Skill Builder: Speaking Stories & Legends Intermediate Ghosts, Aliens & UFOs Do you believe in ghosts? How about life after death? What do people from your country generally think about spirits and the supernatural? Do you agree or disagree? Science will one day prove the existence of ghosts. Why? What is a ghost story from your country? Do you believe in U.F.O.s (Unidentified Flying Objects)? Is belief in UFOs similar to beliefs in fairies, ghosts, visions and miracles? Can you think of any logical explanations for what people claim to have been UFOs? Interpreting Dreams Do you believe dreams can tell us the future? Have you ever had a dream come true? Have you ever had a déjà vu? Explain what the following dreams mean: 1. TEETH FALLING OUT e.g.: If your teeth fall out in your dream, it means you need love. 2. BEING CHASED 3. FALLING 4. MISSING A FLIGHT 5. TAKING A TEST 6. SPEAKING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE 7. OTHER DREAMS a.. b.. c.. ROLEPLAY STUDENT A: You ve just had a strange dream that s puzzled you. Tell your psychiatrist. STUDENT B: You re a psychiatrist; one of your patients tells you about a dream he/she s had. Tell him/her what the dream means and give your patient some advice.
Future Predictions Do some people really have a "sixth sense" which allows them to see the future? What are some methods people use to make predictions? Do you ever touch wood to send away bad luck? Have you ever tossed a coin to help you make an important decision? Have you ever been to an astrologer or palmist to find out about your future? MONOLOGUE People tend to worry about their future. Talk about this subject, taking into account the following points: - Whether you tend to focus more on the past, present or future - The issues that worry you the most about your near future - Things that will happen in your life within the next 5 years Superstitions Explain whether the following things are lucky or unlucky: 1. A MIRROR e.g.: If you break a mirror, you will have 7 years of bad luck. 2. A LADDER 3. A BLACK CAT 4. SALT 5. AN UMBRELLA 6. A CHARM 7. NUMBER 13 8. A HORSESHOE 9. FRIDAY 13 TH What superstitions are well known in Spain? Which colours do you consider unlucky? What kind of people tend to be superstitious? Do you believe in any superstitions? Do you have a lucky charm?
Palmistry Palmistry is fortune telling by reading the lines on a person s hand. The three main lines are the heart line, the head line and the life line. Look at the diagram and see if you can find the lines on your own hand, then predict your partner s future using the following instructions. The life line represents energy and the length of your life. If the life line is long and deep it means a long life full of energy. If the life line is short and deep it means the person may have some health problems. A double or a triple line means a life full of adventure. The head line represents what you believe in, your attitude and how you see life. If the head and the life lines are joined at the beginning it means the person knows exactly what they want out of life. If the lines are separated it means the person loves adventure. A long deep line means the person has a good memory. A short line means the person is good at sports. If line is curved upwards it means the person doesn t concentrate well. If line is curved downwards it means the person is creative. The heart line represents emotions and anything to do with love. If the heart line starts under the index finger it represents a normal and happy love life. If it starts under the middle finger it means that the person falls in love too easily. If the line is long and curved it means the person is romantic. If the line is short it shows a lack of interest in the matters of love.
Astrology INTERACTION Many people read their horoscope in magazines. Discuss the following points in detail and find out what each of you think about this issue: - Whether you read your horoscope or not - Whether you believe in astrology or not - Whether people with the same star sign show similar personalities Murphy s Law If I do my homework, my teacher won t ask me for it. If I don t do my homework, my teacher will ask me for it. If I go to the airport early If I go to the airport late If I take an umbrella If I don t take an umbrella If I do something wrong at work If I do something good at work If I study hard for the test If I don t study hard for the test If I. If I don t
WRITING FORMAL STYLE (NARRATIVE) AN ACCOUNT OF AN EXPERIENCE What is it? An account of events is a text where a series of events, either real or imaginary, are narrated in formal style. E.g.: narrating a dream or nightmare, giving an account of your best holidays ever, telling an anecdote or an embarrassing experience What s its format? TITLE OPENING PARAGRAPH INTRODUCTION 1. TIME & PLACE SETTING 2. PEOPLE INVOLVED PARAGRAPHS 2, 3, 4 PLOT LINE 1. INITIAL EVENTS CLIMAX (central events to the story) 2. RESOLUTION (final events, results, consequences ) CLOSING PARAGRAPH CONCLUSION 1. people s feelings 2. final comments 3. reactions or A TWIST (a surprising ending)