The last time I went to a teaching conference I wrote a blog post called IATEFL Wordle Reflection. I created a Wordle with a bunch of words that came to mind from my trip. Then I invited MyEC members to guess why I had included each word. It was a fun post for three reasons:
1) It became a memory page for me to visit regularly.
2) It provided useful practice for English learners.
3) It inspired other teachers to try a new activity in class.
I've just returned from another teaching conference, and I thought I'd try this exercise again. Will you participate?
Your Task:
1) Choose a word from my memory page Wordle (see below).
2) Guess why I included the word you chose. Write your guess in the comments.
How to guess:
a) Ask a question (direct): Did you go on a roller coaster in Philadelphia?
b) Use "I think" + past tense: I think you went on a roller coaster in Philadelphia.
c) Use "I bet" + past tense: I bet Tara went on a roller coaster in Philadelphia.
d) Use "I wonder if" + past tense: I wonder if Tara's hotel had a roller coaster in it.
3) Read my responses. I will unravel the story by sharing a memory related to each word after a guess is made.
Teachers:
Try this exercise with your students! You can use Wordle: Unravel the Story for reflections on field trips, weekends, holidays, childhood etc. Have them practise asking direct and indirect questions and statements when guessing.
Comments
@Tara Thanks for the response and I love your answer. Yes, he might have realized/thought/guessed/assumed...
Some more "might have" sentences related the experience:
1. Some of the passengers might have been watching while I was drinking the water.
2. Expector might have said to himself "How could I..." when he was stopped.
3. It might have been the first time Expector had experienced the embarrassing situation.
Now, MyEC members who just read my response, it's your turn. Let's try to make a sentence with "might have"!
@Expector That's funny that we had the same water bottle experience. You were smart to drink some water before trashing it. I was too flustered to realize that I was thirsty (this is why I had a bottle with me!).
I love your question, Expector. This is exactly why blogging is a great way to practise English. There are so many ways to extend the practice (in this case using "might"). Your first one was really interesting. I never thought of that! Also, he might have realized you were a professional, and felt bad for embarrassing you over a simple water bottle.
@Anele You guessed that right! I'm a chocolate lover more than a peanut butter lover.
I, however, drinked some of the water when I experienced the same thing at the Beijing international airport.
I was totally unware of carrying a water bottle in my suitcase when I was stopped by a security officer. He asked for my ID and took down my identification number, though he knew I was innocent and even asked if I wanted to drink some of the water. I drinked some before I dropped the bottle, though, because I.... Hopefully, not so many people were watching, which could have been a very embarrassing situation:))
OK, I have a question for you: Why do you think the officer offered to let me drink some of the water? Hints: 1. He might have wanted to make sure it was drinkable water in the bottle, not something dangerous. 2. He might have thought I would be very unhappy if he didn't allow me to drink some of the water in the bottle (newly bought and intact).
@Marisa Thank you! Here's another picture for you. I am standing with Ben of Red River Press. I was wearing the #ELTChat shirt while we took everything down on Saturday. Our booth was located right beside Pearson. The word "shock value" (in the Wordle) has something to do with Pearson. Can anyone guess why I might have included this word in relation to this giant publisher?
@Anele
Thanks for joining the game again this year! It's hard to believe a year has passed.
I love how you described the cake as "unpalatably presented". Wonderful! This could be a whole new game using "if".
Your version: "If the sorbet was put on top of the cake and sprinkled with colored rice candies ...then you might have a different story to tell about it."
Mine: "If the peanut butter was limited to a very thin layer and the chocolate had more flavour, the cake would be more appetizing."
Now about that water bottle. Your guesses were all great, but I'm afraid you were not even close. The truth is, I had a water bottle in my purse on the way home from Philadelphia. When I went through security I forgot to dump it! The security officer pulled me aside and went carefully through my carry-on luggage. He found my water bottle in my purse. I apologized, and told him it was an innocent mistake. I wasn't trying to smuggle liquids into Canada! :) Fortunately he let me go. (He even offered to let me drink it first.) I declined and bought a new water bottle on the other side of the gates.
@Zakiah Great! And yes, you guessed the right definition for "kicking myself". Your question was worded correctly, except for "happen". How can you fix it? Think about the tense.
Note: The noun form you want in your second sentence below is "loss". However, "I'm sorry for your loss" is usually used when someone has died. You could say, "I'm sorry you lost your license." Or, "I'm sorry to hear of your inconvenience."
Excellent responses, Tara! I really enjoyed reading all of the interesting stories.
It's a good idea to always bring your novel and leave it somewhere when you are travelling - in the hope that someone will find and read it. I wish I were the lucky guy who found the book you left behind!
I chose the Oxford Univeristy Press because I thought you might have wanted to find a famous press which you may think would publish your book. Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading many more stories from you!
I love your challenge for the members to guess what you were doing as well as the picture of you wearing the #ELTchat T-shirt!!!
Tara you are a great member of my PLN!
@Nadiyah
Thanks for your guess! Actually, the word peanut goes with "peanut butter and jelly" in the Wordle.
Here is my story. One night we ordered a chocolate cake from the restaurant in our hotel. The waitress told us that this wasn't your ordinary chocolate cake. It was called "Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake". It had a layer of chocolate, a layer of peanut butter, and a scoop of grape sorbet. We decided to take a chance on this cake because she told us it was her favourite thing on the menu. Big mistake. It was disgusting! We did not eat it, even though it was $9! Actually, we did eat the sorbet. I hope you enjoy the photo. As you can see, even the presentation was terrible.
Note: The word "presentation" is often used to describe how the food appears on the plate. Does it look good enough to eat? In this case, it did not.
@Nadiyah Can you fix this phrase? "lots of peanut"
Also, what do you mean by "saturated"?
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