“Our castaway today has been lost in Sainsbury’s and successfully destroyed all the aliens in Halo 2.” This is a typical introduction to my Desert Island Discs lesson, a speaking and listening activity for GCSE. (The idea came from the Radio 4 programme.)

Pupils write some autobiographical material for me and I interview them. I ask about family, early experiences, junior school memories, hobbies, achievements and ambitions.

The interview is interspersed with selections of their favourite music.

They are allowed to take three pieces with them to the island and are permitted a book and a luxury item in addition to a religious text and the complete works of Shakespeare. The pupils explain all their choices to the class.

This is an excellent way for them to gain a mark for extended speech in front of the class

Desert Island Discs: Radio 4 Sundays 11.15-12.00; Friday 09.15-09.45

Francis Farrell teaches at Sale High School, Trafford