1st graders. Textbook Lesson 1 My Vision. Speaking Topic 2 Various Jobs.
This was taught at a regular girls' high school. Focus is on students practicing the key expression "What do you want to be/become" and learning the English vocabulary for various jobs. The professions include ones they are familiar with and not. The activity is a role-play of jobs - it will most likely be more successful with your high level classes/students. Low classes don't like role-playing. Please adjust as you see fit for the low level classes.
MATERIALS: presentation, vocab/expression sheet, role-play card material, video, time map sheet. Note, the video could not be uploaded (you can find it on the web - Rachel Zoe with Liv Tyler from Bravo TV)
LESSON - Week 1:
1. Start with a video clip of Rachel Zoe from the hit Bravo TV show. Students guess the name of her profession. Since Liv Tyler appears, students are asked about the movie that they may have seen her in.
2. Elicit from students to share what they want to become. After the first student or so, show the slide with the key expression. As more students answer the question, prompt them to use the expression when they respond.
3. Teach the vocab of various jobs by eliciting the question, "What does he/she want to be/become?" (this becomes like a repetition drill) Students responses include their guesses. And then reveal the actual vocabulary slide.
4. Assign groups and distribute a role-playing card. The card indicates the profession the group should role-play. When students have to think of their own idea, it eats up too much of the class time. So you can manage time better by assigning exactly what to role-play. Go around each group and check on their progress. There may be groups that find it difficult to think of what to do for a job. When applicable, I gave groups ideas related to recent events. For example, for journalists, the students found it easier to report on the earthquake and tsunami events that occurred in Japan at the time this lesson was executed. The most difficult role-play will be for "entrepreneur." The group asks the class the job of a particular member of the group using the target expression. Class provides the response expression "She wants to be/become..."
5. You can give prizes at the end. But I didn't do this. The high classes had more fun and did well. The middle and low classes faired according to class personality - classes that had extroverted or social students brought energy to the lesson. A low class that was the opposite were more slow. Overall, it was successful but only 50% of my low classes enjoyed it because the low classes tend to be more uncomfortable about role-playing.
6. Students received homework to think and write their action plan on how they will achieve their dream job. For regular and specialty high schools, you'll find that they have a good idea of what they want. Some are still thinking about it. Some are actually confused about what they want to become. In the case of the latter two, you can tell them to have fun with it, not choose something practical - something they would do if money, parents, and school scores were not factors. For the commercial high school, many may not know what they want to become - so it may be harder for them to do this task. This was the experience of having taught at both a commercial and regular high school.
7. In one of the handouts for the high classes, there is a URL for the commencement speech Steve Jobs did at Stanford with English subtitles. I've told my high classes to practice their English listening skill at home and follow the subtitle simultaneously. His speech includes messages that I've always wanted to convey to my high level students.
LESSON - Week 2:
8. Finish up on the role-play presentations.
9. Some of the students either volunteer or are selected to share their "time map" (plan on how to reach their dream job). (Volunteers always got performance points which was a percentage of their class grade.)
Other suggestions:
Share with students jobs that are found in the world that are rare, unconventional, or don't exist in Korea. Show them unconventional "play" office environments like TBWA/Chiat Day, Threadless, Patagonia. There is a segment on the Travel Channel about the latter two. This will help to open the students' eyes about the world of careers, that there are many wonderful choices available to suit the kind of life they want to live. It may even spark ideas if, one day, they become entrepreneurs in Korea. I think these well be welcomed by students, they don't even know to ask for this kind of topic. So we can give it to them, a unique advantage of being a native teacher. Understand that 1st graders have to make a choice during their second semester of which path to go on (subjects of focus) when they enter the 2nd grade. It's almost like choosing a career path at this point because of the academic competition in Korea. The 2nd graders have a better idea of which path they'll head towards because they will be graduating soon. Show them the many doors that are open for them or ones they can try out.
