After this module, students will be able to
1. Introduce themselves casually in English
2. Introduce others casually in English
3. Understand and interpret simple English introductory sentences.
4. Introduce their workplace to others
5. Explain details about their workplace to others
Introductions are the most important part of meeting a new person or giving an audience information about who you are and what you do. A good introduction communicates your name, your occupation, and what your goal for speaking to the audience is. Say you are a teacher in a primary school classroom:
Ex 1: Hello students, it's nice to meet you. My name is (your name)* and I am your (subject) teacher at (school). Let's have fun learning together!
*Replace the underlined words with personalized information.
Consider a situation in which you are showing parents of prospective students around a school campus. You will want to speak about the school's history and importance to convince them that the school is a great place for their children to learn.
Ex 2: Welcome to the Viveka School of Excellence. This school was started in the year 2002, with the goal of helping students in rural areas of Karnataka achieve a quality education. We are a co-ed school affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education, the CBSE. This school is managed and funded by the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, a grassroots development organization.
Practice: Find a partner. Take turns repeating exercises 1 and 2 out loud by substituting your personal information in for the underlined parts.
Act out this situation with partner.
A parent (a) of a student has come to visit their child's school. (a) asks their child's teacher (b) questions regarding the school, and (b) answers.
a: Hello!
b: Hello. It's nice to meet you! My name is Ms. Gowda, and I teach fifth standard students.
a: Nice to meet you too. My name is Lakshmi, I am Usha's mother.
b: Great! Usha is a wonderful student, and I enjoy having her in my class. She is a good listener and always excited to learn.
a: What subjects are currently being taught to the students?
b: We are focusing on the basics of algebra as well as biology in my homeroom class. Most students will be completing a project at the end of the year to demonstrate their understanding of these topics.
a: Very nice! Do you only teach the fifth standard, Ms. Gowda?
b: Actually, no. I also teach music to all the students.
a: That's very interesting. Will the kids put on a performance any time soon?
b: Yes, in fact, we will be having a school-wide performance next week. Please feel free to come and see the fruits of all the students' hard work.
a: I would love to.
b: By the way, Ms. Lakshmi, where do you work?
a: I work as a nurse at the hospital across the street. I only started working there recently.
b: Oh, how recently?
a: Just two months back, in January.
b: I see. Well, thank you for the work you do, and thank you for coming to visit Usha's school.
a: Thank you to you as well, Ms. Gowda. Bye!
b: Goodbye!
Who is Ms. Gowda?
What all does Ms. Gowda do at her workplace?
How is Usha doing in school?
Are there any important school events coming up?
Who is Lakshmi?
What does Lakshmi do for a living?
How long ago did Lakshmi start working at the hospital?
If you are following along in the Beyond Language Textbook, read the first chapter titled Introductions.
Do exercises 1-4 of the Word Forms Questions on Pages 11-12.
Answers: 1. a) flowing b) flow c) flow 2. a) variety b) various c) vary 3. a) considerable b) considerably 4. a) purpose b) purposeless c) purposely
Do the Conversational Activities from pages 12-14.
Finally, do the Multiple Choice Questionnaire on pages 14-16.
Answers: 1. c 2. d 3. c 4. a or d 5. b 6. a 7. a, b, and c
After this module, students should begin to practice different methods of introduction. Practice using different words, proper nouns, and sentence structures to introduce yourself. Ask an instructor if you are unsure about whether you are correctly using grammar and vocabulary. Practice introducing yourself to your classmates.