Warm Up Activities using Authentic Materials (Part 1 of

5)
ESL lesson using job advertisements (14-18 years)

Go to Introduction

Create new words:

Language and skills vocabulary, spelling, combining letters into known w

Level beginners / intermediate / advanced

Time 2 minutes and more (depends on teacher and learne

Materials paper and pen (dictionary for checking spelling)

Preparation none

Procedure Pair, group or individual work. The learners should write

as many words as they can using letters in the words JOB
ADVERTISEMENT. They can use fewer letters but not more.
Examples: men, read, red, advent, tea, a, an, the, tear etc.

The teacher can decide on categories such as nouns, verbs,

adjectives and learners have to write words that fall into the category
or the topic is given such as PROFESSION, HOBBIES,
TRAVELLING etc. and learners should write words that would fall
under the topic label.

Fill in words:
Language and skills topic related vocabulary, spelling, dictionary work

Level intermediate / advanced

Time 3 minutes and more

Materials paper, pen, dictionaries

Procedure: Individual/pair or group work.

The teacher writes words job advertisement on the blackboard like

this:

J
O
B

Apply (an example)

D
V
Experience (an example)
R
T
I
S
E
M
E
N
T

These letters are initial letters of words learners must write. Less
advanced learners can write any words, for advanced learners
teacher can state the topic area such as JOBS (examples given),
INTERESTS, ENVIRONMENT. In case the teacher uses this activity
as a warm up activity for the lesson that aims at making use of job
advertisements in developing language and skills, such areas as
WORK, PROFESSION, WORK PLACE are strongly recommended.

The learners can check their words with each other or in

dictionaries. This activity can be organized as a competition with a
time limit.

Jobs around us:

Language and skills thematic vocabulary, spelling, dictionary work

Level pre-intermediate / intermediate / advanced

Time 5 minutes and more

Materials paper and pen (dictionary for checking spelling)

Preparation none

Procedure: Individual work leading to class work. The teacher

writes the alphabet in a column on the blackboard. The learners
must use every letter as an initial letter of a job. If necessary the
teacher can deliberately omit letters which are not initial letters of
any job. Less advanced learners can use dictionaries, for advanced
learners a time limit can be set.

Example: Accountant, Businessman, Correspondent, Designer, etc.

In the feedback stage a complete list of jobs can be written on the
blackboard.

Who is this job for?

Language and skills scanning / answering questions

Level pre-intermediate / intermediate

Time 10 minutes

Materials copies of several adverts

Preparation questions written on the blackboard or transparency

Procedure: Learners work in pair and skim job adverts to find

answers to the following question:

Which job would be suitable for someone who:

- Enjoys traveling?
- Has business experience and wants responsibility?
- Can't work during the day?
- Has got telephone skills?
- Can't work in the evenings or at weekend?

In the feedback session learners justify their ideas by forming

statements such as:

Sales representative is a good job for someone who likes traveling.

Click here to return to Introduction or to go to any of the 4 other

lessons:

2. Teaching Reading
3. Teaching Vocabulary and Grammar
4. Teaching Writing
5. Teaching Communication

Copyright 2004 Eva Homolova