Learning vocabulary: Animals' descriptions

Knuthenborg Safaripark, Denmark

In order to improve our vocabulary, one of the best ways is to use new words or expressions in context. There are many activities to do so, I am going to present you one I like doing in my classes.

 When talking about animals, we can teach all the vocabulary related to where they live (geographical features, countries, continents...), what they eat (smaller animals, plants, insects...), the parts of their bodies (beak, tail, wings, legs, arms, feathers, fur, colours...), what they can or can not do (swim, jump, crawl, fly...), their colours and special features (endangered species, use for humans, superlatives ...) and then make our students use it in context.

 I really like to play guessing games with short descriptions of animals; that is, first you give them a model to write a short description of an animal. It is important to let them choose the animals. Then you give them some minutes to choose an animal and write down a short description following the model, then students read out loud and the rest guess the animals.

 

Model composition for oral expression game:

It is a/an (amphibian, mammal, bird, reptile, fish).

It is (colours) and it has got (parts of the body).

It lives in (place).

It can/ can not (verbs).

 

Do you know what is the name of the animal in the photo? Can you make a short description of it? Please try and send your description in a comment!!