The material of this lesson is based upon Inside.Out e-lessons (www.insideout.net) with changes on limiting the time, text from Worksheet D and the checking of it and glossary/
1. Wales
The subject of this lesson is the country of Wales, which celebrates its national day, St David’s Day, on the 1st of March.
2. How to use the lesson
- Brainstorm what you students know about Wales.
- Give each student in the class a copy of Worksheet A and give them five to ten minutes to read through it, encouraging them to look up new words in the dictionary. (It’s better to propose them the necessary vocabulary). Tell the students it is important to try to remember as much information as possible from the text.
- Tell the students they are going to prepare a test for each other. Then divide the class into two teams, A and B.
- Cut Worksheet B in half and give each member of each team the corresponding half. Explain that each team has to work together in order to formulate the questions that produce the answers given, based on the text on Worksheet A. Note that it is possible to make slight variations of each question.
- When both teams have finished preparing their questions (limit them in time – from ten to fifteen minutes), ask them to turn Worksheet A over so they can’t see it.
- The two teams now take it in turn to ask and answer the questions. Encourage the teams to confer before answering, but make it clear that once they have given their answer they cannot change it. You should only accept answers given in correct English. Keep the score on the board: the team with the most correct answers at the end of the quiz wins.
- Now put the students into pairs and hand out the top section of the Worksheet C. Tell them the short text on the worksheet contains ten mistakes, and their job is to work together in order to find and correct them. Point out that the mistakes are mostly grammatical and lexical. Highlight that none of the corrections require them to write more than one word. Also we advise you to limit the students in time.
- Check answers in open class by referring to Worksheet D, which contains the corrected text with all the changes highlighted. Hand out every student a copy of Worksheet D and let them exchange their Worksheets C’s with their partners and check them. Afterwards students may mark their partners.
WALES
Worksheet A
Did you know the following facts?
- Wales is the small country that borders central England in the West. It has population less than 3 million.
- The capital of Wales is Cardiff, which is populated by 300,000 people.
- Along with England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, Wales is one of the four countries in the United Kingdom. It has its own parliament in Cardiff, but it is not completely independent.
- The Welsh language is one of the oldest in Europe, and is very different from English. All Welsh people can speak English, but about 20% of them can also speak Welsh. Welsh has some very long words, for example, a village in the north of Wales has the longest place name in the UK:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch!
- The actual meaning of this place name is, ‘The church of St Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St Tysilio’s of the red cave’.
- There are a lot of mountains in Wales. The highest is Snowdon (1,085m).
- The red, white and blue flag of the United Kingdom is a mixture of flags representing England and Scotland but not Wales. The Welsh flag has a red dragon on the background that is half white and half green. The dragon has been a symbol of Wales for more than a thousand years.
- The two other symbols of Wales are the daffodil and the leek. The daffodil is a yellow flower that appears in spring, and some Welsh people attach one to their coat on Welsh national day (St David’s Day), which is 1st March. The leek has been a Welsh symbol since the seventh century, when the Welsh king told his soldiers to attach leeks to their helmets so they could identify each other.
- The most popular sports in Wales are football and rugby. Many Welsh people are very passionate about rugby. And are very happy when their national team beats England!
- Wales has a strong musical tradition. Most towns in the south of the country have at least one local choir, Welsh rugby crowds are famous for their singing, and in recent years the country has produced successful pop groups such as the Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics.
WALES
Worksheet B
Exercise 1
Team A
Here are the answers to some questions about the text on Worksheet A, but what are the questions? When you have prepared the questions, Team B will have to answer them as part of a quiz.
- Less than 3 million.
- It is red.
- It is in Cardiff.
- So that they could identify each other in a battle.
- It is the highest mountain in Wales.
- The Welsh people are very passionate about rugby.
- They are successful Welsh pop groups.
- For more than a thousand years.
- They all can.
- It borders England.
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Team B
Here are the answers to some questions about the text on Worksheet A, but what are the questions? When you have prepared the questions, Team A will have to answer them as part of a quiz.
- About 300,000.
- The dragon, the daffodil and the leek.
- About 20% of them.
- There are three: red, white and green.
- Football and rugby.
- There are four: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- It is yellow.
- Since the seventh century.
- Red, white and blue.
- For their singing.
Answers:
EXERCISE 1
Team A
- What is the population of Wales?
- What colour is the dragon on the Welsh flag?
- Where is the Welsh parliament?
- Why did the Welsh king tell his soldiers to attach leeks to their helmets?
- What is Snowdon?
- What are the Welsh people very passionate about?
- Who are Stereophonics and the Manic Street Preachers?
- How long has the dragon been a symbol of Wales?
- How many Welsh people can speak English?
What country does Wales border?
Team B
- What is the population of Cardiff?
- What are the three symbols of Wales?
- How many Welsh people can speak Wales?
- How many colours are there on the Welsh flag?
- What are the most popular sports in Wales?
- How many countries are there in the United Kingdom?
- What colour is the daffodil?
- How long has the leek been a symbol of Wales?
- What are the colours of the flag of the United Kingdom?
- What are Welsh rugby crowds famous for?
Exercise 2: See Worksheet D
WALES
Worksheet C
EXERCISE 2
The short text below contains ten mistakes. Can you find and then correct them?
This week, one of things we are learn about in school is Wales. I already know a lot about the country, because my dad is Welsh. I said the teacher about when I went with my dad to see the Welsh Eisteddfodau last year. It was a good music festival and attracts Welsh people from all over the world. The programme includes choirs, concerts, many childs’ events, arts and crafts and the ceremony of the Crowning of the Bard. All people singed a lot. Some people at the festival had Welsh flags, which are white and green with a big red leek. Dad liked the festival a lot and said that Welsh nation festival is one of best in the world.
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WALES
Worksheet D – Answers
EXERCISE 2 – Correction
This week, one of the things we are learning about in school is Wales. I already know a lot about the country, because my dad is Welsh. I said told the teacher about when I went with my dad to see the Welsh Eisteddfodau last year. It was a good musical festival and attracts attracted Welsh people from all over the world. The programme includes included choirs, concerts, many childs’ children’s events, arts and crafts and the ceremony of the Crowning of the Bard. All people singed sang a lot. Some people at the festival had Welsh flags, which are white and green with a big red leek dragon. Dad liked the festival a lot and said that Welsh national festival is one of the best in the world.
WALES – Glossary
Attach – прикреплять
Background – фон, задний план.
Beat – победить.
Border – граничить.
Choir – хор.
Crowd – толпа.
Helmet – шлем.
Identify – узнать, распознать.
Independent – независимый.
Leek – лук-порей.
Mixture – смесь.
Passionate – страстный.
Represent – представлять.
Successful - удачный.