One neat speaking activity is to have students design ads for whatever products they choose. I like to show some scenes from the movie Crazy People to get them in the mood to be creative and funny. I ask that they make their ads too honest, hopefully making them funny.
The first two are TV commercials:
These are the poster ads that students can design in class. The Jaguar one around 1:10 may be too extreme for some classes:
I'd use the Bare Naked Ladies' song, "If I Had a Million Dollars":
Sometimes Youtube disables music so make sure it's working before busting this out in class.
Most Youtube videos of this song have some improv when they talk about the tree fort and/or the Kraft dinner (macaroni & cheese as Americans like me say) so while you could use something like this, any lyrics you print out won't match that little part of the song:
Do you talk about jokes in your ESL classes?
A very successful lawyer parked his brand-new Lexus in front of his office, ready to show it off to his colleagues.Or this series of shorter lawyer jokesAs he got out, a truck passed too close and tore off the door on the driver's side.
The lawyer immediately grabbed his cell phone, dialed 911, and within minutes a policeman pulled up.
Before the officer had a chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started screaming hysterically. His Lexus, which he had just picked up the day before, was now completely ruined no matter what the body shop did to it.
When the lawyer finally wound down from his ranting and raving, the officer shook his head in disgust and disbelief.
"I cannot believe how materialistic you lawyers are," the cop said. "You are so focused on your possessions that you don't notice anything else."
"How can you say such a thing?" asked the lawyer.
The cop replied, "Don't you know that your left arm is missing from the elbow down? It must have been torn off when the truck hit you."
"My God!" screamed the lawyer. "My Rolex!"
How does an attorney sleep?
First he lies on one side, and then he lies on the other.How many lawyer jokes are there?
Only three. The rest are true stories.How many lawyers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Three. One to climb the ladder, one to shake it, and one to sue the ladder company.If a lawyer and an IRS agent were both drowning, and you could save only one of them, would you go to lunch or read the paper?
What do you call a lawyer gone bad?
Senator.What do you call a lawyer with an IQ of 50?
Your Honor.What does a lawyer use for birth control?
His personality.What happens when you cross a pig with a lawyer?
Nothing. There are some things a pig won't do.
In this activity, students do a couple of hard listenings to get the main traits (some of which will be new vocab words) of each Hogwart's House. Then they compose interview questions and finally interview one or more classmates in order to sort them into houses. It's a kind of getting to know you activity so I remind students to keep it friendly. Going into Slytherin doesn't make some evil - it makes them ambitious. Not getting into Ravenclaw doesn't mean someone's stupid. It just means that the interviewer was more impressed by their courage (Gryffindor), work ethic (Hufflepuff) or whatever. This is pretty much the same as this Harry Potter ESL lesson plan but I've added the videos and maybe rephrased some things.
Warmer: Show students the following clip.
The sorting hat scene starts around 1:20. It doesn't actually have the song that was in the book though.
Listening 1. I read the one from the first Harry Potter book. Students take the following words / phrases and match them to one of the 4 houses: brave, just, wit, unafraid of toil, wise, chivalry, a ready mind, cunning, daring, loyal, nerve, patient, true, use any means to achieve their ends, learning.
Sorting Hat Song - Year One
Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends;
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
This one has the second listening I do - from the Goblet of Fire novel. Students match the following:
Gryffindor was... sweet
Ravenclaw was... shrewd
Hufflepuff was... bold
Slytherin was... fair
Gryffindor liked... students with great ambition
Ravenclaw liked... the bravest students
Hufflepuff liked... the cleverest students
Slytherin liked... hard workers
And the lyrics:
Sorting Hat Song - Year Four
A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
to educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School Began.
Now each of these four founders,
Formed their own house, for each,
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were,
Where they are just and loyal
Prized far beyind the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your brain
And see where you belong!
The song from the 5th book is not really suitable if you ask me - it doesn't really mention the traits this lesson plan is based on.
Because if you do turn on MBC, right after the 9:00 news you should see a few professors discussing English lyrics in Korean pop songs, praticularly Rainism (by Rain) and Mirotic (by 5 guys who dance around). Basically the reporter was trying to figure out just how dirty the English lyrics being use are.
That's a little funny because Rain's Korean lyrics are dirtier than his English ones and even got him banned from SBS.
Anyway, it'll be me, the dean of my college, and another professor from our college.
Mace Debate: This style of debate is arguably the most prominent in Britain, with the national schools competition undoubtedly the most prestigious of its kind. Two teams of two debate an affirmative motion (e.g "This house would give prisoners the right to vote,") which one team will propose and the other will oppose. Each speaker will make a seven minute speech in the order; 1st Proposition, 1st Opposition, 2nd Proposition, 2nd Opposition. After the first minute of each speech, members of the opposing team may request a point of information. If the speaker accepts they are permitted to ask a question. P.O.Is are used to pull the speaker up on a weak point, or to argue against something the speaker has said. However after 6 minutes, no more P.O.Is are permitted. After all four have spoken the debate will be opened to the floor, in which members of the audience will put questions to the teams. After the floor debate, one speaker from each team (traditionally the first speaker), will speak for 4 minutes. In these summary speeches it is typical for the speaker to answer the questions posed by the floor, answer any questions the opposition may have put forward, before summarising his or her own key points. In the Mace format, emphasis is typically on analytical skills, entertainment, style and strength of argument. The winning team will typically have excelled in all of these areas.
We do see some differences in the Canadian high school debate championship: 8 minute speeches rather than 7 minute ones and as far as I can tell from the videos, there are no questions from the floor.
Proposition 1
Opposition 1
Proposition 2
Opposition 2
Opposition and Proposition reply speeches