Activity

The Least Popular Things

Students practice "too" by talking about things they dislike.

This activity is for practicing "too."

I start out by writing the word "Least Popular Things" on the board and ask if the students know what it means. I find that "least" isn't covered often in class so you may have to explain it. Then I ask the JTE (who understands that we're going to use this grammar point) about different things they might like or not like.

  • Do you like winter?
  • Oh, no, I don't.
  • Why not?
  • It's too cold.

I try and ask several questions to show a couple different adjectives ("Do you like spiders?" "No, they're too scary!") and show that it's okay if the other person answers affirmatively ("Do you like coffee?" "Yes, I do!"). If the teacher says an adjective, I write it on the board.

Next I pass out the papers and ask the students to think of things that aren't very popular. Tests, bugs, bitter or slimy food, anything except other people is okay. You want students to be able to respond with a variety of adjectives, so it's good to review them beforehand. I find "gross" to be a good one - the students usually don't know it, but it's fun to say and a common English word. Other useful adjectives might include bitter, sticky, scary, troublesome, or damp.

Once the students understand the "too" grammar pattern and the idea of the activity, I set them loose to ask each other about things they don't like. They don't need to write anything if their partner likes what they ask about, but they should write the reason their partner doesn't like something. After about 10 minutes, I ask them to finish and write out the reasons why their partners didn't like something in full sentences. I find the the students often use Japanese adjectives if they don't know a good equivalent in English, so I try and use this time to teach them the English words if I know them.

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Submitted by Jake W November 22, 2018 Estimated time: 20-30 minutes

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