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Note: The students should make statements about facts which can
be proved, for example, annual rainfall in a particular place or the
broadcast that evening on television of a particular film. Too
many-unfounded assertions lead to a breakdown of the activity.
If the reference source is in the classroom, there can be no
dispute. For example, you might like to ask the students to make
true or false statements about a picture they can all see or a text
they have just read.
Family tree

Listening comprehension and brief writing.

Procedure: Make sure the students know what a family tree
diagram is. You may have to explain and illustrate.
Describe a family. The students draw and write the corresponding
family-tree diagram as you do so. For example, the description:
'Tom and Mary are married, and they have two children.
The elder is Mary and the younger is Tim' would lead to the
following simple family tree:

Remember this is virtually a dictation, so make sure students have
time to think and write. Then sketch the family tree on the board
so they can check their results.
Family trees can be improvised, or, better, use a family you
know personally (your own?), or one that features in a popular
television programme, or one well known in the country (such as
the Royal Family in Britain).

Variation: After the class has done this once from your
description, students can try dictating their own family trees to
each other.

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