Introduction:

This lesson looks at ways to develop students 'clothes vocabulary' it could be spread over two lessons as the posters in Stage 5 could take quite a while a complete.

Aims:

• To introduce present continuous for descriptions: He's wearing. She's wearing. They're wearing.

• To review colours through questions: What colour is it? It's blue. His sweater is blue. His jeans are black.

• To introduce clothes vocabulary: Pullover, T-shirt, shirt, sweater, jeans, trousers, dress, skirt, socks, shoes, boots, slippers, anorak, coat, raincoat, glasses

• To raise cultural awareness: Their uniform is blue and white. (optional)

Materials:

• Flashcards for all clothes items. You will need one set per person.

• Photocopies of a body for children to draw clothes onto

• Photocopies of the jazz chant to stick into books for later reference

• Lots of sheets of white A3 for posters

• Catalogues to cut up.

• Photocopies of outline of a T-shirt.

• Newspapers to cut up.

• Sellotape, felt-tip pens, crayons, scissors and glue.

Stage 1: Clothes vocabulary - Introduction

Write the word 'clothes' on the board. By pointing to the clothes you are wearing elicit the meaning of clothes.

Choose a volunteer to come to the front of the class. At this stage it's a good idea to choose someone you know likes drawing and is fairly quick at it.

Draw a pair of trousers onto their back using your finger. They have to draw onto the board what they think you drew on their back. Some children might find this difficult to feel so you may have to try it on a couple.

Elicit the word 'trousers' or provide it if they don't know it. Write the word next to the child's drawing on the board. Do the same for a couple more items of clothing.

Then distribute small flashcards to the children and in pairs they have to secretly pick a card and draw what they see onto their partners back. The partner has to draw onto a piece of paper what they think their partner drew on their back.

After about five minutes or as soon the first pair has finished you can start asking children to come to the board and draw the items of clothing.

Then when all the items are on the board, elicit and/or provide the words. Write them on the board. In pairs they can now write the words onto their partners' back and the other person has to work out which one it is.



Stage 2: Clothes vocabulary and the Present Continuous

Draw a model body for each student (before class) and distribute photocopies. You can personalise the body with a name which makes integrating the present continuous much more natural.

You describe what 'she' is wearing; "Susan is wearing a blue skirt." They have to draw onto the picture the clothes that you describe, colouring them as you describe.

To check their understanding and knowledge of the vocabulary and grammar get them to describe what Susan is wearing to their neighbour while you monitor and help.

Then do the same as a whole class.



Stage 3: A clothes chant

On the CIEP website the lesson plan suggests using a jazz chant. I think this is a great idea as it's easy for the learners to pick up and then remember the vocabulary.

The only thing I would say is that the chant they suggest uses the present simple 'He wears' instead of the present continuous 'He is wearing' which is the main focus of this lesson. If you use both in one lesson you may confuse them. I've found another, similar chant which is really good and it uses the grammar and vocabulary you need in this particular lesson. Click here.

The good thing about this chant is that it personalises the language and describes what people in the class are wearing.



Stage 4: A describing game

Split the class into two teams.

Two students go outside of the classroom while the rest of the class choose someone from their class to describe.

The two students come back and the class take it in turns to describe the chosen person.

The first person to guess correctly gets a point for their team.



Stage 5: Clothes poster

Tape six sheets of A3 paper together, depending on height of your students.

A volunteer from groups of five carefully lies down on the paper and either you or one of the group draws around the person.

You may want to do this part for them and they can decorate and label the picture themselves. If you do decide to let them do the person outline then they should do it very carefully in crayon or pencil so as not to get felt tips or markers onto the volunteer's clothes.

You could then display the posters on the wall.

Depending on the age of your class you could either provide written cards with the clothes words written already and when all the colouring is completed then the class listens to you say a word, and watches you match the card to the clothes e.g. "This card says 'trousers.' Can you find the word 'trousers'?" (from their pile of words). "Good. Where are the trousers?" (looking at the child generated posters) "Well done. Now stick the word next to the trousers." Show them if necessary with the first one. Help when needed but let them try first in their groups to match the word labels to the clothes.



Clothes poster alternative:

• Another poster idea could be using a selection of catalogues and magazines.

• You could draw a large poster of a person and each group could be in charge of cutting out just one type of clothing i.e. t-shirts.

• They could then stick all their small t-shirts where the t-shirt should be on the life-size poster to make a type of collage.

• You may find it easier to manage this in groups where each group has their own poster rather than trying to stick onto one main poster.

Homework:

They can design their own t-shirt.

• It can be as colourful and funny as they want.

• You could design your own and show it to them before they start as an example of what you are asking them to do.

• It's a good idea to draw an outline of a t-shirt and photocopy it for everyone so they all start off with the same size.

• These could be displayed in the following lesson.

Follow up:

Clothes vocabulary review

• This suggestion sent in to the BBC / British Council Teaching English website is an interactive way for children to remember clothes vocabulary. See here.

• They have to cut out of a newspaper the shape of different clothes items. They aren't looking for pictures of clothes.

• Then using a piece of string you make a washing line for them to hang their clothes onto.

• Once they've done this, get them to close their eyes while you remove an item of clothing from the line.

• The students then have to remember which one is missing. The person who gets the answer correct could remove the next item.

Internet links:

The EFL Playhouse
This site has a useful collection of resources including a collection of jazz chants
The CIEP website
Here's a nice plan for a jazz chant called 'The Blue Jeans Blues'
Teaching English
Here's a nice activity for revising clothes form the BBC / British Couincil site

By Jo Bertrand