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GET ACQUAINTED

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Unit Objectives: • Teachers and students become acquainted with one another. • Students master basic introductions. • Students practice informal, “getting acquainted” dialogue. • Students learn and practice words and dialogue to describe character qualities. Activity Topic Resources 1 Introductions None 2 The Mixer Introduction Topics Chart 3 Personal Qualities Personal Qualities Chart 4 Changes Personal Qualities Chart 5 I Wish I Could I Wish I Could Chart 6 Take a Survey Take a Survey Chart 7 Story Reading Short Story Set Activity 1 Resources Needed Introductions None This is a simple and fun “ice breaker”. While it keeps the introduction very basic and simple, it gives the teacher and each student the opportunity to learn names quickly. This informal approach quickly puts everyone at ease. As each student introduces himself and all the students that went before him, the teacher hears each name multiple times. 1. Welcome students to your class. Describe to the class how important it is to learn one another’s name. 2. Tell the students that you will first introduce yourself and then each student will introduce himself in

turn. After the student introduces himself, he must then introduce all the students that went before him (including the teacher). For example: A student might say, “Hello, my name is Bill. (Gesturing to the teacher), This is my new friend John. (Gesturing to the next student), This is my friend Sue. This is my friend Betty.”

3. Introduce yourself with the most basic introduction, “Hello, my name is _______.” 4. Gesture to the first student on your right and instruct them to introduce himself and then to

introduce you. If necessary, model the introduction once again. 5. Gesture to the second student on the right and instruct him to introduce himself and then you and

then the first student in line. 6. Proceed around the circle until all students have made an introduction. 7. For added fun, ask if any student can name all the others in the group without looking at the

nametags. Have everyone cover his or her nametag and give it a try.

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Introduction Topics 1. Tell about your family and work. 2. Tell about your goals in life. 3. Tell about the people you hang out with. 4. Tell about something you hope to accomplish in the

next 12 months. 5. Tell something about yourself that no one would

ever guess.

Personal Qualities Good Qualities Bad Qualities genuine disingenuous affable surly caring uncaring trustworthy untrustworthy sensitive insensitive forgiving unforgiving reliable unreliable helpful unhelpful candid corrupt amusing boring polite rude pleasant obnoxious unselfish selfish

Activity 2 Resources Needed The Mixer Introduction Topics Chart In this activity, students will expand introductions to include basic information about them. Students will stand up and move around the room to meet as many other students as time allows. Everyone will be talking at once, so remind them to speak only English. Join in the activity or simply move around the room listening for interesting facts about individual students. 1. Tell the students that getting to know one another is more than just learning a name. 2. Display the Introduction Phrases Chart and review the phrases. 3. Tell the students to stand up, move around the room and introduce himself to every other student.

Their introductions should not be limited to the topics on the chart, but should include other interesting and obscure facts about themselves. Allow this to continue as time permits or until every student has introduced himself to every other student.

4. As time permits, randomly ask students to tell something about one of the students they met. Activity 3 Resources Needed Personal Qualities Vocabulary Personal Qualities Chart Students begin to think and speak abstractly using common adjectives for various personal qualities. 1. Display the Personal Qualities Wall Chart and review the

adjectives. Define any that are not already known by the students. Encourage the students to add other adjectives to the lists.

2. Put the students into pairs. Tell the students to describe

to their partner the good or bad qualities of some of their friends (without using any names). For each quality they attribute to their friend, they must give an example of a good or bad behavior.

3. Assign one of each pair to be the “good” friend and the other to be the “bad” friend. 4. Tell each student to use their imagination and describe the good or bad qualities of their “friend”

(their pair partner). Have pairs take only a minute or two so that every student has a chance to speak.

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I Wish I Could Just for fun, I wish I could … I wish I could overcome my fear of … I wish I could go to … I wish I had $50,000, then I could… I wish I had never … I wish __ would __, then I could …

Take a Survey

1. Have you been to an art museum?

2. Have you ever been on a large ship?

3. Do you consider yourself candid? 4. Do you like coffee with sugar? 5. Do you play any sports every

week? 6. Do you have children? 7. Do you like poetry? 8. Do you play a musical

instrument? 9. Do you speak more than two

languages? 10. Do you like sushi? 11. Have you ever saved someone’s

life? 12. Have you traveled in an English

speaking country?

Activity 4 Resources Needed Changes Personal Qualities Chart Students begin to think and speak abstractly about themselves. 1. Put the students into pairs, using different pairings than in the previous activities. 2. Tell the students to refer to the Personal Qualities Wall Chart and describe to their partner the areas

in which they have improved in the last five years and the areas where they would like to improve further.

Activity 5 Resources Needed I Wish I Could… I Wish I Could… Chart 1. Display the I Wish I Could… Chart and review the words

and phrases for understanding. 2. Put the students into pairs. 3. Tell the students to describe to one another how they

would finish the sentences on the chart. 4. If time permits, allow the students to report on how their partners finished the sentences. Activity 6 Resources Needed Take a Survey Take a Survey Chart The point of the game is to encourage speaking and listening practice and to begin the process of getting acquainted. 1. Have the students number a paper from 1 to 10 for recording

the survey answers. Demonstrate this on the board. 2. Review each vocabulary word found in the Take a Survey

Chart and teach those words and phrases that are not known by the students. Have the students practice the words or phrases by repetition.

3. Model the game.

a. Go to a student and ask each question. If the student answers “yes” to any question, write the student’s name next to the number corresponding to the question. If time is limited, direct the students to ask only one question of each other student.

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b. After asking all the questions, demonstrate that another student should be questioned.

4. Instruct the students to stand and begin playing the game with one another. Play the game with the students. End the game when someone has a name written next to each number on his or her paper or no one can answer yes.

5. At the end of the game, allow the students to discuss the survey. Activity 7 Resources Needed Story Reading Short Stories Set 1. Assign one or two students to take one of the stories and read it before the next class meeting. The

student is to a. Prepare a short, thumbnail sketch of the story. b. Identify unusual or unknown idioms, terms, phrases, expressions or words within the

story. c. Find the definition or explanation for some of the unusual or unknown idioms, terms,

phrases, expressions or words. 2. At the next class meeting, allow the student to report on the story for 3 to 5 minutes. 3. Have the students list 5 to 7 of the unusual or unknown idioms, terms, phrases, expressions or

words. 4. Discuss the new terms and clarify the definitions or explanations. Limit this exercise to only one or

two students each day.