Learn how to talk about animals found in the wild in this country or that people know about in other countries.
Beginning Learners:
Learn the names of various wild animals, including fish, snakes and amphibians, predators, game animals and insects.
Possible vocabulary:
- Fish: various fresh water and ocean fish, as well as parts of fish, such as fins, gills, tail etc.
- Reptiles and amphibians, such as snakes, lizards, frogs etc.
- Dangerous wild animals, such as lions, tigers, hippos, etc. Are people afraid of these animals?
- Animals people hunt for food or sport
Learning Activities:
Take pictures or find pictures online or elsewhere of as many wild animals as you can. Use the Look and Listen technique to first learn to recognize, then to say the names of these animals. Note what categories the local people put different animals in. They might be quite different from the categories listed above. Sometimes there are categories like “creepy-crawly” things, or hot fruits and cold fruits. You will have to wait until later to understand why some things are categorized together, but if you hear the name of a category of animals, learn it.
Intermediate Learners:
See if you can go on a Shared Experience hunting or fishing expedition with people and then get them to talk about what you did and what you caught. Also, ask someone to talk about what wild animals they think are the most dangerous, and why. As always record these stories and listen to them for information, for new vocabulary, and for how stories are told. Add them to your listening library. The texts and stories you have worked through and listened to before should become easier to understand the more you listen to them.
