Essay celta skills assignment free essay sample

Harmer explains that the lead in stage is â€Å"where we engage students with the topic of the reading and we try to activate their schema† or â€Å"pre-existent knowledge of the world† (Harmer, 2007:271) Questions and pictures or visual prompts are two of the best ways to elicit interest and discussion at this stage. This particular reading uses a question as the heading; â€Å"Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? † and is also visually supported by two pictures. Hence I chose to combine the Lead in and Prediction stages into one stage using the heading (question) and two accompanying photos as the prompts for predicting the topic of the reading, creating interest and setting the context. Harmer explains that â€Å"prediction is vitally important if we want students to engage fully with the text† (Harmer, 2007:271) The students will be asked to discuss the question in pairs or in groups of three. I will also remind students that there are no wrong answers at this stage. The resulting group discussions will have the students forming ideas about beauty and attractiveness and whether they are subjective or objective and will act as a transition into the subsequent reading task. This stage may also require a pre-teach vocab for the word â€Å"beholder†. If the students express confusion about the meaning of the phrase, there will be a quick clarification. This will be elicited from students initially and if this proves unfruitful, a brief and simple definition (someone who sees or looks at something or someone) will be given as text written on the WB. This will ensure students are able to discuss and predict in a meaningful way. 1st Reading Task The purpose of the first reading task is to develop the sub skill of reading for gist or skimming. The students will be given the full text and asked to read quickly and choose the most appropriate summary of the text as outlined on the handout sheet. They will be given a five minute limit for reading and to peer check their responses. An enforced time limit ensures they do not read intensively. The reason for this activity is to ensure that the students understand the general argument presented in the text and the author’s conclusion. Reading for gist is described by Harmer as â€Å"top- down processing† and is used most effectively when the students’ â€Å"schemata allow them to have appropriate expectations of what they are going to come across† (Harmer, 2007:270). As adult learners, I believe these students have adequate understanding of the concepts presented in the text and will therefore be able to sufficiently garner meaning even if they don’t understand the entire vocabulary. This is the reason I chose this as the first task. Pre-Teach Vocab The main topic of the article is beauty and its relationship to science and research. The words chosen are key adjectives that are used to describe either scientific terminology, e. g. objective, and composite, or describing attributes related to beauty e. g. appealing, expressive, ideal etc. Understanding these words is vital to getting a deeper comprehension of the specifics and details of the text. Learning this vocabulary will prepare the students for the 2nd reading task, a reading for detail task which will check their understanding and engage them further in the content of the text. This task could potentially be done before the first reading. I chose this order because I believe the students will be more interested to learn the vocab after reading the text. Harmer suggests that â€Å"if we want to give students practice in what it is like to tackle authentic reading and listening texts for general understanding, then getting past words they don’t understand is one of the skills they need to develop†. (Harmer, 2007:272). 2nd Reading Task Harmer explains that typical procedure for text based reading lessons follows a sequence of engaging students in a Type 1 followed by a Type 2 task. (Harmer, 2007: 270). The first reading task (reading for gist) was a Type 1 task and the 2nd reading task is a Type 2 task. It focuses on the sub skill of reading for detail and its purpose is to help students get a better understanding of the text through more searching questions. I chose this task over a reading for specific information (also a Type 2 task) because I believe that a deeper comprehension of the text will stimulate the students to engage and relate to the topic in a more meaningful way. This I believe, will create a better platform for the discussion questions in the post reading task. The true or false statements are organised chronologically (as derived from the text). This is to help the students develop their reading comprehension skills by allowing them to refer to the questions as they are reading and to garner meaning and complete the task efficiently. Post Reading Task This task is designed to develop the productive skill of speaking and is essentially a summary of the text. However it asks the students for their personal opinion on the topic and to share their thoughts with their fellow students. In this manner, the students are able to practice speaking and using the newly learnt vocabulary in a meaningful way. I chose the questions based on Harmer’s methodology. He suggests that â€Å"one of the most important questions we can ever get students to answer is Do you like the text? † (Harmer, 2007: 288). He further explains that â€Å"we are far more likely to provoke ‘the cuddle factor’ (Harmer, 2007: 288) or an â€Å"emotional attachment† to the vocabulary, by engaging the students in a personal discussion, related to their own lives. This increases the likelihood of better absorption and effective acquisition of the new language. (Harmer, 2007:58). Bibliography Harmer J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching, Pearson, Longman Kay and Jones. (2001) Inside Out Upper Intermediate, Macmillan Read the article quickly and then decide and circle the most appropriate summary from the following. 1. Research done on the science of attraction suggests that most people are of average appearance and attractiveness. 2. Research done on the science of attraction suggests that attractiveness can be measured, and although there are some variables, in general, people find the same things attractive. 3. Research done on the science of attraction suggests that Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise are the most attractive people. Answer = 2. Match the adjectives 1-8 with the definitions a-h. AdjectivesDescribing something that is; 1. Objective 2. Composite 3. Expressive 4. Ideal 5. Subtle 6. Appealing 7. Prominent 8. Exaggerated a)very easy to see or notice b)showing or able to show your thoughts and feelings c)made of different parts or materials d)perfect; most suitable e)not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; considering only facts f)attractive or interesting g)not very noticeable or obvious h)increased or made bigger than normal Answer = 1 – e, 2 – c, 3 – b, 4 – d, 5 – g, 6 – f, 7 – a, 8 – h. Read the article again and find out whether, according to the research, the following statements are true or false. a)It is romantic to believe that Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. b)The research suggests that unlike previously thought, a beautiful face is a collection of more attractive features. c)Exaggerated features, such as big eyes and mouths are an indication of attractiveness in women. d)Most film stars and supermodels don’t have ideal features. e)Men are not rated for their attractiveness in the same way women are. f)Most women prefer men with gentle features. g)There is a lot of difference in what is considered to be beautiful by people from different cultures. Answer = a – T, b – T, c – T, d – F, e – F, f – T, g – F. Discuss with your partner or group the following questions. Did you like the reading? Why/Why not? What do you find is the most important attribute of attractiveness in another person? Is it physical or not?