ENGLISH YEAR 7 TEACHERS GUIDE

UNIT 10: LANGUAGE

Lesson 1
Discussion and writing starter
Learners book p.
Aim
To help learners to
 understand what a language is
 explain how languages change

Methods and answers

1. Ask learners how many languages they speak. Ask them to name them. Put some
results on board. Some learners will include English and Pijin, some will not.
2. Explain that a language is i.e. any group of words and sounds that people use to
communicate, so English and Pijin are languages. But in Pijin the word languis is
used to mean only local languages, called vernacular languages, and does not include
Pijin and English. However English is a language - the language of England – and Pijin
is a language – it is not just broken English. That is why it should be called Pijin, not
Pidgin or Pidgin English.
3. Ask if the way they speak their own language is the same as the way older people
speak it.
4. In groups, learners discuss questions 1 and 2. Ask groups for some ideas.
Possible answers: 1. Most will say No. Older people know more words, use different
words.
2. Due to outside influences especially Pijin, English education and new ideas.
5. Learners do q 3.
6. If time allows, read out some answers.

English for daily use

Learners book p.
Aim
 To help learners to practice how to give, accept and refuse invitations politely

Methods and answers

A+B
1. In pairs learners read the dialogues.
2. Each pair answers questions a and b
3. Discuss the answers:
 a. I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m afraid that’s difficult.... I’d love to but..... No, I can’t
manage that either.
b. Oh, don’t worry. Never mind. What a pity. I’m terribly sorry

C
1. In pairs, learners look at diary then ask and answer the questions alternately e.g.
Learner A: Can you come to my party on Thursday night?
Learner B (looks at diary): Yes, I’d love to. Thanks
Learner B: Would you like to go swimming on Tuesday afternoon?
Learner A: (looks at diary): I’m sorry, I’ll be playing a volleyball match then.

Lesson 2: Speaking, pronunciation and listening

(Learners book pages )
Aim
To help learners to hear and be able to pronounce the difference between: ay and ere
ay is longer and pronounced towards the front of the mouth: phonetic symbol:
ere is shorter and pronounced further back in the mouth: phonetic symbol:

Methods and answers

A: Pronunciation practice
1. Learners read sentences to each other in pairs and correct each other’s
pronunciation
2. In pairs, learners play game with words.
B: Sounds in sentences
Read the sentences, choosing one of the two words. Learners write the correct word by
listening.
C: Listening practice
Read the following passage to learners and they answer qs. 1 and 2 by listening:

One of the main differences between mammals and other animals is that mammals have hair. The
amount of hair varies. Mammals which live in cold places have thicker hair than those which live in
hot places.

Humans are mammals too. Although we have less hair than most other mammals, we take great
care of the hair that we have. Some people may even take all day having their hair styled and
shaped. However, the best way to care for your hair is to make sure that it is clean.

Answers: 1. Mammals have hair

2. Make sure it is clean
D Listening
Aim
To help learners to hear numbers correctly and be able to write numbers they have heard.

Methods and answers

Tell learners you will read a passage and they should look at the questions first so they know
what to listen for. Read the following passage to learners twice and they answer the
questions:

There are about 6,800 languages spoken in the world, which has a population of about 6,000
million people. Out of these 6,800 languages 1,600 are spoken in Melanesia. This means
that nearly a quarter of all the world’s languages are spoken in Melanesia, although it has
only about 8 million people.

Most Melanesian languages, therefore, are spoken by only a small number of people –
usually less than 50,000, some by less than 500 people. Utupua has only about 800 people
but has 3 languages. Compare this with China which has 1,300 million people but only 60
languages.

No-one is sure why there are so many languages in Melanesia. It may be partly because
there are many islands and the islands are very mountainous. Each group of people is cut off
from others and developed a separate language.

Some people say that some groups were also enemies of each other and deliberately changed
their language so that their enemies could not understand them.

Answers:
1. 6,800
2. 1,600
3. Nearly a quarter
4. There are only a small number of people (8 million) speaking many languages
5. China has a very large number of people (1,300 million) but only a small number of
languages (60)
6. Utupua has a very small number of people (800) but 3 languages.
7. Many islands and mountains so areas are cut off from each other.
People developed a different languages so their enemies could not
understand them

Lesson 3: Reading and comprehension 1

Learners book p.
Aims
To help learners to
  read and understand the passage
 understand the origins of Pijin
 know that Solomon Islands Pijin is only one of many Pijins in the world
 understand the relationship between Pijin and English
Methods and answers
1. Ask learners where Pijin comes from and how it started
2. Discuss some of their answers
3. Explain that Pijin is a mixture of two or more languages and that even English
developed as a kind of Pijin
4. Look at the extract from Chaucer’s English and ask learners which words they can
recognise. What has changed apart from the actual words? Order of words e.g. A
good man was there
5. Ask anyone to try to explain the meaning in modern English:
There was a good religious man or man of religion
And he was a poor person from a town
But he was rich in holy thought and work
He was also a learned (educated) man, a clerk
Who truly preached the gospel of Christ
6. Learners read the passage individually
7. When they have finished learners complete section A, true and false answers
8. Go through the true and false answers section A
Answers
1. True
2. True
3. False (not the most important reason)
4. True (English and many Melanesian languages)
5. True
6. False (the need to speak to Europeans was the most important reason)
7. True
8. False (follows rules or grammar of Melanesian languages)
9. True
10. False (only some words)
9. Learners may answer section B for homework

Lesson 4: Reading and Comprehension 2

Learners book p.

Aims
To help learners to
 further understand the passage
 understand the relation between Pijin and English
  form opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of using Pijin

Methods and answers

1. Learners may have completed section B for homework or they complete it now.
2. Ask some learners to read their answers and discuss these

Answers
1. English developed from a mixture of many different languages (see list in
passage)
2. Pijin developed when Pacific lslanders were taken to Queensland and tried to talk
to the Europeans and to each other. They heard the Europeans talking English
and simplified it.
3. a. The sounds of English changed to become like the sounds of Melanesian
languages
b .Pijin used the rules or grammar of Melanesian languages not the rules of
English
c .In Pijin some words changed their meaning
c. Pijin is spelt in a more simple way than English
4. Most of the words in Pijin are based on English, but the sounds of Pijin are similar
to the sounds of Solomon Islands languages, and Pijin follows the rules or
grammar of Melanesian or Solomon Islands languages

Lesson 5: Discussion and writing

(Learners book pages ?????)

Aim
To help learners to
 be able to discuss a topic based on reading of a passage
 be able to discuss and form ideas and opinions
 plan and write an expository or argumentative essay

Methods and answers

1. Divide into groups to discuss questions in section 4 of previous comprehension:
Discussion and Writing. Each group to discuss a different topic and then report
ideas
Possible ideas.
1. We can all communicate with each other in spite of speaking many different
languages
Unites the country
 People from different islands can go to school together
People can move around the country freely
People can work in other areas
People can marry people from other areas

2. Pijin is easier than English

We would understand things better
We would understand our teachers better
Some who have only learnt to read in English may say Pijin is more difficult to
read, but this is only because they haven’t been taught
Pijin does not have words for many of the things we learn in school
3. Similar ideas no 2
4. For: everyone could communicate with each other easily
The country would be united – no more ethnic tension
No more wantok business
Against: It is not good for a language to die out
Language is part of our culture and we would lose our customs and cultures
We would all become the same as each other
2. Learners write a short essay for homework based on these ideas
3. Explain and emphasise the three paragraphs
4. Mark the essays according to their use of the three paragraph structures

Lesson 6: Grammar and usage 1

(Learners book p. )

Aim
To help learners to
 understand what is meant by alphabetical order
 be able to arrange words in alphabetical order

Methods and answers

1. Explain the idea of alphabetical order and its use in a dictionary

2. Explain first table using first letters of words.
3. Explain why this does not always work and explain use of second and subsequent
letters.

Exercises
1. Learners write all the words in list on page ???? in alphabetical order.
Answers
 orange; pack; pension; plug; queen; rate; recite; rush; sense; stack; stick; sting; stone;
table; teeth; tent; trace; train; true; ugly; uncle.

2. Answers:
accurate; affect; alive; amount; associate; bean; breathe; burglar; busy; carry; cell;
centre; circle; clothing; cloud; damage; dark; disgrace; dish; dreadful; dream; dreary;
drum; duck; egg; fish; funny
3. Give out dictionaries if you have them. Write a list of words for learners to find in
the dictionary.

Lesson 7: Grammar and Usage 2

(Learners book pages )
Aim
To help learners to be able to use the present perfect tense
Methods and answers
1. Exercise
Learners do exercise. Do not explain anything first.
Answers
1. Yes, Mamupio still lives in Simbo (or does still live in....)
2. Yes, he still goes fishing (or does still go...)
3. Yes, he still catches many fish (or does still catch....)
4. No, his father no longer catches fish (or doesn’t catch fish any longer....)
5. Yes, when the visitor made the remark he was still looking at the canoe.

2. Explain the present perfect tense using the examples from the exercise and the
tables, including negative and question forms.
3. Explain when this tense is used.
4. Exercise
Learners do exercise. Point out that they must choose between the simple past
and present perfect. Hint: decide if the activity is still going on or the statement
is still true (present perfect), or if something happened once only in the past
(simple past).
Answers
1. Miss Dulcy went to Australia last week.
2. I have just finished the book so you can borrow it now.
3. I have not met the new teacher yet.
4. We have had this car for over two years now.
5. We bought it two years ago.
6. Is this the first time you have seen this video?
 7. The old man died over a year ago.
8. I have not seen him since last March.
9. Has Mary learned to play the guitar yet?
10. Did you go to Tikopia last year?
5. Exercise
Learners read passage and answer questions, using present perfect and simple
past tenses.
Answers
1. Astronomers have used telescopes to study the stars for nearly 400 years.
2. Galileo first used a telescope in 1609.
3. Larger and more powerful telescopes have been built in this century.
4. They have shown us that certain objects in the sky are not single stars but
groups of millions of stars called galaxies.
5. People have sent telescopes into space.
6. Light from the distant galaxies has taken hundreds of millions of years to get
to the earth.

Lesson 8: Writing
(Learners book pages )

Aim
To help learners to
 be able to plan an essay in paragraphs
 be able to write an essay expressing opinions

Methods and answers

1. Refer back to comprehension passage on changes in language.

2. In groups, or in class, discuss and make a list of other changes taking place in local
communities.
3. Learners plan an essay in three paragraphs, using these ideas.
4. Learners write the essay.
5. May be finished for homework.

Lesson 9 and 10: Literature

(Learners book pages )

Aim
To help learners to
 be able to look at and read a cartoon story.
Methods and answers
1. Briefly discuss some of the ideas on change which were described in the essay
writing in the previous lesson.
2. Ask how many of these changes involve changes in our resources. Refer to their
learning in Social Studies for meaning of resources. What natural resources do we
have? What are some of the dangers of over-using these?
3. Tell learners that they are going to read a cartoon story about the use of resources.
4. Learners read the story, discuss the questions in groups and then answer them in
writing.
Possible answers
1. The environment was natural, clean, beautiful, with plenty to eat for all.
2. The spiritual women tried to tell Mr Seleni that people lived in harmony or
peacefully and he should not spoil it
3. Peaceful; all doing and sharing the same things (as in singing in harmony when
everyone sings together).
4. Because he wants to make money.
5. He chopped down all the trees.
6. He wanted timber for his house and wanted to sell timber to make money.
7. There may be different answers: Yes people should be allowed to use the
resources to benefit themselves; No, he should share the resources and think of
others.
8. Also possible different answers:
 No, money does not always lead to a happy life; money often brings
problems; he may realise there are no trees left for him or his children to
look at, play under, take shade under; destroying the trees may change
the climate and he may suffer;
 Yes, he has plenty of money and can buy what he wants
9. Learners may give their own examples. Think of other resources like fish or soil.
10. Learners give their ideas e.g. make laws against chopping down trees and
logging; educate or persuade people about the dangers of destroying the
environment; do not sell our resources to people like Mr Seleni.
11. If we destroy all our resources we will not have enough to eat and we cannot eat
the money we get from selling our resources. Mr Seleni could not eat the money
he gained from selling his trees and, if all the resources are used up or destroyed
and there is nothing left for him to buy, what use is the money?