Class theme/topics discussed:
Vocabulary exercise
Holidays – March 8 and February 23

How did you pick this theme or topic?
The goal was to carry out activities encouraging spontaneous speech.

How did you present the material? (handouts, group work, general discussion, student presentations, etc.)
Handouts, general discussion, word game.

How did students react?
They enjoyed the game.

Did they engage with each other and you?
Yes.

What materials or media did you use? (articles, satellite tv, digital projector, etc.)
Handouts, a Russian-English dictionary for each student in the group.

Please attach a copy. See fileLesson 12_Feb 25_Holidays

Would you recommend this activity for a future class?
Yes.
Why or why not?
This activity is an effective practice in spontaneous, situational language use.

Advanced Russian
Lesson 12
February 25, 2010

1. News of the day – 5 min.

2. Game: call my bluff – 20 min.

Each student finds in a dictionary three words that seem very obscure and give definitions of the words to the others. The definition must be either 100% true or 100% false. When the student has finished the others must decide if the definition was bluff or true. The student receives a point for each person who is deceived.
Students are asked to give examples illustrating the definition they suggest.
If another student doesn’t believe the given definition, they are asked to guess what that word could mean instead.

3. Reading and Retelling – 20 min.

The two students in class get different texts about recent or upcoming holidays in Russia – 23 февраля and 8 марта. The task is to read the text and tell the others the history of the holiday.