Life Events Vocabulary- Speaking
A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
Oral tasks to learn vocabulary of major life events like birth and marriage.
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.
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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
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(have an) abortion
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(have) an affair
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(golden/ silver/ diamond) anniversary
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first day at school/ start school |
(civil/ church/ wedding/ white/ traditional) ceremony
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ask for someone’s hand (in marriage)/ propose/ proposal |
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ask someone out (on a date)
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first job/ first day at work |
best man(‘s speech)
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lose your virginity
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(blind/ first/ double/ group) date/ go out with
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break up/ split up
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bun in the oven/ knocked up/ pregnant
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engaged/ engagement (ring/ party)/ fiancé/ fiancée |
cheat (on)/ two time/ mess around |
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divorce/ get divorced
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first kiss
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dump someone/ throw someone out
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birth of your first child |
first love/ young love/ infatuation/ crush/ unrequited love |
going out/ going steady
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heavy petting
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hen night/ stag night/ bachelor’s party
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meet your (future) in-laws
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fall (really/ deeply) in love/ fall for someone
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matchmaker/ matchmaking/ set up (by) someone |
live together (before marriage)/ shack up |
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(get) (re)married/ (second) marriage |
first lover’s tiff
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second wife/ husband
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separate/ separation
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settle down
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romantic holiday/ honeymoon |
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sleep around/ sow your wild oats |
sleep with
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snog/ passionate kiss/ pash (e.g. French kiss) |
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graduate from (high/ secondary) school |
(wedding) reception
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Valentine’s Day (present/ card) |
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graduate from university
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take (national/ entrance) exams |
retire (early)/ (early) retirement |
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move into an old people’s home/ nursing home |
take a postgraduate qualification (MBA, etc) |
move into your own place
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get a promotion |
change jobs
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go freelance/ work as a freelancer |
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set up your own company
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(get a/ have a) part-time job |
take paternity leave/ maternity leave |
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quit your job/ leave your job/ resign |
take a sabbatical
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write a thesis/ dissertation |
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buy a house/ get a mortgage |
get a credit card
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get into debt/ get a loan |
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support yourself/ stand on your own two feet |
contraception/ go on the pill
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meet the right person/ Mr Right/ the one |
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leave home/ move out
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get fired/ get the sack/ be dismissed |
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Life events vocabulary cards for questions and stories – Lower level version
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first day at school/ start school |
(civil/ church/ wedding/ white/ traditional) ceremony |
ask for someone’s hand (in marriage)/ propose/ proposal |
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ask someone out (on a date) |
first job/ first day at work
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(blind/ first/ double/ group) date/ go out with |
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pregnant
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engaged/ engagement (ring/ party)/ fiancé/ fiancée |
break up/ split up
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divorce
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first kiss
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fall (really/ deeply) in love/ fall for someone |
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birth |
first love/ young love/ infatuation/ crush/ unrequited love |
going out/ going steady
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(get) remarried/ second marriage/ wife/ husband
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snog/ (passionate/ French) kiss |
romantic holiday/ honeymoon |
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graduate from (high/ secondary) school
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(wedding) reception
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Valentine’s Day (present/ card) |
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graduate from university
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take (national/ entrance) exams
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retire (early)/ (early) retirement |
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move into an old people’s home/ nursing home
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change jobs
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move into your own place |
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set up your own company
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(get a/ have a) part-time job |
take paternity leave/ maternity leave |
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buy a house/ get a mortgage |
get a credit card
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quit your job/ leave your job/ resign |
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leave home/ move out
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get fired/ get the sack/ be dismissed |
meet the right person/ Mr Right/ the one |
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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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