START

1. CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS: What did you do over the Christmas and New Year holiday period? Go round the room swapping stories. Change partners often.

2. BRATISLAVA NEW OUTDOOR ICE RINK: What do you know about the new Bratislava outdoor ice rink? Go round the room swapping stories. Change partners often.

3. DICTATION: The teacher will read some of the article slowly and clearly. Students will write down what they hear. The teacher will repeat the passage slowly again. Self correct your work from page 2 - filling in spaces and correcting mistakes. Be honest with yourself on the number of errors. Advise the teacher of your total number of errors. Less than 5 is very good. 10 are acceptable. Any more is room for improvement! More than 20 - we need to do some work!

4. READING: Get students to read the passage aloud. Swap readers every paragraph.

5. VOCABULARY: Students look through the article. Underline/highlight any vocabulary you do not know. Look in dictionaries. Discuss and help each other out. The teacher will go through & explain any words or phrases you do not understand.

6. HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES: Think of 3 things you did over the festive period. List them below. Then think of 3 things you should have done. With your partner discuss your findings. The teacher will select some pairs to discuss in front of the class.                                                                        

7. ICE RINK: With your partner on the board write as many words to do with the ‘ice rink’ as you can. One-two minutes. Compare with other teams. Discuss together – linking your words.

8. NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS: Think of 3 New Year resolutions you took / might have taken / could make. Compare with your partner and discuss. The teacher will pick some students to compare overall results. Of these which ones have you already broken?                                                                                       

9. PRESS CONFERENCE: In pairs: You are at a press conference held by T-Com to announce the opening of the new outdoor ice rink. One of you is the press spokesperson from T-Com. The other is a journalist from a local TV station. The journalist has to ask 3 questions. The T-Com press spokesperson has to say a few words at the beginning before taking some questions. Role play: 5 minutes.

10. QUICK DISCUSSION: Student(s) A thinks the new ice rink is great. Student(s) B thinks it is in the wrong place and is too small.

11. ICE RINK ARTICLE QUIZ: With your partner or in small groups: (1 point for each correct answer. Lose ½ point if you look at the article for help!)                   

Student A                                                                                    

1)         What size is the ice rink?                                                            

2)         What happens on the 31^st January 2008?                                    

3)         What was awful?                                                                  

4)         Name the big cities mentioned?                                                       

5)         Name the particular places in these cities (in no 4) where there is ice                    skating?                                                                                      

6)         How much does it cost a year to run the old ice rink?                           

7)         What is the name of the small town that is going to buy the ice rink?         

8)         What was not cost effective?                                                          

9)         What can one borrow?                                                                      

10)         Where is the new outdoor ice rink situated?                                                 

Student B                                                                          

1)         What future possibilities are there?                                                         

2)         How much does it cost a month to store the former ice rink?                   

3)         What time is the rink open on weekdays?                                               

4)         What time is the rink open at weekends?                                               

5)         While skating what else can you do?                                                

6)         What happens if someone gets injured skating?                                         

7)         Name 3 other facilities at the ice rink?                                             

8)         What is next to the ice rink?                                                               

9)         What has been a tradition since 1999?                                              

10         How much is the former ice rink today worth?                            

12. SENTENCE STARTERS: With your partner(s), finish these sentence starters. Change partner(s) and talk about the sentences you made.

a)   The ice rink ____________________________________________________

b)   T-Com  _______________________________________________________

c)    Plastic ice _____________________________________________________

d)   Ice skates _____________________________________________________

e)   Big corporations ________________________________________________

f)     The ice ________________________________________________________

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: After reading the article guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article:

GAP FILL: READING

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

GAP FILL: LISTENING:

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Ice rink returns to Bratislava

During the Christmas holidays Bratislava finally saw _________________ traditional outdoor ice skating rink. Situated ___________________ the river at Tyršovom nábreží it’s 25m long and 15m wide. Sponsored by T-Com it is where the city beach used to be. Open since 19^th December 2007 it will be open until 6^th February 2008 – _______________. It’s free for everyone and is open weekdays from noon until 22.00. During the weekend from 10 till 10. Some schools will use it. Next to the rink is a tent where you can get food or something to drink. __________________ TV. Every day there are some fairytales and movies that you can watch while skating. There is also free internet. There are also toilets, changing rooms and locker facilities. One can also borrow ice skates. In case someone gets injured there is first aid. Future possibilities could see an ice skating school for children under 12. Ice skating areas like ___________________ big cities like New York in Central Park, London in Kew Gardens and Paris __________________ Tower.

Having a traditional ice skating rink ____________________ in Bratislava since 1999 when it was in Downtown. Many people used to go there until the old city mayor changed the natural ice _________________ (plastic). Then no one bothered to go as it was awful. The reason - it emerges - is that the old city found it simply wasn’t cost effective to have an ice skating area like there used to be. On ___________________ found it impossible to sell the former ice rink. Storing it costs 26,000 sk a month so the mayor of the old city came up with the idea of liquidation. The rest of the councillors were against __________________ someone would buy the old ice rink. In 1999 it cost 6m sk to run. Today it’s worth only 1m sk but it costs 2.5m sk every year to run. That’s an _________________ for the old city. Latest news advises that someone from a small town called Čierne nad Čadcou is willing to buy it. The old city __________________ on 31^st January 2008 for a token 1 sk. Any offers from big corporations?

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)   Did the headline make you want to read the article?

b)   Which is your favourite fairytale?

c)    Did you ever use the former real ice skating rink Downtown?

d)   Did you ever go on ‘The Beach’ in Bratislava during the summer?

e)   Should the former ice rink be sold to another city?

f)     Do you like ice hockey?

g)   Do you do any winter sport?

h)   If yes, which sport do you do?

i)     Which is your current favourite movie?

j)     Do you think the old town mayor is right to sell the former ice rink?

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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)   Have you been ice skating recently?

b)   Did you go ice skating a lot as a child?

c)    Have you ever visited London, Paris or New York?

d)   Do you think having a real ice skating rink is a good idea?

e)   Should big corporations take on the former ice rink?

f)     Should the new or former ice rink go back to being Downtown?

g)   Would you use the ice rink of it was back Downtown?

h)   Which telephone operator do you use?

i)     Which telephone operator is the best and why?

j)     Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

a.   What was the most interesting thing you heard?

b.   Was there a question you did not like?

c.    Was there something you totally disagreed with?

d.   What did you like talking about?

e.   Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

ROLE PLAY: SPEAKING:

In groups:

You are at a New Years Eve party. Think of 3 GOOD questions to ask your friends and colleagues about 2008. For example what they may want to do this year, holidays etc…. Go round the room finding out more…

The teacher will select some groups to present their debate / findings to the rest of the class.

LANGUAGE: CORRECT WORD: Choose the correct words from a–d below and write them in the article.

During the (1)___ holidays Bratislava finally saw the return of its traditional outdoor ice skating rink. Situated in the park next to the river at Tyršovom nábreží it’s 25m long and 15m wide. Sponsored by T-Com it is where the city beach used to be. Open since 19^th December 2007 it will be open until 6^th February 2008 – probably longer. It’s free for (2)___ and is open weekdays from noon until 22.00. During the weekend from 10 till 10. Some schools will use it. Next to the rink is a tent where you can get food or something to drink. You can even watch TV. Every day there are some fairytales and movies that you can watch while (3)___. There is also free internet. There are also toilets, changing rooms and locker facilities. One can also (4)___ ice skates. In case somebody gets injured there is first aid. Future possibilities could see an ice skating school for children under 12. Ice skating areas like these are common in big cities like New York in Central Park, London in Kew Gardens and Paris next to the Eiffel Tower.

Having a traditional ice skating rink has been a tradition in Bratislava since 1999 when it was in Downtown. Many people used to go there until the old city mayor changed the natural ice for synthetic ice (plastic). Then no one (5)___ to go as it was awful. The reason - it (6)___ - is that the old city found it simply wasn’t cost effective to have an ice skating area like there used to be. On the other (7)___ they found it impossible to sell the former ice rink. (8)___ it costs 26,000 sk a month so the mayor of the old city came up with the idea of liquidation. The rest of the councillors were against this as they hoped (9)___ would buy the old ice rink. In 1999 it cost 6m sk to run. (10)___ it’s worth only 1m sk but it costs 2.5m sk every year to run. That’s an impossible amount for the old city. (11)___ news advises that someone from a small town called Čierne nad Čadcou is willing to buy it. The old city will sell the rink on 31^st January 2008 for a token 1 sk. Any (12)___ from big corporations?

GRAMMAR 1: MIDWAY

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

GRAMMAR 2: EASY

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: Write a newspaper article about ICE SKATING. (Minimum 200 words)

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Which article was best and why?

WRITING: IN CLASS:

1. FIVE MINUTE ARTICLE: Write an article on ‘ICE SKATING.’ You have five minutes. Afterwards swap articles with your partner. Read through their article and correct any mistakes. The teacher will select some students to read out their work.

Countdown: Every minute the teacher may say, “You have xx minutes.”

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

SYNONYM MATCH:

PHRASE MATCH:

GAP FILL: Ice rink returns to Bratislava: During the Christmas holidays Bratislava finally saw the return of its traditional outdoor ice skating rink. Situated in the park next to the river at Tyršovom nábreží it’s 25m long and 15m wide. Sponsored by T-Com it is where the city beach used to be. Open since 19^th December 2007 it will be open until 6^th February 2008 – probably longer. It’s free for everyone and is open weekdays from noon until 22.00. During the weekend from 10 till 10. Some schools will use it. Next to the rink is a tent where you can get food or something to drink. You can even watch TV. Every day there are some fairytales and movies that you can watch while skating. There is also free internet. There are also toilets, changing rooms and locker facilities. One can also borrow ice skates. In case someone gets injured there is first aid. Future possibilities could see an ice skating school for children under 12. Ice skating areas like these are common in big cities like New York in Central Park, London in Kew Gardens and Paris next to the Eiffel Tower. Having a traditional ice skating rink has been a tradition in Bratislava since 1999 when it was in Downtown. Many people used to go there until the old city mayor changed the natural ice for synthetic ice (plastic). Then no one bothered to go as it was awful. The reason - it emerges - is that the Old City found it simply wasn’t cost effective to have an ice skating area like there used to be. On the other hand they found it impossible to sell the former ice rink. Storing it costs 26,000 sk a month so the mayor of the old city came up with the idea of liquidation. The rest of the councillors were against this as they hoped someone would buy the old ice rink. In 1999 it cost 6m sk to run. Today it’s worth only 1m sk but it costs 2.5m sk every year to run. That’s an impossible amount for the old city. Latest news advises that someone from a small town called Čierne nad Čadcou is willing to buy it. The old city will sell the rink on 31^st January 2008 for a token 1 sk. Any offers from big corporations?

LANGUAGE WORK