Excuse me. How do you that word? Is it T-I-R-E-D or T-Y-R-E-D?

Days and dates

1 1.10 Ask students to look at the picture.

Explain that the girl is Lauren, and the boy is

Oliver. Ask: What day is it today? and elicit that it’s

Lauren’s birthday. Ask students to read the dialogue quickly, and make sure they notice there are three alternatives to select from in 1–5. Play the audio and ask students to circle the information they hear. Play it again if necessary. Students compare answers in pairs before a whole-class check.

Answers

1 23rd 2 13 3 September 4 13th 5 Tuesday

2 1.11 Students try to complete the days and months individually then compare answers in pairs. Write the headings Days and Months on the board with the numbers 1–7 and 1–12 below them, respectively. Choose a diff erent student to write each answer on the board. Play the audio for them to check their answers. Then play it again, and ask students to repeat each word to practice pronunciation. Pay special attention to Wednesday being pronounced as two syllables and the clear diff erentiation between Tuesday and Thursday. Ask the class to check and correct the spelling of the words on the board as necessary.

Answers

Days 1 Monday /ˈmʌndeɪ/ 5 Friday /ˈfrɑɪdeɪ/ 2 Tuesday /ˈtuzdeɪ/ 6 Saturday /ˈsæt̬ərdeɪ/ 3 Wednesday /ˈwenzdeɪ/ 7 Sunday /ˈsʌndeɪ/ 4 Thursday /ˈθɜrzdeɪ/ Months 1 January /ˈdʒænjueri/ 7 July /dʒʊˈlɑɪ/ 2 February /ˈfebjueri/ 8 August /ɔˈɡʌst/ /ˈfebrueri/ 9 September /sepˈtembər/ 3 March /mɑrtʃ/ 10 October /ɑkˈtoʊbər/ 4 April /ˈeɪprəl/ 11 November /noʊˈvembər/ 5 May /meɪ/ 12 December /dɪˈsembər/ 6 June /dʒun/

3 To introduce the distinction between cardinal and ordinal numbers, say: I’m [thirty-two]. How old are you? and elicit a student’s age. Write the numbers on the board. Ask: What’s today? and elicit the date.

Write the ordinal number on the board (April 2nd, for example). Explain that when we talk about dates, we use special numbers called ordinal numbers. Make sure students understand that in English we use -st, -nd, -rd, and -th to write these numbers, not any other symbol. Students match the words and numbers individually then compare answers in pairs before you check with the whole class. Have students repeat each word after you to practice pronunciation. Check that their pronunciation of -th is clear enough.

first – 1st /fɜrst/ twelft h – 12th /twelfθ/ second – 2nd /ˈsekənd/ fift eenth – 15th /fɪfˈtinθ/ third – 3rd /θɜrd/ twentieth – 20th /ˈtwentiəθ/ fourth – 4th /fɔrθ/ twenty-second – 22nd fift h – 5th /fɪfθ/ /ˌtwenti ˈsekənd/ thirty-first – 31st /ˌθɜrti ˈfɜrst/

Language note

Pay special attention to the spelling and pronunciation of five / fift h, eight / eighth (one t), nine / ninth /nɑɪnθ/, and twelve / twelft h (ve > f).

4 1.12 Give students 30 seconds to think about how to say the numbers. Then have them, in pairs, take turns reading the numbers to each other. Play the audio fi rst for them to check their ideas then again for them to repeat the words.

Optional extension

Students write down three ordinal numbers of their choice, in secret, so that their partner can’t see them. In pairs, they then take turns saying their numbers while their partner writes them down. At the end they compare – do they have the same six ordinal numbers?

5 1.13 First, ask students to look at the photos and say who the famous people are. They might not recognize all of them. Write on the board: Barack

Obama’s birthday is ___ ___, and elicit the missing words (August, 4th). Play the fi rst item from the audio and ask students to read the example. Play the rest of the audio, twice if necessary, pausing after each person to give students time to record their answers.

Ask them to compare answers in pairs before you check with the whole class.

Answers

1 (Barack Obama’s birthday is) August 4th 2 (Justin Bieber’s birthday is) March 1st 3 (Mark Zuckerberg’s birthday is) May 14th 4 (Maria Sharapova’s birthday) is April 19th 5 (Ryan Gosling’s birthday is) November 12th 6 (Selena Gomez’s birthday is) July 22nd

6 SPEAKING Do this as a mingle activity. Students walk around and speak to as many other students as they can to fi nd out about their birthdays. You could turn it into a contest by setting a time limit, with the student who fi nds the most students’ birthdays becoming the winner. Students should make a note of the person whose birthday is closest to theirs.