english4theworld teachers' centre image bank

Ask each learner to make a list of eight people they are very closely associated with (e.g. my best friend, my mother, my boss etc). Tell them to include themselves ('Me') and you ('My teacher') in their lists. Explain that you will read out a list of eight vehicles. As they hear each one, they should write the name of it next to the person on their list they most closely associate with the vehicle (for whatever reason). Tell them that they are allowed to change their minds (regarding who they associate a particular vehicle with) as the list continues. When you have finished reading the list and your learners have made their associations, pair learners and ask them to explain to each other why they made these associations. Finally, invite learners to share with the whole class any insights they had or heard.

HOW ARE THEY THE SAME?

Pair learners and give each pair two of the vehicle pictures. Tell them not to show their pictures to other learners. Ask each pair to make the longest list possible of all the similarities they can think of between their two vehicles. For example, using the pictures of the houseboat and the camper van, they are similar in the following ways:

• You can't pedal either of them.
• You can sleep in them both.
• Neither of them have handlebars.
• They both have engines.

If you wish, use one pair of pictures as an example to brainstorm ideas with the class. This is an opportunity to feed in possible structures your learners can use at the writing stage. Begin the activity, and allow up to ten minutes for pairs to write their ideas. When they are ready, ask one pair to read aloud their list of similarities. Tell the class that they should listen, and from the similarities they hear, they should guess which two vehicles are being described. Repeat this procedure with other pairs of learners.

STAND UP IF...

Arrange the chairs in a large circle, and ask all your learners to sit down. Give each learner a different vehicle picture, and make sure they know the name of their vehicle. Explain that you will call out an instruction (e.g. Stand up if you have handlebars). If this is true for the vehicle a learner is holding, the learner should stand up. If not, they should remain seated. For example, with the instruction above, a learner with a picture of a bicycle, a scooter, or a motorbike should stand up, and a learner with a picture of a bus or a taxi would not move. Other possible instructions include:

• Stand up if people pay a fare to use you.
• Stand up if you're used on a farm.
• Stand up if you've only got two wheels.

UNFINISHED SENTENCES

Prepare a number of unfinished/incomplete sentences suitable for the class you are teaching. These could focus on particular structures or patterns you are dealing with or which the class are having difficulty with. For example:

• The best thing about travelling by.......... is..........
• I like/don't like travelling by.......... because..........
• When I travel by.......... I..........
• I never travel by.......... because..........
• I last time I travelled by.......... was..........

Around the room, pin up a selection of suitable vehicle pictures spread well apart. Write the first unfinished sentence on the board, and ask each learner to complete the sentence, relating it to one or more of the pictures around the room. Tell your learners that they should memorise their sentences. When they are ready invite a volunteer to say (not read) their complete sentence, and to do so standing next to the relevant picture(s). Repeat this step with all the other learners in the class, and repeat this procedure using the other unfinished sentence stems.

How have YOU used these pictures with your classes?
If you would like to suggest other ways to use them with learners, send us your ideas and we will publish them here.