Do you know any novel topics for the present simple?

[edna]

Hi Lucy,
I teach English to adults. It is a beginners level. I have 20 students. My coordinator asked me a lesson plan about present simple but she doesn't want the traditional topic about routine or every day activities to indoduce it. What other topics can you suggest me to design my lesson plan?
Thanks.

Edna

[Lucy]

Dear Edna,

You could try doing a lesson on national stereotypes, age stereotypes, male / female stereotypes (not very politically correct). Another option is scientific or geographic facts - the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; the earth moves around the sun (is that scientifically accurate?) However, that is not a fun topic and requires specific language.

I think your coordinator is setting a difficult task: at beginner level, students have a lot of the vocabulary linked with daily routines which makes the topic an obvious one for practising that structure. It's not a good idea at beginner level to present a new grammatical structure along with new vocabulary. At that level, they need to work with something that is familiar. If you open any course book, you'll see that even authors don't come up with novel topics for the present simple. I suggest you speak to your coordinator again to find out if she has any ideas. She might reconsider and accept that you stick with the traditional topics. I presume she's more interested in your teaching than in your creative abilities.

Good luck

Lucy