Animals

This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about animals. Students complete a short quiz in which they must guess the name of an animal based on a description. Students then brainstorm the animals that they know (for large classes, the teacher might assign a particular environment/habitat for each group as different habitats will be learned later in the class). The target language (deer, otter, peacock, orca, octopus, gecko) is introduced using pictures. The pronunciation of each word is drilled, after which the students match each animal to a suitable adjective describing it. Students then contextualise the next activity by reading a summary of Monterey Bay in California. Students read an article about sea otters in Monterey Bay, after which they answer comprehension questions. Teachers should point out to students that the golf balls in Monterey Bay are a form of environmental pollution. The next slide shows six types of environmental pollution (oil spill, microplastics, radiation, light, noise, litter). Students then discuss how pollution affects animals. The following two activities involve students describing differences between the animals they learned, and naming the animals that live in a variety of habitats.