B1.1 / Students book / Unit 6

Skills for Writing

• understand people talking about problems with

6D I often worry about tests and exams

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• read and understand emails asking for and

work and study

giving advice

• order ideas and give examples in written work

• write a message giving advice

OPTIONAL LEAD-IN

Books closed. Write on the board: doing exams, doing a

presentation, learning English. Ask students if they worry

about these things. Students discuss in pairs. Encourage

Audioscript

students to justify their answers as far as possible. Students

CHLOE The problem is that I think about my job even in my free time.

share their ideas with the class. If anyone does not worry

I’m so busy during the day I don’t have time to think and then when I

about these things, ask them to explain why not.

get home I spend all my time thinking and worrying. You see, my old

boss had to leave in a hurry – a family problem – and they gave me

1

LISTENING AND SPEAKING

manager and make decisions. Friends tell me I should do something

his job. But I haven’t had any training and I don’t feel ready to be a

a Check that students understand the meaning of presentation

relaxing after work, like go for a walk on the beach. But I still can’t

(a short talk about a topic). Ask: Where do people give

stop thinking about meetings I’ve been to or meetings I will have

to go to the next day. And all the reports I have to write! There’s so

presentations? Elicit: work, university, school. Tell students to

much to do and I just feel so stressed.

work in pairs. Students read the list of activities and decide

BOB At first I was excited about doing something new. I’ve never done

if they are work or study related. Check answers.

anything like this before. Well, I’m sorry to say I’ve stopped feeling

Answers

excited, I’m just generally confused. I don’t feel like I’m improving

1 B

2 B 3 W

4

W 5 B

6 S

at all. The thing is my wife is Polish and I want to be able to speak

b

Elicit ideas about what problems people might

to people in her family when we go to Poland. I wasn’t very good at

languages at school. I mean, I learnt a little bit of French and that

have with the diff erent situations. Encourage students to

was quite hard. But I find Polish really difficult. My wife says ‘don’t

justify their answers by giving reasons for their ideas.

worry – when we go to Poland you’ll really start to learn’. But, to be

c

2.39

Tell students that they are going to listen

honest, I’m not so sure. I don’t think I’m the kind of person who can

just listen to a language and learn it.

to some people talking about problems with work

MARISA I feel really tired, because I haven’t been sleeping well for the

and study. Read the fi rst question with the class and

past week. I stay up late most nights and drink coffee to stay awake.

emphasise that they are listening for the main problem.

I read the books on my booklist and the notes I’ve made during

Then play the recording for them to complete the fi rst

the year again and again. And I test myself all the time to help me

row of the table. Pause after each speaker to give them

remember information. My parents tell me I should take more breaks.

time to note down their answers. Check answers as a

They forget that I didn’t do very well in my exams last year and I was

class.

very disappointed with my results. I really want to do well this year, so

Answers

I need to do all this work. So, I think I’m just going to have to continue

like this until I’m sure that I can remember everything.

Chloe

Bob

Marisa

What’s the main

(new) job

learning Polish

exams/not

EXTRA ACTIVITY

problem?

sleeping

d

Read through the last two questions. Play the

Ask students some more detailed questions: What do Chloe

2.39

and Marisa do because of the problems? (Chloe doesn’t have

recording again for students to complete the rest of

time to think / spends time thinking and worrying.) (Marisa

the table. You may need to pause the recording after

doesn’t sleep well / stays up late / drinks coffee / tests

the information has been given. Students complete the

herself.) Why is Bob learning Polish? (His wife is Polish and he

exercise individually before comparing notes with a

wants to be able to talk to her friends and family in Poland.)

partner. Check answers as a class.

e

Students think of advice to give the three people.

Answers

Go through the example with the class and elicit some

Chloe

Bob

Marisa

more advice before they start. Conduct feedback and

ask for ideas from students. Which advice does the class

old boss left (a

not very good at

exams/not sleeping

family problem)

languages at school

didn’t do very

think is best?

and gave her the

not the kind of

well in exams

READING

job; hasn’t had any

person who can just

last year and was

2

training and doesn’t

listen to a language

disappointed with

a

feel ready to be a

and learn it

results

Ask students if they often post comments on forums

manager and make

or websites and if so, which kind. Tell them that an

decisions

English teacher called Eliza encourages her students to

stressed

excited at first,

really tired

write messages asking for and giving advice on a wiki.

confused now

Elicit that a wiki is a web application that allows people

do something

‘Don’t worry – when

take more breaks

to contribute to the content at any time. Ask: Is this a

relaxing after work,

we go to Poland

good idea? Why / Why not? Ask students to read Sevim’s

like go for a walk on

you’ll really start to

message and say what he wants help with.

the beach

learn.’

Answers

speaking (English)

96 UNIT 6 Problems and advice

bIn pairs, students talk about what they would advise Sevim to do. Ask students to share their ideas with the class and put some ideas on the board. Students read Eliza’s reply to compare with their ideas. Ask how many suggestions she makes and what the suggestions are.

Answers

5  1 don’t worry about making mistakes;  2  remember that the only way to learn to speak a second language is by speaking;

3  try practising new vocabulary and grammar we learn in class

by repeating it at home;	4  think about extra speaking practice
outside the classroom;	5  practise speaking online

cAsk students to read Eliza’s reply again and do the task. Check answers as a class.

Answers

1F Eliza felt embarrassed about speaking Turkish.

2F Eliza thinks language learners shouldn’t worry about making mistakes.

3T

4F The chat groups at the study centre are free to join.

5T

3 WRITING SKILLS 

Linking: ordering ideas and giving examples

aAsk students to look at, but not read, Eliza’s reply again and say how the reply is organised. (It’s divided into clear paragraphs. The first is a short introduction, then there are three paragraphs that are quite long – these have information in them. The last is very short and finishes off the message politely.) Ask students to cover the message. Put the first words of each paragraph on the board to show how the information is introduced and elicit what follows.

Thanks ... (for the message)

I remember ... (personal information about learning) First of all ... (initial advice)

Next ... (continued advice) I hope ... (general wish)

Point out the importance of ordering information clearly so that the reader knows what to expect. Look at the underlined example with students and ask them to underline three more words used in the reply to order the information. Check answers as a class.

Answers

Secondly, Next, Finally

bStudents read the advice on studying vocabulary and insert the words and phrases. Check answers as a class.

Answers

First of all, Secondly, Next, Finally

cGive instructions for the next activity. Say: First of all, I want you to read the text in 2b again. Secondly, I want you to notice the expressions that Eliza uses to give examples.

Next, I’d like you to cover the text. Finally, I’d like you to complete the sentences. Ask students if they can repeat the instructions you have just given them. Then they do the task. Check answers as a class.

Answers

1  For example  2  such as  3  For instance

dStudents match the sentence halves. Check answers and ask how useful this advice is, and why.

Answers

1  c  2  a  3  b

  EXTRA ACTIVITY

Put students in pairs. Tell them to think of something they know how to do that their partner doesn’t, e.g. a hobby, a sport or a game. They then tell their partner about this using the phrases for ordering and giving some examples, e.g. I play a word game called Scrabble. First of all, you choose seven letters. Next, ... Take feedback and ask for instructions and examples from some of the talks.

4 WRITING

aTell students that Sevim also wants to improve her writing and they are going to write a message giving some advice to her. In pairs, students read the ideas and add three more to the list. Check ideas in feedback and write some of them on the board.

bStudents work in pairs to write the message to Sevim. Remind them to plan the message by grouping their ideas into paragraphs and to use phrases from this lesson to order ideas and give examples.

cPut students into groups of four to compare their messages and decide if the ideas are ordered clearly and whether there are examples. Take feedback and ask

some students from the different groups to read out their messages for the class. Discuss whose advice is the best.

LOA TIP REVIEW AND REFLECT

Close books. In pairs, students discuss which new linking phrases they learnt in this lesson or which linking phrases they will try to use again in their writing.

  FAST FINISHERS

Fast finishers can write a message to give advice about improving a student’s listening skills. Check these during feedback, too.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Workbook 6D

UNIT 6  Problems and advice  97

UNIT 6

Review and extension

1 GRAMMAR

aStudents complete the exchanges. Check answers as a class.

Answers

1  shouldn’t  2  should  3  shouldn’t 4  should  5  should  6  should

bStudents change the advice in 1a into imperatives. Look at the example together. Check answers as a class.

Answers

1Don’t drink coffee in the afternoon.

2Tidy it at the end of every day.

3Don’t watch more than two hours a day.

4Try to walk for ten minutes every day.

5Don’t buy so many clothes.

6Join a club or a sports team.

cStudents do the exercise individually. Before they begin, remind them to think about whether the verb should be the infinitive with or without to. Check answers as a class.

Answers

1  do  2  to find  3  to go  4  learn  5  to meet  6  to drive

d Students ask and answer the questions in 1c in pairs.

2 VOCABULARY

aStudents complete the sentences with the correct forms of the verbs. Check answers together.

Answers

1  concentrate  2  arrive  3  asked 4  borrowed  5  spent  6  deal

bStudents choose the correct alternatives to complete the sentences. Check answers as a class.

Answers
1  relaxed	2  shocking	3  tiring
4  amazing	5  annoying	6  embarrassed

	EXTRA ACTIVITY
Ask students to change the sentences to use the other form
of the adjective.  (1 My holiday was very relaxing.  2 I was
shocked by the news.  3 I was tired after a long day.		4 I
was amazed by the things I did and saw in the city.		5 I’m
annoyed when I have to queue.  6 It was embarrassing
when I fell over.)
c	Ask students to tell the class when the situations in
	2b have been true for them.

3 WORDPOWER verb + to

aBooks closed. Write these verbs on the board: lend, explain, pay, write, sell, read, describe, bring. Ask students to think about what they all have in common. Tell them that if they think of a couple of examples using the verbs, it will help them to answer the question.

(They can all be followed by object + to, e.g. I lent my dictionary to my friend.) Students match sentences 1–2 with the replies a–b. Check answers as a class.

Answers

1  b  2  a

bElicit which verb + to combination is related to giving and which to communicating. Check answers as a class.

Answers

giving: lend to communicating: explain to

cTell students to add the verb + to combinations to the table. Check answers together.

Answers

communicating: explain to / write to / read to / describe to giving: lend to / pay to / sell to / bring to

d Students answer the question together.

Answer

2

eAsk students to put to in the correct place in the sentences. Students compare answers with a partner.

Answers

1They sold their house to some friends ...

2When Steve described his holiday to his friends …

3Please bring something to drink to the party.

4I read the joke to my friend …

5Tara lent an umbrella to her neighbour …

6Did you write the letter to the bank …

7I explained the problem to the company …

8I paid the money for my course to the school …

fStudents write five sentences about their lives using the verbs from the table. Students compare answers in pairs. Ask students to share some of their sentences with the class.

  EXTRA ACTIVITY

In pairs, students write three more sentences using the verbs from the table and then jumble the words. Students give their sentences to another pair who put them in order.

  EXTRA ACTIVITY

Ask students what advice they can give other students after studying this unit. List the ideas on the board, e.g. You should always learn a verb with its preposition. You should use the infinitive + to after certain adjectives.

Photocopiable activities: Wordpower p.257

LOA REVIEW YOUR PROGRESS

Students look back through the unit, think about what they’ve studied and decide how well they did. Students work on weak areas by using the appropriate sections of the Workbook, the Photocopiable activities and the Personalised online practice.

98  UNIT 6  Problems and advice