Topic: Describing People
Mode: Interpersonal/Presentational
Level: Novice
Students will brainstorm and categorize vocabulary about personality traits
Components of this activity: Whiteboard/chalkboard, paper and pencils
Instructions to the teacher
This activity will start in the full group, break up into pairs, and then conclude in groups of four. In the full group, brainstorm a list of different roles (e.g., parent, teacher, student, president, actor, etc.). It may be useful to tell your students that the role could be a profession or some other role in life. Allow students to brainstorm as many roles as you wish, as this can be a nice vocabulary building activity. Separate students into pairs. In pairs, the students should choose no more than five roles to work with. They should use the vocabulary from the list to name several positive traits for a person in this role and several negative traits. Then, pairs should combine into groups of four to present the traits they listed for each role and explain their rationale for each trait.
Instructions to students
Think of a profession or some other role in life (e.g., parent, friend, student, etc.) and together with your partner come up with some negative and positive characteristics of this role. Share your answers with the rest of the group.