Play this song or video in class to develop your students awareness of how many people speak English, where they speak it, and how deeply rooted English is in the corners of the globe.

There are, according the David Crystal’s book English as a Global Language, 30 countries where English has some official status AND where there are at least 1 million speakers. 30 countries! We don’t include English learners here. These are countries were people actually speak English as a first, second, or third language and often where it is used in government.

Note: the list includes Hong Kong, which is not actually a country, but is significant as a former British colony.

Directions:
Put students into teams. Ask them to write the names of as many of these countries as possible in 3, 5, or 7 minutes, or whatever is appropriate to your level of class. See which team can come up with the most correct answers.

You can release hints to students at intervals throughout this brainstorming time. For instance:

2 of these countries are in North America
2 of these countries are in Europe
9 of these countries are in Asia
11 of these countries are in Africa
None are in South America proper, but one is an island country very nearby
1 of these countries is in the center of the Caribbean
3 are in Australasia

Before giving the answers, have students listen to the song which lists these. There is also a video to help them with the geography.

AUDIO (1:01): 30 Countries with a Million English Speakers

Answers:
Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, The Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Zambia, Tanzania, Liberia, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Jamaica, Kenya, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Ireland, The UK, Canada, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, The USA, Trinidad and Tobago

Click here to download Kevin’s Easy Critical Thinking Activities

It’s a very Englishy thing to add a “Y” to a word and turn it into an adjective. Fish smell fishy. Woods smell woodsy. Cows can be beefy, and on and on. These words tend to be a little slangy, or informal. (By the way, funky means unusual).

Here are 10 fun “Y” adjectives .

1. classy
2. dicey
3. ditsy
4. glitzy
5. jazzy
6. junky
7. pricey
8. sassy
9. snazzy
10. spunky

You may not know them all, but you can probably figure out their meanings. Try filling in the gaps in this “definition poem” below. Place one of the “Y” adjectives in each space. (Rhymes will help you too).

Someone who’s got style and taste is (1) _________
A girl who’s got a lot of spirit but a smart mouth is (2) _________
A situation or a place that’s risky and dangerous is (3) _________
A restaurant that costs too much is (4) _________
If your clothes are chic and and stylish you look (5) _________
And if you’re lookin’ snazzy then you’re also lookin’ (6) _________
A girl who is absentminded and shallow is (7) _________
And a hotel that’s very showy and bright is (8) _________
A broken old car that hardly runs anymore is (9) _________
And a person who is bold and forward in a good way is (10) _________

Answers
1. classy 2. sassy 3. dicey 4. pricey 5. snazzy 6. jazzy 7. ditsy 8. glitzy 9. junky 10. spunky

 

 Y adjective song [1:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (386)

Looking for a St. Patricks song with an EFL/ESL twist?   Listen to the song “If I Were a Leprechaun.”  The lyrics comes from Mary O’Flynn at songs4english.com.  I recorded some music to them.

 

 If I Were a Leprechaun [1:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (571)

Below you’ll find two short and simple songs about dogs (41 seconds long). The first is “I’m a Dog.”

I’m a dog and I eat bones.
I live in people’s homes.
I like to chase the neighborhood cats.
I don’t like to take baths.

The second version is “He’s a dog.” Since I now live in a Muslim country where dogs don’t live in houses, I changed it a bit.

I’m a dog and I eat meat
I live out on the street…
etc.

These songs were created as simple, model-based writing activities.

To do a follow-up writing activity, provide this model:

I’m a ___________
and I eat __________
I live _______________
I like to ____________
I don’t like to __________
(repeat line 1)

 

 I'm a Dog [0:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (548)

 

 He's a Dog [0:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (324)

Celebrate the Chinese New Year! 2009 is the year of the Ox. This activity is for beginners or lower-level learners.  Print the pictures and words in this Word doc: Chinese Zodiac Animals

Cut.  Allow students in groups to match the word with the picture.

Next play the song “Animals of the Chinese Zodiac.”  Young learners might enjoy acting it out–making the sounds the animals make or moving like them.  You’ll find the lyrics printed in the document above.

Also, since dogs are in the Chinese Zodiac, go check out the listening/creative writing activity about dogs here.

 

 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac [2:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (561)

The Bee

In your stomach
there lived a little bee.
She liked to eat some honey
and sing a song about a tree.
She dreamed of money,
but it is not free.

words and music by Dana Yastremskaya (age 10)
Minsk, Belarus

There’s a short version (0:35) and a longer version (1:10).  It’s a beautiful song, so I couldn’t help adding stuff to the long version.  However, the short version is all Dana.  The drawing of the bee is by Dana too.

 

 The Bee [0:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (472)

 

 The Bee, long version [1:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (231)

What we’ve got here is a lesson on using the “would rather” construction.  The emphasis is on allowing students to learn the form through structured exploration. Well, you’ll see. Read or print the lesson plan if you like, available here as an MS Word doc.  That will explain all. You’ll find two other handouts for activities as well.

Would Rather Lesson Plan / Guide to Activities

Would Rather Pair Interview Questions  There are 3 Question Cards per page here.  So if you have 18 students you only need to print 6 pages.

Pictures for the Would You Rather Song

 

 Would You Rather Be...? [1:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1357)

A cat is softer than a rock. Well, it’s true. In this song, you’ll find lots of comparisons. If you want, you can choose from the list of adjectives below. But it’s better if you choose your own adjectives. It’s not important whether or not you find the same comparison as the singer.

*WARNING: this song is silly*

Some adjectives you might choose from bony, bubbly, calm, cuddly, floral, fresh, heavy, hot, lazy, round, solid, sticky, straight, wet, wise

Extremely True Facts About Cats

A cat is ____softer_______ than a rock.

And a cat is ________________ than your sock. 

And a cat is ________________ than air.

A cat is ________________ than a square.

And a cat is ________________ than ice.

A cat is ________________ than a poltergeist.

A cat is ________________ than some rotten old thing.

A cat is ________________ than a bedspring.

A cat recognizes only one single fact,

and that, in fact is that he’s a cat.

A cat is ________________ than a tornado.

And a cat is ________________ than a potato.

And a cat is ________________ than a sparrow.

And a cat is ________________ than an arrow.

And a cat is not as ________________ as the rain.

A cat is not as ________________ as champagne.

A cat is not as ________________ as a chrysanthemum.

And a cat is not as ________________ as a wad of gum.

A cat’s heart beats true for only one thing,

and that, in fact, is that he’s a cat.

 

Well, I hope you all agree with my catty comparisons.

And I hope when it comes to truths, you’ll find there’re some.

But there’s one last thing, it’s the hardest to get at,

and that is that a cat

is somehow much more than a cat.

See, a cat imposes his will

influencing the world

From the windowsill.

 

 Extremely True Facts About Cats [3:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (747)