2. For weaker classes, read the questions on the page together with the students and explain that answering these questions will help them find the main points or ideas in a passage. Tell students that not all the words in a passage are important and that they should always look for keywords (words of great importance) in a passage.

1. Ask more able students what they want to find out when they read a passage. Write ‘What is it about?’ on the board and try to elicit the other questions listed on the page. Underline the ‘Wh-’ words.

3. To guess meaning and generate mental pictures

Background information

This section focuses on encouraging students to look for the main points and keywords in a passage so that they can understand and remember it more easily. The passage which students are required to read and understand in this section is a problem letter by a teenager in ‘Teenagers’ magazine. You need to introduce the genre of problem letters in magazines and newspapers. Arouse students’ interest in the topic by bringing some magazines or newspapers with such letters or replies to them.

Teaching procedures

2. To identify keywords in order to develop general understanding of a passage

1. To find the main points of a passage in order to understand and memorize it more easily

6. While students are practicing the conversation in pairs, move around the classroom providing help with correct pronunciation and fluency.

5. Divide students in to pairs and invite them to ask each other questions about the people in their photos. Ask students to make up their own conversations based on the model. For less able students, allow them to write down their conversations first before role-playing them.

4. Ask students to bring photos of their friends. Invite more able students to show their photos while you ask them questions such as ‘Who is the boy/ girl on the left/ right/ in the middle/ next to…? What’s he/ she like? What would he/ she like to be when he/ she grows up?’ Students who do not have any photos to show can draw simple pictures to their friends.

3. Ask students to practice the conversation in pairs and then change roles. Ask more able students to role-play the conversation in front of the class.

2. Ask students to repeat the sentences as thy hear them. Make sure they so not sound monotonous or mechanical. If they have problems pronouncing particular words, practice the words separately first.