Two weeks ago we did a short exercise about six thinking hats. These hats help ESL students find new and interesting ways to talk in English about any conversation topic.
- White Hat: Facts.
- Red Hat: Emotion and opinions.
- Yellow Hat: Good points. What you like about it?
- Black Hat: Bad points. Mistakes you can find.
- Green Hat: Creativity. What if was another way?
- Blue Hat: Conclusions. The main idea.
Practice
You had homework: talk about a sport or hobby using some all six thinking hats to make your presentation more interesting.
More Conversation Practice
This speaking exercise will help you practice making comparisons. If you use the Six Thinking Hats you might find this exercise is actually quite easy.
Your job is to choose two things and describe how they are the same.
Here is an example by a middle school student, about school and jail.
School and jail are similar in many ways. First of all, I have to wear a uniform in both places. I hate wearing the same clothes as other people. Also, both places make us wear what they want. Just as if we were a doll. Second of all, I have to spend a lot of time there. At school, students have to stay from 8am to 4pm for 3 years (just counting middle school). Similarly, in jail people have to stay as long as the judge said. Finally, there is only one way to be free from school and jail. To get free from school you should graduate. To get free from jail you should wait for the day the judge said you can be free. These are the similarities between school and jail. Still, the most important thing is that I hate both places.
SUPERLATIVES
Here is a quick pair work worksheet to practice discussions with superlatives.
PUZZLES AND WORD GAMES
Download this ESL vocabulary worksheet about sports and hobbies and then answer the questions.
COLLOCATIONS
Watch this video about summer. Write down the collocations.