Learn strategies for making small talk about the weather
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Week of Dec. 15/25
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The lesson includes interactive vocabulary activities, a short video, and reflection questions to…
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Lesson plan overview
| Task | To learn how to respond to some expected small talk questions about Canadian weather. |
| CLB level | CLB Stage I (CLB 1-3) |
| Delivery method | Online |
| Class size | 10-15 students (vary the number of activities according to your class size) |
| Estimated time | 2 hours (the length depends on class size and on how many weather scenarios you use). |
| CLB Skills and Competencies | Speaking: Interacting with others Sharing information Listening: Interacting with others Comprehending information Reading: Comprehending information |
| Language focus | Learn the vocabulary needed to understand this topic. Learn common small-talk phrases for four kinds of weather. Use the appropriate grammar structures and vocabulary to respond personally to the reflection questions. (Encourage students to respond in full sentences.) |
| Cultural focus | Students will discuss cultural differences in small talk about the weather (e.g., the need for small talk at all, topics, etc.) |
| Specific task learning objectives | Students learn basic vocabulary and phrases for making small talk on a common topic (the weather). Students practice small-talk dialogues for four weather scenarios. |
| ESL Directions original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities? | This lesson includes original video (🎥) and audio (🔊) activities. |
| Resource attribution | ESL Directions original resources are marked below with an asterisk (*). Feel free to use these, but please give credit to ESL Directions. |
Lesson plan
Warm-up: Introducing the topic and defining our terms
- Today, we’re going to practice small talk about different kinds of weather.
- What is weather?
- What are some examples of different kinds of weather?
- What is small talk?
Skill-building activities
FEATURED CONTENT
- Let’s learn vocabulary! Ask students to explain what each phrase means:
- Part 1: Making small talk about a perfect summer day: Open the box* 🔊
- Part 2: Making small talk about a very hot day: Open the box* 🔊
- Part 3: Making small talk about a rainy day: Open the box* 🔊
- Part 4: Making small talk about a cold and snowy day: Open the box* 🔊
- Making small talk about the weather (Listen to a video using these phrases in all four weather scenarios.) 🎥
Skill-using tasks
- Part 1: Making small talk about a perfect summer day:
- Part 2: Making small talk about a very hot day:
- Part 3: Making small talk about a rainy day:
- Part 4: Making small talk about a cold and snowy day:
- Putting weather phrases into categories*
Assessment/review tasks
- Small talk about the weather board game*
- Speaking cards* (Explain each phrase and the kind of weather it applies to.)
Reflection questions
- What are three words or phrases that you learned today?
- Why do Canadians talk so much about the weather?
- Do people in your home country talk as much about the weather?
- Why do people make small talk?
- Have you made small talk about the weather in English? How did that go for you?
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COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURS WORDWALL ACTIVITIES
Wordwall is a very useful interactive lesson-creation site. If you sign up for a free Wordwall account, you will be able to see our “Community and neighbours” folder, which includes ESL Directions activities that you can add to your lessons.
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ESL teacher, movie buff, constant reader, and former editor and communications pro. Now a graduate of the Teaching English as a Second Language program at the University of Manitoba and a TESL Canada certified ESL teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, I specialize in teaching online classes of beginner ESL students.
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