Averages and Percentages: Explanation

Averages And Percentages

• Details

Name of Item	Averages and Percentages
Activity Type	Discussion (involving familiarization with vocabulary and sentence patterns)
Student Level	Intermediate / High
Time Allowance	15 to 25 minutes
Preparation Required	Photocopy one sheet for each student and prepare to preteach any necessary vocabulary.
Other Items Needed	(dictionaries?)
Vocabulary	percentage / average / comprises / expenditure / couples / cohabit / life expectancy / vending machine / annually
Grammar	Sentence pattern awareness

• Instructions

Decide whether to preteach vocabulary, allow students to use own dictionaries or introduce new words / phrases via "pre-discussion" of the topic as a group.

Instruct students to complete the sentences on their own in a fairly short space of time, monitoring and checking for any serious misapprehensions. Then divide the class into discussion groups of 4 / 5 and tell them to compare their ideas and debate any differences of opinion where they arise.

I find the technique of getting students to commit themselves to opinions in writing, before they discuss, is a good way of encouraging contention, especially where some class members have a tendency to always agree with what the last speaker said.

The second part, which extends the activity further, encourages students to use the phrases in writing, having already familiarized themselves with it by reading and speaking. This hopefully will reinforce any new items to the point where learners just might remember them.