Plenty of ideas on what to teach or revise with students during a first lesson: ranging from numbers, the ABC to past simple.
In this post, you will find activities and worksheets on:
1. Numbers
2. The ABC
3. Past Simple (Speaking Activity Holiday Liars)
3. Past Simple (Speaking Activity Holiday Liars)
1. Numbers
What students ought to know very well when they learn technical English are numbers. Therefore it is useful to revise them at the very beginning ... and also a few times along the way ;)
Numbers worksheet
Numbers powerpoint answers
Once you have been through numbers, you can get students to play a guessing game with numbers to practise saying and listening to numbers. Student A chooses a number and the rest of the group has to guess which number it is. Students A has to tell students if the number that he has in mind is higher or lower by saying 'more' or 'less'.
Example:
B. 500
A. more
C. 1000
A. less
D. 750
A. more
...
Finally, you can introduce them to the American pronunciation of numbers. Students are often taken aback by the American pronunciation of numbers, which leads them to miss crucial information during listening activities. Here is a listening activity for them to practice understanding numbers when they are said by North-American people within a flow of spoken information, namely a presentation.
Students listen and write down 4 numbers that are said by R. Saik during the first minute of his TedxTalk.
Pushing the Boundaries of Agriculture
There is a whole set of activities based on this talk in this article:
TEDx Talk Listening, Grammar and Pronunciation Skills Lesson: How to Introduce Yourself, Present Perfect Progressive, Since and For
2. ABC
The objective is to revise the pronunciation of the letters of the alphabet and more specifically those that are confusing for students such as A, E, I, G, J, R.
ABC sounds
Then by spelling PARIS, you can check if students really got their heads around the pronunciation of A, I and R. Then they can practise in groups by choosing names of places, people and/or technical references of parts or vehicles
3. Grammar
Here is a speaking activity that will enable your students to practise speaking using the past tense, while also practising their listening skills.
Holiday Liars: Students talk about their summer break, whether they worked or just stayed home. But they must include a lie. The rest of the class has to listen and find the false element in their description.
It is a good idea to revise the pronunciation of -ed beforehand through a simple exercise like this one:
Pronunciation of -ed
You can also find an A3 printable poster of my making for the classroom in this article:
Poster: Pronunciation of Final -ED
Cécile Sohier
Numbers worksheet
Numbers powerpoint answers
Once you have been through numbers, you can get students to play a guessing game with numbers to practise saying and listening to numbers. Student A chooses a number and the rest of the group has to guess which number it is. Students A has to tell students if the number that he has in mind is higher or lower by saying 'more' or 'less'.
Example:
B. 500
A. more
C. 1000
A. less
D. 750
A. more
...
Finally, you can introduce them to the American pronunciation of numbers. Students are often taken aback by the American pronunciation of numbers, which leads them to miss crucial information during listening activities. Here is a listening activity for them to practice understanding numbers when they are said by North-American people within a flow of spoken information, namely a presentation.
Students listen and write down 4 numbers that are said by R. Saik during the first minute of his TedxTalk.
Pushing the Boundaries of Agriculture
There is a whole set of activities based on this talk in this article:
TEDx Talk Listening, Grammar and Pronunciation Skills Lesson: How to Introduce Yourself, Present Perfect Progressive, Since and For
2. ABC
The objective is to revise the pronunciation of the letters of the alphabet and more specifically those that are confusing for students such as A, E, I, G, J, R.
ABC sounds
Then by spelling PARIS, you can check if students really got their heads around the pronunciation of A, I and R. Then they can practise in groups by choosing names of places, people and/or technical references of parts or vehicles
3. Grammar
Here is a speaking activity that will enable your students to practise speaking using the past tense, while also practising their listening skills.
Holiday Liars: Students talk about their summer break, whether they worked or just stayed home. But they must include a lie. The rest of the class has to listen and find the false element in their description.
It is a good idea to revise the pronunciation of -ed beforehand through a simple exercise like this one:
Pronunciation of -ed
You can also find an A3 printable poster of my making for the classroom in this article:
Poster: Pronunciation of Final -ED
Cécile Sohier
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About the Author
Cécile Sohier is an English teacher specialising in Technical English, ESP (English for Specific Purposes), Business English, and EFL/ESL teaching. She creates classroom-ready resources and shares practical ideas for teaching English in secondary schools, vocational education, and professional contexts.
Teaching Technical English focuses on:
• Technical English vocabulary and communication
• ESP lesson plans and teaching strategies
• Business English activities and resources
• EFL/ESL classroom materials for teachers
• Practical English for real-life and workplace situations
All articles are written to support English teachers, language educators, and learners looking for clear, usable, and authentic teaching materials.
© Cécile Sohier – Teaching Technical English
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