Lost in the City

Freshman Oral English

Unit 1: Socializing on Campus
Class CEFR Level: A2-B1
Week 8, Lesson 1
Fall Semester 2015
Instructor: Sulamith M. Hfer

Icebreaker: Line-Up Hometown (10 min.)

Materials

Tell students to think about how far their hometown is from SIAS (how many
hours does it take to come to SIAS). Then they should talk to their classmates
and line up accordingly, closest to furthest.

PPT

Handout with syllable rules

(Attachment A)
Mirrors

Review & Check-Up (5 min.)

Homework: Asking sensitive questions

Midterm exam report

Handout with function

(Attachment B)
Information gap maps (one for
each student; Attachment C)

Idiom: No Way! (5 min.)

Preparations

1. Meaning:
Certainly not, not possibly, never ever

Before Class write on the board:

Examples:
1. Did you like that movie?No way! It was boring.
2. Are you coming along? No way!
3. Theres no way Im going to pay so much money for a phone like this!

ILOs

Homework

Goals
Students will be able to use
comparisons and superlatives.

2. Meaning:
Unbelievable, not possible, very surprising

Intended Learning
Outcomes (ILOs)

Examples:
1. I won 10.000 $ in the lottery. No way!
2. I saw Ellie out with Andrew last night. No way! They cant possibly be
together.

TSWBAT

Pronunciation: Syllables (25 min.)

Introduce the concept of syllables and demonstrate methods of how the
number of syllables can be determined (see right column).

Types of Syllables:
Open syllables (V or CV): End with a vowel sound; the vowel sound is
long. ta| xi
Closed syllables (VC or CVC): End with a consonant; the vowel sound is
usually short. of|fice
R-controlled syllables: A vowel, diphthong, or triphthong that has an "r"
or a "re" ("r" with a silent "e") after it. su|per|mar|ket
Vowel Teams: A group of 2 to 4 letters, usually vowels, which make a
single vowel sound that can be short or long. train|sta|tion, hair |

determine the number of

syllables in 1, 2, 3, 4 syllable
words.
use the function of asking
about locations and describing
the position of locations.

Pronunciation
Syllables - Basics
Syllables are important in
spoken English. They
influence the rhythm of the
language, its poetic meter and
its stress patterns.

Lost in the City

sa|lon
Silent e syllables: Consist of a vowel, followed by a consonant, followed
by an "e" that is silent. take, of|fice
Consonant -le syllables: Consists of a consonant followed by le. ta|ble

Words with Different Numbers of Syllables

Just pick a few of the words below to demonstrate how to determine the
different number of syllables. Practice with a number of words.
1-Syllable Words: map, dog, cat, with, lamp
2-Syllable Words: an|swer, doc|tor, tea|cher, sum|mer, ten|nis, gui|tar,
bal|loon, pa|per, pic|ture, gi|raffe
3-Syllable Words: com|pu|ter, te|le|phone, rec|tan|gle, for|tu|nate,
de|ve|lop, to|ma|to, ma|ga|zine, vo|lun|teer, se|ven|teen, fan|tas|tic
4-Syllable Words: kin|der|gar|ten, al|li|ga|tor, wa|ter|me|lon,
har|mo|ni|ca, te|le|vi|sion, de|li|ve|ry, mi|cros|co|pic,
grad|u|a|tion, ne|ces|sa|ry, un|der|stan|ding
5-Syllable Words: hip|po|po|ta|mus, un|de|ni|a|ble,
ac|cu|mu|la|tion, ob|ser|va|to|ry, qua|li|fi|ca|tion,
neu|ro|lo|gi|cal, ca|pi|ta|lism, re|frig|e|ra|tor, cu|ri|o|si|ty,
cha|rac|ter|is|tic
6-Syllable Words: der|ma|to|lo|gi|cal, ex|per|i|men|tal|ly,
fa|mil|iar|i|za|tion, re|spon|si|bi|li|ty, u|ni|la|ter|al|ly,
pre|dic|ta|bi|li|ty, re|spec|ta|bi|li|ty, re|vo|lu|tion|a|ry ,
fun|da|men|ta|lis|m , bi|o|de|gra|da|ble
7-Syllable Words: a|ris|to|cra|ti|cal|ly, gas|tro|en|ter|o|lo|gist,
im|mea|sur|a|bi|li|ty, jus|ti|fi|a|bi|li|ty, na|no|tech|no|lo|gi|cal,
ther|mo|e|lec|tri|ci|ty, ul|tra|na|tion|a|lis|tic,
ver|na|cu|la|ri|za|tion, de|min|er|a|li|za|tion,
cha|rac|ter|i|stic|ally
Words with 8 or more Syllables: unconstitutionality, autosuggestibility,
electroencephalogram, microspectrophotometer, unintelligibility,
electromagnetivity, antidisestablishmentarianism,
palaeoanthropologically, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,
deoxyribonucleic

Syllables are the basic units of

speech sounds and
phonological building blocks
of words. For example, the
word "vocabulary" is
composed of five syllables: vo
+ cab + u + lar + y.
Syllables always have a vowel
sound.
The number of vowel sounds
you can hear in a word
determines the number of
syllables in a word.

Syllables How to Determine the

Number of Syllables
a) Listen: How many times do
you hear a vowel sound?
b) Mirror: Watch your mouth
and see how many times it
opens for a vowel sound.
c) Chin: Place your hand under
your chin. How many times
does your chin touch your
hand when you say a word?
(Mouth opening for vowel
sound)
d) Clap: Clap each time you hear
a vowel sound.
e) Robot: Speak like a robot. Pay
attention to where you break
your word.

Activity 1: Syllable Pyramids

Step 1: Display a number of words with different numbers of syllables. (1,
2, 3, 4 syllable words). Have students work with their partner to choose
which word has 1, 2, 3, 4 syllables and create a pyramid with words
stacked in the correct order.
Step 2: Display a list of words with different numbers of syllables. Have
students work with their partners to create syllable pyramids with the
words.
Step 3: Have students create syllable pyramids finding their own 1, 2, 3, 4syllable words.

Function

Activity 2: SIAS Locations

Collect (or display) a number of SIAS locations and have students work
with their partners to determine the number of syllables for each of these
words.

Describing the Position of

Locations
a) on-campus
b) off-campus
c) its over here/there
d) its far away/nearby
e) its close to/far from
f) its across from
g) its next to

Asking for Locations

A. Where can I find ?
B. Where is/are (located)?
C. Excuse me. Im looking for ?
D. Would you mind telling me
where is?
E. May I ask you where is?
F. Is near here?

Break

Mini Lesson: Asking About and Describing the Position

Lost in the City

of Locations (10 min.)

h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
m)

Introduce the function and tell students to copy it into their notebooks.
Display a map and go over the various patterns to ask about locations and
describe their locations.

Examples:
1. Where is the hair salon? Its next to the coffee shop.
2. Would you mind telling me where the music store is? Its on Lennnon
Street, next to the music store.

Review:

Partner Activity: Information Gap Map (10 min)

Pass out the maps with the information gap activity (one for each student,
alternating A and B). Make sure partners have different maps.
Using their maps, students should ask about the positions of the various
locations on the map.
Remind students not to write on the paper and to return the maps after
class.

Asking about and describing

locations

Homework
List 10 places of interest at SIAS.
Choose five of these places and
describe their locations (what is
next to, across from, etc.) using a
different description for each.
Write in complete sentences.

Partner Activity: A SIAS Tour Guide (25 min.)

Syllables

Lost in the City

Word Stress
Asking for and giving directions

In the end, go over a couple of SIAS locations.

Preview

Example:
A. What is across from the supermarket? B. The library.

its at the corner of

its behind/in front of
its above/below
in the middle/center of
its between
its past/beyond

Put the students into groups of 4-5.

Assign timekeeper, taskmaster, writer, presenter.
In their groups, students should choose 5 places of interest at SIAS that
they would want to show anyone who comes to visit our campus. They
should describe the position of these places using the function.
In the end have the presenters share the 5 locations and describe their
positions.

Useful websites:
http://www.howmanysyllables.com/whataresyllables
http://www.howmanysyllables.com/howtocountsyllables
http://www.howmanysyllables.com/english_grammar/syllable_rules/syllable-types_open-syllables_closedsyllables_r-controlled_silent-e_vowel-team_le
http://www.howmanysyllables.com/english_grammar/syllable_rules/syllable_patterns-vcv-vccv

Lost in the City

Attachment A
Syllables - Basics
1. Syllables are important in spoken
English. They influence the rhythm of
the language, its poetic meter and its
stress patterns.
2. Syllables are the basic units of speech
sounds and phonological building
blocks of words. For example, the word
"vocabulary" is composed of five
syllables: vo + cab + u + lar + y.
3. Syllables always have a vowel sound.
4. The number of vowel sounds you can
hear in a word determines the number of
syllables in a word.

Types of Syllables:
a) Open syllables (V or CV): End with a vowel sound; the vowel
sound is long. ta| xi
b) Closed syllables (VC or CVC): End with a consonant; the vowel
sound is usually short. of|fice
c) R-controlled syllables: A vowel, diphthong, or triphthong that
has an "r" or a "re" ("r" with a silent "e") after it.
su|per|mar|ket
d) Vowel Teams: A group of 2 to 4 letters, usually vowels, which
make a single vowel sound that can be short or long.
Train|sta|tion, hair | sa|lon
e) Silent e syllables: Consist of a vowel, followed by a consonant,
followed by an "e" that is silent. take, of|fice
f) Consonant -le syllables: Consists of a consonant followed by
le. ta|ble

Syllables - Basics
5. Syllables are important in spoken
English. They influence the rhythm of
the language, its poetic meter and its
stress patterns.
6. Syllables are the basic units of speech
sounds and phonological building
blocks of words. For example, the word
"vocabulary" is composed of five
syllables: vo + cab + u + lar + y.
7. Syllables always have a vowel sound.
8. The number of vowel sounds you can
hear in a word determines the number of
syllables in a word.

Types of Syllables:
g) Open syllables (V or CV): End with a vowel sound; the vowel
sound is long. ta| xi
h) Closed syllables (VC or CVC): End with a consonant; the vowel
sound is usually short. of|fice
i) R-controlled syllables: A vowel, diphthong, or triphthong that
has an "r" or a "re" ("r" with a silent "e") after it.
su|per|mar|ket
j) Vowel Teams: A group of 2 to 4 letters, usually vowels, which
make a single vowel sound that can be short or long.
Train|sta|tion, hair | sa|lon
k) Silent e syllables: Consist of a vowel, followed by a consonant,
followed by an "e" that is silent. take, of|fice
l) Consonant -le syllables: Consists of a consonant followed by
le. ta|ble

Syllables Basics
9. Syllables are important in spoken
English. They influence the rhythm of
the language, its poetic meter and its
stress patterns.
10. Syllables are the basic units of speech
sounds and phonological building
blocks of words. For example, the word
"vocabulary" is composed of five
syllables: vo + cab + u + lar + y.
11. Syllables always have a vowel sound.
12. The number of vowel sounds you can
hear in a word determines the number of
syllables in a word.

Types of Syllables:
m) Open syllables (V or CV): End with a vowel sound; the vowel
sound is long. ta| xi
n) Closed syllables (VC or CVC): End with a consonant; the vowel
sound is usually short. of|fice
o) R-controlled syllables: A vowel, diphthong, or triphthong that
has an "r" or a "re" ("r" with a silent "e") after it.
su|per|mar|ket
p) Vowel Teams: A group of 2 to 4 letters, usually vowels, which
make a single vowel sound that can be short or long.
Train|sta|tion, hair | sa|lon
q) Silent e syllables: Consist of a vowel, followed by a consonant,
followed by an "e" that is silent. take, of|fice
r) Consonant -le syllables: Consists of a consonant followed by
le. ta|ble

Lost in the City

Attachment B
Asking for Locations
A. Where can I find ?
B. Where is/are (located)?
C. Excuse me. Im looking for ?
D. Would you mind telling me where is?
E. May I ask you where is?
F. Is near here?

Describing the Position of Locations

a) on-campus
h)
b) off-campus
i)
c) its over here/there
j)
d) its far away/nearby
k)
e) its close to/far from
l)
f) its across from
m)
g) its next to

its at the corner of

its behind/in front of
its above/below
in the middle/center of
its between
its past/beyond

Asking for Locations

A. Where can I find ?
B. Where is/are (located)?
C. Excuse me. Im looking for ?
D. Would you mind telling me where is?
E. May I ask you where is?
F. Is near here?

Describing the Position of Locations

a) on-campus
h)
b) off-campus
i)
c) its over here/there
j)
d) its far away/nearby
k)
e) its close to/far from
l)
f) its across from
m)
g) its next to

its at the corner of

its behind/in front of
its above/below
in the middle/center of
its between
its past/beyond

Asking for Locations

A. Where can I find ?
B. Where is/are (located)?
C. Excuse me. Im looking for ?
D. Would you mind telling me where is?
E. May I ask you where is?
F. Is near here?

Describing the Position of Locations

a) on-campus
h)
b) off-campus
i)
c) its over here/there
j)
d) its far away/nearby
k)
e) its close to/far from
l)
f) its across from
m)
g) its next to

its at the corner of

its behind/in front of
its above/below
in the middle/center of
its between
its past/beyond

Asking for Locations

A. Where can I find ?
B. Where is/are (located)?
C. Excuse me. Im looking for ?
D. Would you mind telling me where is?
E. May I ask you where is?
F. Is near here?

Describing the Position of Locations

a) on-campus
h)
b) off-campus
i)
c) its over here/there
j)
d) its far away/nearby
k)
e) its close to/far from
l)
f) its across from
m)
g) its next to

its at the corner of

its behind/in front of
its above/below
in the middle/center of
its between
its past/beyond

Lost in the City

Attachment C
Map A (Please dont write on this paper)
Work with a partner. Practice the function of describing the positions of the locations on your map by asking about the
blank locations. Example: What is across from the supermarket? B. The library.

Map B (Please dont write on this paper)

Work with a partner. Practice the function of describing the positions of the locations on your map by asking about the
blank locations. Example: What is across from the library? B. The supermarket.

Lost in the City

Complete Map (for teachers reference)

Lost in the City