UNIT: Reading / Writing
TASK: Gap-filling / Free writing
PURPOSE: Review / Test the target language skills
LEVEL: Lower Intermediate / Intermediate
This ESOL / EFL activity is based around reading a very simple e-mail about the popular film “Music and Lyrics” and filling the gaps in the text. The teaching and learning task allows for introducing another source of information to the learners along with working on reading comprehension and reinforcing the following language aspects: recognising “confusing words” (those which sound similar but are spelt in different ways), using the correct punctuation marks in the end of sentences, using capital letters to start sentences as well as in some proper names, such as days of week.
Though the task represents a sufficient stand-alone reading activity, it can also serve to help the learners to develop skills in writing short texts about favorite films or books, which is a very common task often used in test papers. We offer two separate worksheets, where the first one is a gap-filling activity (which can then be used as a sample text to follow) and the second one is a blank e-mail box for the learners to write about a recently viewed film. To simplify the writing task, the learners can start with reading the gap-filling activity e-mail and highlighting those words which can be replaced to tell about a film of their own choice. A discussion of sentence punctuation would be of help to lower-level writers. After that the learners can copy down the sample sentences changing some details, e.g. name of the film, characters, events, etc.
Another possible extension or follow-up activity is to ask the learners to discuss and make a list of questions which are answered in the sample e-mail. After that they can carry out short dialogues to ask and answer the questions in order to talk about their favorite or recently used films. It would be a good idea to have a choice of DVDs, film posters or popular magazines with film reviews available to prompt learners’ ideas.
Looking for more ideas? Try ESOLworksheets resources based around reading and writing informal letters about going to the cinema.
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