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Life Events Vocabulary- Speaking

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Oral tasks to learn vocabulary of major life events like birth and marriage.

By: Alex Case
Level: All Levels
Theme: Culture
Study Area: Vocabulary
      Page: /

Lesson Plan Content:


Life events vocabulary speaking

Life events vocabulary ask and tell game

Choose one of the cards below. Make a (personal or opinion) question about that thing and/ or using those words, then flip a coin. If you get heads (= the picture side) you can ask someone else in your group that question, but if you get tails (= the number side) you must answer your own question. In other words: Heads = Ask                    Tails = Tell

If the person who has to answer rejects the question (with “I’d rather not say”, “That’s a bit personal”, etc), they can’t make the next question. People can also ask follow up questions if they like, but you don’t have to answer extra questions if you don’t want to.

Suggested questions about life events

“At what age…?”

“Do you approve of…?”/ “Do you think it’s okay to…?”

“Do you think it’s true that…?”

“Do you think people should…?”

“Do you think… is a good enough reason to…?”

“Has anyone that you know…?”

“Have you ever…?”

“How can you decide if…?”

“How do you feel about…?”

“How was your…?”

“How important is… (to you)?”

“How would you feel if…?”

“How would you… (if you had to/ if the opportunity arose)?

“Under what circumstances is it okay to…?”/ “Under what circumstances might you…?”

“What are the (dis)advantages of…?”

“What do you (usually) do…?”

“What do you think about…?”

“What have people told you about…?”

“What kind of…?”

“What would make you…?”

“What would you do if your son/ daughter/ boyfriend/ girlfriend/ father/ mother/ husband/ wife/ sister/ brother…?”

“What would you do if… told you that…?”

“What would you… if…?”

“What’s the best/ worst/ most… (if…)?”

“When did you first/ last…?”

“Why might you…?”

“Would you (ever)… (if…)?”

“Would you like to…?”

 

Life events vocabulary storytelling

Put the cards face up on the table or deal them all out. Use as many cards as you can to make a (single) life story, one card at a time. It doesn’t matter if the story is realistic or not.

 

Put the life events vocabulary into order

Put the cards into what you think is the best or most typical order.

 

Life events vocabulary cards for questions and stories – higher-level version 

 

(have an) abortion

 

 

(have) an affair

 

 

(golden/ silver/ diamond) anniversary

 

 

first day at school/ start school

 

(civil/ church/ wedding/ white/ traditional) ceremony

 

ask for someone’s hand (in marriage)/ propose/ proposal

 

ask someone out (on a date)

  

 

first job/ first day at work

 

best man(‘s speech)

 

 

lose your virginity

 

 

(blind/ first/ double/ group) date/ go out with

 

 

break up/ split up

 

 

bun in the oven/ knocked up/ pregnant

 

 

engaged/ engagement (ring/ party)/ fiancé/ fiancée

 

cheat (on)/ two time/ mess around

 

divorce/ get divorced

 

 

first kiss

 

 

dump someone/ throw someone out

 

 

birth of your first child

first love/ young love/ infatuation/ crush/ unrequited love

 

going out/ going steady

 

 

heavy petting

 

 

hen night/ stag night/ bachelor’s party

 

 

meet your (future) in-laws

 

 

fall (really/ deeply) in love/ fall for someone

 

 

matchmaker/ matchmaking/ set up (by) someone

 

live together (before marriage)/ shack up

 

(get) (re)married/ (second) marriage

 

first lover’s tiff

  

 

second wife/ husband

 

 

separate/ separation

  

 

settle down

 

 

romantic holiday/ honeymoon

 

sleep around/ sow your wild oats

 

sleep with

  

 

snog/ passionate kiss/ pash (e.g. French kiss)

 

graduate from (high/ secondary) school

 

(wedding) reception

  

 

Valentine’s Day (present/ card)

 

graduate from university

  

 

take (national/ entrance) exams

 

retire (early)/ (early) retirement

         

 

move into an old people’s home/ nursing home

 

take a postgraduate qualification (MBA, etc)

 

move into your own place

  

 

get a promotion

 

change jobs

  

 

go freelance/ work as a freelancer

 

set up your own company

   

 

(get a/ have a) part-time job

 

take paternity leave/ maternity leave

 

quit your job/ leave your job/ resign

 

take a sabbatical

   

 

write a thesis/ dissertation

 

buy a house/ get a mortgage

 

get a credit card

  

 

get into debt/ get a loan

 

support yourself/ stand on your own two feet

 

contraception/ go on the pill

   

 

meet the right person/ Mr Right/ the one

 

leave home/ move out

  

 

get fired/ get the sack/ be dismissed

 

 

 

Life events vocabulary cards for questions and stories – Lower level version

 

 first day at school/ start school

 

(civil/ church/ wedding/ white/ traditional) ceremony

ask for someone’s hand (in marriage)/ propose/ proposal

 

ask someone out (on a date)

 

first job/ first day at work

   

 

(blind/ first/ double/ group) date/ go out with

 

pregnant

 

 

engaged/ engagement (ring/ party)/ fiancé/ fiancée

 

break up/ split up

  

 

divorce

 

 

first kiss

  

 

fall (really/ deeply) in love/ fall for someone

 

birth

first love/ young love/ infatuation/ crush/ unrequited love

 

going out/ going steady

   

 

(get) remarried/ second marriage/ wife/ husband

  

 

snog/ (passionate/ French) kiss

 

romantic holiday/ honeymoon

 

graduate from (high/ secondary) school

 

 

(wedding) reception

  

 

Valentine’s Day (present/ card)

 

graduate from university

   

 

take (national/ entrance) exams

 

 

retire (early)/ (early) retirement

 

move into an old people’s home/ nursing home

 

 

change jobs

  

 

move into your own place

 

set up your own company

   

 

(get a/ have a) part-time job

 

take paternity leave/ maternity leave

 

buy a house/ get a mortgage

 

get a credit card

   

 

quit your job/ leave your job/ resign

 

leave home/ move out

  

 

get fired/ get the sack/ be dismissed

 

meet the right person/ Mr Right/ the one

         

 

Life events collocations

Brainstorm as many collocations as you can to the words below, adding words before and/ or after each word there.

 

+ date

 

+ up

 

engagement +

 

going +

 

have +

 

+ anniversary

 

get +

 

meet +

 

take +

 

move +

 

wedding +

 

+ marriage

 

+ school

 

fall +

 

+ night/ party

 

first +

 

Use the mixed words below to help with the task above

Check your answers with the cards on the higher-level worksheets. Many other collocations are possible, so please check if you wrote something different.

 

Mixed answers

  • a loan/ a mortgage
  • a postgraduate qualification
  • a promotion
  • a sabbatical
  • an abortion
  • an affair
  • bachelor’s
  • blind
  • break/ split
  • ceremony
  • child
  • date
  • day at school/ day of work
  • diamond
  • double
  • fired/ the sack
  • first
  • for someone
  • golden/ silver
  • graduate from
  • group
  • hen
  • high/ secondary
  • in love
  • into an old people’s home/ nursing home
  • into debt
  • into your own place
  • job
  • kiss
  • knocked
  • love
  • maternity leave
  • Mr Right/ the one
  • national exams
  • out
  • party
  • paternity leave
  • reception
  • ring
  • second
  • stag
  • start
  • steady
  • your (future) in-laws


Life events vocabulary word formation

Without looking above, write at least one more form of each word below, e.g. the adjective if it is a noun. Answers not above may also be possible.

abort

gold

ceremonial

propose

dating

speak

virgin

pregnancy

engaged

fiancé

born

infatuated

steadily

heaviness

deep

matchmaking

marry

secondly

separate

romance

passion

graduation

receive

nation

retire

person

qualify

promote

freelance

paternal

Check your ideas above. Many other answers are possible, so please check if you wrote something different. 

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