Giáo án Getting Started

Ss activate prior knowledge about people whose life stories they admire and get familiar with the topic of the unit, Life stories we admire.

Ss look at a photo of a famous person chosen by T and answer quick questions in pairs: What do you know about this person? Why do people admire him or her? Which word from the board describes your feeling: admire, achievement, determination? T then asks Ss to share one person they admire and one quality of that person.

Ss give at least one reason for admiration using the words admire, achievement or determination. Example: "I admire my grandmother because she shows great determination in her work." The class agrees on the title of the unit: Life stories we admire.

Ss recognise and understand the six topic words, and use them in simple sentences.

Period 1. Ss work in teams of four. Each team receives a set of vocabulary cards with the words achievement, biography, determination, career, admire and collaboration, plus a set of meaning cards. Ss match each word with its meaning (Worksheet 1, Task A), then write one sentence per word about a person they know. T checks the meaning cards and supports pronunciation.
Vocabulary: achievement (thành tựu); biography (tiểu sử); determination (sự quyết tâm); career (sự nghiệp); admire (ngưỡng mộ); collaboration (sự cộng tác).

Correct word-meaning matches:

• achievement – thành tựu
• biography – tiểu sử
• determination – sự quyết tâm
• career – sự nghiệp
• admire – ngưỡng mộ
• collaboration – sự cộng tác
  Each team writes six sample sentences, for example: "The biography of this writer is very inspiring."

Ss identify the speakers' intentions in the opening conversation and use expressions to respond to good news and thanks.

Ss listen to the recording of the conversation twice, then read it in pairs.
A: I'm delighted that our biography display is ready.
B: So am I. The timeline is much clearer now.
A: It was a pleasure working with you.
B: Likewise. Checking the dates together really helped.
T asks Ss to complete Worksheet 1, Task B: identify the intention of each line (expressing delight, agreeing, thanking, responding to thanks) and find one useful expression for each intention.

Speaker intentions:

• Line 1 (A): expressing delight about a completed project.
• Line 2 (B): agreeing with A and giving a reason (the timeline is clearer).
• Line 3 (A): thanking B for their cooperation.
• Line 4 (B): responding to thanks with Likewise and giving credit to teamwork.
  Useful language: I'm delighted that…; So am I.; It was a pleasure + V-ing; Likewise.; really helped.

Ss pronounce the diphthongs /eɪ/ and /əʊ/ clearly, gliding within one syllable.

T models the words age /eɪdʒ/, brave /breɪv/, wrote /roʊt/ and hero /ˈhɪroʊ/. T explains that the vowel glides within one syllable and that /əʊ/ is commonly /oʊ/ in American English, and both are accepted. Ss repeat in chorus, then in pairs. Ss read the sentence: The brave hero wrote a page about hope. Ss find the words with the same sounds in the conversation.

Ss pronounce the words with a smooth glide, not two separate vowels. Ss sort the words into two columns:

• /eɪ/: age, brave, make, day
• /əʊ/ or /oʊ/: wrote, hero, hope, go
  Ss read the sentence The brave hero wrote a page about hope with correct rhythm.

Ss choose the past simple or the past continuous according to meaning, and understand that when and while do not decide the tense automatically.

T presents the meaning first. Past simple: completed events in a life story (The company began in 1976). Past continuous: an action in progress or background (While the team was testing the design, the director called). Two simultaneous background actions may both use the past continuous. T explains that when and while do not automatically determine the tense; the meaning does. T shows a timeline on the board and asks Ss to decide which event is completed and which is in progress. Ss complete Worksheet 2, Task A.

Key knowledge:

• Past simple: a completed event at a known time in the past (She graduated in 1990.)
• Past continuous: an action in progress at a point of time, or background to another event (At nine that evening, the artist was drawing sketches.)
• Two background actions: While Ss were reading, the teacher was writing on the board.
  Ex: The team was testing the design when the director called. (Background action + completed interruption)

Ss apply the vocabulary and the past tenses in controlled exercises and check their answers.

Ss complete Worksheet 2, Task B (exercises 2–5 from the lesson). Exercise 2: match the topic words with their meanings. Exercise 3: choose the correct verb form for The company ___ in 1976. Exercise 4: choose the correct form for While the team ___ the film, the producer called. Exercise 5: choose the correct form for At nine that evening, the artist ___ sketches. Ss work in pairs, then T checks answers with the class. Students can also check the answers on NeoEdu interactive exercises.

Answers:

• Exercise 2: achievement – thành tựu; biography – tiểu sử; determination – sự quyết tâm; career – sự nghiệp; admire – ngưỡng mộ; collaboration – sự cộng tác.
• Exercise 3: C. began (A dated completed event takes the past simple).
• Exercise 4: D. was editing (Editing was the ongoing background action).
• Exercise 5: B. was drawing (A past-time action in progress uses the past continuous).

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

Ss complete Worksheet 2, Task C (exercises 6–9). Ss work in pairs for the analysis questions and then write a three-sentence summary individually. Questions: (6) Who is the audience and what is the purpose of the conversation? (7) Which sentence is the opening, and how does it introduce the topic? (8) Choose two useful details and explain why they are more useful than saying only that the topic is important. (9) Write a three-sentence summary using only information from the model.

Model answers (teacher's marking guide):

• Exercise 6: Audience: the two speakers in the exchange. Purpose: to express pleasure and thanks for a finished project. Evidence: A: I'm delighted that our biography display is ready.
• Exercise 7: The opening sentence is A: I'm delighted that our biography display is ready. It introduces the specific subject before the supporting detail.
• Exercise 8: Two details: (1) B: So am I. The timeline is much clearer now. (2) B: Likewise. Checking the dates together really helped. These give specific information that the audience can use.
• Exercise 9: The speakers are pleased that their biography display is ready. They regard the clearer timeline as an improvement. They enjoyed working together and checking the dates.

Ss use the past simple and the past continuous, the unit vocabulary and verified historical notes to present the contributions of two admired figures in English, without inventing dialogue.

Ss work in groups of four to draft a short timeline and a three-sentence presentation about General Võ Nguyên Giáp and Võ Thị Sáu, using only these verified notes:

• Võ Nguyên Giáp: born in Quảng Bình in 1911; died in Hà Nội in 2013; his military leadership is associated with the victory at Điện Biên Phủ in 1954.
• Võ Thị Sáu: born in 1933 in Bà Rịa Province; died at Côn Đảo in 1952.
  Each group explains one contribution of each person, adds one personal opinion clearly marked as an opinion (I admire …), and uses at least one past continuous sentence to describe a background situation (for example, while the resistance was continuing). Groups finish the presentation at home if needed.

Each group produces:

• A timeline with at least four dated events, sourced to the verified notes.
• A three-sentence presentation, for example: "Võ Nguyên Giáp was born in Quảng Bình in 1911. His military leadership is associated with the victory at Điện Biên Phủ in 1954. I admire his determination."
• At least one past continuous sentence showing background, for example: "While the resistance was continuing, many people showed great courage."