Unit 4 How can we become good learners Purpose To introduce Ss to the unit goal: talk about how to study. To set the scene, increase Ss’ vocabulary and introduce the target language. Picture The picture shows three students thinking about how they study English. The girl on the left says that she studies by making word cards. The boy in the middle is thinking about how he studies by listening to tapes, while the boy on the right is thinking about how he studies by asking the teacher for help. It appears that they are about to tell each other their methods of studying English. Culture Focus Cram schools Cram schools exist in many countries in the world, ranging from Thailand to the US. In Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Thailand and China, cram schools are a regular part of life for Ss. Cram schools are schools which specialize in a particular subject or subjects. The aim of a cram school is mostly to impart as much information to its Ss as possible within the shortest period of time. The English name “cram school” comes from the slang term “cramming”, which means studying hard or studying a great amount of content in a short period of time. Ss who attend after-school cram schools may study for four hours or more. It is common for Ss in Asian countries who attend after-school cram schools to be taking English classes in cram school, in order to obtain better grades for English. There are people who criticize cram schools for being more interested in making a profit than being concerned about education, and for being lacking in training Ss in critical thinking and analysis. However, cram schools apparently play a social role for Ss, as many Ss say that they like going to cram school because they are able to make new friends there, and some other Ss say they like cram school because of the increased personal interaction they have with their teachers. Optional Approach Warming up To set the scene for activity 1a, the T may want to focus Ss’ attention on the picture and encourage them to talk about it. The T may want to use these prompts: ● Who do you think these three people are ● What do you think they are thinking about ● What do you think the two boys will say Answers Suggested answers: ● doing grammar exercises ● reading aloud ● watching English movies and other programs ● using the Internet ● reading English books ● writing letters/e-mails in English to a pen pal ● keeping a diary in English Purpose To help Ss recognize the target language in natural speech. Optional Approach Listen again The T may want to play the recording a second time and use these prompts to have a brief discussion: ● How did the teacher feel when Peter approached her for help (Answer: She was happy.) Note: The T may want to use this opportunity to encourage Ss to approach him/her if they need any help. ● How does Tony’s mother feel when she thinks that he is listening to music instead of studying (Answer: She gets mad.) Note: The T may want to clar ... ...
