Cycling

• To introduce this topic you could start with a drawing dictation. You will give instructions for your learners to draw a simple line drawing of a bicycle.
• The best way to do this is to sketch a bike yourself before the class on a small piece of paper, then look at the paper as you describe the shapes. Keep it as simple as possible and remember to grade your language to the level you’re teaching. For example, “draw a circle in the bottom left hand side of the box. Now draw a circle, the same size as the first, in the bottom left hand side. Connect the two circles with a horizontal line at the top…etc, etc.”
• If you have a high level class you could really go to town with this and dictate a scene of a cyclist in amongst traffic. They could also label the parts of the bike if you feel this vocabulary may be useful to them.
• When everyone has a picture of a bicycle, compare drawings and introduce today’s topic of cycling. 
   

• This is a class survey which can adapted to any level. There are two simple questions already. The other questions should come from the learners before you start.
• Ask learners what type of questions they could ask their classmates about cycling.
• Write their ideas on the board then ask learners to complete the survey with questions that they would like to know the answers to. For example:
  • Do you have a bike, if so what’s it like?
  • Do you think that (their city) has enough cycle tracks?
  • Do you think cycling is a good alternative to cars?
  • Have you ever fallen off a bike?
  • Do you think car drivers respect cyclists enough?
• (As always, grade the language to the level you’re teaching).
• With lower levels, spend some time drilling the questions so students are confident when they ask them. The learners should then all stand up and mingle and ask their questions to six classmates. If you have a large class, put learners into groups of seven to make it less chaotic.
• When learners have gathered the information ask them to tell you what they found out or to write a short summary of their findings.

• This could be done as a whole class or in pairs.
• Adapt the statements if necessary depending on whether or not you’re living in a cycling-friendly place or not.
• With lower levels, give the learners some examples of how they can react to the statements and leave some examples on the board for them to refer to. For example, ‘I completely disagree with you because…’ ‘That’s the most ridiculous think I’ve ever heard!’ etc

• Put learners into pairs to do the task, they can read the text and decide on the best heading for the paragraphs.
• As always, pre-teach new vocabulary for lower levels.
  Answers: 1) c, 2) a, 3) d, 4) b

This is quite a challenging role play and your learners will need some information before they start. They will need to know a little about the following types of bikes:

• Fold-up bikes
  Mountain bikes
  Racing bikes
  Electric bikes
  Retro bikes (like the Chopper)
• If possible, search online for some pictures of the different types of bikes.
• As a group, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of owning these types of bike in the city where you are.
• Learners will also need to understand the idea of getting commission on sales.
• Cut up the role play cards and put learners into pairs, one being the sales person and the other the customer.
• Give out the cards randomly so that most pairs don’t match. For example, the sales person wants to sell a racing bike to somebody who wants to buy an electric bike. The students will have to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of bike.

• This task is for younger learners and could be used to given as homework if class time is short. Learners could work individually or in groups.
• Tell learners that their local council (or whatever the equivalent is where you are) are holding a competition. They want to encourage more people to use bicycles instead of cars.
• Depending on the level, get learners to think of a slogan and to think of reasons why cycling may be a better option than driving. You could brainstorm ideas together before they start