Look at these three sentences about Ireland. Which ones feel like real life? Which ones sound like a gift-shop slogan?
Show a thumbs-up for any sentence that feels true and ordinary. Be ready to say why in one short line.
Follow on the board while your teacher reads two short descriptions of the same country. One sounds like a holiday brochure. One sounds like someone who lives there.
Mexico is a land of sun, sombreros and spicy food. Visit colourful markets, hear mariachi music and climb ancient pyramids. A perfect holiday full of fun and flavour awaits you.
Quick check: Who is in this picture, tourists or ordinary people?
Your teacher will reveal Description B after this first check.
In Mexico City, mornings are busy and people start work early. The main family meal (comida) is often mid-afternoon. Many families spend Sundays in parks. Spanish is spoken, and so are many Indigenous languages. Ordinary life is bigger than any postcard.
Quick check: Who is in this picture, tourists or ordinary people?
Spanish is spoken across a huge stretch of South America, though not everywhere. Brazil, for example, speaks Portuguese.
Watch the South America map. When a classmate taps a country, notice the language and one thing that is still its own about that place.
After two taps we will answer together: does sharing a language make every country the same?
Ordinary is the clever bit: a wet yard or a busy bus beats a shamrock every time.
Open your copy. Write one sentence about Ireland that is true and would not fit on a postcard.
Think of ordinary life: a school yard, a wet Tuesday, a bus, a language spoken at home, a food that is not on a tea towel. Cross out any line that sounds like a souvenir slogan before you finish.
Listen to each short clip. Your teacher will show two or three language names. Point or hold up fingers to choose which language you hear.
Some clips are the same language spoken in different countries. Listen for the music of the voice, not only for words you know.
After similar clips we will check together: same language, different music?
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