think of these little micro-organism critters, we think of the bugs that give us acne or infections, but in reality these little guys can help us understand some of the mysteries of life structured differently from our own eukaryotic selves.

Enjoy this list of places you’d never think about trying to live, but where you can actually find bacteria.

1. Earth's Upper Atmosphere 2. The Bottom of the Ocean 3. Volcanoes

The border between our atmosphere In addition to thriving in high- In volcanoes in the Southern and outer space is full of UV pressure areas where we humans Hemisphere, temperatures can radiation and seriously lacking heat would be crushed, these bacteria fluctuate between -10 degrees and oxygen. However, just this have found a way to make the most Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) and 58 month scientists from the Georgia out of a limited oxygen supply. degrees Celsius (133 degrees Institute of Technology discovered These bacteria create a tiny power Fahrenheit) in less than a day. The that 20% of what they assumed was grid where they engage in microbes that live there aren’t the dust on their jet plane after a flight extracellular electron transfer that most efficient at converting energy, creates an electric current that helps but the fact that they survive where six miles above the earth’s surface the only sources of power are things was actually alive! These findings couple biochemical processes — mostly, sharing oxygen where there lethal to humans, like carbon indicate that we’re surrounded by a is very little. These microbes have monoxide, is incredible. giant bubble of life, which has huge learned the benefits of community implications for how we understand living. 6. YOU. environmental science. 5. Antarctica 4. The Dead Sea

You may have heard that bacteria can actually help with digestion, but your stomach and small intestine are Yes, even bacteria can be found just some of the environments that

This body of water gets its name well below zero. These frigid microbes are happy to live in. They also live all over the surface of your from the high salinity concentration conditions would ordinarily cause skin, as well as the areas of your that prevents most life. (It also the elastic membranes of most living organisms to become body that are protected by a mucus makes you super buoyant, so brittle and break, but certain types layer, like your eyes, nose and floating becomes even easier.) mouth. Additionally, these bacteria of fungi, bacteria, and viruses However, certain types of microbes work with your immune system to are more than happy to soak up the definitely prefer icy conditions to keep you healthy, and protect you salt. Not so dead any more, is it? even room temperature. from the harmful ones you’d rather not host. http://www.policymic.com/articles/52753/6-most-extreme-places-on-earth-where-only-bacteria-can-live a) Why is Earth’s upper atmosphere considered an inhospitable place to find life?

______

b) Which condition do bacteria find in the bottom of the ocean? How do they manage to survive in spite of these harsh conditions?

______c) Why are microbes which live in volcanoes in efficient at converting energy? What source of power do they use?

______d) Why does floating become easier in the Dead Sea?

______e) What biological reasons would make it impossible for most living organisms to live in Antarctica?

______f) In which areas and organ can bacteria be found in the human body? Which functions do they carry out?

______

39 05) Extreme Earth Magazine wants to know: What are the hottest, coldest, driest and wettest places you’ve ever visited? Include brief descriptions of the places you mention. The best text will be published in our next issue!

______

40 Teacher’s guide: natural disasters and extreme weather

Overview

In this unit students will focus on talking about extreme events, exposing ideas, agreeing and disagreeing.

Vocabulary Natural disasters: avalanche, earthquake, flood, wildfire, landslide, tornado, tsunami, volcano eruption Pronunciation Most and ‘est’ ending in superlatives pronunciation Grammar Superlatives Reading The top 10 most terrifying natural disaster: news article Writing Genre: news report Speaking Dialogue: talking about natural disasters, exposing ideas, agreeing and disagreeing (preparedness plan) Listening TV documentary: Mount Etna Eruptions

Getting started

This activity can be used as a warmer so the teacher has a better idea of students’ previous knowledge regarding the theme: natural disasters and extreme weather.

1 Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Do not monitor for form at this stage. Help them put their ideas through if necessary. Elicit the groups’ answers and write all natural disasters and extreme weather words mentioned on the board (reproducing the word net). Make sure all students in class understand the meaning and pronunciation of the words written. a) possible answers: blizzard, tornado, volcano eruption, flood, tsunami, earthquake, hurricane, etc. b and c) personal answers

Vocabulary

1 Still in pairs or small groups, ask students to match the columns. Go through the answers as a class.

1a, 2d, 3f, 4h, 5c, 6b, 7e, 8g

2 Individually, student’s use the words from the previous activity to complete the blanks. Let them compare the answers in pairs before eliciting the answers from volunteers. a) avalanche 41 b) earthquakes c) floods d) wildfires e) tornado f) landslide g) volcano eruptions h) tornadoes i) tsunamis

Reading

1a Direct students to the title and source of the text. Ask them if they can guess which famous natural disasters that have happened in the world might be in the list. Tell students to read the statements and next the text to answer true, false or doesn’t say (information not mentioned in the text). Ask for volunteers to read their answers.

I. T; II. F; III. DS; IV. T; V. F; VI. F; VII. DS

1b Tell students to reread the text to complete with the correct events. Allow them to compare their answers. Check answers as a class.

I. The 1815 Tambora Eruption

II. The 2003 European Heat Wave

III. The Great Flood of 1931

IV.

IV.I. The 1999 Bridge Creek F5 Tornado

IV.II. The 1815 Tambora Eruption

IV.III. The 1960 Chile Earthquake

V. Typhoon Tip

VI. The 1958 Lituya Bay Megatsunami

1c and 1d After setting some time for students to answer these questions, discuss their answers as a class.

personal answers

Figure it out 42

In this section students will be lead to figure out the form, meaning and use of superlatives by themselves.

1 Direct students’ attention to the fact that the chart must be completed with words and expressions from the text. Ask them to complete the chart in pairs. Check answers as a class.

Adjective Superlative Low The lowest strong The strongest near The nearest cold The coldest tall The tallest high The highest

Large The largest

Hot the hottest

Deadly The deadliest Costly The costliest

Terrifying the most terrifying bizarre the most bizarre powerful the most powerful

Bad The worst Good The best

2 Ask students to match the columns in pairs. Check answers as a class.

1e; 2b; 3d; 4f; 5a; 6c

3 Ask students to select the correct statement. Allow them to compare their answers in pairs. Check answers as a class.

4 In pairs or small groups, ask students to complete the blanks. Allow them some time to compare their answers to other pairs/groups’ answers. Go through the answers as a class.

I. greatest – II. most diverse – III. coldest – IV. lowest – V. largest – VI. tallest – VII.driest

4.1 Ask students to check their score and compare in pairs. Class follow-up: check all students’ results and find out which category had the greatest number of learners.

Pronunciation

1 Play the audio several times to drill pronunciation. Monitor for accuracy.

Listening

Optional lead-in: give students some time to discuss the questions below in pairs and talk about the answers as a class.

01) What do you know about volcanic eruptions? Why do they happen? (Volcanic eruptions occur when the plates of the earth pull apart, thus causing magma to rise to the surface.) 02) Can you name some of the world’s most active volcanoes? (Etna - Italy, Stromboli – Italy, Kilauea – Hawaii, among others)

1 Set some time for students to complete the task. Let them compare their answers in pairs. Play the video once so that students can check their answers. biggest – the most active

2 Go through the questions with students. Play the audio once or twice again . Nominate students or ask for volunteers to read their answers: a) Italy b) 4 c) because it’s a highly populated region d) Larger eruptions invade towns down the mountain. e) 16

Optional follow-up activity: ask students the following questions:

01) Would you live in an area which is close to an active volcano, like Etna? Why/why not? 02) What do you think about people who rebuild their houses after each destruction event, but never leave the area for good? 03) Is there any kind of natural disaster or extreme weather common in the country or city you live that makes you consider moving to a different area?

Speaking

In this section students will have a dialogue about natural disasters by exposing ideas, agreeing and disagreeing with the purpose of creating a preparedness plan for a natural disaster. 44

1 Go through the task with students and check understanding (especially of helpful language). During the activity, monitor for accuracy but don’t interfere, unless communication is hindered. After the activity took place, write the most frequent mistakes on the board, but don’t identify the students who made them. Ask the class to help you correct the mistakes. Write the correct forms on the board.

Writing

The purpose of this section is to generate genre awareness: news report.

1 Allow students some time to read the news report and answer the questions in pairs or small groups. When they have finished, have them compare their answers to another pair or group’s answers. Go through answers as a class: a) The title attract the reader’s attention b) The introduction is the first paragraph in a text. If it’s interesting and catchy, readers feel stimulated and motivated to continue reading. c) It proves that what’s being said really happened, adding a reality and curiosity factor. d) News report are about real facts, When reading about a true story people want to know all possible information about it, such as who, what, when, where, why, and how such a thing happened.

2 Go through the task instructions with students and draw their attention to the writing checklist, which can be used individually or as a tool for peer-editing. This activity can be set as homework or done in class (if time allows).

Test Booklet answer key

Weather Event Ingredients present Weather Event Ingredients present Flood heavy rainfall Avalanche snow, ice, mountain

Tornado clouds, strong wind, Landslide earth, rocks, mountain rain, hail Volcano eruption flames, rocks, lava Earthquake movement, plate tectonics Wildfire heat, dry, flames, Tsunami large waves, smoke earthquake, water, sea

2) a) the highest b) the driest c) wettest d) the most isolated e) the coldest

3) a) To inform the differences between climate and weather, giving examples of extreme situations of both terms and showing how technology and the work of meteorologists can prevent or warn people before natural disasters strike. b) Climate refers to the average conditions of a place over a long period of time. Weather refers to the day-to-day conditions of the Earth atmosphere, at a particular place and time. c) 6 d) I. Mediterranean climate of southern Europe

II. arid deserts of northern Africa, frozen tundra of Greenland e) Refrigeration for food, air conditioning and heating for homes. f) Destruction of homes, property, transportation and crops. Threaten people’s lives. g) 11,4 billion dollars h) Florida. Hurricanes, floods, tornadoes i) Yes. Accurate weather forecasts. Powerful computers, radars, weather satellites, research planes.

4) a) Because it is full of UV radiation and seriously lacking heat and oxygen. b) High-pressure areas and limited oxygen supply. By sharing oxygen. c) Because of temperature fluctuation (between -10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) and 58 degrees Celsius (133 degrees Fahrenheit). Carbon monoxide d) The high salinity concentration. e) The frigid conditions would ordinarily cause the elastic membranes of most living organisms to become brittle and break. f) Stomach, small intestine, skin, eyes, nose and mouth. They help with digestion, work with the immune system and protect us from harmful bacteria.

5) Personal answers

Rationale

The pedagogical units were developed under the perspective of Communicative Language Teaching, having as main principle the teaching of language for communicative purposes, “by making communicative competence the goal of language teaching and by acknowledging the interdependence of language and communication” (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2000, p.121) therefore enabling students with the necessary tools to make them able to produce real language, to be used in real life contexts in a meaningful and useful way.

The themes chosen connect all activities in the units and are of social relevance, since they are very likely to be faced by a person living, travelling and working in an English speaking country or even when dealing with English speakers in their own countries for multiple reasons. When choosing the theme, one must bear in mind the students’ proficiency level, age, interests and objectives when learning English. The theme should be capable of generating curiosity, motivation and engagement.

All skills (listening, speaking, writing and reading) are integrated and also connected by the theme and their activities enhance students’ comprehension and critical thinking. As discussed by Larsen-Freeman (2000), communicative activities are student-centered and the teacher plays the role of a facilitator and an advisor rather than the know-all used to be found in classrooms from the past decades.

Regarding the reading skill, the texts chosen to be part of the reading sections are authentic, taken from websites and with no pedagogical purposes, since one of the principles of Communicative Language Teaching is that “language as it is used in a real context should be introduced whenever possible” (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2000, p. 125). They provide contextualized input for vocabulary and grammar work and their reading is essential to enable students to answer the comprehension questions, which contemplate different levels of inference.

As also discussed by Larsen-Freeman (2000) the reading activities should aim at giving importance to student’s previous knowledge, ideas and opinions about the subject presented, responding to the content of a reading text, not only to the language, as stated by Harmer (1998).

Grammar work is conducted inductively. Students are guided to use contextualized examples to discover form and meaning of the grammar topic. Later on, they are lead to use the formulated information in a real life situation in which that specific grammar topic is likely to be found. “Since our goal is to achieve a better fit between grammar and communication, it is not helpful to think of grammar as a set of meaningless, decontextualized and static structures” (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2001, p. 252). As discussed by the author, a three- dimensional grammar framework must concern teachers: form, meaning and use. By demanding active participation of students and stimulating their thinking, grammar learning becomes memorable.

The speaking sections were designed as a role-play - a communicative activity in which the students play and exchange roles and reach an objective by means of using the language – and a collaborative task, in which they have to expose their ideas, agree or disagree with their partner’s ones and reach to a common solution.

Information gap is present, because it “exists when one person in an exchange knows something the other person does not” (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2000, p. 129). Again, the chosen situations are likely to be found in real life and intrinsically connected to the theme, the grammar topic and the previously explored vocabulary and pronunciation, as “the social context of the communicative event is essential in giving meaning to utterances” (LARSEN- FREEMAN, 2000, p. 127.)

Although connected to the grammar topic, students can also count on a box with useful language which contains other language forms that can be used to achieve the required communicative purpose. During the task, they can also use any other language form they know suitable for the function being performed (exposing ideas, disagreeing, agreeing, giving advice, etc) since “one function can have many different linguistic forms and the emphasis is on the process of communication rather than just mastery of language forms” (LARSEN- FREEMAN, 2000, p. 126). By allowing students to have free choice over what to say and how to say it, the choice principle is being respected.

Lastly, truly communicative activities have also the feedback principle present: “a speaker can evaluate whether or not his purpose has been achieved based upon the information he receives from his listener. If the listener does not have an opportunity to provide the speaker with such

48 feedback, then the exchange is not really communicative.” (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2000, p. 129).

It’s important to mention that other oral practice opportunities are distributed in the units as a whole, especially assuming the format of freer discussions in pairs, triads, small groups or whole group (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 2000, p. 130) in order to favor different patterns of interaction.

Similarly to the reading section, the listening skill section was devised having authentic sources as starting point, as discussed by Larsen-Freeman (2000): “students should be given opportunities to listen to language as it is used in authentic communication.”. The sections include a pre-listening activity in which students have the opportunity to discuss about the topic, coming up with related vocabulary, sharing their previous knowledge and learning from their colleagues experiences. The comprehension questions focus on main ideas, detailed information and also value students’ opinions and ideas. The videos chosen to be part of the sections bring useful and relevant information and are related to the theme and grammar topic studied before.

Finally, the writing sections brings genre-based activities, as discussed by Badger & White (2000), in which an authentic example of the target genre is provided and analyzed to make students discover the characteristics and main aspects of that specific text type. In genre-based activities, “writing varies with the social context in which it is produced. So, we have a range of kinds of writing—such as sales letters, research articles, and reports—linked with different situations” (BADGER & WHITE, 2000, p.154). After discovering what language, visual aids, text organization, audience and purpose underlie the genre studied, students are asked to write a sample text.

To perform the writing production, students will have already had all necessary input (information about the genre, content, vocabulary and grammar) but it may be required some research, what stimulates students to become autonomous and independent learners.

The writing task may be collaborative - since one of them is supposed to be done in groups – or individual. They can be done in class, if time allows, or set as homework. It’s important that writing tasks have a sense of purposefulness: in one of them students should post their

49 work (a health poster) in a real website that can be accessed by their colleagues or even by other people from all over the world.

References

BADGER, R & WHITE, G. A Process Genre Approach to Teaching Writing . ELT Journal . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. p. 153-160.

HARMER, J. How to teach English . Harlow: Longman, 1998.

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