Topic "About myself" - "About myself"
My name is Ivan. I am 8 years old. I am a pupil and I go to school. I live in Novosibirsk. I have (got) a big family: a father, a mother, a grandfather and a sister. We are very friendly and happy together.
Translation
My name is Ivan. I am 8. I am a student and go to school. I live in Novosibirsk. I have a big family: dad, mom, grandfather and sister. We are very friendly and happy together.
Topic "My family" - "My family"
My family is not very big. I have (got) a father, a mother and a little brother. My mother's name is Marina and she is a shop assistant. She is slim, nice and kind. My father's name is Victor. He is a driver. He is funny and brave. My brother is 4 years old and he doesn’t go to school. I like to play with him. I love my family very much.
Translation
My family is not very big. I have a dad, mom and a little brother. Mom's name is Marina, she is a salesman. She is slim, beautiful and kind. Dad's name is Victor. He is a driver. He's funny and bold. My brother is 4 years old and does not go to school. I like playing with him. I really love my family.
Topic "My friend" - "My friend"
My friend's name is Vika. She is my classmate and she is 9 years old. We always go to school together. Her favorite subject is English. My friend can play the piano and sing. We like to play and go for walks together.
Vika is a kind and clever girl. She is very pretty. She is tall and slim. Her hair is long and dark, her eyes are blue.
Translation
My friend's name is Vika. She is my classmate and she is 9 years old. We always go to school together. Her favorite school subject is English. My friend can play the piano and sing. We love to play and walk together.
Vika is a kind and smart girl. She is very beautiful. She is tall and slender. She has long dark hair and blue eyes.
Topic "My hobby" - "My hobby"
When I have free time, I like to do many things. I like to ride a bicycle, to play football and to read. I can play football very well. It is my favorite hobby. I usually play it with friends in our schoolyard. I also ride a bike in spring and summer.
Translation
When I have free time, I like to do many things. I love cycling, playing football and reading. I can play football well. This is my favorite hobby. I usually play with my friends in the schoolyard. I also ride my bike in the spring and summer.
Topic "My apartment" - "My flat"
I live with my family in a flat. It is big and beautiful. There are two rooms in it: a living-room and a bedroom. We also have (got) a kitchen and a bathroom. My favorite room is a living-room. There is a big sofa, an armchair, a TV and some bookshelves in it. There is a brown carpet on the floor. I love our flat very much.
Translation
I live with my family in an apartment. She's big and pretty. It has two rooms: a living room and a bedroom. We also have a kitchen and a bathroom. My favorite room is the living room. It contains a large sofa, an armchair, a TV and several bookshelves. There is a brown carpet on the floor. I really like our apartment.
Topic "My day" - "My day"
I usually get up at 7 o'clock. I wash myself, get dressed and go to the kitchen. I have porridge, a sandwich and a cup of tea for breakfast. I go to school at 7.40 and I usually have 5 or 6 lessons. I always have lunch at school. I come home at 2 or 3 o'clock and have a rest. Then I do my homework. We have dinner at 6 o'clock. My mother usually cooks meat or fish and potatoes. I read and watch TV, then at 10 o'clock I go to bed.
Translation
I usually get up at 7 o'clock. I wash, dress and go to the kitchen. For breakfast I eat porridge, a sandwich and drink tea. I go to school at 7.40 and usually I have 5-6 lessons. I always have lunch at school. I come home at 2-3 o'clock and rest. Then I do my homework. We have dinner at 6 o'clock. My mom usually cooks meat or fish and chips. I read and watch TV, then go to bed at 10 o'clock.
Topic "My pet" - "My pet"
I love animals very much: cats, dogs, birds, horses. I have (got) a pet at home. It is a hamster and its name is Billy. Billy is very small and funny. I like to play with him. He lives in a cage. My hamster eats corn and apples and drinks water. Billy is my favorite pet.
Translation
I really love animals: cats, dogs, birds, horses. I have a pet. This is a hamster, his name is Billy. Billy is very small and funny. I love to play with him. He lives in a cage. My hamster eats corn and apples and drinks water. Billy is my favorite pet.
Topic "Favorite school subject" - "My favorite school subject"
My name is Masha and I am a schoolgirl. We study a lot of subjects at school. I like English, Maths, Reading and Russian. My favorite subject is Reading. We have reading on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Our teacher is very nice and kind. We read interesting stories and fairy-tales, learn poems and speak about them. I want to read all Russian books.
Translation
My name is Masha and I am a schoolgirl. We study a lot of subjects at school. I like English, math, reading and Russian. My favorite subject is reading. We have reading lessons on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Our teacher is very nice and kind. We read interesting stories and fairy tales, learn poems and talk about them. I want to read all Russian books.
Mini-tops for children 1-4 grades- 4.5 out of 5 based on 80 votes
Subject texts (topics) for those who are studying English at school (grades 5-6). These texts in English are intended for repetition of the topics covered, the development of writing and speaking. Questions to the texts can be used as a basis for dialogues. Words and expressions in the texts correspond to the vocabulary passed in these classes. A dictionary is connected to the site. To find out the translation of an unfamiliar word, you need to click on it 2 times. The texts are accompanied by lists of words for repetition on the topics indicated below, as well as assignments on the topic "Personal letter".
Texts (topics):
Texts (topics) in English (grades 5-6)
Text 1. About Myself
My name is…. I am… years old.
I am in the… th form. We learn different subjects but my favorite subject is ...
I live in…. I have a mother, a father, a sister and a brother. My family is friendly and loving.
I am tall (short). My hair is straight and long. I have big brown eyes.
I have got many friends. My best friend is…. We often spend time together. We like to….
Lyrics 2. My Family and Me
My family is large. There are 6 of us: father, mother, my sister, two brothers and me. My family is friendly and loving.
My father’s name is…. He is clever and kind. He is a doctor by profession.
My mother’s name is…. She is busy and loving. She doesn't work. She is a housewife.
My elder sister’s name is ... She is a very beautiful girl. Her hobby is singing.
My younger brother's name is… He is very active. He likes sport.My hobby is drawing. I like to draw in my free time. Also I like reading books. My favorite writer is ...
At the weekends all the members of our family spend time together. We go for a walk, visit museums, go to the cinema or to the theater.
I love my family very much.
Lyrics 3. My Friends
I have got a close friend. His name is ... My friend is in the same form as me. He studies well. He is a good pupil and a good friend. He often helps me to do homework.
I like to spend time with my friend. We go for a walk, talk about music and go to the cinema together.
I have got another friend…. (his / her name). She is a nice girl. Her favorite subject is English. She spends a lot of time on it and knows it very well. Also she is fond of music. She can play the piano very well.
I like my friend very much and think that we are true friends.
Lyrics 4. My Place
- neither ... nor - neither ... nor ...
- It's a pity! - It's a pity!
I live in a flat. It is neither big nor small. It is on the fifth floor. Our flat has two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a hall.
Our living room is big. It is light because it has a large window. To the left of the window there is a piano. To the right of the window there is an old wardrobe. In the middle of the room there is a big round table. We often gather together at this table and play table games. On the walls there are beautiful paintings of modern artists.
I have my own room. It is small. It hasn't got much furniture but it is very cozy. It is a pity that there is no balcony in my room.
Our kitchen is big and comfortable. We have a big fridge and a microwave oven. We usually have breakfast and supper in the kitchen.
Text 5. My School
I live in Russia. In my country the school year starts in September. It has four or three terms.
I go to school No. 2009. This year I am in the 5 th form. I have 5 or 6 lessons a day. The lessons start at half past 8. My favorite lesson is Art. I like drawing and our teacher is very kind. She always gives us good marks. I have many other subjects in my timetable too.
I have lunch at half past 10. I have dinner at school, too. I don’t go home after dinner. I stay at school and have fun with my friends. I sometimes do my homework at school, too.
I like school, but I don’t like lessons. The school year finishes in May. We have summer holidays in June, July and August. I love summer!
Lyrics 6. My Birthday
I have my birthday on the… of… (month). I like my birthday because I get a lot of presents.
Last year I got a… This year I hope my parents will give me… as a birthday present.
I usually have a birthday party at home and we have a big meal. All my family gather around a big table. There is a birthday cake with candles on it. All my relatives say “Happy birthday” to me.
Next day I invite my friends and organize games and quizes, sing songs and play jokes. We usually have fun.
I enjoy my birthday party very much.
Lyrics 7. My Day
I usually get up at 7 o'clock on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At the weekends I get up late because I don’t have to go to school (work).
After that I go to the bathroom and wash my face. Next I make my bed and dress.
I have breakfast at half past 7. I usually have a glass of juice and a sandwich.
I leave home at 8 o'clock. My school is near my house and it takes me 5 minutes to get there. I usually have 6 lessons at school. For example, today I have English, Russian, Science, Maths, History and Art.
I come home at 2 o'clock and have dinner. Then I have a little rest and start doing my homework.
In the evening I have supper and then watch TV or play computer games.
I go to bed at 10 o'clock.
Text 8. How I help about the house
- take turns- take turns
- don’t mind- raise no objection
I live with my parents and I have to help about the house. Every Sunday I do my room. I dust the furniture and vacuum the carpet. I water the flowers once a week.
I help my mother to lay the table. I wash the dishes after dinner. We take turns with my brother.
Sometimes I help my mother make cakes and pies. I seldom go shopping only when my mother asks me. I buy bread and fruit.
I understand that I must help my parents because they work hard. And I don’t mind doing it.
Lyrics 9.My Hobby
Hobby is what people like to do in their free time. We choose a hobby to our tastes. Hobby makes our life interesting. Sometimes it helps us to choose our future profession.
I have got a hobby too. My hobby is …… When I have free time, I always… (describe your hobby)
Also I like to make toys in my free time. I like reading books, too. My favorite writer is ...
If your hobby is cooking, you can say how you make cakes and pies.
Lyrics 10. My Pet
Remember the expression: I have a hamster as a pet. - I have a pet, a hamster.
I keep a hamster as a pet. - I keep a hamster at home.
Hello there! I would like to tell you about my pet. It is a hamster and her name is Sue.
Sue is about one year old. She is very funny. She has soft skin and bright black eyes. Sue is very lively and likes to run around a wheel in her cage.
I keep her cage in the hall because she makes noise at night. But in the daytime I let her run about the flat and play with her.
Sue eats vegetables and I feed her every day. I clean her cage every week. I like to take care of my pet.
I hope that one day my parents will buy me one more pet. I would like to get a rabbit on my birthday.
These texts need to be supplemented and be able to tell. It is NOT NECESSARY to memorize the texts. Below you will find a list of questions to the texts to which you need to be able to answer.
Assignments and questions for texts in English (grades 5-6)
Text 1. About Myself
1. Complete the text.
My name is _______. I am ________years old. I live in _______.
I have a ______ family. There are 6 of ______: my parents, my grandparents, my sister and me.
As for my appearance, you can see yourself. I am _______. I have ______hair and ______ eyes.
I like _______and always go to the ______ in my free time.
- Introduce yourself.
- What are you?
- How old are you?
- Is your hair long or short?
- What are eyes like?
- Can you describe yourself?
- Where do you live?
- Have you any friends?
Text 2. My Family and Me.
1. Complete text 1.
There are ………… .of us in my family. We are a close family. We are sociable and ...
My mother is a ………………… My mother is loving and ……….
My father is a ……………………… My father is strong and ………… ..
As for me, I think I am ……………………… I would like to be more …… ..
I have (not) got ……. My elder brother is active and …….
My little sister is pretty but ……….I love my family ……
2. Answer the questions to the text.
- main characteristic - the main character trait
- How would you describe your family?
- What do your parents do?
- What are your parents ’main characteristics?
- What are your main characteristics?
- Have you got any brothers or sisters?
- How old are they?
- What are they like?
- What do you like doing together?
2. Complete text 2 with the words: close, sociable, get on, hobby, card, typical, intelligent, naughty, humor.
SAMPLE LETTER on the topic "My Family"
Dear Ann,
Thank you for your letter. You asked me to write about my family.Well, our family is a _____ Russian family: a father, a mother, two children (my little sister and me) and a cat. We are a _____ family and _____ well with each other.
My mum is a teacher at school. She is _____. Her ______ is painting. My dad is a computer _________. He is _________. He has a good sense of __________. My little sister Ann is funny and sometimes ____________.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Best wishes,
Polina
Text 3. My Friends.
1. Complete the text.
I have a _____ friend. Her name is… .. . She is a ______ girl . She has got ______ brown hair and ______ blue eyes. She is slim and ______. She is crazy about collecting dolls. She is very proud of her big _________.
We meet every day because we are in the same form. We talk during the ______and often _____ time together after school.
She is a good student and sometimes help me with my _______.
2. Answer the questions to the text.
- Have you got many friends?
- Who is your best friend?
- When did you make friends?
- What does your friend look like?
- Why do you like him (her)?
- What do you have in common?
- Do you share ideas?
- How often do you phone each other?
- How do you like to spend your time together?
- What does your friend like doing?
Text 4. My Place.
1. Complete the text.
My family lives on the _______ floor in a big house. Our flat is ______. We have two bedrooms, a _______, a _________, a ________ and a toilet.
The biggest room in our flat is the _______. It is a _____ room with a big table in the center. In the _____ there is a cozy sofa. Just on the opposite wall there is a large flat screen.
When we are at home, we often _____ in the room and spend time playing games or watching TV.
2. Answer the questions to the text.
- Do you live in a flat or in a house?
- Is it big or small?
- How many rooms has it?
- What is there in the living-room?
- What is there in the kitchen?
- Do you have your own room?
Text 5. My School.
1. Complete the text.
My name is ____ I am ____. I am in the______ at school number _____.
I _____ a lot of subjects this year. I study Maths, History, Russian, English, Science, _______. I like _______. I don’t like _________.
I like school because I like to ________my friends during the breaks.
But I don’t like to get _____marks.
3. Answer the questions to the text.
- What school do you study at?
- What form are you in?
- What lessons / subjects do you like?
- What lessons / subjects don’t you like?
- How many subjects do you have? What are they?
- What subjects do you have in your timetable (on Monday)?
- What do you do at your English lessons?
- What subject would you like to study?
- Do you like breaks?
- Some schoolchildren don’t like school. Do you think why?
Text 6. My Birthday.
1. Complete the text.
My last birthday party
Last year my sisters arranged a birthday party for me.
When I was out, they got _________for the party. They _________the house and _______ pizza. They decorate my room with the balloons. They _______on their best clothes and looked ________.
When I rang the doorbell, the music started playing. I came into the room and saw a big _________ on the table. _______ 13 candles on it.
My sisters sang to me, “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, …… Happy birthday to you. "
I was very ……
How to Arrange a School Party
I am _____________to have a school party next week.
First of all, I will arrange date and time and write ____________ (invitations).
Then I will think who can help me to organize the party. I think I will ask my friend Ilya to bring CDs. He will be responsible for ___________. I am _______ to ask my friend Slava to ________a guitar. He can play the guitar very __________. I will ask Anya to ________food.
And I will ask Sveta to make a____________. So, the girls will be ______________ for the meal.
Also I am ______ to buy small presents for my friends because we will have quizes and contests at the party.
I hope the party will be _____________.
2. Answer the questions to the text.
- How old are you now?
- When is your birthday?
- Do you like birthday parties?
- How do you celebrate your birthday?
- Whom do you invite to your birthday party?
- You like to get presents, don’t you?
- What kind of presents do you like to get best of all?
Text 7. My Day (My Working Day / My Day Out)
1. Complete the text.
My school day begins early.
I get up at 7 o'clock, _______my face and dress. Then I ______ my bed and go to the _______to have my breakfast.
I leave home for school at 8 o'clock. On the way to school I often _____ my friends and we go the school ______.
I ______home at 3 o'clock.
I have dinner and after that______ because I am often _____. When I have little homework, I can go to _______ or_______.
In the evening I usually ______ or______.
I ________to bed at 10 p.m.
2.1. Answer the questions to the text "My working Day".
- When do you get up on your working days?
- It is difficult for you to get up early, isn’t it?
- Do you usually make your bed?
- What do you usually have for breakfast?
- When do you leave home for school?
- Where is your school?
- How long does it take you to get to your school on foot?
- When do you come home?
- What do you do after that?
- What do you like to do in the evenings?
- When do you go to bed?
2.2. Answer the questions to the text "My Day Out"
- Do you like weekends? Why?
- What time do you get up?
- What do you do in the morning / in the afternoon / in the evening?
- Do you like to watch TV?
- Do you go to the park?
- Do you go swimming?
- Do you meet your friends?
- Who does shopping in your family?
- Do you like shopping?
2.3 Build your story according to the outline below. Be sure to use words conveying a sequence of actions (COMING SOON). They are shown in bold in the text.
My usual day
I usually get up at about (about) ...
Then I ...
Next I …
When I come home from school, I ...
We usually eat dinner at about ...
I help my mother with dinner. I….
After I do my homework, I like ...
I always do…. before I go to bed.
Text 8. How I help about the house.
1. Complete the text.
My name is_____________. I live with parents.
I love my family and help my parents ________the house.
I always vacuum the ________. Sometimes I help my mother to _______the table. And I usually ________ up after meals. I often ______my room and __________the flowers.
But I never do the___________. I don’t like it.
2. Answer the questions to the text.
- Do your friends help their parents?
- Do you help your parents about the house?
- Can you clean your room?
- Do you water the flowers?
- Do you wash the dishes?
- Do you help to lay the table?
- Do you vacuum the carpet?
- Do you go to the shops and buy food?
- What don’t you like to do?
Text 9. My Hobby.
1. Complete the text.
Our hobbies
Different people like ____________ things. That's why we have ____________ hobbies.
I am fond of________________________ (3 sentences about myself).
My friend Nastya likes __________. She is crazy about _____________ (3 sentences about your boyfriend / girlfriend)
I think hobbies make our life ______________.
2. Answer the questions to the text.
- What hobbies do you know?
- Do you play any musical instrument?
- What is your hobby?
- Do you think your hobby may help you in future?
- What do you want to be?
Text 10. My Pet.
1. Complete the text.
The animals we keep at home are our_____. They can be dogs, _______, ________,
________ or _______.People are fond of pets. They like to watch them and treat them as real members of the family. Dogs and cats are our _________pets.
I have got _____pets. In my house _________three cats, a dog, two hamsters and a parrot. I love them all and I am very _________ when I play with them. I _______care of them, too. My mum helps me to ________ them. When I grow up, I want to _______a vet and take ________of animals.
2. Answer the questions to the text.
- Have you got a pet?
- What pet is it?
- What is your pet like?
- How do you take care of your pet?
- Would you like to have one more pet?
To write the article, the developments for various textbooks were used, as well as the manual by T. Zhurina “English language. 55 oral topics in English for schoolchildren in grades 5-11 "(partially revised and expanded)
Fluency in English is an achievable goal if you build an effective lesson plan. And especially the effectiveness of the lessons is important at the initial stage of study, when we have a fervor for acquiring knowledge, but there is still no clear understanding of how to conduct our classes. Therefore, to help beginners, such a technique as a topic in English on the topic of everyday life, relationships, a story about oneself, etc. was invented. Just in today's material, we will analyze what is remarkable about such a format of classes, how it is carried out and how effective the results of such studies are.
What is an English topic on the topic of family, hobbies, media, etc.
Let's start with what this study methodology is all about. So, English topics by topic are adapted training modules in which information on a specific topic is concentrated. Even the very designation "topic" is a topic in English. Therefore, in Russian, for example, a topic may be called “ story about myself" or " my family". More generalized options are also possible: “ journey », « tourism», « food and drink" etc. In this case, the training material consists of the following sections:
- Popular vocabulary ( preferably with transcription and translation);
- Text ( usually with grammar adapted to the level of knowledge of the students);
- Questions and tasks ( often suggestive, i.e. you can answer with ready-made sentences from the text);
- Independent work to consolidate the studied material (essay in English on a topic or oral story).
This lesson structure is not accidental. The fact is that topics in English are designed to diversify the skills of foreign speech perception. To achieve this goal, this technique actually artificially recreates the language environment, i.e. forces students to immerse themselves in the topic as much as possible and concentrate on English. Accordingly, the topic should be selected according to its educational level. For example, there are English topics for students ( for students), for beginners ( for beginners), for pupils ( for schoolchildren) etc. All of them are distinguished by the complexity of grammar, the variety of vocabulary and the general disclosure of the topic.
This is with regard to the definition of topics as a method of learning a language. Now let's consider whether this method is effective and how high it is.
How to conduct lessons with topics in English
To assess how useful English topics are for beginners, you first need to understand the principle of conducting classes. After all, only a competently conducted lesson will provide the desired result. So, let's analyze the lesson with the topic in stages.
Vocabulary set
The first step is to familiarize yourself with the list of subject words. A good topic in English necessarily contains a dictionary, and all expressions in it are presented with transcription and translation. If your teaching material does not have a separate dictionary, then you need to make it yourself. Read the text of the lesson and find an unfamiliar word, write it out in a notebook. Work through the entire text in this way, and when you have a ready-made list of words, start looking for their translation and correct pronunciation. Do not be lazy to write out the transcription at least in Russian letters, because this will help you not only to pronounce the words correctly, but also to quickly memorize them.
Reading
The second stage of working with a topic is meaningful reading of the educational text. As we remember, the topics are designed to reveal everyday topics of the English language in an adapted form, i.e. adjusting to the level of knowledge of the reader. Therefore, difficulties should not arise here, especially since you have already sorted out all the incomprehensible vocabulary in advance. So, what should you concentrate on when reading:
- On the content. Understanding the text is the main task. After all, we then still have to answer questions or write an essay on the topic in English.
- On the use of words written out in the dictionary. New expressions are better remembered in context, so it doesn't hurt to mark the pattern of using a new word once again.
- Pronunciation. Reading the text aloud helps to eliminate the Russian accent and imitates the speech situation, i.e. later it will be easier for you to speak English, because you are confident in the correctness of your speech and you are used to its English sound.
- On grammatical constructions. It will not be superfluous to note the use of recently studied aspects of tense, irregular forms of verbs, etc.
Of course, it is impossible to immediately notice all these nuances, so the educational text is read at least 3 times. First, just to understand the content, then out loud to practice pronunciation, and with the third reading, we consolidate the information, along the way paying attention to the grammar and contexts of new words.
Listening
This stage is typical only for some lessons, since not all topics in English with translation are supplemented with audio material. If your text is accompanied by an entry with its content, additional dialogues or questions, then this is a great success. Because in this case, you can not only develop the correct pronunciation, but also work out the perception of English speech by ear.
Other English topics: Learning English on your own from scratch: how to achieve success
The listening process itself is as follows: the student listens to the recording, repeats after the speaker and tries to understand by ear what is being said. At first, you can and should use printed text as a guide, since it is better to clearly see what the announcer is saying. Otherwise, beginners can easily "get lost" in the recording, get nervous, understand nothing and only ruin the whole lesson for themselves.
Translation
While reading or listening to the topic in English, the student acts as a translator, translating the text into Russian. Of course, ideally, you need to achieve a subconscious understanding of English, i.e. we read, and immediately understand what is at stake, we do not even need to look for Russian equivalents of words and expressions. But at the initial stage of training, such perfection is simply impossible to achieve, it takes months or even years of practice. Therefore, here we work in a standard way - we translate consecutively according to sentences, and preferably in writing.
Why is translation needed? There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, in this way we will once again go through the content of the text and learn it better. Secondly, again, we will repeat the new vocabulary of the lesson. Thirdly, you may need a text with a translation for an essay in English, because when writing an essay you need to start from something. In addition, you need to know the translation for listening, so that it is easier to navigate the speaker's speech.
Questions and writing
After thorough work with the text, the learned information needs to be consolidated with the help of practice. For this, the work provides for mini-tests and leading questions, or, for example, they offer topics to translate Russian sentences into English. It all depends on the level of training of the student.
This is how lessons are conducted according to the method of English topics. As you can see, the work is quite voluminous, so it is possible, and sometimes even necessary, to divide it into several lessons ( especially if the topic in English requires writing an essay). At the same time, do not forget to start each next lesson with a short repetition of the already studied part of the material.
An example of an English topic for beginners
We examined what the topics are, and learned how to deal with them correctly. But this is all theory, and for a general understanding it would be nice to add a little practice. Therefore, now we will consider what a typical English topic with translation for beginners looks like. It has already been noted that topics for English are varied and almost limitless, but for simplicity and clarity of the example, we will take the simplest one - "About myself". So, let's begin.
Related vocabulary
| name is ... | name, called | |
| … Years old | …years old | |
| was born | born | |
| live | live | |
| currently | [ˈKʌrəntli] | now, now |
| dormitory | [ˈDɔː.mɪ.tər.i] | dormitory |
| tall | high | |
| cheerful | [ˈTʃɪəfl] | cheerful |
| kind | kind | |
| sociable | [ˈSəʊ.ʃə.bl̩] | sociable |
| handsome | [ˈHæn.səm] | handsome (only about men) |
| imagine | [ɪˈmædʒɪn] | imagine, imagine |
| communicate | communication | |
| spend time | spend time | |
| however | but | |
| to be alone | be alone | |
| sometimes | [ˈSʌmtaɪmz] | sometimes, from time to time |
| fishing | [ˈFɪʃɪŋ] | fishing, fishing |
| fond of | get involved | |
| take a part | take part | |
| develop | develop | |
| unit | [ˈJuːnɪt] | unite |
| thanks to… | [θæŋks tə] | thanks to |
| a few | [ə fjuː] | some |
| become | ||
| mission | [ˈMɪʃ.ən] | mission, meaning |
Text
My name is Sergey and I’m 25 years old. I was born in Russia, in Omsk city. Currently I live in Saint-Petersburg. I study at the Saint Petersburg State University and now I'm living in a student dormitory.
I am a young, tall and handsome man. My friends say I am kind and cheerful. I have many friends because I am very sociable. I like to talk with people and I can’t imagine my life without communicate. I spend much time with my friends, however, I want to be alone sometimes. At such moments I go fishing in the river.
Other English topics: How phrases and words are formed in English with examples
Also I am a sportsman. I fond of volleyball, and I often take a part in competition. I have more 50 different medals, but is not much important. I really love this game! Volleyball develops speed, coordination of movements, arm strength and height of jump. And volleyball is a team sport: this game unites the people. Thanks to volleyball I met a lot of a good friends.
And finally, I would like to say a few words about my dream. I want to have a large family and I plan to teach my children volleyball. They'll become the best players. That is my life's mission.
Translation
My name is Sergey and I am 25 years old. I was born in Russia, in the city of Omsk. I currently live in St. Petersburg. I study at St. Petersburg State University, and now I live in a student hostel.
I am a young, tall and handsome man. Friends say that I am kind and cheerful. I have many friends because I am very sociable. I like to communicate with people, and I cannot imagine my life without communication. I spend a lot of time with my friends, but sometimes I want to be alone. At such moments, I go fishing on the river.
I am also an athlete. I am fond of volleyball and often take part in competitions. I have over 50 different medals, but this is not so important. I really love this game! Volleyball develops speed, coordination of movements, arm strength and jump height. And volleyball is a team sport: this game brings people together. Thanks to volleyball, I have met many good friends.
And finally, I would like to say a few words about my dream. I want to have a big family and plan to teach volleyball to my children. They will become the very best players. This is the meaning of my life.
Verification work
Task number 1: Answer the questions:
- How is Sergey old?
- Where does he study?
- What do his friends say about him?
- What kind of sport does Sergey like and why?
- What is his dream?
Assignment number 2: Using the given vocabulary and using the sample text, compose your own story about yourself in length of 10-15 sentences.
This is approximately what a typical English topic looks like. We do not have audio accompaniment for the text, but as an alternative we can recommend using a regular online translator. You just need to copy the text into the translator window and press the sound button.
The effectiveness of teaching topics in English
Now we have considered both theory and practice - it remains to evaluate the results. So, what is the usefulness of the methodology of English topics, it is also topics in English, if we speak in English.
Of course, topics contain a lot of useful information. This is a common vocabulary in speech, and behavior in everyday situations, and traditions, and the mentality of people. All these things are important to know for understanding the culture of the country and, accordingly, its language. In addition, topics are good because they allow you to develop a "base", i.e. quickly learn simple topics and start communicating in English.
It is important to note that with the help of topics, students develop comprehensively. Provided that the topic contains vocabulary, text, audio files and written assignments, students in one lesson improve their English proficiency in several points at once:
- Replenishment of vocabulary.
- Improved pronunciation.
- Working with listening comprehension.
- Remembering grammatical nuances.
- Ability to formulate your own thoughts in English.
Actually, the five points listed above represent full-fledged language proficiency. Indeed, for free communication in English, you need to know the meaning of words, be able to pronounce them correctly and understand what the interlocutor is talking about. In addition, our speech must be competent and fluent, i.e. you need to be able to quickly compose an answer to a question, and not lose the thread of the conversation.
Thus, it turns out that topics form a high-quality knowledge base of the English language for the student. Consequently, the effectiveness of the technique is extremely high. But, it should be noted that the overall performance strongly depends on the format of the classes. For example, if you will not listen to texts and answer questions to them, then it is natural that you will not perceive English by ear. The same applies to writing: if you don’t want to write essays, don’t write, but only then you will not learn how to formulate thoughts in English. Therefore, it will be difficult for you to speak with foreigners.
So in itself, the methodology of topics in English is almost flawless, but do not be lazy to conduct your lessons correctly and constantly monitor the results of classes.
We also advise you to study the useful material about 1000 words in English that you need to know, it will definitely come in handy when writing your texts in English.
Good luck and see you soon!
English speaking club
Conversation club is fundamentally different from English courses. The main characteristics of a spoken English club are as follows:
The purpose of the English speaking club is to develop primarily the Speaking skill and, to a lesser extent, Listening. Reading and Writing skills are completely ignored at meetings of the English Speaking Club, as well as clarification of the phonetic, grammar and lexical rules of the English language.
The meetings of the conversation club in English are not related to each other thematically, so the participant can skip them without prejudice to the entire program of the course.
1. There is no need to explain why the venue for an English speaking club should be comfortable for all participants. We only note that dim lighting can contribute to creating an atmosphere in a conversation club in English that is conducive to pleasant communication. It distracts the attention of the participants of the English conversation club from the details of the interior and appearance of the interlocutors, which helps to concentrate directly on the discussion.
2. Does a conversation club have to be run by a native English speaker? On the one hand, people prefer talking clubs with English-speaking hosts. On the other hand, the difference in mentality can make it much more difficult to create an interesting and relevant discussion. In addition, even in a large Russian city, it is very difficult to find a certified linguistic teacher of Anglo-Saxon origin who wishes to lead your conversation club. Typically, these are students or expats in non-core specialties from around the world, whose language level and pedagogical skills leave much to be desired. In our expert opinion, the best option is to invite a native English speaker to a conversation club meeting as a guest. In this case, he answers the questions of the presenter on an equal basis with other members of the English speaking club. Of course, like other members of the English language club, he can ask questions or answer himself, but the initiative for conducting the meeting remains with the Russian-speaking participant.
3. As for the number of participants in a conversation club in English, here you should adhere to the "golden rule": when more than 9 people gather, the general discussion inevitably splits into several groups. Thus, without taking into account the host, no more than 8 people should be present at a meeting of the conversation club at a time, and not taking into account the English-speaking guest, no more than 7.
4. Most English speaking clubs practice to inform participants in advance about the topic of the upcoming meeting, but we strongly do not recommend doing this! Firstly, a conversation club meeting should maximally stage a real situation of a spontaneous discussion with an English-speaking interlocutor. Secondly, complete unpreparedness makes the brain work faster, "raising to the surface deep layers" of knowledge, including from the subconscious. Thirdly, as our experience shows, a regular participant in a conversational English club can miss a meeting just because they have not prepared, or come, but feel insecure.
5. The first meeting of the English speaking club, regardless of the level of the group, we recommend starting with the topic "Names". First, it will help you and the English Speaking Club members remember their names faster. Secondly, this is the easiest of the conversational topics we offer, and, accordingly, the discussion on it will inspire confidence in the participants and positively set them up for further visits to the English language club.
6. The main mistake that the leaders of English speaking clubs make, in our opinion, is that they ask the whole group a question and wait for someone who wants to answer it. As a result of this practice, the same extroverts usually speak at the meeting, and some introverts leave the English conversation club without uttering a word! Of course, this is completely unacceptable! To avoid this monstrous mistake, the leader of the English speaking club should ask the same question personally to each participant and, until everyone has expressed their opinion, do not move on to the next question.
7. Encourage conversation club members to start their judgments with introductory expressions such as "I think", "In my opinion", "From my point of view", as is customary in the English-speaking world.
8. It is not at all necessary, by all means, at one meeting of the English language club to go through all 18 questions of your chosen conversation topic. The topics we offer for a conversation club in English are by no means an academic program. Rather, they play the role of a kind of "pusher" from which the discussion in English is started. Moreover, if after the first few questions, the dispute has gone in a different direction, then the meeting of the English speaking club was successful! Always remember that the most important criterion for a successful meeting of a spoken English club is that all its members are interested. If they wanted to discuss some other topic in English than the one suggested by you, that's just great!
9. Do not allow members of the English Speaking Club to take any notes during the meeting. First, let us repeat that the atmosphere of a club meeting should simulate as much as possible the situation of a conversation with an English-speaking interlocutor. Secondly, taking notes greatly distracts attention from the discussion in English. Actually, this is what makes the conversation club different from the English language courses.
10. As for the phonetic, grammatical and lexical mistakes made by the participants of the English speaking club, they should not be corrected directly during the discussion. Only if the same error occurs in the same participant more than 2 times, it is necessary to delicately point out it to him at the end of the meeting of the spoken English club. If necessary, you can advise him to listen to something, read or do exercises on this topic.
11. Also, at the end of each meeting of the conversation club, it is advisable to remind its participants to read books and watch films in English, as well as perform various exercises in between classes. If necessary, you can recommend the most useful resources for learning English.
2015-11-16
Good day, my dears! I have great news for you!
British scientists have found that if every time you put an English textbook under your pillow at night, the rate of assimilation of the material increases by 15-20% ... It's a joke, of course! Although, if an English textbook regularly ends up in your hands, that's a big deal!
In this article, I will present to your attention conversational topics in English that will help you learn how to build sentences correctly, conduct a dialogue correctly, increase your vocabulary and learn the meaning of established conversational phrases.
You will definitely be interested!
Agree that learning dry theory and doing monotonous exercise is unbearably boring, especially for children. To increase the effectiveness of training, it is necessary to pay more attention and energy to , and choose a topic so that it is really fun and informative.
Typical situations, events of everyday life, stories about well-known things and events - all this has not lost its relevance and, with a healthy creative approach, will not leave indifferent either students or teachers.
You can add a twist to almost any topic: apply some slang expression, place a famous character in a non-standard situation, or put an “extra” word on purpose.
It is also imperative to present small dialogues on topics. Below I have presented a list of topics on which you can perfectly practice your speaking skills. Any theme is suitable for both children and adults.
By the way, you can find a complete list of topics by topic
Themes
For schoolchildren, a not very difficult topic is suitable:
For instance:
We tell the children that Winnie the Pooh has come to the store, and Rabbit is working as a seller there. This is followed by a dialogue:
— Can I help you, Mister?
- Yes, I want to buy honey, but I have no money!
- Who are you, Mister? Where are you from? And why don’t you want to pay?
- My name is Winnie-The-Pooh. I'm from the forest. And I don’t have money.
- In that case, No money, No honey !!! Bye-Bye!For those preparing for the exam, both the topics outlined above and the following are suitable:
For example:
Tell us what is your favorite or least favorite holiday. What time of year do you celebrate it. What dishes does your family prepare on this day. Do you give each other gifts. How do you conduct the celebration itself, do you invite friends.I like New Year. That’s my favorite holiday. I liked it a lot when I was a kid. My mother always gave me a lot of presents like a bike, a new book or a gadget. Besides, my mother cooked a lot of food. She always baked my favorite apple pie. We invited many friends to our place. I also like the weather at this time. There is a lot of snow and ice everywhere.
Let's add to the list: