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Intermediate Level English
Click on the lesson your students are studying.
| 1) Greetings | 5) Family | 9) Sports | 13) City |
| 2) School | 6) House | 10) Shopping | 14) Animals |
| 3) People | 7) Food | 11) Transportation | 15) Weather |
| 4) Work | 8) Clothes | 12) Health | 16) Future |
Greetings (Saludos) - Lesson 1
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - nationalitiesClassroom activities - (1) Go over the nationalities of the people in your class. (2) Students name a thing or person and the others guess the nationality. (eg. Corona beer - Mexican)
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - to be/present tense reviewClassroom activities - none
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - An elderly man discusses his travels.Classroom activities - (1) Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out. (2) Class discussion (or discuss in pairs) - If you had a month of free airfare, where would you go and what would you do.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - The elderly man's itinerary and a postcard from one of the destinations.Classroom activities - Do the activity from the "More Practice" section - Imagine that you are Phil Andrews and you are at one of the destinations listed on the itinerary (not Mexico). Write a letter to the reporter who interviewed you (in the "Dialog" section) telling her what you are doing.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - plural spellingClassroom activities - Have students think of three more words (not from the lesson) that follow each of the spelling rules (-s, -es, ies, -ves, irregulars).
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - nationalitiesClassroom activities - none
School (La Escuela) - Lesson 2
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - miscellaneousClassroom activities - (1) Password - The students have to describe one of the words in the list (without saying the vocabulary word, of course). The other students guess what the word is. (2) For homework have students write ten sentences using any of the vocabulary words from the list (different from any sentences in which the words were used on the Vocabulary page).
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - Possessive pronounsClassroom activities - Have students write one sentence with each possessive pronoun.
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Two students discuss a magnet school.Classroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Reading about magnet schoolsClassroom activities - Students discuss (or write about) the advantages and disadvantages of the kind of magnet school described in the second paragraph of the reading.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - Irregular PluralsClassroom activities - Read the words to the students in the singular form in a random order. Have them write the words on their paper in the singular and then plural form.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - possessive pronounsClassroom activities - none
People (La Gente) - Lesson 3
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - vocabulary for describing peopleClassroom activities - (1) Have students write descriptions of the people in the "More Practice" activity. (2) Students write a description of an unidentified student in the classroom. The students take turns reading their description and guessing who it is. (I first tell them that certain words are off-limits such as "fat" and "lazy.")
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - adverbs of frequencyClassroom activities - (1) Have students use questions from first practice exercise on the Grammar page to interview a classmate (activity described in the "More Practice" section). (2) Have students select a topic (food, movies, family, etc.) and make survey of questions with how often (eg. How often do you eat pizza?). Then have them use their survey questions to interview their classmates and present survey results to the class.
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - A man describes a robber to the police.Classroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Wanted posterClassroom activities - Have students make a wanted poster for an imaginary criminal (activity described in the "More Practice" section on the Reading page).
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - I before E except after CClassroom activities - Draw three columns on the board with headings "ie", "ei (before c)", "ei with long a sound", and "irregulars." Have students think of more "ie" or "ei" words. Put them in the column of the rule they follow.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Identify the criminalClassroom activities - none
Work (El Trabajo) - Lesson 4
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - miscellaneous vocabulary from lessonClassroom activities - Have students pick ten words and write sentences using them.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - indefinitesClassroom activities - Have students change the following sentences to negative and a question (possible answers in red).
There is something on the table.
There isn't anything on the table. OR There is nothing on the table.
Is there anything on the table? OR Is there something on the table?They know someone who works there.
They don't know anyone who works there. OR They know no one who works there.
Do they know anyone who works there? OR Do they know someone who works there?He's going somewhere on vacation.
He isn't going anywhere on vacation. OR He's going nowhere on vacation.
Is he going anywhere on vacation? OR Is he going somewhere on vacation?Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - A man has a terrible job interview.Classroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Interviewing AdviceClassroom activities - Students write a thank you note for an imaginary interview (activity described in More Practice section in lesson)
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - sp- and st- wordsClassroom activities - Have a spelling bee with the words from the lesson.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - crossword with clues which use indefinite wordsClassroom activities - none
Family (La Familia) - Lesson 5
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - miscellaneous vocabulary from lessonClassroom activities - Have students pick ten words and write sentences using them.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - Past TenseClassroom activities - Have students write one past tense sentence with each of the irregular past tense verbs in the list. Then have them change the sentences to negative and a question.
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - vacation picturesClassroom activities - (1) Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out. (2) In small groups have students talk about a vacation that they took. Name at least five things (in the past tense) that you did on your vacation. (3) Have students bring in their own vacation pictures and talk about them.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - a postcard from the vacation from the dialogClassroom activities - Imagine you are on a vacation (anywhere in the world). Write a postcard to your family or friends telling them what you did on your vacation (activity in the More Practice section on the Reading page).
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - Words with silent lettersClassroom activities - Have a spelling bee with words with silent letters (You could also add words from previous spelling lessons to the spelling bee.).
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Match the fronts and backs of postcardsClassroom activities - none
House (La Casa) - Lesson 6
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - Housing ad vocabulary and abbreviations, irregular verbsClassroom activities - Have students write one past tense sentence with each of the irregular past tense verbs in the list.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - both/either/neitherClassroom activities - Have students write sentences using "both," "either," and "neither."
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Calling landlord for info.Classroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Read housing adsClassroom activities - Have the students write a housing ad using some of the abbreviations from the vocabulary lesson
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - two/to/tooClassroom activities - Write sentences with each word.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Match the house with the house adClassroom activities - None
Food (La Comida) - Lesson 7
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - food vocabulary, irregular verbsClassroom activities - (1) Stop - Have students make a piece of paper with four columns. At the top of the first column they will write the heading "Food," at the top of the second "House," at the top of the third "Job," at the top of the fourth, "Place." The teacher will call out a letter. The students need to quickly write down a food word that starts with the letter the teacher said, something you find in the house with that letter, a job which starts with that letter, and the name of a place (city, state, etc.) that starts with that letter. When one student finishes all columns, they yell out "Stop." (2) Have students write one past tense sentence with each of the irregular past tense verbs in the list.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - Count/Non-Count expressionsClassroom activities - Bring in a bag full of groceries and have students describe what you have. ("There are a lot of apples.", "There are a few onions.", etc.)
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - A married couple goes over their grocery listClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - The Food Pyramid - USDA recommendations for a healthy dietClassroom activities - (1) Discuss what foods would be in each category. (2) Discuss whether or not the students' diets meet these guidelines.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - HomophonesClassroom activities - Write sentences with each word.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Determine which foods belong in which section of the pyramid.Classroom activities - none
Clothes (La Ropa) - Lesson 8
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - Accessories, Materials, Review of Clothes vocabulary, irregular verbsClassroom activities - (1) Have students write a description of one student's clothing (Tell them not to name the student). The other students guess who is being described. (2) For homework, have students cut a picture out of a fashion magazine and write a description of their clothes. (3) Have students write one past tense sentence with each of the irregular past tense verbs in the list.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - very vs. tooClassroom activities - none
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Shopping dialogClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Shopping AdviceClassroom activities - (1) Have students write their own shopping advice. They could write about how to save money when shopping, where to find the best clothes, furniture, etc., or any other topic relating to shopping. (2) Have students write or discuss about the last time they went shopping. What stores did they go to? Who did they go shopping with? What did they buy?
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - Words that end with -tionClassroom activities - Have students think of more words that end with -tion in English.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Scrambled clothes vocabularyClassroom activities - none
Sports (Deportes) - Lesson 9
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - sports equipment, irregular verbsClassroom activities - (1) Pictionary - Have students select a sport and draw equipment from that sport on the board. The other students guess what the sport is. (2) Have students write one past tense sentence with each of the irregular past tense verbs in the list.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - adverbs, canClassroom activities - Adverb Interview - Have students use the following questions as an interview in pairs. The student answering the question should use an adverb to answer the question.
Adverb Interview
1) How do you drive? (e.g. dangerously, fast, slowly, carefully, etc)
2) How do you cook?
3) How do you sing?
4) How do you dance?
5) How do you sew?Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Two women discuss their husbands' sports equipmentClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Article with advice on starting an exercise routineClassroom activities - Have students discuss (or write about) what they do for exercise or what they would like to do.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - CognatesClassroom activities - Have students think of five more cognates
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Sports equipment concentrationClassroom activities - none
Shopping (Compras) - Lesson 10
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - big numbers, irregular verbsClassroom activities - (1) Have students bring in sale ads from the newspaper and discuss in small groups the prices of the items in the ads. Are they good prices for those items? If not, what would be a more appropriate price? (2) Have students write one past tense sentence with each of the irregular past tense verbs in the list.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - present perfectClassroom activities - What were your goals for the future when you were younger? Which things have you already done? What things haven't you done yet? Make sentences. (e.g.. I've already gotten married. I haven't had children yet. etc.)
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Bargaining dialogClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - BargainingClassroom activities - Have students discuss if people bargain over prices in their country. How is bargaining different in your country?
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - False cognatesClassroom activities - See if the class can think of more false cognates.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Listen for pricesClassroom activities - none
Transportation (Transporte) - Lesson 11
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - car parts, irregular verbsClassroom activities - (1) In small groups have students describe a car part. The other students in the group guess which part is being described. (2) Have students write one past tense sentence with each of the irregular past tense verbs in the list.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - Past ProgressiveClassroom activities - Past Progressive Interview - Have make past progressive questions like the following example and discuss them in pairs?
What were you doing (day) at (time)?
eg. What were you doing Sunday at 3:00 PM?
I was washing my car.Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Police discuss witness accounts of an accidentClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Newspaper report about car accidentClassroom activities - Bring in small toy cars. Students draw an intersection on a piece of paper. They use the cars to act out a car accident. The other students describe the accident that was acted out as if they were witnesses.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - The letters "ph" in EnglishClassroom activities - See if the students can think of any more "ph" words.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Student read descriptions of an accident and decide which is correct.Classroom activities - none
Health (Salud) - Lesson 12
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - More body parts vocabularyClassroom activities - Have students describe a body part. The other students guess what part is being described.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - ReflexivesClassroom activities - Write out different subjects on index cards (I, You, He, They, Mr. Jones, Susan, etc.) and the verbs "burn", "cut", and "hurt" on other cards. In small groups students put a subject card and then a verb card. They need to make a reflexive sentence (eg. "He cut himself.")
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - A couple discusses recent accidents.Classroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Home Safety TipsClassroom activities - Have students discuss what they do in their home to keep it safe.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - The Silent "e"Classroom activities - Have students think of more words that end with a silent "e".
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Match safety signs with descriptionsClassroom activities - Have students draw a safety sign. The other students guess what the sign means.
City (La Ciudad) - Lesson 13
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - Adjectives to describe a cityClassroom activities - Have students use the adjectives to describe their hometown.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - comparativesClassroom activities - Write pairs of words on the board (eg. Elephant/Mouse, Doctor/Lawyer, Banana/Orange). Make comparative sentences comparing the two (eg. An elephant is bigger than a mouse.).
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Comparison of Los Angeles and San DiegoClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Reading from A Tale of Two CitiesClassroom activities - Have students compare two cities from their country
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - Words spelled with two vowels togetherClassroom activities - Have students think of more words spelled with two vowels together.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Students read descriptions of cities and guess the city.Classroom activities - Have each student write a description of a major world city. They read their description to the class and the other students guess what city is being described.
Animals (Animales) - Lesson 14
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - adjectives for describing animals, animal partsClassroom activities - Have students write a description of an animal (without mentioning the name of the animal). Have students read their description and the other students guess what the animal is.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - superlativesClassroom activities - Write superlative discussion questions on the board.
Sample superlative discussion questions
1. What's the best restaurant in town? Why do you like it?
2. What is the most interesting movie you've ever seen? What's it about?
3. Who is the nicest person you know? Why are they nice? (What do they do?)
4. Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? What does that person do (eg. actress, model, etc.)?Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Animal QuizClassroom activities - (1) Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out. (2) Have student write their own superlative quiz about another topic. (eg. What's the longest river in the world?)
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Buying a PetClassroom activities - Have students discuss (or write about) what they think is the best pet and why.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - The consonant-vowel-consonant ruleClassroom activities - Have students think of more examples of verbs in which the final consonant would be doubled before adding an ending.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Animal QuizClassroom activities - Have students think of more animal questions.
Weather (El Tiempo) - Lesson 15
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - weather vocabulary, compass directionsClassroom activities - Have students work in small groups to draw a weather map on a poster board or a transparency for the overhead projector. The groups of students take turns showing their weather map and giving their imaginary forecast.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - mightClassroom activities - Have students make speculations of what life might be like in the future or what might happen to individual students (or the teacher!) in the future.
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - weather forecastClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - Read the weather page from a newspaperClassroom activities - Have students bring in the real weather page from the local newspaper and tell what the weather will be like in the area.
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - Double consonantsClassroom activities - Have the students dictate the words to each other in pairs.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Listen to weather forecasts and match with mapsClassroom activities - none
Future (El Futuro) - Lesson 16
Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
Language Focus - computer and technology vocabularyClassroom activities - Have students take turns describing one of the computer and technology words. The other students guess what the word being described is.
Grammar (Gramática)
Language Focus - the conditional, making speculationsClassroom activities - (1) Conditional interview - Make interview questions in the condition and have students discuss them in pairs. (ej. If you could be any animal, what animal would you like to be? Why? What would you do if you were invisible?) (2) Bring in pictures cut out of magazines. The students work in groups to make speculations about the picture or the people in the picture.
Listening/Dialog (Comprensión Oral/Diálogo)
Language Focus - Discussion of future technologyClassroom activities - Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out.
Reading (Lectura)
Language Focus - NanotechnologyClassroom activities - (1) Have students research nanotechnology in the Internet. (2) Have students discuss their opinions about nanotechnology. What benefits could it have? What dangers are there to this kind of technology?
Spelling (Ortografía)
Language Focus - Commonly misspelled words by Spanish-speakersClassroom activities - Spelling Bee - Do a spelling bee with words from all of the Spelling lessons in Intermediate level.
Dictation (Dictado)
Language Focus - spellingClassroom activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game (Juego)
Language Focus - Making speculationsClassroom activities - none