Astronomy

This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about astronomy. Students first describe images of phenomena in space. They will then complete a short quiz with facts about space. Target language (space probe, comet, gravity, light year, planet, orbit) is introduced using pictures. Students drill the pronunciation of the vocabulary. Next, students prepare for a reading activity by reading a short summary of the Voyager 1 space probe and Proxima Centauri. The students then read the article about Voyager 1. A discussion follows. Some words showing likelihood are then learned in context, before students place each word (no doubt, no chance, doubtful, likely, certain, impossibility) on a scale from 0% to 100%. Students then discuss the likelihood of different scenarios using the target language. The form of each word is practiced in a gap-fill activity, before students end the class by discussing how they would help aliens learn about humans.