DEPARTMENT OF BASIC ENGLISH

CURRICULUM UNIT

S P E A K I NG
NC1 PACK

PREPARED BY
ÇİĞDEM KAYIHAN ASLAN
ECE ER
NAVİD M . TALAEİ
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TALK ABOUT YOURSELF (Prepared by Ece Er) ............................................................... 1

MY DAILY ROUTINE (Prepared by Ece Er) ........................................................................ 3

NARRATION (Prepared by Navid M. Talaei) ........................................................................ 8

GIVING OPINION (Prepared by Çiğdem Kayıhan Aslan) .................................................. 12

GIVING OPINION 2 (Prepared by Çiğdem Kayıhan Aslan) ............................................... 19

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 TALK ABOUT YOURSELF

When someone asks you to talk about yourself;

• generally, the topics are school, family, free time and future plans.
• listen carefully and if you don’t understand the question, ask the person to repeat it.
• give complete answers in full sentences, give details; don’t just reply with “yes” or “no”.

EXERCISE 1. Practise talking about yourself using the prompts in the boxes. After you study yourself for 5
minutes, work with a friend and tell each other about yourselves.

Months
➢ Hi, my name’s .................. January School subjects
English
➢ I’m from .................. (country) February
science
March
➢ I live in .................. (city) April
mathematics
art
➢ I’m ... years old. May PE
June physics
➢ My birthday is on .................. July chemistry
music
➢ I’m a student at ....................... August social studies
September history
➢ My favorite subject is ....................... October geography
computer science
➢ My favorite sport is ....................... November
December
➢ There are ................. people in my family.
➢ They are ...............................................
➢ My father is a ............... and my mother a ..................
➢ I want to be a .................. Hobbies – Free time
activities
➢ My hobbies are ....................... • reading, painting,
➢ In my free time, I also like .............................. drawing
• playing computer
➢ I don’t like .............................. games
➢ My favorite food is ....................... • surfing the Internet
• going to the cinema
➢ My favorite drink is ....................... • meeting with friends
• playing with my dog
➢ My favorite day of the week is ............
• going to the
➢ My favorite month is .................. park/shopping
mall/gym…
• listening to music • t
➢ My favorite singer (or band) is ................. • shopping, singing, r
dancing a
v
e
l
l
i
Jobs n
teacher policeman doctor g
nurse builder architect ,
civil servant engineer social worker
secretary businessman shop assistant c
manager fire fighter shopkeeper a
cleaner postman waiter/waitress m
p
i
n3
g
,

h
➢ I like ................. (movies).
➢ My favorite place is .................... Movies
action movie
➢ The most beautiful place in my country is ..................
comedy
romantic comedy
horror movie
sci-fi movie
war movie
thriller
animated cartoons

EXERCISE 2. Work in groups of three.

Tell your friends about your best friend taking turns.

EXERCISE 3. Change your groups and work as a group of four. Choose someone from your family and tell
your group members about him/her.

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 MY DAILY ROUTINE

Here are some examples of things you can say about your daily routine:

I wake up at … and I get up at …

Then, I go to bathroom and I have/take a shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, comb my
hair…

sandwich, toast, bread, butter, jam, cheese, eggs, olives, cornflakes cereals,
fruit juice, a cup of coffee, tea, milk,

I usually have breakfast at … and I have/eat/drink … for breakfast but some days I eat …

After breakfast, t-shirt, jeans, shorts, skirt, dress,

trainers,
I get dressed, I usually wear … at school

I go to school at …, … (how?). It takes … minutes/hours. by bus, car, taxi, underground, train, bike, on
foot

The classes/lessons start at …

in a restaurant, in the cafeteria, in canteen/

I have lunch … I eat … soup, hamburgers, some meat, salad, potatoes,
pizza, pasta, fish, rice

After school, I … (do what?)

I get home at … and I … (do what?)

rest a bit, read something, watch TV, do exercise,
I have dinner at … and I ate …(what?) do my homework, go shopping, make the dinner,
have a bath, relax, surf the internet, play computer
After dinner, I … (do what?) games

I go to sleep at …

❖ Use expressions and adverbs of frequency; always, generally, usually, sometimes, never,
ever day, once, twice, etc. and time words; after, then, etc.

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EXERCISE 1. Watch Miko’s typical day and order:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L31ExXwlsVc

1 wake up

&
__ take a shower __ make breakfast __ do yoga __ start work

OR
__ finish work __ have lunch __ go to the gym OR go out with friends

OR
__ take a bus to the center __ read a book OR watch TV __ go to university

__ go to bed

EXERCISE 2. Practise talking about your daily routine. After you study yourself for 5 minutes, work with a
friend and tell each other about your daily routines.

AT HOME You can practise talking about your daily routine in front of a
mirror or you can record yourself and listen to/watch the recording.

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EXERCISE 3. Ask questions to your partner to fill in the gaps. Then tell the other pair about your friend’s
typical day.

Hello. My name is ________ (what?)

I am ___________ (how old?) years old.
family, friend(s),
I live (with my) ____________(who?). relatives, alone

We/I live in __________ (where?). dormitory, flat

Anyway, I get up at______________(when?).
At first, my alarm clock rings at ______________(when?).
Then I get out of bed. I go to bathroom and I _____________ (do what?).
After that, I _____________ (do what?).
I usually wear ______________(what?) at school.
_____________ (who?) prepare(s) my breakfast at _____________(when?).
I usually eat _______________(what?).
I also drink _________(what?).
_____________(when?), I go to school______________(how?).
The lessons start at ___________(when?).
I am a ___________ (what/ job?) at ___________ (which university?) and my department is ___________ (which
department?).
I have a lunch break at ___________(when?). Then I eat ___________ (what?) at ___________(where?).
I usually have other classes _______________(when?). I finish school at _____________(when?).
I go home __________(how?).
In the evening, I read a __________(what?) or watch ___________ (what?). I have dinner at ___________(when?).
I usually eat ___________(what?) for dinner. I take a shower and brush my teeth at ___________(when?) I go to bed
at __________ (when?).

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 NARRATION

When you are telling a story or talking about something that happened to you or someone else,
you are “narrating” it. Most people often re-tell their or someone else’s experiences to others.
These events, experiences, or memories can be happy, sad, or even terrible. For example, if
you have a terrible day and want to talk about it to your friends, you can narrate the things
that happened to you on that day like this:

“Last Monday was a terrible day for me. Some terrible things
happened. First of all, I got up late and missed the bus to work.
I arrived at the office half an hour late, and my boss was very angry.
I tried to tell him that I missed the bus, but he didn’t listen to me. I
was very sad and didn’t want to do anything.
Anyway, I finished my work at the office at 5 o’clock and went
home. I was very tired and sad. I arrived home at 6 and I wanted to
watch TV, but the there was a power cut* and the TV didn’t work. It
was very dark in my apartment and I was very angry and hungry. I
had my dinner in the dark and went to bed at around 9. It was a very
bad day!

* power cut means there is no electricity

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There are important things to remember when you are narrating:

1. Use the Correct Tense:

We usually use past simple or past continuous tenses in narration, because we are talking
about something that happened in the past:

e.g. Yesterday morning I was preparing to go to work when I remembered that it was my
mom’s birthday.

2. Talk about the Events in Order of Time:

When you are talking about an event, it is important to tell what happened first, and what
happened next and then continue with the rest of the story.

3. Use Time Sequencers:

Time sequencers are linking words that are usually used in narration to start, to connect the
events and to end the story. Here are some of them:

Time Sequencers to start the narration:

When I was twelve, I broke my leg while I was skiing.
One morning I was late to work and my car didn’t start.
Last Sunday, I visited my friend and we had a lot of fun.
etc.

Time Sequencers to connect the events in the narration:

First of all, 2/ First, I opened the door and the dog came in …
Then, I had breakfast with my brother and went to the park.
Next day, I tried to talk to him about it, but he didn’t answer my call.
After that, I called the police and…
During the movie, he was making a lot of noise.
etc.

Time Sequencers to end the narration:

Finally, we arrived there and saw the man.
etc,

4. Use enough details, but not too much.

When you are re-telling an event or a memory, it is a good idea to talk about some details, but
not too many details. You can add details by talking about these:
What, when, where, how, who, why, etc.

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EXERCISE 1.

Part A. Watch the short animated movie called “Snack Attack”, and in sentences 1-8 fill
in the blanks with the past tense of the verbs in brackets. Then, write the number of
each sentence in the correct picture (the pictures are on the next page!)

a vending machine a packet of cookies a bench

shocked

1. The old lady___________ (buy) a packet of cookies from the vending machine.

2. The packet of cookies________________ (not come) out of the vending machine at

first, but she finally___________ (get) it.

3. Then, she ____________ (go) outside and ___________ (sit) on a bench, and
_____________ (open) the packet.

4. The man next to her ____________ (start) to eat the cookies.

5. She __________ (be) very angry with him because the man _________ (eat) the
cookies.

6. Then, her train came and she__________ (get) on the train.

7. On the train, she ____________ (open) her bag, and ___________ (see) the packet of
the cookies in her bag.

8. She __________ (be) shocked because her cookies __________ (be) in her bag.
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 a. (1) b. (_)

c. (_) d. (_)

e. (_) f. (_)

g. (_) h. (_)

Part B. Now work in pairs, and look at the pictures above and tell the story to your
friend.

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EXERCISE 2.
Part A (Pair work): Choose two of the topics below and talk about them to your partner. Before you
tell the story, take notes (not full sentences) in the spaces below, and use your notes to tell the story.

Something very dangerous that you did or happened to you.

A very happy day of your life.

A very funny memory/experience.

Topic:

When?
Where?
Were you alone?
What happened?
How did it end?

Topic:

When?
Where?
Were you alone?
What happened?
How did it end?

Part B (Group work): Now join another pair and share your stories with each other.
Part C (Class activity - Optional): Share your story with the class.

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 GIVING OPINION

What is an ‘opinion’?
An opinion is a thought or a belief about something/ someone. It is a statement that expresses
a belief, value, or feeling. People have different opinions. An opinion cannot be proved true or
false. On the other hand, a fact is a piece of information that can be strictly defined and proved
true. For example, a person's age is a fact, but if someone is asked how old they feel, it is
impossible to prove the person's answer to be true or false, so it is not a fact, it is an opinion.
Look at the examples below:

You are a student. » fact

I am at the Prep Class now. » fact
You look young. » opinion
I am the best student in the class. » opinion Well, I don’t
think so.

Cut your
hair! It is too
long!

What is an opinion question?

Opinion questions ask about your opinion. Opinion questions are questions which can be
answered by reasons and explanations. Here are some examples below:

Do you go to school every day? » not an opinion question

What did you eat for dinner? » not an opinion question
When did you come to school today? » not an opinion question
Do you think ‘Titanic’ is a good movie? » opinion question
What is your favourite leisure activity? » opinion question

Opinion questions often ask ‘why’ or ask you to ‘explain your reasons’ or ‘explain in detail’.

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How to answer opinion questions?

Who is your My favourite

favourite actor is
actor? Johnny Depp.

Why?
He is very
handsome!

When answering opinion questions, you should express your opinion and then give your
reasons. You can add details or supporting examples as well. When answering opinion
questions, most of the time we talk about our preferences. Let’s first start by answering opinion
questions in a simple way.

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EXERCISE 1. Which option do you prefer? Why?

1.
A. B.

2.
A. B.

3.
A. B.

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EXERCISE 2
A. Look at the movie posters below. What do you think these movies are about? Why do
you think so?
A. B.

C. D.

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A. In pairs answer the following questions about the movies you have talked about.

1. Which movie do you want to watch? Why?

2. Which movie do you not want to watch? Why not?

B. In pairs answer the following questions about movies.

1. Which kind of movies do you like watching (Adventure/ Romantic/ Horror/ Action/
Animation etc.)? Why?
2. What is your favourite movie? Why?
3. Who is your favourite actor/actress? Why?

EXERCISE 3. In pairs answer the questions given below. Do not write your answers.

e.g.
What is your favourite book? Why?

My favourite book is ‘Alice in Wonderland’ because it has interesting characters and

a nice story.

1. Who is your best friend? Why?

2. What is your favourite colour? Why?
3. Do you think it is necessary to go abroad to learn English? Why/ why not?
4. Do you think students can use their mobile phones in the class? Why/ why not?

Now let’s try to extend our answers and add more reasons and examples. You can do this by
organizing your answer into sentences. First, you can start by stating your opinion. Then, you
can continue by giving your reasons in separate sentences. You can also give examples if
possible. Here is a more detailed and comprehensive answer to an opinion question:

Which city is the best to go on a holiday? Why?

I think that the best city to go on a holiday is Miami. First, Miami has nice
beaches. You can spend a good time by swimming or just relaxing on the
beach. Secondly, there are many great museums in Miami. For example, you
can go to the Vizcaya Museum and see paintings. So, Miami is one of the good
places to go on a holiday.

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This is the structure/organization of the answer:

Opinion » Miami

Reasons » beaches
museums

Example » Vizcaya Museum

Before you answer a question, first you should think of your opinion and your reasons. In other
words, you should think of the structure/organization of your answer.

EXERCISE 4. Think of your opinion and reasons for the opinion questions given below.
Take notes, but do not write full sentences.

1. What is your favourite movie? Why?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

2. Would you like to live in a small town or a big city? Explain your reasons.

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

3. Do you think television has a positive or a negative effect on children? Why?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

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Here are the useful phrases that you can use when you are giving your opinion and explaining
your reasons:

Purpose Phrase
Giving opinion I (really) think that …
I believe (that) …
In my opinion …
Giving reasons First... Second... Also
Giving examples For example... / For instance...

EXERCISE 5. Work in pairs and answer the questions given in EXERCISE 4 using your
notes and the useful phrases given above. (First student A should give an answer to question
1 and student B should listen without interrupting and then Student B should answer the same
question and student A should listen. This should be repeated for the other questions as well.)

You can end your answer with a concluding

sentence, which briefly restates your opinion.

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 GIVING OPINION 2
EXERCISE 1. Ask and answer the following
questions in pairs.

1. Do you use social media?

2. Why do you use it?
3. What is your opinion about social media?

EXERCISE 2.

A. Ask and answer the following questions in

pairs.

1. Have you ever done online shopping?

2. What did you buy?
3. Did you like the product?
4. Do you think you are going to do online shopping in the future?

In the previous lesson, you practiced using the following phrases when giving opinion:

Purpose Phrase
Giving opinion I (really) think (that) …
I believe (that) …
In my opinion …
Giving reasons First,... Second,... Also
Giving examples For example,... / For instance,...

B. Take notes on the following question for a minute and then work in pairs and answer
the question using your notes and the useful phrases given above.
(First student A should give an answer to question 1 and student B should listen without
interrupting and then Student B should answer the same question and student A should listen.)

Is shopping online a good idea? Why/ Why not?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

Here are some more phrases you can use when you give opinion:
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 Purpose Phrase
Giving opinion As far as I'm concerned…
I suppose…
I'm (pretty) sure (that)…
I agree (that…)
I don't think (that) …
I don't agree (that) …
Giving reasons To start/begin with, ...
In addition, …
Moreover, …
Furthermore, …
Giving examples … such as …

EXERCISE 3. Take notes on the following question for a minute and then work in pairs
and answer the question using your notes and the useful phrases given above.
(First, student A should give an answer to question 1 and student B should listen without
interrupting and then Student B should answer the same question and student A should listen.)

Do you think it is a good idea for the university students to work? Why/ Why not?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

Here are two sample answers:

I agree that students can work while they are at university. To

start with, they can earn money and buy the things they need. For
example, they can buy their books. In addition, when students
work, they can have a lot of experience. So, I think that it is a good
idea for the university students to work.

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 I don't think that working and studying at the university at the same
time is a good idea. To begin with, university students need time to
study for their lessons. When they work, they can’t have enough time
to study. For instance, they may have an exam, but they may not
have time to study for it. Moreover, students also need time to relax
or do social activities such as going to the cinema with their friends.

EXERCISE 4.

A.

Most people believe happiness is getting married and

having a family but there are some people who never
get married in their lifetime. These people never have
children and never know what it is like to be with a
person for their entire lifetime. Some have never met
the right person or has the fear of getting hurt. Some
people are dedicated to other things in their life, so they don't get married. In pairs talk about
why people live a lonely life and choose not to get married and have children.

B. Take notes on the following question for a minute and then work in pairs and answer
the question using your notes and the useful phrases given below.
(First, student A should give an answer to question 1 and student B should listen without
interrupting and then Student B should answer the same question and student A should listen.)

Use these useful phrases:

Purpose Phrase
Giving opinion I suppose…
Giving reasons To start/begin with, ...
Moreover, …
Giving examples … such as …

Do you prefer a lonely life or to get married and have children? Why?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

EXERCISE 5.

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A.

They say that girls and boys can never be best friends because love gets in the way. An old
couple who have been married for almost 50 years will say the secret to a good marriage is
friendship. It is known that the boy will fall in love with a girl who he has been friends with but
the girl will tell him that they are just friends. Some people may think that the girl is scared of
losing the friendship if the relationship fails.

In pairs talk about whether you agree with this by giving examples (from your friends or
family). Ask and answer the following questions in pairs:

1. Is it a good idea to have a relationship with a friend? Why?

2. Can it be bad to have a relationship with a friend? Why?

B. Take notes on the following question for a minute and then work in pairs and answer
the question using your notes and the useful phrases given below.
(First, student A should give an answer to question 1 and student B should listen without
interrupting and then Student B should answer the same question and student A should listen.)

Use these useful phrases:

Purpose Phrase
Giving opinion I believe (that)…
Giving reasons First, ...
In addition, …
Giving examples For instance, …

Is it a good idea to marry your friend? Why?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

! In speaking exams, after you answer an opinion question, you may be asked some

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 follow-up questions—questions which are related to the opinion question your teacher
asked.

EXERCISE 6. Take notes on the following question for a minute and then work in pairs
and answer the question using your notes and the useful phrases given on page 2. Ask
each other the follow-up questions given below.

(First, student A should give an answer to question 1 and student B should listen without
interrupting and then ask the follow-up questions to Student A. Student B should answer the
same question and student A should listen and then ask the follow-up questions to Student B.)

Tip:
When you take notes,
you can also think of
which useful phrases to
use.

Do you prefer watching movies or playing video games? Why?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

Useful phrases »

Follow-up Questions:
1. Which video games do you play?
2. What kind of movies do you like?

EXERCISE 7. Take notes on the following question for a minute and then work in pairs
and answer the question using your notes and the useful phrases. Ask each other the

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follow-up questions given below.

(First, student A should give an answer to question 1 and student B should listen without
interrupting and then ask the follow-up questions to Student A. Student B should answer the
same question and student A should listen and then ask the follow-up questions to Student B.)

Can money buy happiness?

Opinion »

Reasons »

Example »

Useful phrases »

Follow-up Questions:
1. Is there anything you can’t buy from a shop?
2. Is money more important than health?
3. Which one is more important: Money or family?

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