Author: Sivanandini Moodley | Published on 1 March 2024
Read what Sivanandini says about this activity:
This lesson uses a text about a day at the beach to help learners understand the difference between different figures of speech.
Stage 1: Introduction
Share images based on the topics friends, favourite time of day, parents and holidays. Elicit the topics from the learners and personalise by asking a few questions, like what did you do for your last holiday? What’s your favourite time of day? Who is your best friend? What makes a good friend or holiday?
Alternative: Put anagrams of each topic on the board for learners to unscramble
Stage 2: Pre-teaching
Board the different figures of speech (onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor) and explain what each of them is. Alternative: ask the learners to match the figure of speech to a definition on. a worksheet, or say a definition and ask them to tell you which figure of speech you are describing
Stage 3: Reading
To orientate the learners to the text, ask relevant questions about the topic: When was the last time you went to the seaside? Can you swim? What is your favourite seaside town? Do you enjoy the seaside or not? Then ask the learners to read the text and underline examples of each figure of speech.
Text: A Day at the Beach.
| Last week Sunday was one of our hottest days. My cousins and I decided to spend the day at the beach. We could not wait to get there. Our car screeched to a halt at the sight of the sea. We raced to the waves and the icy-cold water of the Atlantic cooled us down immediately. We played like dolphins until we were exhausted. Our picnic basket welcomed us with thirst quenching drinks, chicken sandwiches and delicious seasonal fruit. We talked about how we will always remember this day before we walked at a snail's pace to the car. |
Stage 4: Post-reading
Place themes (Friends; My favourite time of day; Parents; Holidays) in an envelope and ask learners to choose one. When they have their theme, ask them to write a short paragraph (50 - 100 words) on the theme and include the figures of speech to show understanding. For feedback, the learners share their paragraphs with other learners in the group and decide which one uses the figures of speech best.