Manuals > General English > Rosetta Stone Advantage > Elementary - Book 2 > Lesson 7
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By the end of the lesson, the student should be able to describe the appearance of someone they know.
Communication strategies:
The student should be able to describe someone using the following strategy:
1) state their name and relationship to you
2) describe their appearance
3) describe their personality
e.g.
My brother Paul is in his twenties. He’s pretty tall - 190cm. He has short brown hair and blue eyes. He usually has a lot of stubble on his face. He's a nice guy, but sometimes he can be very stubborn.
Words and rules:
- The student should be able to describe someone's appearance e.g. He's tall.
- The student should be able to describe someone's personality e.g. He's smart.
- The student should be able to give emphasis e.g. He's really tall.
Appropriateness:
Non-verbal behaviour: NA
Register: Depending on the situation, you can use a casual or a polite register to describe people e.g. describing a friend to a friend vs. describing a colleague to a new colleague
Social rules: We don't usually say someone is fat, unless we want to be mean.
Cultural references: Here are some other words you can use instead of fat e.g. Plus-size / Round / Heavy / Curvy.
Track #16
My name is Jessica. I’m 25. I’m tall and slender. I have blonde highlights
in my hair. I think I have a really small nose!
Track #17
My favorite actor is Johnny Depp. He is American. He is very cool and
handsome. He has glasses and a beard. He is such a stylish person.
Track #18
My husband is called John. He is middle-aged - 48 year’s old. He is
bald and... he is a little overweight. But, I love him!
Because the lesson touches on the topic of personality, you are welcome to introduce some of the following vocabulary if you like.
1) generous (adj)
2) frank (adj)
3) creative (adj)
4) independent (adj)
5) modest (adj)
6) optimistic (adj)
7) quiet (adj)
8) reliable (adj)
9) kind (adj)
10) tough (adj)
Option 1:
Difficulty ★★
Type:
Let's practice - Controlled practice
Purpose:
To allow the student to practice describing real people.
Method:
Do a Google search for “celebrities” and practice describing real celebrities. Note: Some students will not be familiar with some foreign celebrities. You can use caricatures if you like. Some well-known celebrities worldwide are:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Johnny Depp
- Daniel Radcliffe
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Tom Cruise
- Brad Pitt
- Jacky Chan
- Michael Jackson
Some popular Japanese celebrities are:
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Ken Watanabe
- Takeshi Kitano
- Yoko Ono
- Becky
- Gackt
- Ebihara Yuri
- Hitoshi Matsumoto
Option 2:
Difficulty ★
Type:
Let's practice Game - Controlled practice
Purpose:
To allow the student to practice describing people while playing a game.
Method:
Do a Google search for “Guess who” then take turns playing the game. Player 1 chooses a person, then player 2 asks YN questions to try and identify the person. e.g. Does he have black hair?
“Naruhodo” Point
We use “be” before adjectives and “have” before nouns.
- I am tall.
- I have a beard.
Extra questions you might like to ask in the lesson
- What does your brother look like?
- How will I recognize him?
- How would you describe your brother?
A speaking hint you might like to use
Adding a supporting reason
> Feel free to use this speaking hint in the “Let’s Practice” / “Let’s Speak” sections of the lesson. This is particularly useful when describing someone’s personality.
Statement:
He’s a really nice guy.
Supporting reason:
He is always helping people. Last week, he helped me with my homework.
Some grammar that might come up in the lesson
adjective word order
When talking about hair, we usually use the color adjective last.
e.g. She has long, black hair.
Let’s try
Track #16
Her name is Jessica. She’s 25. She’s tall and slender. She has blonde highlights in her hair. She thinks she has a really small nose!
Track #17
His favorite actor is Johnny Depp. He is American. He is very cool and handsome. He has glasses and a beard. He is such a stylish person.
Track #18
My husband is called John. He is middle-aged - 48 year’s old. He is bald and... he is a little overweight. But, she loves him!
Let’s practice
Content
Top left photo of a man
Expected outcome
He is in his thirties. He has short brown hair. He has some stubble on his face. He’s in really good shape. He’s an interesting guy.
Let’s speak
Role-play about describing a friend
A) Hi James. My brother is arriving today at the station, but I can’t pick him up because I need to work. Can you pick him up for me?
B) Sure. But, I haven’t met him before. What does he look like?
A) He’s tall. And he has long hair.
B) OK. What else?
A) He’s a little overweight.
B) Does he have a beard?
A) He doesn’t have a beard at the moment, but he has a goatee.
B) Do you know what he’s wearing?
A) Yeah, he’s wearing a black jacket and jeans.
B) OK. I think I should be able to find him.