1C

Skills for life

Activity type: Speaking – Pelmanism and guessing game – Pairs
Aim: To practise using expressions for describing transferable skills
Language: Skills – Use at any point from 1.2.
Preparation: Make one copy of the worksheet for every two learners. Cut up each
worksheet to make a set of 36 cards.
Time: 25 minutes

1 Divide learners into pairs. Give one set of cards to each pair, and ask them to spread
all the cards out between them, face down.
2 Learners play pelmanism or ‘pairs’. Learner A turns over two cards so that both
learners can see them. If the cards form an expression for describing a skill (e.g.
be able to think + logically), the learner keeps the pair of cards. If the cards do not
form an expression (e.g. be able to think + groups), the learner puts them back, face
down, in the same place. Then Learner B has a go. The game continues until all the
cards have been used up. The winner is the learner with the most pairs of cards.
3 Quickly run through the answers with the class.

be + physically fit / strong / focused / well organised

have plenty / have a lot + of endurance / of imagination / of self-discipline
be a good / be an effective + listener / communicator
be able to / have the ability to + delegate / compromise
be able to think + logically
be able to manage + groups
be good with + numbers
be sensitive to + people’s feelings
have + good eyesight
have a good + sense of balance
have quick + reflexes

Alternative
Ask learners to check the answers for themselves by looking at p9 in the Coursebook.
Be on hand to answer queries about possible alternatives.

4 Give each learner a small piece of paper. Working alone, they write down six
activities:
• two jobs;
• two sports or games;
• two other things which people do in their free time.
5 Collect in and redistribute the pieces of paper so each learner has someone else’s list.
6 Working alone, learners think about how to describe the skills that might be needed
to do the activities on their lists, using the expressions from Stages 1–3.
7 In pairs, learners take turns to listen to each other’s descriptions and guess the
activities related to those skills.

English Unlimited Upper Intermediate Teacher’s Pack  Photocopiable © Cambridge University Press 2011
1C Skills for life

✂
have quick be have a lot
sense of balance
✂

of endurance good eyesight focused groups

be
well organised delegate people’s feelings

be have plenty
compromise communicator

be able to manage have a good

listener strong

have plenty have the ability to

physically fit numbers

be sensitive to be able to think

logically reflexes

be able to be good with be be an effective

be a good have
of imagination of self-discipline

English Unlimited Upper Intermediate Teacher’s Pack Photocopiable © Cambridge University Press 2011