Intermediate
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+80 XP

Learn How to Check a Guess

Discover how to check if your guess about a word's meaning is correct. Examine lookalike words for drinks in different languages and develop a reliable method to test them instead of trusting first impressions.

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    1 - You Guessed. Now Prove It ~5 mins

    Sometimes a word in another language looks almost like English. That can help you, or it can trick you.

    Today we build a method for checking a guess, not a list of answers to memorise.

    By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

    • Say clear steps for checking a guessed word meaning
    • Test lookalike pairs instead of trusting the first idea
    • Explain how a famous lookalike trap could have been avoided

    2 - Three Drinks, Five Languages ~10 mins

    Three everyday drinks appear on the board in five languages: English, Irish, French, German and Spanish.

    Flip a card, listen, and notice which words look almost the same across languages and which ones change a lot.

    3 - Test the Lookalikes ~10 mins

    Same checking job, new words: technology lookalikes this time, still not a list to memorise.

    Key point

    For each pair the board shows, ask: do they mean the same thing? How could we check? Do not stop at 'same' or 'different'.

    4 - Three Check Steps ~3 mins

    COPYBOOK MOMENT

    Open your copy. Write the three steps you would take to check whether a word means what you think.

    • Step 1: _______________
    • Step 2: _______________
    • Step 3: _______________

    Use your own words. A good method is one you could follow next week without help.

    5 - Listen, Then Check ~10 mins

    Four short voice clips. Name the language you hear, then give one clue that made you sure.

    Note

    A listening clue is useful evidence (like Step 1 in your copy). You would still want Steps 2 and 3 before you decide a word's meaning for real.

    Pupil practice
    Module 3 · Patterns, Sounds and False Friends
    Lesson 16 · Learn How to Check a Guess
    Download Activity Book page (PDF)
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