Select a quote about gossip and share your thoughts about it:
“Great minds discuss ideas,
average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
“Gossip is what no one claims to like – and everyone enjoys.”
– Joseph Conrad
“Gossip is a very dangerous tool.”
– John Lydon
WARM UP
BEGINNER
Leap frog – A quick Q and A game to review direct question forms
ADAPTABLE TO ALL LEVELS
I challenge you! – Warm up with grammar review.
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
VOCABULARY
rumor – an idea or opinion that people share, when the source and accuracy of the information is unknown (noun).
There is a rumor going around that…
Have you heard the rumor that…
It is rumored that…
(Notice that in the last example, ‘rumor’ is a verb. But the more common verb is ‘gossip’.)
gossip – rumors about a person (noun), a person who often shares personal information about others (adjective), and the act of spreading a rumor (verb).
What is the latest gossip?
Be careful what you say to Sam. He is a terrible gossip.
People are gossiping about Beth’s divorce.
READING AND WRITING
READING: The Science Behind Why People Gossip – And Why It Can Be A Good Thing
WRITING: Imagine that you write a celebrity gossip column. Make up some juicy gossip that will get your readers talking.
LISTENING AND COMPREHENSION
Vocabulary we’ll need:
Can you match up these vocabulary words? We will need them for the following video clip.
Let’s take turns challenging each other to use the words in sentences.
Let’s watch a Video:
1.) Before we start, tell us what you anticipate. Considering that today’s topic is gossip, and looking at the still image of the video, what do you expect to see in the video?
2.) The first time we watch it: Focus on understanding the basic concepts.
3.) The second time we watch it: Listen for and list new vocabulary words. Can you guess their meaning from the context?
Comprehension Questions:
1.) Why did the priest tell the woman to stab a pillow?
2.) What reasons does the priest give for why gossip is wrong?
3.) Why didn’t the woman collect the feathers?
CONVERSATION