Classroom Language

Students learn and practise vocabulary commonly used in coursebook instructions and classroom interaction through a two-part worksheet.

Procedure

1. Prepare a two-part worksheet. Part 1 demonstrates key instruction vocabulary in context — sentences that show the meaning of terms like: tick, cross, underline, blanks, fill in, cross out, leave out, true/false, map/chart, top/bottom. Each term is used in a self-illustrating sentence (e.g., "In this sentence the word cat is underlined." / "There are two blanks in the next sentence: My … lives … Venezuela.").
2. Ask students to study Part 1 and work out the meaning of each term from context.
3. Elicit and write on the board: to put a tick/cross, to leave out something, to underline something, to cross out something, to fill in something (e.g., a blank), top/bottom, true/false, a map/chart.
4. Students do Part 2 — a set of instructions they must follow using the vocabulary from Part 1. Example instructions:
   • Write your name above this sentence and underline it.
   • Cross out the third word in the first sentence.
   • Draw a map of your country in the box on the right.
   • Put a tick at the end of this question.
   • Leave out question 6.
   • Write a false sentence about yourself at the bottom of the worksheet.
   • Fill in the blanks in question 10.
   • Get into groups and check your answers.
5. Students compare answers in groups.

Tips

• Target vocabulary: true/false, tick/cross, regular/irregular, gaps/blanks, fill in, cross out, leave out, underline, top/middle/bottom, get into pairs/groups, grid/chart/map/form.
• Works well for self-study as well as classroom use.
• Follow up by asking students to scan their coursebooks and find examples of these instruction words in context.
• Deceptively simple — even intermediate students may have gaps in instruction vocabulary.