Describe Pictures for the GEPT Speaking
Students use “There is…” and “There are…” to describe images in this 1 hour GEPT lesson to prepare for the speaking test.
Before class the teacher should…
- Prepare one large dice
- Print at least one copy of “GEPT Images.pdf” (You will need enough for every student in your class to have one image. You can print more than one copy if you have a large class.)
- Cut the GEPT Images.pdf so that there is one image per student.
1. Warm-up (10 minutes)
Write the following 6 questions on the board. These questions are similar to the third section of the GEPT speaking test.
- What’s your favorite drink?
- Do you prefer the ocean or the mountains?
- What’s your least favorite food?
- What type of music do you like to listen to?
- What weather do you love most?
- What’s your favorite game?
Get out a large dice. Give the dice to one of the students. Let the student roll the dice and then answer the question that corresponds to the number they rolled. Remind students that they must answer within 15 seconds, and that they should try to answer in complete sentences.
After the first student has tried, choose a new student to roll the dice and answer a question. Repeat for several students.
2. Listen and repeat (5-10 minutes)
Project the following video for the students to see, and play the first 15 seconds of the video.
Ask students what grammar they heard in the video. They should tell you that they heard “There is/are…” sentences. Ask students, “What is there in the picture?” Let a few students answer using the “There is/are…” sentences.
Now play the video again, pausing every few seconds to let students repeat as a class what they heard.
If you want to make this even more challenging, call on a few students try to repeat what they heard by themselves.
3. Describe the image above (5 minutes)
Now split students into partners. Project the image of the children and the computer onto the board again. This time tell students they must describe what they see in the photo in 90 seconds. Choose one student from each pair to go first. Time the students for 90 seconds and let them describe what they see to their partner. Challenge your students to talk for the whole 90 seconds.
Now let the other partner speak.
Note to teacher: Remind students that they don’t have to say exactly what they heard in the audio description. They should just talk as much as they can for 90 seconds about the image. The teacher should listen and make sure that students are saying “There is/are…” because Taiwanese students have a tendency to say “There have/has…” which is incorrect.
4. Prepare to speak about the GEPT Images (5 minutes)
Pass out one picture for each student from GEPT Images.pdf. Tell students they will need to speak about their picture for 90 seconds. They should use “There is/are…” to describe what they see, but of course they can use other grammatically correct sentences. Give students a few minutes to look at their picture, think about what they will say, and ask you if they need help with any vocabulary.
5. Mingle and talk about the images (15 minutes)
Now have students circulate around the room, describing their picture to everyone else. Make sure to put a 90 second timer on the board or time students using the classroom clock. Students should change partners until they’ve talked to everyone. Students cannot show their picture to their partner. Their partner should only listen.
6. Guess who had which picture (5-10 minutes)
After everyone has talked to everyone else have students give you their pictures. Show the pictures one by one to the class and have students guess who had which picture.
7. Try to describe a new picture (As long as time allows)
Put students into partners or small groups. Give each student a new image and allow students to try describing their new images to their classmates. The teacher should walk around the room listening and providing feedback. This activity can continue until the end of class and can even be continued into the next class if the teacher wishes.
