Meet the new me

Summer camp.  This year, I am teaching in Spain and I find  that children here avoid to use English in class, this activity aims to encourage learners use English, and keep using English till the end of the camp. We are going to create a new 'English identity' for the English classes. Once students enter the classroom , and the 'English Zone', they have a new name, and English is the 'only language spoken'. Let's see how that goes :D

Language focus: present simple, have got; personal information questions
Key vocabulary: favorite possessions; personal information 
Skills focus: speaking; asking for and giving personal information
Level: elementary
Time: 30 minutes
Preparation: one photocopy for each pair, cut into 4 separate cards; each student will need 2 cards

You can download the identity cards here 


Warm-up
1. Write the phrase favorite possession on the board and explain it using a personal example such as
'My favorite possession is my laptop'. Then ask few students what their favorite possession is.


2. Invite a student to the front and interview him/her using the prompts from the identity card on the worksheet, starting with 'What's you name?' Then ask students to ask you similar information questions. (Avoid inviting a shy student to the front)

3. Now present this to the class, and explain that this the a new me.

  Ask them now to question you, and answering if you were that person. Help them with the question formation (if they are really weak you can write them on the whiteboard). Tell students that from now on your name is 'Miss Taylor'. 

Main activity:

1. Hand out the identity card to each student. Tell them that they have to write on card to create a new identity for themselves. Explain that this person will be the new me for this camp. They cannot put any information on the card that is true about themselves now. Their new identity could be someone famous, someone else from a English speaking country, or an imaginary person. If they wish, they can draw a picture of themselves in the 'photo' area. Make students  work individually.

2. Elicit the questions necessary for students to gain personal information from their classmate, using the prompts cards. Questions that can be used here:
What's your name? how old are you?  What do you do?
Where are you from? Where do you live? What do you like?
Have you got any brothers or sisters? Have you got any pets?
What's your favourite possession? 

3. Ask students to interview each other in pairs. Stress that they cannot write down their partner's answers on their card, but should try to remember as much as information as possible .

4. Now give students a new blank card and ask them to change pairs. Explain that they have to interview their new partner about his/her original partner and write the answers on the new card. They will need to use questions like What's his name?,How old is she? If necessary revise the third person form of the question. 

5. Tell students to exchange cardsso that they each have a completed card with information about their original partner on it. Then they return to their original partner. They each compare the card written about them with the original card that they wrote themselves. Ask them how much information was communicated correctly. 

 Finally, tell students that once they enter this classroom , they are in 'English Zone' and their name will be the ones on the card. Explain them that 'the new me' speaks only English. 


Inspired by Cambridge 'Pairwork and Groupwork, multi-level photocopiable activities for teenagers'