Giáo án Getting Started

Warm-up: Ss activate their prior knowledge about independence and everyday planning, and get ready for the opening conversation of the unit.

Ss answer two questions in pairs:

• What does it mean to be independent in daily life?
• Have you ever planned a trip alone, for example by bus? What did you prepare first?
  T then asks Ss to predict the topic of the lesson from the picture or the title 'Becoming independent'.

Ss share at least one example each, such as: 'I check the bus route and the timetable before I go' or 'I keep a small list of money for snacks and transport'. Ss make a prediction: the lesson is about planning, saving money and managing tasks alone.

Knowledge formation: Ss understand and use six topic words: independent, self-study, budget, priority, manage, self-motivated.

Ss match each word with its Vietnamese meaning in the table below (T's slide), then complete a short sentence for each word using the word in context.

• independent
• self-study
• budget
• priority
• manage
• self-motivated
  Meanings to match: tự lập; tự học; ngân sách; việc ưu tiên; quản lí; có động lực tự thân.
  Ss then read the example sentence from T: 'A budget helps me manage my money.'

Answer key:

• independent – tự lập
• self-study – tự học
• budget – ngân sách
• priority – việc ưu tiên
• manage – quản lí
• self-motivated – có động lực tự thân
  Sample sentences: 'I want to be independent when I travel.' / 'Self-study needs a clear plan.' / 'My budget for the week is 200,000 đồng.' / 'Safety is my first priority.' / 'I can manage my time well.' / 'A self-motivated student studies without being told.'

Knowledge formation: Ss follow the opening exchange, identify what each speaker intends to do and practise fall-rise intonation in polite invitations, suggestions and requests.

T reads the conversation aloud twice, then Ss read it in pairs (Speaker A and Speaker B):
A: I'm taking my first independent bus journey tomorrow.
B: Best of luck! I hope it goes smoothly.
A: Thank you. I have saved the route and contact number.
B: That sounds well prepared.
After that, T asks Ss to say the three lines with the contours below:

• Would you like to join our workshop? ↘↗
• Why don't we practise together? ↘↗
• Could you show me the timetable? ↘↗
  T tells Ss that the fall-rise pattern is friendly; other natural polite contours can also be valid in context.

Speaker intentions:

• A announces a plan and shares a personal achievement.
• B expresses good wishes.
• A reports preparation: the route and contact number are saved.
• B praises the preparation.
  Intonation: Ss say the three polite lines with a fall then a rise, without stretching every syllable. Ss understand that tone, wording and meaning work together.

Knowledge formation: Ss understand the meaning and form of cleft sentences that highlight a subject, an object or a time expression.

T presents the example: Lan made the plan → It was Lan who/that made the plan. Then T shows: It was on Monday that Lan made it.
Ss work in groups of three to notice the rules. Each group receives a card with three questions:

1. Which part is highlighted after 'It was'?
2. Which word follows the highlighted part: who, that or both? Why?
3. What must stay the same as the original sentence?
   T also states that a cleft sentence should not be used to imply an unsupported contrast.

Rules Ss discover:

• A cleft sentence highlights one part: 'It was + focus + who/that + the rest of the sentence'.
• For a person, 'who' is possible; 'that' works for the other common focuses.
• For a time focus, 'that' introduces the rest: It was on Monday that Lan made it.
• The original event, tense and actor stay unchanged.
• Do not use a cleft sentence to imply an unsupported contrast.

Knowledge formation: Ss read the topic preview and sequence the steps for planning a weekly budget, using a fictional example.

Ss read the topic preview silently (T's slide), then sequence six steps in groups of four:

• Record purchases during the week.
• Write down the money actually available.
• Compare the record with the plan and adjust the next week.
• List necessary travel and school costs.
• Set aside a small reserve if possible, then decide what remains for optional spending.
• Decide the four amounts of the example.
  The example: from 200,000 đồng, allow 80,000 for travel, 50,000 for school materials, 20,000 for a reserve and 50,000 for optional spending. T stresses that the example is fictional and not a claimed observation.

Correct order:

1. Write down the money actually available.
2. List necessary travel and school costs.
3. Set aside a small reserve if possible, then decide what remains for optional spending.
4. Record purchases during the week.
5. Compare the record with the plan and adjust the next week.
   Check: 80,000 + 50,000 + 20,000 + 50,000 = 200,000 đồng.
   Group conclusion: if an essential cost changes, reconsider optional spending instead of hiding the difference.

Practice: Ss apply the cleft sentence structure to complete and choose the correct sentences, and recall the intonation pattern for polite requests.

Ss complete the exercises on Worksheet 1:

• Exercise 2: Focus on Lan: ___ Lan who made the plan. A. It was B. There was C. It were D. Was it
• Exercise 3: Focus on time: It was on Monday ___ she called. A. who B. whose C. where to D. that
• Exercise 4: Choose the cleft focusing on the tool. A. It was yesterday that I planned. B. The calendar helped me. C. It was the calendar that helped me. D. It was I who used the calendar.
  After that, Ss say one polite request from the opening conversation with fall-rise intonation.

Answers and explanations:

• Exercise 2: A. It was (It introduces a past cleft.)
• Exercise 3: D. that (That introduces the remainder after a time focus.)
• Exercise 4: C. It was the calendar that helped me. (The focused noun phrase is the calendar.)
  Intonation: Ss say 'Could you show me the timetable?' with a fall then a rise.

Practice: Ss identify the purpose, the audience, the opening sentence and useful details of the conversation, and write a short summary using only the information in the model.

Ss answer Exercises 6–9 in pairs, using the conversation from the exploration phase:

• Exercise 6: State the purpose and audience of this short everyday conversation. Support your answer with one detail.
• Exercise 7: Explain how the opening introduces the topic and identify the actual opening sentence.
• Exercise 8: Select two useful details from the model and explain why they are better than saying only that the topic is important.
• Exercise 9: Write a three-sentence summary using only information in the model. Keep any essential condition or limit.

Sample answers (teacher marks; equivalent wording is accepted):

• Exercise 6: Audience: the two speakers. Purpose: to handle a concrete request, response and conditions in the exchange. Supporting detail: 'A: I'm taking my first independent bus journey tomorrow.'
• Exercise 7: The opening is 'A: I'm taking my first independent bus journey tomorrow.' It introduces the particular situation before the later details.
• Exercise 8: (1) 'B: Best of luck! I hope it goes smoothly.' This shows what is being wished. (2) 'A: Thank you. I have saved the route and contact number.' This gives a concrete action. Both are actually present in the model, which is more useful than a general statement that the topic is important.
• Exercise 9: 'A will make a first independent bus journey tomorrow. B offers good wishes. A has prepared the route and contact number, which B regards as good preparation.'

Application: Ss apply the budget steps to a fictional weekly plan, speak about their plan with polite language and reflect on responsible planning.

Ss complete Worksheet 2 in groups of three:

1. Use a fictional weekly amount, for example 200,000 đồng.
2. Divide the money into four categories: travel, school materials, reserve and optional spending.
3. Write one sentence about the purchase that changes most during the week and what you would do.
4. Role-play: one student is a planner, one is a friend. The friend uses a polite suggestion such as 'Why don't we check the record together?' with fall-rise intonation and gives advice.
   T reminds Ss not to use real account details or passwords.

Each group produces:

• A weekly budget list with four categories whose amounts add up to the total.
• One sentence showing how the group adjusts the plan if travel costs rise, for example: 'We revise the budget and reduce optional spending before cutting travel.'
• A short role-play in which the friend gives one polite suggestion with fall-rise intonation.