Open Mind Elementary
Additional LifeSkills Lesson
Unit 1  Study and Learning: understanding forms
Objective: to provide further practice of this soft skill
within a Study and Learning context (understanding
and completing a short course application form).
The three-step strategy for developing this soft skill is:
Step 1 Identify the type of form. (Ex. A, Ex. B)
Step 2 Complete the parts you understand. (Ex. C)
Step 3 Ask for help with parts you don’t
understand. (Ex. D, Ex. E)
You may decide to highlight this strategy at the
beginning of the lesson, at the end, or as you go
through the exercises in the section. However, if you
prefer to teach this lesson without discussing the
underlying soft skill, this is also possible. The lesson is
designed to be engaging and successful either way.
For more information about teaching life skills and ideas
for highlighting the soft skill, please refer to pp. 8–9 of
the Elementary Teacher’s Book.
Materials:
• board and markers
• one copy for each student of a sample short
course application form (type short course
application form into a search engine to find one.
Try to choose one that is for a specific course,
rather than a generic template, so that the
students are able to identify what course it is for
in Ex. B).
Lead-in
Tell the students that in this lesson they are going to
look at understanding forms in a Study and Learning
context. As a class, elicit different kinds of forms that
they might need to complete. Help with vocabulary as
needed. Write their ideas on the board.
Erase the board, then write the following in two columns.
1 online course a at a university financial
application form office
2 end of course b on a website
evaluation form c in a classroom
3 swimming lesson d at a sports centre
registration form
4 student loan form
© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014
Check that the students understand application form
(a form you complete to try and get a job or to start a
course), financial (to do with money), evaluate (give your
opinion about something) and student loan (money you
borrow to pay for your studies). Elicit that 1–4 are types
of Study and Learning forms and that a–d are places.
Ask the students to match each type of form to
the place where you complete it. This can be done
individually, in pairs or as a whole class. Ask if it is
possible to complete the forms in a different place
(it is possible to complete a course application form on
paper; it is possible to complete the other three forms
online and email them or complete them at home and
post them).
If you wish, ask the students to recall the lesson from the
Elementary Student’s Book, pp. 16–17 and say what they
learnt (that you can ask people for help with forms; that
it’s important to read a form to check you have all the
information first).
Answers
1  b    ​2  c   ​3  d    4  a
A
• Erase the board and write the following as
column headings:
1 course evaluation form
2 swimming lesson registration form
3 student loan form
• Underneath, write the following: name, name of
course, address, day and time of lesson, name of
university, phone number, bank details, student
ID number, feedback, medical conditions, level
of ability, name of teacher.
• Check the students understand bank details
(information about your bank account, e.g. the
number), feedback (saying if something is good
or not), medical conditions (health problems) and
level of ability (how good you are at something).
Ask the students to write the three types of
forms in their notebooks, leaving space under
each one.
• Put the students into pairs. Explain that for
each type of form, they should write a list of the
different information they would probably find in
each one. Encourage them to use the ideas on
the board, as well as their own ideas.
• Elicit the answers from the class and write them
on the board under each form. Encourage them
to add additional ideas.
Open Mind Elementary

D • Once the students have completed as much

Possible answers
1 course evaluation form: name, name of
course, name of teacher, feedback
2 swimming lesson registration form: name,
address, phone number, day and time of
lesson, name of teacher, medical conditions,
level of ability
3 student loan form: name, address, phone
number, name of course, name of university,
bank details, student ID number, details of
personal and family income
aLterNatiVe
For higher ability classes, don’t write the information
on the board but encourage the students to
brainstorm the information found in each type of form
themselves.
B • Hand out a copy of the short course application
form that you prepared before class to each
student. Ask the students to identify what the
form is for.
• Elicit what the students should check before they
complete a form (e.g. what language to use,
complete on a computer or with a pen, colour
of pen, use of capital letters, which parts to
complete, who to give or send the form to). Help
with vocabulary as needed. Ask them to read
the form quickly to see if they need to do any of
these things.
of the form as they can, ask them if they can
remember any of the questions they can use to
ask for help with the parts they don’t understand.
Elicit questions, then refer them to the How to
say it box on p. 17 of the Elementary Student’s
Book. Go over the questions and check they
understand them. Ask them to suggest who
can help them complete this particular form
(a teacher, a friend, a parent).
E
• Invite the students to stand up and circulate,
asking each other for help as necessary to
complete their forms. Encourage them to ask
you for help if no one else knows the answer.
• When they have all completed their forms, put
the students into pairs to compare forms and
check they have completed them correctly.
Encourage the students to ask you to explain any
remaining unknown words or phrases.
reflect
• Write the following question on the board:
Why is it important to read a form before you
complete it?
• Ask the students to work in pairs and discuss
their ideas. Set a time limit of one or two
minutes for this and then elicit suggestions,
either allowing the students to use L1 or helping
with vocabulary as needed (e.g. so you complete
the right parts, so you can check you have
everything you need to complete it).

aLterNatiVe eXtra: HOMeWOrK

If you don’t have access to a photocopier or printer,
Ask the students to go online and find an end
you could write the form headings on the board and
of course evaluation form template. Ask them
ask the students to copy them into their notebooks.
to complete it for this lesson and bring it to the
Remind them to leave enough space to write
next class.
their answers.

C • Now ask the students to work individually and

read the form again more slowly. Tell them to
complete as much of the form as they can. Tell
them not to worry about any parts they cannot
complete and to leave these blank for now.
• Point out that in some cases, not all questions
on a form apply to everyone. Write N/A on the
board and explain that it means Not Applicable.
Encourage them to write N/A in any sections of
the form that don’t apply to them.

© Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014