This is a lesson plan with worksheet for A1–A2 classes learning or revising how to ask for and give personal information.
BULLET POINTS:
Level: A1–A2 (Elementary)
Age: Adults
Group size: Any
Aim: To practise question formation; to ask questions about personal information; to give information about personal details
Skill: Speaking
Grammar: Questions, to be, have got
Vocabulary: Personal details
Length: 90 minutes
Preparation time: 5 minutes (print and cut student worksheet)
Materials: Student worksheet (one sheet per two students), whiteboard and marker
Warm-up (5 min)
Anything you like: correct homework, ask welcome questions, or play a quick game such as hangman.
Lead-in (10 min)
Write three pieces of data about yourself on the whiteboard, e.g. 40; Palermo; English, German and Italian. Tell students that these are the answers to three questions about you.
Elicit what the questions might be.
Write the correct questions on the whiteboard:
- How old are you?
- Where do you live?
- What languages do you speak?
Ask students to give your answers to these questions in complete sentences:
- I'm 40 years old.
- I live in Palermo.
- I speak English, German and Italian.
Clarify that both short and long answers are correct, though short answers sound more natural.
Main Part (20–25 min)
Put students in pairs.
Give students the worksheet (cut in half for Student A and Student B).
Elicit — or teach, if necessary — the questions and answers by going through the categories in the first column. Use the first- and second-person singular forms at this stage (you and I):
QUESTIONS | ANSWERS |
What's your name? | My name is Giorgio. |
What's your surname? | My surname is Barrafranca. |
How old are you? | I'm 33 years old. |
Are you married? | No, I'm not. |
Have you got children? | No, I haven't. |
What do you do? | I'm an electrician. |
What's your mobile number | My mobile number is 123-456 789. |
What's your email address? | My email address is g.barrafranca@gmail.com. |
Where are you from? | I'm from Sicily. |
What nationality are you? | I'm Italian. |
Where do you live? | I live in Rome. |
What languages do you speak? | I speak Italian and a little English. |
Have you got a car? | Yes, I have. |
If necessary, pretend to be the first person in the chart and repeat the exercise with your students as a class.
Student Practice (25 min)
Tell students they can pick three identities from the chart and interview each other in pairs.
Monitor students and give feedback.
If necessary, go through the remaining identities as a class.
Follow-up Exercise (20 min)
Think of one of the people in the chart. Tell students they can ask ten questions to try to identify who you're thinking of.
They can ask questions such as:
- Are you a woman?
- Do you live in Russia? etc.
You may answer only yes or no.
NB: You can also switch to a third-person version of the game, e.g.
- Is your person a woman?
- Does she live in Russia? etc.
Once students have guessed who you chose, ask them to repeat the game in pairs, switching roles.
Monitor them and give feedback.
Wind-down (5 min)
Anything you like: assign written homework (e.g. write a short email introducing yourself as one of the people in the chart) or play a quick game, such as spelling surnames (also useful practice for oral exams).