Making Self-Study Tips- Linking Words Practice
A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
Learner training and practice of conjunctions and other linking phrases through discussion of good advice on studying English outside class, including contrasting similar linking words and expressions.
Lesson Plan Content:
Making self-study tips linking words practice
Choose a topic below. Give advice on how to improve that thing, e.g. “You should listen to Aussie radio” for the topic “accents”. Talk about your opinions or experiences, and/ or those of other people. Your partner will then add something to your advice with one of the linking words below, e.g. “However, it might be a bit too difficult”. Discuss that topic and advice more if you like, then change roles and do the same with other topics from below.
Self-study topics to give advice on
- academic English
- accent(s)
- apps
- bad language learners
- body language/ gestures
- business English (meetings, negotiations, etc)
- children’s books/ TV
- comprehension
- computer translation
- confidence
- conversation exchange
- cultural differences/ cultural training
- dictionary
- error correction
- exams/ tests
- functional language/ Everyday English (travel English, etc)
- good language learners
- grammar
- idioms/ slang
- listening (podcasts, etc)
- memorization (flashcards, etc)
- news
- pausing/ silence
- phrase book
- pronunciation (intonation, individual sounds, minimal pairs, etc)
- radio
- reading (graded readers, reading for pleasure, etc)
- recording yourself
- review/ revision
- self-study books
- shadow reading
- Skype lessons
- songs/ lyrics
- speaking (fluency, accuracy, free conversation, etc)
- study group
- subtitles
- teleconferences/ video conferences
- translation
- vocabulary lists
- writing
Useful language for making statements about self-study
- In my experience,…
- I have found that…
- I heard that…
- Many people believe that…
- … is really popular
- I agree... What is more,…
- I’m not sure that I agree.
Linking words to add to your partner’s advice on language learning
- also
- although
- as
- as a result
- as well (as)
- at first
- because (of)
- but
- despite/ in spite of
- g.
- even if
- even though
- first of all/ firstly
- for example/ for instance
- furthermore
- however
- e.
- if
- in addition
- in conclusion
- in contrast
- (in order) to
- in the end
- moreover
- nonetheless/ nevertheless
- on the contrary
- on the other hand
- since
- so (that)
- such as
- the reason for this is
- therefore
- though
- thus
- unless
- whereas
- while
Share one piece of advice you agreed on and see if other groups agree.
Ask about anything above you don’t understand, can’t imagine good advice for, etc, discussing good advice as a class each time.
Find linking words above which are similar to each other and explain any differences between them, e.g. how “but” and “however” are similar and how they are different to each other.
What are the differences in meaning, grammar and/ or punctuation between the linking expressions on each line below? (All of them are at least slightly different).
- also/ moreover
- although/ however
- as well/ as well as
- at first/ first of all
- because/ because of
- because/ so that
- but/ however
- despite/ however
- g./ i.e.
- even if/ even though
- however/ in contrast
- however/ whereas
- in contrast/ on the contrary
- nonetheless/ nevertheless
Check your answers as a class.
Change partners and do the same, but this time without the list of linking words to help.
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