Giáo án Getting Started

Ss follow the opening exchange, identify the speakers' intentions and connect the unit topic with the useful language.

Ss look at the picture of a reading club and listen to the conversation twice, then read it silently:
A: I'm worried that I have never helped at a reading club.
B: That is understandable. A librarian will show us what to do.
A: I feel relieved. I can ask if I am unsure.
B: Exactly. Being careful is part of being responsible.
Task: Answer the questions: (1) What is A worried about? (2) What does B do to help A? (3) How does A feel at the end? (4) What is the lesson about being a volunteer?

Ss can say that:

• A is worried about never having helped at a reading club, so A expresses a feeling of worry.
• B reassures A and explains that a librarian will show them what to do, so B's intention is to comfort and inform.
• A feels relieved and can ask if unsure; the speakers show that asking for help is acceptable.
• B says 'Being careful is part of being responsible', so volunteering needs responsibility.
  Ss connect the topic: volunteering in a community needs training, support and responsibility.

Ss learn the six topic words and their meanings and use them to talk about volunteering.

Ss work in pairs to match each word with its Vietnamese meaning, then use each word in a short example sentence about volunteering. Use Worksheet 1.
Words: volunteer, donation, community, reliable, benefit, grateful.
Meanings: tình nguyện viên, khoản quyên góp, cộng đồng, đáng tin cậy, lợi ích, biết ơn.

Answer key for Worksheet 1 (Exercise 2):

• volunteer – tình nguyện viên
• donation – khoản quyên góp
• community – cộng đồng
• reliable – đáng tin cậy
• benefit – lợi ích
• grateful – biết ơn
  Example sentences (sample): A volunteer helps the community. We made a donation of books to the library. A reliable volunteer comes every Saturday. Reading gives many benefits to children. I am grateful to the librarian for her help.

Ss recognise and produce the stress change in two-syllable noun-verb pairs.

T models the words and asks Ss to repeat. Ss listen to and repeat the following pairs and mark the stress:
A RE-cord /ˈrekərd/ – to re-CORD /rɪˈkɔrd/
A PRE-sent /ˈprezənt/ – to pre-SENT /prɪˈzent/
Sentence to read: 'We record each present in a notebook.'
Ss then decide whether 'reliable' and 'volunteer' follow the same pattern or not.

Ss can state the rule: in these two-syllable words with the same spelling, the noun is stressed on the first syllable and the verb is stressed on the second syllable.
Stress marks:

• RE-cord (noun) / re-CORD (verb)
• PRE-sent (noun) / pre-SENT (verb)
  Note: not every two-syllable word follows this pattern; for example, 'volunteer' is stressed on the first syllable in both noun and verb forms, so Ss must check each word.

Ss explain the difference between past continuous and past simple and choose the correct -ed or -ing adjective from the meaning.

Ss read the grammar notes in the textbook and the NeoEdu page, then complete Worksheet 2 in groups of four.
Grammar notes:

• Past continuous (was/were + -ing): an action in progress in the past, e.g. 'While we were packing, the organiser called.'
• Past simple: a completed event, e.g. 'The organiser called.'
• 'When' does not automatically require one tense; the meaning decides.
• -ed adjective describes a feeling (interested); -ing adjective describes the cause (interesting).
• Useful = helpful; useless = not effective.
  T's questions: 'Which action was in progress?' 'Which action interrupted it?' 'Who feels the emotion, and what causes it?'

Ss can state the following:

• Past continuous shows the background action, e.g. 'While we were sorting books, the phone rang.'
• Past simple shows the completed event that interrupts, e.g. 'We were waiting when the organiser arrived.'
• -ed adjectives describe a person's feeling: 'I was interested in the project.'
• -ing adjectives describe the thing that causes the feeling: 'The project was interesting.'
  Worksheet 2 answer key (Exercise 1): 1. interested; 2. interesting; 3. tired; 4. tiring.

Ss apply the past continuous, past simple and -ed/-ing adjectives correctly in single-sentence exercises.

Ss do Exercises 3, 4 and 5 individually, then compare with a partner.
3. While we ___ books, the phone rang. A. were sorting; B. sorted; C. are sorting; D. have sorted
4. We were waiting when the organiser ___. A. was arrive; B. arrives; C. has arrive; D. arrived
5. I felt ___ after the long but rewarding day. A. tire; B. tires; C. tired; D. tiring

Answer key:
3. A – were sorting (the ongoing background action takes past continuous).
4. D – arrived (the completed arrival interrupts the waiting).
5. C – tired (the person experiences the feeling).
Ss' explanation example: 'In sentence 3, the sorting was in progress when the phone rang, so we use the past continuous.'

Ss analyse the purpose, audience and key details of the model conversation and write a short summary using only information in the model.

Ss work in pairs to do Exercises 6–9 on Worksheet 2 (Part B).
6. State the purpose and audience of this short everyday conversation on 'For a better community'. Support your answer with one detail.
7. Explain how the opening introduces the topic. Identify the actual opening sentence.
8. Select two useful details from the model and explain why including them is better than saying only that the topic is important.
9. Write a three-sentence summary using only information in the model. Keep any condition or limit that is essential to its meaning.
Note for Ss: an illustrative example is not a proven observation, and an accurate paraphrase is acceptable.

Model answers (teacher's guide; accept equivalent wording):
6. Purpose: the conversation shares a concrete way to understand volunteering for a better community, and its audience is people who are new to volunteering. Detail: 'B: That is understandable. A librarian will show us what to do.' The listener can use this information to know what to expect.
7. The opening sentence is: 'A: I'm worried that I have never helped at a reading club.' It introduces the situation of a volunteer in a community before the supporting information.
8. Two useful details: 'A librarian will show us what to do.' and 'I can ask if I am unsure.' These are specific statements that the audience can evaluate or use, while the statement 'volunteering is important' gives no practical information.
9. Sample summary: A: I'm worried that I have never helped at a reading club. B: That is understandable; a librarian will show us what to do. A: I can ask if I am unsure, and B says being careful is part of being responsible.

Ss use the target language to role-play a realistic conversation between a new volunteer and an experienced volunteer about a community activity.

Ss work in groups of four to prepare and perform a short dialogue (6–8 lines) between a worried new volunteer and an experienced librarian or volunteer at a community reading club. The dialogue must include:

• at least one past continuous sentence (e.g. 'While I was sorting the books, ...');
• at least one past simple sentence describing a completed event;
• at least one -ed and one -ing adjective (e.g. 'I was worried. The training was helpful.');
• at least one of the words: volunteer, donation, community, reliable, benefit, grateful.
  After performing, groups fill in a peer feedback form.

Each group produces:

• a written dialogue of 6–8 lines using the required structures;
• a 1-minute performance;
• a peer feedback sheet with two praises and one suggestion.
  Sample dialogue:
  A: I'm worried that I have never helped at a reading club.
  B: That is understandable. While you were arriving, I was preparing the books. A librarian will show us what to do.
  A: I feel relieved. The training was helpful, and I can ask if I am unsure.
  B: Exactly. Being careful and reliable is part of being a good volunteer.