Giáo án Language

Warm up Ss' prior knowledge of articles and of the sound of the first letter of a word, and introduce the focus of the lesson.

T shows the sentence 'We invited ___ exchange student.' on the projector and asks Ss to choose the correct article (a, an, the or zero article). T then shows 'She studies at ___ university.' and asks Ss whether a or an is needed and why. Ss work individually for 30 seconds, then in pairs for 1 minute.

Ss predict 'an' for the first sentence because 'exchange' starts with a vowel sound, and 'a' for the second because 'university' starts with the consonant sound /j/. Ss state the idea that a/an depends on sound, not spelling. Ss also show a first guess about the target sounds /ɔɪ/, /aɪ/ and /aʊ/.

Help Ss understand and remember the six topic words of the unit and use them in simple sentences.

Period 1. T presents six words on the board: diversity (sự đa dạng), identity (bản sắc), culture shock (sốc văn hoá), tradition (truyền thống), adapt (thích nghi), respect (tôn trọng). T reads each word aloud, Ss repeat in chorus and individually. Ss work in groups of four to draw a mind map with the centre 'A multicultural world' and six branches, one for each word. Each branch has the Vietnamese meaning and one simple English sentence written by the group.

A group mind map with six branches: diversity – sự đa dạng; identity – bản sắc; culture shock – sốc văn hoá; tradition – truyền thống; adapt – thích nghi; respect – tôn trọng. Each branch has one simple sentence of the group's own, such as 'Students need to respect the traditions of others.'

Help Ss recognise, pronounce and distinguish the diphthongs /ɔɪ/, /aɪ/ and /aʊ/ and keep the final consonants clearly.

Period 1. T draws a three-column chart on the board with the headings /ɔɪ/, /aɪ/ and /aʊ/. T says the words choice, enjoyed, time, crowd, outside, lively and joy aloud. Ss listen and repeat, then sort the words into the correct column. T plays the model sentence 'We enjoyed the lively crowd outside.' Ss listen and repeat chorally, then individually. T explains that each diphthong glides within one syllable and that the final consonants must be kept: choice does not become joy, and crowd keeps its /d/.

Correct sound-sorting chart: /ɔɪ/: choice, enjoyed, joy; /aɪ/: time, lively; /aʊ/: crowd, outside. Ss say the model sentence with a smooth glide in each diphthong and a clear final consonant in choice (/s/) and crowd (/d/).

Help Ss understand when to use a/an, the and the zero article, and choose a/an by sound.

Period 2. T presents the grammar with a table on the board: A/an (a non-specific singular countable noun, chosen by sound: an hour, a university); The (a specific or shared referent or a unique item in context); Zero article (plural or uncountable nouns in general: Festivals bring people together; music matters); Country names (usually no article, but the United Kingdom and the United States take the). T writes the warning 'Do not use a/an before an uncountable noun such as information.' Ss copy the table and examples into their notebooks and fill in a rule summary.

Ss complete a rule table in their notebooks: A/an – non-specific singular countable noun, chosen by sound (an hour, a university); The – specific or shared referent or unique item (I bought a guide. The guide has clear maps.); Zero article – general plural or uncountable nouns (Festivals bring people together; Music matters); Country names – usually zero article, but the United Kingdom and the United States take the. Warning: no a/an before uncountable nouns such as information.

Help Ss apply the rules for a/an, the and the zero article to the given sentences and explain their choice.

Period 2. Ss work individually on Worksheet 1: Articles, exercises 1 to 8. Ss write the letter of the correct answer and give a short reason for each. Then Ss check in pairs, and T shows the answer key on the projector.

Worksheet 1 answer key: 1 – B (an exchange student, because exchange starts with a vowel sound); 2 – A (a university, because university starts with the /j/ consonant sound); 3 – A (zero article, because music in general is uncountable); 4 – D (the United Kingdom); 5 – B (the guide, because it is the second, specific mention); 6 – B (an hour, because hour starts with a vowel sound); 7 – A (some useful information, because information is uncountable); 8 – C (zero article, because festivals in general is a plural noun).

Help Ss match the unit's key vocabulary with its meanings and read the model sentence aloud with correct sounds and natural rhythm.

Ss work in pairs on Worksheet 2: Vocabulary and Reading Aloud. Part A: match six words with their meanings. Part B: read the practice sentence 'We enjoyed the lively crowd outside.' aloud twice, first slowly, then at a natural pace. Then Ss explain the sound focus of the diphthongs and demonstrate it for their partner. Partners give feedback using a simple rubric.

Worksheet 2 answers – Part A: diversity – sự đa dạng; identity – bản sắc; culture shock – sốc văn hoá; tradition – truyền thống; adapt – thích nghi; respect – tôn trọng. Part B: each partner reads the sentence twice, keeps the diphthongs /aɪ/ in lively, /aʊ/ in crowd and outside, and /ɔɪ/ in enjoyed, and says one feedback point and one self-correction.

Help Ss use the target vocabulary, articles and diphthongs in a short personal talk about a tradition or festival they know.

Period 2. Ss work in pairs to prepare a 1-minute talk of five to six sentences about a tradition or festival they know. Each talk must use at least three target words (diversity, identity, culture shock, tradition, adapt, respect), at least one example of a/an chosen by sound, one use of the, one zero-article sentence about general plural or uncountable nouns, and at least two words with diphthongs. Pairs present to the class, and classmates check the target points with a checklist.

A short oral talk of five to six sentences with at least three target words, a/an chosen by sound, the, a zero-article sentence, and at least two diphthong words. Example: 'Tradition is important for our identity. Festivals bring people together. We should respect other cultures and adapt to new customs.' The class uses a checklist to confirm each target point.