Activities for Learning Would Rather

Contents => "Would Rather Lesson Learning Through Doing Instead of E !laining => "Would Rather" Intervie" #uestions for $airs => "Would %ou Rather &ong" Listening => "Would %ou Rather &ong" &!ea'ing => Wra!()! ---------------------------------------------------Would Rather Lesson Learning Through Doing Instead of Explaining ---------------------------------------------------*irst "e+ll ,egin "ith a s!ea'ing activit-. Write the /uestions ,elo" on the ,oard or 0a'e s0all handouts. 1%ou can get the handout23 !rinta,le /uestion sets !er !age at http://www.etsever where.!o"/gra""ar-songs/the-would-rather-song4. Then have students in !airs to as' each other these /uestions. 5o ahead and ad6ust the /uestions to suit the interests of -our students. This current /uestion list I 0ade is for teachers living in 7ordan. 8ut it+s eas- to !ersonali9e and geogra!hic(i9e -our /uestion list. $erha!s students are not fa0iliar "ith the for0 "ould rather. :o !ro,le0. There is a ,rief e !lanation at the ,eginning of the $air Intervie" #uestions handout. Teachers; though; often feel the need to e !lain gra00ar<le ical !oints. In 0- e !erience as a &T)DE:T of language; teacher e !lanations are far too long. Each 0inute of teacher e !lanation 'ee!s students fro0 D=I:5; fro0 e !loring the language the0selves. &o 0a-,e tr- this. 5ive the students the /uestions WIT>=)T A:% E?$LA:ATI=:; and as' the0 to intervie" each other. 1%ou 0a- alternativel- offer a ,rief translation into students+ native tongue2though; "ould rather doesn+t translate ver- si0!l-; for instance; into Russian4. 8)T; full understanding of this le ical ite0 isn+t necessar-. Tell students the"ill understand A*TER doing the activities. Then go on to activit- nu0,er @; the song; Would -ou ratherAB Do that listening activitand the s!ea'ing follo"(u!. %ou can read it as a !oe0; or do"nload the song at http://www.etsever where.!o"/gra""ar-songs/the-would-rather-song ---------------------------------------------------Would Rather #air Interview $uestions ---------------------------------------------------Would rather shows preference, a choice, often between things that will not immediately (if ever) happen. These can, thus, be hypothetical questions. Just like true modal verbs, the word to! does not follow" would rather # the base form of the verb. $it with a partner. %ach partner should answer. Try to e&plain W'(. ). Would you rather eat cake, ice cream, or a piece of chocolate right now*

Sample answer I would rather have ice cream now, because its hot outside and I
-1-

just like ice cream better than cake and chocolate. Id want chocolate ice cream. What about you? What would you rather have?

+. ,.

Would you rather live in a big city or in a small town on the sea* Would you rather live in -airo, .amascus, or /eirut (if you didn0t live in Jordan)* 1. Would you rather spend a year in Japan, $wit2erland, or the 3$4* 5. Would you rather take a vacation in $outh 4merica or 4frica* 6. Would you rather be invisible whenever you wanted or have the ability to fly* 7. Would you rather have coffee, tea, or 8uice at the moment* 9. Would you rather take a course in -hinese, $wahili, :talian, or 'indi* ;. Would you rather know Japanese, $panish, or <erman* )=. What would you rather be doing right now (than sitting here in class)*

---------------------------------------------------%Would &ou Rather 'ong( -- Listening ---------------------------------------------------The first /uestion in this song is; Would -ou rather ,e a s0ile or a laughB There are CD 0ore choices to 0a'e. We+ve given the first !art of the choice ,elo". Listen to the song and "rite do"n the other. =r use the !icture version. Instead of "riting the ans"ers; -ou can do"nload a !age of !ictures 1availa,le atA4. Eo!- it. >ave students cut the !age into individual !ictures; and give one !ile of !ictures to each grou! 1sa-; of 3 students4. As the- listen; the- "ill 0atch the !ictures to the first !art of the !air. voca,ular-F an average )oe = a regular !erson Would -ou rather ,eA C. a s0ile or a laugh @. a 9e,ra or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB 3. the "ind or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB H. a helico!ter or a GGGGGGGGGGGGGB I. orange 6uice or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB J. a circle or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB K. an elevator or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB L. 0agic or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB D. a teen- !erson or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB CM. 6ust one shoe or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB CC. the autu0n or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB C@. an average 7oe or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB C3. to0orro" or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB CH. a candle or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB CI. a "edding ca'e or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB CJ. a red shirt or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB CK. the !ast or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB CL. /uiet or GGGGGGGGGGGGGB
-2-

CD. a tree; a roc'; GGGGGGGGGGGGGB @M. doing so0ething else right no"B ---------------------------------------------------%Would &ou Rather 'ong( -- 'pea*ing ---------------------------------------------------&o; no" students have co0!leted the listening tas'; and the- 'no" the l-ric of the song; "hich is co0!rised of @M /uestions. Their 6o,; in !airs or s0all grou!s; is to ans"er the0. These are a,stract !oetic /uestions; not !articularl- logical; ,ut creative students "ill find the0 fun. Do a fe" de0onstration /uestions "ith the class; and offer -our o"n o!inion. *or instance; Would I rather be a tree a rock, or a cloud? Id rather be a cloud. Clouds can move. They can float over the sea. They can be bright and fluffy or dark and moody. Na-,e there are so0e students "ho "ould rather ,e a tree or a roc'. 5et their o!inions. :e t discuss in !airs or s0all grou!s. &tudents need not ans"er all the /uestions. The full l-ric is ,elo"A C. Would -ou rather ,e a s0ile or laughB Would -our rather ,e a 9e,ra or a giraffeB Would -ou rather ,e the "ind or the rainB A helico!ter or a !laneB Would -ou rather ,e orange 6uice or cha0!agneB @. Would -ou rather ,e a circle or a s/uareB Would -ou rather ,e an elevator or stairsB Would -ou rather ,e 0agic or scienceB A teen- !erson or a giant Would -ou rather ,e 6ust one shoe; or a !airB 3. Would -ou rather ,e the autu0n or the s!ringB Would -ou rather ,e an average 7oe or the 'ingB Would -ou rather ,e to0orro" or tonightB A candle or electric lightB Would -ou rather ,e a "edding ca'e or a "edding ringB H. Would -ou rather ,e a red shirt or a ,lue shirtB Would -ou rather ,e the !ast or the futureB Would -ou rather ,e /uiet or loudB A tree; a roc'; or a cloudB Would -ou rather ,e doing so0ething else right no"B

-3-

---------------------------------------------------%Would &ou Rather( Wrap-+p ---------------------------------------------------:o"; if all has gone "ell; -ou can as' -our students2in their native tongue if -ou li'e 2to theori9e "here and "hen and ho" "ould rather is used. As' the0 guess ho" "ould rather is different fro0 "ould -ou li'e or !refer. As' the0 to "rite D sentences; 3 using "ould rather; 3 "ith "ould -ou li'e; and 3 "ith !refer. E a0ine the results. %ou+ve done a lesson "here students have understood the language for0 through doing stuff the0selves2listening; "riting; s!ea'ing2not ,- teacher e !lanations. The-+ve s!ent the "hole ti0e e !loring the language. Will the- start using this for0B Na-,e. Na-,e not. :o ,ig deal. Language ac/uisition co0es "ith ti0e. &o no ,ig deal. 8ut the ne t ti0e the- are listening to an English song; or "atching an English language 0ovie; the- 0ight get a little thrill "hen "ould rather 6u0!s out and the0; and the- thin'; =h; I 'no" that.

If ou have !o""ents or suggestions, or would li*e to su-s!ri-e to .evin/s free etext-oo*, write to *evin at etsever where.!o" *evin at *evin"!!aughe .!o" poosheest at ahoo.!o" 0op right 1223 - .evin 4!0aughe . Tea!hers are free to use all "aterials for !lasses.

-4-