VENDING MACHINGLISH

Part 3

I can roller skate.

I can play the piano, a little.
I can speak English.
Me too!
So can I!
I can, too!
} I can’t!

I can’t sing very well.

I can’t drive a bus.
I can’t speak Swahili.
Me neither.
I can’t, either.
Neither can I. } I can!

Make a Statement Make a Statement Make a Statement

1. I can ____ very well.
2. I can ____ quickly.
3. I can’t ____ without laughing.
4. I can ____ a little.
5. I can’t ____ easily.
6. I usually can’t ____
7. I can ____, but not well.
8. I can ____ badly.
9. I can’t ____ for a long time.
10. I can ____, but only at night.
11. I honestly can’t ____ .
12. I can ____ with my eyes closed.
13. I can ____ professionally.
14. I can’t ____ by myself.
15. I can’t ____ without crying.
16. I can usually ____ .
17. I can’t ____ while sleeping.
18. I can ____ under my desk.

a. whistle a song g. paint a picture m. wink with both eyes

b. dance the tango h. tell a funny joke n. climb a mountain
c. build a house i. spell ‘Mississippi’ o. hop 200m on one leg
d. grow a beard j. do 30 pushups p. type 50 words per min.
e. play baseball k. juggle three balls q. swim five kilometers
f. bake a cake l. make an omelette r. speak four languages

For more FREE English Lessons I Can, Too! ©PRISM 7 (Modified - Part 3)
Please visit: http://www.efl4u.com North Star Publishing Co.
 I Can, Too!
(Lesson Collection Set #3 - Lesson 16)

1. Student ability: B-I

2. Approximate length of lesson: 25
3. Number of students necessary: 2+
4. Recommended age/maturity of students: JHS, HS, College, Adult
5. Type of lesson: Pair-work

1. Student ability is listed according to: LB-Low Beginner, B-Beginner, HB-High Beginner, LI-Low
Intermediate, I-Intermediate, HI-High Intermediate, LA-Low advanced, A-Advanced, HA-High Advanced.
2. Approximate length of this lesson in minutes (not including set up explanation).
3. Number of students. 3+ means three students or more will work, two students or less will not work as well.
4. Recommended age indicates the preferred maturity level of the students. Grouped by Child = pre-school or
younger, Elem. = Elementary, JHS =Junior High School, HS = High School, College, Adult.
5. Type of lesson means this lesson is designed to work best with Individuals, Pairs, Groups or Whole class.

*******

Language Target: Working with rejoinders (Me too, So can I & I can, too) in simple present
tense. (This lesson is also a good listening exercise with a subtle review of adverbs.)

Setting Up: Begin by introducing the three basic rejoinder forms for the verb “CAN.” On the
board draw a smiling face on the left and a frowning face on the right. In a vertical column
beneath the both faces write the numbers 1, 2 and 3. Make a simple statement such as “I can
hold my breath for 30 seconds.”
Encourage the students to respond with a rejoinder such as “Me too.” Write that phrase
next to #1 (under the smiling face) and try to elicit the next two responses: “So can I,” and “I
can, too.” Write these on the board as well next to #2 and #3 respectively.
Next, make another statement such as: “I can’t pick up a truck.” Encourage students to
offer rejoinders for the negative statements and write them in the frowning column. They
are: “Me neither,” “I can’t either,” “Neither can I.”

Just one step to go. Point to the frowning face and say: “I can’t play the guitar.” Prompt
the students to help them with the rejoinder: “I can!”
Write this under the column of frowning face rejoinders. Now point to the smiling face
and say: “I can do 500 sit-ups.” Students say the negative rejoinder: “I can’t!”
Practice with a few more positive and negative statements – the sillier the better.

Getting Started: Pair the students and hand out one copy of the worksheet per student. If
necessary, review the rejoinder examples at the top of the page. Then draw everyone’s
attention to the list of things in the box at the bottom of the worksheet. Review the
vocabulary if necessary.
Randomizing. It’s very important for this first part that the students only randomize the
sequence – be very careful that they do not read the sentences at this time. One student
begins by randomly calling out all of the letters from A ~ R. The partner writes the letter on
 the short blank lines to the left of the statements in the ‘Make A Statement’ box. This
continues until all of the letters have been assigned to all of the numbered statements.

[For example, a student might first call off letter F – ‘bake a cake.’ The partner writes F
in the blank line of the first statement thereby making the first statement: “I can back a cake
very well.” The student may then call off the next random letter, for example N thereby
making the #2 Statement: “I can climb a mountain quickly.”]

When all of the letters have been assigned, have students switch roles and assign the
randomized letters to the partner’s list of statements. I usually tell students to fold back the
bottom of the worksheet so they won’t be tempted to look at the complete sentence. The
reason for the secrecy become clear when they actually begin the lesson – nearly all of the
statements will be silly. This creates the need for students to offer honest rejoinders to
statements such as: “I can’t juggle three balls for a long time,” “I can hop 200 meters on one
leg easily,” “I honestly can’t tell a funny joke.”

After all of the randomizing has been accomplished, one student begins reading the
statements–substituting the letter for the actual words while the other student listens and
offers an honest rejoinder. This is where the fun begins. Students usually start laughing so
much at the ridiculous statements that they often can’t continue. That’s when they really
learn – they’re so focused on the silly statements that they forget they’re studying!

Variation 1: Make this lesson teacher directed. Have students call out the random letters then
read off the list for a double listening comprehension and response lesson. Award points to
students who first answer correctly.

Variation 2: Introduce the new rejoinder, “Same here.”

Variation 3: If possible, arrange the seats into a circle, either as groups or as a whole class.
One of the students reads a statement from the worksheet using his/her partner’s name. For
example, “Claudia can spell ‘Mississippi.” Then, beginning with the student on the right (or
left) all of the students make an appropriate (and honest) rejoinder – but, not two rejoinders
can be said in a row. The progression could sound like this:
“Claudia can spell ‘Mississippi.”
“I can’t.”
“Neither can I.”
“I can’t, either.”
“I can!”
“I can’t.”
“Neither can I,” etc.

Building Fluency 1: When students have finished, ask a few “Who…” questions such as
“Who can wink with both eyes very well?” The rejoinder in this case moves to third person,
“Janet can.” “Who can’t speak four languages?” “Who can dance the tango?”

Similar Lessons:
I Do, Too! (Lesson Collection Set #1 - 21)
I Am, Too! (Lesson Collection Set #1 –Bonus #2)

For more English Lesson Worksheets, please visit: http://www.efl4u.com

“I Can, Too!” ©PRISM 7, North Star Publishing Co.

-2-