Module 1 Small Talk
Teaching aims:
1. To introduce different social skills about talking in different culture and improve the students' social skills.
2. To know how to talk about obligation or lack of obligation.
3. To master AAA talking model and to develop the friendly environment when
having talk with others.
Important and difficult points:
1. Get students to understand how to have a chat with others in English culture.
2. Make students know the importance of small talk between persons.
3. Help students to improve the cultural understanding skills in different countries.
Teaching procedures:
Period One Introduction and Function
Step 1. In this part, the teacher can talk with students in small talk, and the teacher can choose different topic with different students.
For example:
T: What do you think of yesterday's football match between your class and Class 3?
S1: It's great.
S2: We won.
T: Do you know why you won?
S3: We are strong.
T: Good. When we were discussing the football match just now, we were discussing serious things or having light conversation?
Ss: Light conversation.
T: Oh, yes. Just small talk.
Step 2. After the teacher tell the students small talk, the students begin to read the dictionary definitions of small talk then ask the students to discuss the four questions inActivity1.
Step 3. Divide the students into groups of two ones to discuss the five questions in Activity2. Then the teacher can choose some groups of students to show their small talk to all the students. The Ss can have different opinions, but they must give the reason for their opinions.
Step 4. Make a talk between the Ss and the teacher, then introduce the topic about must, have to, don't have to and mustn't.
For example:
T: You are now in Senior Two, and I think you are all good students, although some of you sometimes behave not very properly. So I'm going to ask you some questions. Do you think students have to be on time at school?
Ss: ...
T: Oh, yes. You are right. You have to. Then say something that you must do.
S1: ...
S2: ...
T: And anything you mustn't do?
S1: ...
S2:...
Ask the Ss to talk about the following topics:
What is obligation?
What is lack of obligation?
According to the talking method, the teacher can introduce the definitions of obligation and lack of obligation.
Step 5. Ask the students to finish Activity1 and then let the Ss to talk about the answers they have made.
Ask the Ss to make similar sentences impressing obligation and lack of obligation using the words they just practiced.
Step 6. Make a competition among the Ss to make sentences using must, have to, don't have to, mustn't, needn't do and don't need do. And the team which make sentences will win the competition.
Period Two Vocabulary and Reading
Step 1. Ask Ss to discuss the sentences in Activity 1 and then check the answers of the Ss'. Then learn the words in this part with the Ss.
Step 2. Ask the Ss to read the text quickly and then finish Activity2. Then ask all the Ss to discuss the questions of Activity 4. Then ask the Ss to tell us the usage of the words in Activity1 and Activity 4 and find the sentences in the text: impress, damage, encourage, prepare, avoid, lack, recognize, smile.
Step 3. Ask the students to read the text again, then answer the questions in Activity3 and encourage the Ss to have different answers. If the time isn't enough, we can solve the problem in the following ways.
(1) Discuss it after class.
(2) Discuss the following questions as the important points.
I. What do people think about those who talk too much?
II. Why is it a good idea to nod and smile when the other person is talking?
III. What does the quotation from Benjamin Disraeli tell you about people?
Then ask the Ss to prepare for Activity5 and then ask the Ss to tell the meanings of the phrases.
Step 4. Important word or phrases
1. Which definitions make small talk sound like a positive thing?
Sound is a link verb， its meaning in Chinese:听起来。Sometimes it can be followed like.
e.g. (1)我认为这工作不像听起来那么难。
I don't think the job is so difficult as it sounds.
(2)这音乐听起来像贝多芬的。
The music sounds like Beethoven.
2. Have you ever crossed the road to avoid talking to someone you recognize?
Avoid is a verb which must be followed none, pronoun or v-ing as its object; its meaning in Chinese： 避免，避开。
e.g. (1) 他的工作帮助很多人避开事故。
His job helped many people avoid accidents.
(2) 要避免犯错误是不容易的。
It is not very easy to avoid making mistakes.
3. Do you want to make more friends but lack the confidence to talk to people you don't know?
make friends(with) is a phrase; its meaning in Chinese: (和......)交朋友。
e.g. (1) 他非常友好，那正是为什么自从他来已经交了那么多朋友的原因。
He is very friendly. That's why he has made so many friends since he came.
(2)他们彼此都想交朋友，但两人都太害羞了。
They wished to make friends with each other, but both of them were shy.
4. Small talk is very important and prepare you for more serious conversations.
Prepare is a verb; its meaning : 做好准备;把......准备好，使......有准备。
e.g. 经理想让助手提前准备好所有文件。
The manager wanted his assistant to prepare all the papers beforehand.
In addition, we must pay attention to its various forms behind it, such as: prepare...for; prepare for; prepare...against; prepare against; prepare to do; prepare ...to do. Now give the Ss some examples and let them understand their meanings.
(1) There is an English proverb: In fair weather prepare for foul.
(2) His parents have prepared him for the future.
(3) She said she had prepared against all possible eventualities.
(4) We must prepare our people against natural calamities this summer.
(5) He is preparing to teach in China.
(6) She is preparing herself to attend the conference and make a speech.
5. It is estimated that 80% of all conversation in English is small talk.
It is estimated that...in this drill, the true object is the clause in the end of the sentence..
e.g. (1)It is good news that our team is the school champion now.
(2)It was reported that the bridge was completed two months earlier than planned.
(3)It is unusual that we have such hot weather this summer.
(4)It is doubtful whether they will finish the work in time.
6. Because they used this very useful social technique, they found something they have in common.
In the sentence have...in common is a phrase; its meaning in Chinese: 有共同之处。
e.g. (1)这两兄弟有如此多的相同之处以致我们很难分开他们。
The two brothers have so much in common that we can't tell the difference between them.
(2)现在我们和美国在各个方面当然除了语言之外，都有共同之处。
We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.
Period Three Reading and Listening; Grammar
Step 1. Ask the Ss to read the three conversations and do Activity 1. Then ask them to discuss their answers about Activity 1. At last divide the Ss into groups of two Ss and ask every group to discuss the answers of Activity1.
Step 2. Ask every group to guess the topic of every conversation. For example, the topic of first paragraph is traveling.
Step 3. Ask all the Ss to listen to the tape and finish Activity3. Then listen again to check the answers with all the Ss and then let the Ss finish Activity 4. You can listen to the tape again if necessary.
Step 4. Then check the a Ask the Ss to finish Activity1 and Activity2 with all the Ss.
Step 5. After finishing Activity1and Activity2, let all the Ss discuss the differences sameness between didn't need to do and needn't have done. Then the teacher explain the differences and sameness to the Ss.相同点是：两者都表示过去时间内不必做一件事;不同点是：didn't need to do表示那件事不必做而且结果也是那件事的确没有做;而needn't have done表示虽然那件事不必做但结果是已经做了。
Ask the Ss to think about the examples and understand their usages.
(1) It was Sunday. He didn't need to go to work. (So he didn't go. He stayed home or went somewhere else)
(2) That year, he was young and didn't need to serve in the army. (He was studying at school)
(3) The manager didn't have need to do such things himself. (His assistants did things like that for him)
(4) The poor girl needn't have waited in the rain for so long. (Unfortunately she did it)
(5) You needn't have said so much about your being late. (You kept explaining)
(6) They needn't have written the letter to the headmaster. (They wrote a letter to the headmaster, but it was not necessary.)
Period Four Reading and writing; Everyday English;Task
Step 1. Ask the Ss to read the email in Activity1. Then let every two Ss find out the questions in the email which need to be answered.
Step 2. Ask all the Ss to discuss the questions found out in Step 1 and ask them to give more answers as possible as they can.
Step 3. Ask all the students to finish Activity2, and then work out the answers according to the questions which have been found out.
Step 4. Ask the Ss to prepare a new email and think over what questions should be asked in the email. And the email can contain many kinds of contents, such as in your first day at school how to talk with new teacher, how to ask for help, how to introduce new classmates, etc.
Step 5. Ask the Ss to read the sentences in the book and think over the words which are left out in informal conversation. And think about if these words influence the sentences' meaning.
Step 6. Ask the Ss to make a conversation from the topic below and ask them to use at least one or two sentences in which some words are left out. such as having lunch at school, a person we both know, doing homework, football match, an interesting book.
For example
A: Going home to have lunch?
B: Yes. And you?
A: Me? I usually have lunch at school.
B: Nice?
A: Not really.
B: Why not go back home?
A: Too far.
Step 7. Ask the Ss to discuss Activity1 and Activity2 and then ask them to write a small talk in their phrasebook for use inside and outside the classroom. Then ask all the Ss to change ideas about Activity3. According to the exchange, ask the Ss to prepare a class book of useful expressions.
Period Five Reading and Vocabulary
Teaching Goals：
1.To help Ss learn how to have small talk rightly.
Teaching Procedures：
Step 1.Revision
Check Ss'homework and give them some instruction. .
Step 2.
1.Leading-in
Ask Ss the following questions：
(1)Discuss of small talk one need as a salesperson.
2.Skimming
Ask Ss to skim the passage and try to find out the answers to the following questions.
(1)What did Esther often do when she spoke to others?
(2)What do you think are "the basic rules of social communication"?
(3)Why did the customer look awkward when she was asked how old she was?
(4)How did the typist contradict Esther?
(5) What was wrong about Esther's advice to the salesman?
(6) What did Esther think of the clerk's haircut?
(7) Why did the young man think the company gave him a new job miles away?
(8) What did Esther think of her old school friend's husband?
Suggested answers:
(1) Every time she open her month, she put her foot in it.
(2) To be polite and not to embarrass people
(3) Because she did not want to say her age
(4) She said she wasn't pregnant.
(5) She didn't realize what she said hurt the salesman.
(6) She wanted to know how much it cost.
(7) He said the office would be quieter without him.
(8) She thought he was ugly.
3. Ask Ss answer the questions of book.
4.Post-reading '
Let Ss discuss the following question：
1. Is small talk important in your society?
2. Is it as important as "real" conversation?
3. Do you think small talk is more or less important in English than in your language?
Step 1. Ask two Ss to discuss questions1 and 2 in Activity1. and then ask most Ss to make small talk according to the topics given by the teacher, such as on the way, talking about one's little brother, playing table tennis, etc.
Ask the rest Ss to make serious small talk given by the teacher, such as how to study English well, why do you think we should learn how to learn, etc.
Step 2. Ask the Ss to rend the text and have a summery of the text.
Step 3. Work in pairs. Read the advice on small talk. Ask the Ss if it is true for them?
1.You can ask about families, what people do and like, etc.
2.It's OK to talk about religion and politics.
3.You shouldn't talk about your feelings.
4. Don't ask personal questions.
5. Make sure you don't talk about the weather or give compliments.
6. You can talk about people's age and their income.
Answers of Activity 5.
Step 4. Discussion: Write down the topics which you can and shouldn't talk about with Americans. Write a few sentences if you can talk about these topics in China.
Step 5. Ask the Ss to read the text and understand its meaning.
Ask every two Ss to discuss question1: How does the AAA model work? And find some sentences from the text to explain it.
Step 6. Ask every group to discuss question 2: Is the AAA model a good idea which making small talk with someone you don't know in China?
Step 7. Ask the Ss to read MODULE FILE, and then write down the points which they don't understand or grasp and try to deal with them.
Step 8. Ask the Ss to discuss the important language points in this module including Vocabulary, Grammar Function and Everyday English and let them help each other and at last they can improve all together.
Step 9. Give the Ss an exercise about small talk. Ask the Ss to put the conversation in right order.
- Basketball. I like this game so much that I sometimes forget my meals. And you?
- Oh, no. He's terrible.
- What's your favorite sport?
- Really?
- I don't think so.
- Me too. But not play, just watch.
- Whom do you like best?
- He's slow, and too many fouls.
- Maybe, needs improving.
-Yao Ming.
Here is the answer to the exercise.
A: What's your favorite sport?
B: Basketball. I like this game so much that I sometimes forget my meals. And you?
A: Me too. But not play, just watch.
B: Really?
A: Whom do you like best?
B: Yao Ming.
A: Oh, no, He's terrible.
B: I don't think so.
A: He's slow, and too many fouls.
B: Maybe, needs improving.
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