Fresh ideas

How can you tailor your classes to your students’ needs, learning styles,
and ages?
These fresh ideas provide innovative ways to teach a variety of exercises in the Student’s Book.
Techniques such as Face up, face down; Instant messaging; and Catch! make classes livelier, more
interactive, and more varied. Depending on the exercise, these techniques can either supplement
or replace the suggestions in the page-by-page teaching notes. Each of the 12 fresh ideas can be
adapted to use with different exercises and with both levels of Passages, Second Edition. Handouts
are not required.

Fresh ideas Use with

1. Bleep! Bleep! Vocabulary sections

2. 1, 2, or 3? Grammar sections

3. Face up, face down Speaking/Discussion sections

4. What’s next? Listening sections

5. That’s my point! Reading sections

6. That reminds me of . . . Vocabulary sections

7. Language hunters Grammar sections

8. Catch! Speaking/Discussion sections

9. Hands up! Listening sections

10. Instant messaging Reading sections

11. Collective texts Writing sections

12. Can I add something here? Speaking/Discussion sections

T-158 Fresh ideas

T158_Passages_TE2.indd T-158 4/23/08 7:26:52 PM

 1 Bleep! Bleep!
Aims: Personalize new vocabulary, guess meaning from
context, develop oral fluency
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with vocabulary sections
■ Explain the task. S1 chooses one of the words or
expressions in the vocabulary section and keeps it a
secret. S1 then comes up with a sentence that must
include that lexical item. But when saying it to the
group, S1 has to say “bleep!” instead of the item. The
other Ss try to guess what it is.
■ Model the task with one of the vocabulary items.
■ Ss take turns choosing items and saying their sentences.
2 1, 2, or 3?
Aims: Practice new grammatical structure, develop oral
fluency and confidence using English, develop listening
accuracy
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with grammar sections
■ Explain the task. Ss work in groups of three. Have each
group write three short (two-sentence) dialogues. In
one and only one of the dialogues, they will include
the grammar point being studied.
■ Groups read or act out their three dialogues to the
class. The other Ss write 1, 2, or 3, depending on which
dialogue they recognize as having the structure being
studied.
■ Ask for a show of hands to check how many Ss
identified the correct dialogue.
T159_T161_Passages_TE2.indd T-159
3 Face up, face down
Aims: Encourage quieter Ss to speak in whole group
discussions, encourage more talkative Ss to wait for
their turn
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with speaking/discussion sections
■ Tell Ss to place their closed copies of Passages face up in
front of them.
■ When a S contributes to the discussion, he or she turns
the book face down.
■ The same S can only speak again when everyone else’s
book is face down. Then everybody turns his or her
book face up again for a second round of discussion.
4 What’s next?
Aims: Develop listening accuracy, develop language
appropriacy awareness, expand vocabulary range
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with listening sections
■ After Ss listen to the passage and do the listening task,
play the recording again, pausing before eight to ten
places where you think there is relevant vocabulary to
be learned (words, phrasal verbs, phrases, idioms, etc).
■ Ss work in pairs. After each pause, have Ss write down
in general terms what they think will happen next in
the recording.
■ Have pairs share their guesses with the class.
■ Continue the recording and let Ss compare their
guesses to the original text.
■ For guesses that do not match the recording,
discuss whether the guesses would also be possible
in that context.
Fresh ideas T-159
4/23/08 7:27:40 PM
 5 That’s my point!
Aims: Develop reading accuracy, expand vocabulary
range in discussions
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with reading sections
■ After Ss read the passage but before they answer the
discussion questions, have Ss work individually to go
over the passage and underline any parts in the text
they think could be useful information or arguments
during the subsequent discussion.
■ Have Ss walk around the class and show each other
the parts of the reading passage they have chosen.
They may underline additional parts if they like their
classmates’ choices.
■ Encourage Ss to use these points during the
discussion.
6 That reminds me of . . .
Aims: Memorize new vocabulary by associating
it to known people, practice the pronunciation of
new vocabulary
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with vocabulary sections
■ After new vocabulary has been introduced, ask S1 to
choose one of the items, say it aloud (correct
pronunciation if needed), and say who that item
reminds him or her of. This could be a famous
personality or someone in S1’s life (e.g., “my boss”).
■ Write the item on the board next to the chosen
person’s name. If the person is not famous write, for
instance, Pedro’s boss.
■ When all the items have been chosen, erase them
from the board, leaving only the people’s names.
■ Call out each name. Ss try to remember the
vocabulary item associated with that person.
Variation: Ss may think of events instead of people.
T-160
T-160 Fresh
Fresh Ideas
ideas
T159_T161_Passages_TE2.indd T-160
7 Language hunters
Aims: Notice grammatical structures
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with grammar sections
■ Explain the task. Have Ss collect samples of the
grammar structure being studied.
■ Ss work in groups of three. Set a time limit (5 to 10
minutes) for them to find samples of a given
grammatical structure anywhere in their books (in
grammar sections, reading passages, instructions, etc).
■ When time is up, compare samples. The group with
the most correct samples is the winner. Give that
group a round of applause and perhaps a small prize.
8 Catch!
Aims: Allow physical movement, encourage careful
listening, practice restatement of someone else’s ideas
Preparation: Make a ball of crumpled paper
Comment: Use with speaking/discussion sections
■ Have all Ss stand up. Give S1 a crumpled up
paper ball.
■ S1 gives his or her opinion about the topic being
discussed, then throws the paper ball to S2 and
sits down.
■ S2 restates what S1 has said, contributes his or her
own opinion, throws the paper ball to one of the Ss
standing up, and then sits down.
■ The activity continues until all Ss are sitting down.
4/23/08 7:27:40 PM
 9 Hands up!
Aims: Notice specific points in listening passages, develop
listening accuracy
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with listening sections
■ Choose a recurring language point in the listening
passage. This may be a grammatical structure or a
speaking strategy such as agreeing, disagreeing,
hesitating, or any other point that you find useful for
your Ss.
■ After Ss listen to the passage and do the listening task,
tell them the specific point you are looking for and
have them listen for it.
■ Play the recording again. Have Ss raise their hands
whenever they hear that point in the recording.
■ When one or more Ss have spotted a point correctly,
go back and play that segment again so that the whole
class can notice it.
■ Call Ss’ attention to any points that went unnoticed.
10 Instant messaging
Aims: Notice and use language in reading passages,
practice fast conversational writing
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with reading sections
■ After Ss read the passage and answer the discussion
questions, tell them they are instant messaging a
classmate about the topic dealt with in the
reading passage.
■ Ss work in pairs to write each other short messages
about the topic, expressing their opinions and agreeing
or disagreeing with each other. They should not speak,
just write.
■ You may teach Ss common Internet English
abbreviations, such as B4 (before), BTW (by the way),
FYI (for your information), IMO (in my opinion), IMHO
(in my humble opinion), LOL (laughing out loud ), OIC
(Oh, I see) and OTOH (on the other hand ).
■ If there is time, have pairs swap their messages and
read what others have written.
T159_T161_Passages_TE2.indd T-161
11 Collective texts
Aims: Develop writing skills, practice editing and
rewriting a text
Preparation: None
Comment: Use with writing sections
■ Have Ss read the sample text and follow the step(s)
suggested in Passages, but stop before beginning the
main writing task.
■ Tell Ss the class is going to write a text collectively.
Start the text yourself by writing an introductory
sentence on the board. Have Ss take turns contributing
to the text. Encourage Ss to copy the text into their
notebooks as you go.
■ Point out incorrect grammar or vocabulary, but
let Ss try to correct the text themselves. Help them
avoid repetition and produce a coherent text by
suggesting the use of connectives, conjunctions, and
appropriate synonyms.
■ When the text is done, ask a S to read it aloud to
the class.
Variation: Ask a S with clear handwriting to rewrite the
text on the board. Make sure you get him or her a copy of
the text.
12 Can I add something here?
Aims: Encourage polite turn-taking strategies, practice
appropriate language for interrupting
Preparation: A pen or marker to be used as
a microphone
Comment: Use with speaking/discussion sections
■ Before doing the discussion activity, show Ss a pen or
marker. Tell them it is a microphone, and explain that
they can speak into the microphone only, otherwise
they won’t be heard.
■ The S holding the “microphone” will only give the
floor to another S if the person interrupts politely,
saying Excuse me, can I say something?, Excuse me, can I
add something here?, Excuse me, can I ask a question?, or
another informal but polite phrase for interrupting.
Variation: Ss will each have their own “microphone,”
which they will surrender to you after they speak, to
encourage more Ss to participate in the discussion.
Fresh ideas T-161
4/23/08 7:27:41 PM
 Photocopiables
Where can you find interesting, easy-to-use handouts for your classes?
Photocopiables provide innovative ways to teach and expand on lessons in the Student’s Book
and include projects, supplemental readings, quizzes, and games. Depending on the task, these
materials can either supplement or replace the suggestions in the page-by-page teaching notes.
There are 24 photocopiables, two per unit. Each unit has a speaking activity and either a
supplemental reading or project.The photocopiable handouts are provided at the end of
this section.

Unit Photocopiables Types

1.1 Quotes about friendship p. T-175 Group speaking activity
1 1.2 The meaning of friendship p. T-176 Project

2.1 Impressions p. T-177 Group speaking activity

2 2.2 A clothes encounter p. T-178 Reading

3.1 Inventions from 3010 p. T-179 Group speaking activity

3 3.2 Living off-grid p. T-180 Reading

4.1 Superstitions p. T-181 Pair speaking activity

4 4.2 Origins of superstitions p. T-182 Project

5.1 TV mania p. T-183 Board game

5 5.2 Must-see TV p. T-184 Project

6.1 What music is best? p. T-185 Group speaking activity

6 6.2 Songwriter’s big break p. T-186 Reading

7.1 Future trends p. T-187 Pair speaking activity

7 7.2 Bright ideas p. T-188 Reading

8.1 Shopaholics p. T-189 Board game

8 8.2 Ad campaign p. T-190 Project

9.1 Pet match p. T-191 Group speaking activity

9 9.2 Rent a pet p. T-192 Reading

10.1 Language survey p. T-193 Group speaking activity

10 10.2 Persuasive presentation p. T-194 Project

11.1 In your opinion p. T-195 Pair speaking activity

11 11.2 Goodwill ambassador p. T-196 Reading

12.1 Why did they succeed? p. T-197 Group speaking activity

12 12.2 Hot jobs p. T-198 Project

T-162 Photocopiables

T162_Passages_TE2.indd T-162 4/23/08 7:27:49 PM