Speaking
Upper Intermediate level
Materials
Main Aims
-
To provide speaking fluency practice in the context of describing a memorable event and asking about it.
Subsidiary Aims
-
To encourage students to listen actively and respond naturally in conversation.
-
To review and practise functional language for describing events and asking follow-up questions.
Procedure (41-50 minutes)
Write on google slides: “Think of something you did for the first time — your first concert, first big trip, or first special celebration.” Model a short example: “For example, my first big concert: The backstreet Boys in 2009 in Lima. It was amazing because of the atmosphere and the show.” Ask Ss to think for 30 seconds about one “first” they remember clearly. In pairs, students tell each other briefly about that first experience (1–2 minutes each). Conduct short open-class feedback: “Who heard about something really interesting or exciting?” Elicit 2–3 answers.
Display or distribute the Useful Language box from the coursebook. Divide the board into two columns: Describing the event Asking about the event Quickly review examples: Describing: “What I liked most about it was…”, “It was absolutely huge!”, “Looking back, what I remember best was…” Asking: “Who were you with?”, “How did you feel when…?”, “What was the highlight of the day?” Clarify meaning and pronunciation of a few expressions if needed. Ask CCQs : “If I say ‘It was absolutely huge!’, do I mean small or big?” (Big) “If I say ‘Looking back, what I remember best was…’, am I talking about now or the past?” (Past) Controlled oral practice: Ask students to complete stems aloud: “What I liked most about it was…” → Ss gives a personal answer. “How did you feel when…” → Ss answers naturally.
Instructions: “Now you’re going to talk about a memorable event you’ve attended. Choose one from the list in the slide— for example, a concert, wedding, festival, or sporting event.” Write the task on the slides: Describe the event (What, Where, When, Who, What happened) Explain how you felt and what made it memorable. Allow 2 minutes of preparation. Encourage students to write short notes or key phrases (not full sentences). Pair/Group students. Student A talks for 2 minutes while Student B listens and asks 1–2 follow-up questions using the Useful Language prompts. Then they swap roles. Monitor, taking notes on language use and fluency.
Students to change partners. “Now you’ll interview a new partner/group — imagine you’re preparing a blog or podcast called ‘Unforgettable Moments’.” Display task: Ask your partner interesting questions to find out more details about their event. Take short notes — you’ll introduce their story later. Suggested prompts: “What made that moment stand out?” “Were there any surprises or funny moments?” “Would you recommend others to experience it?” “How do you feel about it now?” Students take turns interviewing each other (5–6 minutes total). Quick share: a few students introduce their partner’s story to the class (e.g., “This is Juan — he told me about his first marathon/concert…”).
1. Content feedback Ask: “What interesting or surprising events did you hear about?” Elicit 2–3 short responses from class. 2.Language feedback Good Language -- To Improve Good Language: Show the sentences / examples of good language used by Ss (Useful language) To Improve: If there is a sentence that need correction, write it on the slide and ask students: "What´s wrong with this sentence?" How can we say it better? OCFB 3. Useful language recycling Quickly recap the best expressions heard: “So today we used great expressions like ‘What I liked most was…’, ‘Looking back…’, and ‘It was absolutely huge!’.” Ask: “Which of these do you think you could use in real life?”
