Housing

Living in English: Housing
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Lesson Plan Index: Housing

p3 Vocabulary Development - Types of housing & related vocabulary p4 - Question Formation - Accommodation p5 - Group Interaction - Accommodation p6 - Reading Housing Ads - Abbreviations p7 - Reading Housing Ads - Rental accommodation p8 - Comprehension Exercise p9 - Reading - What to look for when renting or buying p10 - Idioms, Expressions, and New Vocabulary p11 - Group Interaction - Find Someone who... p11 Teachers notes
Vocabulary: Housing
Types of Accommodation
apartment building a high-rise an apartment building with at least ten floors a walkup an apartment building with no elevator, usually four floors or less house a bungalow or rancher a house with only one floor above ground (may or may not have a basement level) a two-story house a house with two floors above ground (may or may not have a basement level) a three-story house a house with three floors above ground townhouse a unit with a separate entrance door, but a part of a larger group of homes that are joined together, each sharing a common wall with the one beside it. duplex a house that is divided into two living accommodations, either side-by-side or one above the other, with two separate entrances condominium (condo) an apartment or townhouse that is owned rather than rented; the owner usually pays a monthly fee to cover the costs of building and property maintenance mobile home or trailer a home on wheels suite another term for an apartment flat a British term for an apartment a bachelor apartment an apartment for one person, no separate bedroom
Other Vocabulary
landlord/landlady owner of a building tenant renter or occupant of a house or apartment lease the contract a tenant signs when renting an apartment or house mortgage a loan given when one buys a house or property suburbs residential districts, away from the downtown area of a city security deposit (damage deposit) the money a tenant pays a landlord before moving in; often it is half a months rent; the landlord keeps this money until the tenant moves out; if the apartment is not damaged, the money is returned. appliances fridge, stove, washer, dryer, dishwasher utilities gas, electricity, water
Practice Making Questions

Directions: There are many things you may want to know when you are going to rent an apartment. Make questions about the words in italics.
Ex. rent How much is the rent? What is the rent? 1. location _______________________________________________________________________ 2. number of bedrooms ___________________________________________________________ 3. close to schools / major bus route / shopping, etc. ________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 4. appliances - ____________________________________________________________________ 5. utilities - ________________________________________________________________________ 6. pets - ___________________________________________________________________________ 7. parking - _______________________________________________________________________ 8. security deposit - ________________________________________________________________ 9. lease - _________________________________________________________________________ 10. when / available - _____________________________________________________________ 11. air-conditioned / carpeted - ___________________________________________________ 12. balcony / cable T.V. ___________________________________________________________ 13. laundry facilities - ______________________________________________________________ 14. which floor - ___________________________________________________________________ 15. elevator - _____________________________________________________________________ other - ____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________
Group Work Where Do You Live?

Directions: Interview your classmates. Find out about the places where they live. If your partner lives in an apartment, fill out chart A. If your classmate lives in a house, fill out chart B. Do the same for yourself. Chart A - Apartment Name: Location Number or floors Which Floor Elevator Laundry room / where Balcony Parking Chart B - House Name: Location How many floors Big back yard Garage Porch Basement Fence How many rooms You Classmate #1 Classmate #2 You Classmate #1 Classmate #2
Abbreviations In Housing Ads

Most newspapers use abbreviations in their advertisements. Abbreviations may not always be the same in all regions of the country. Some abbreviations are formed from the first few letters of the word: ex. balc. (balcony). Others are formed by using the first initials of compound words: ex. b.r. (bedroom). Still others may be formed by using the consonants, without the vowels of a word: ex. dntn. (downtown). The abbreviations given below may not be the only ones used. 1. adult - adlt. 2. after - aft. 3. air-conditioning - a/c 4. appliances - appl. 5. apartment - apt. 6. bachelor - bach. 7. balcony - balc. 8. basement - base. or bsmt. 9. bathroom - bath. or ba. 10. bedroom - b.r. or bdrm. 11. building - bldg. 12. close - cl. 13. convenient - conv. 14. dining room - D.R. 15. downtown - dntn. 16. drapes - drps. 17. elevator - elev. 18. floor - fl. or flr. 19. furnished - furn. 20. garage - gar. 21. house - hse. 22. immediate - imm.or immed. 23. includes - incl. 24. inquire - inq. 25. kitchen - kit. or kitch
26. large - lg. 27. laundry - laun. 28. living room - l.r. or liv. rm. 29. manager - mgr. 30. modern - mod. 31. near - nr. 32. newly decorated - new. dec. 33. parking - pkg. or pkrg. 34. possession - poss. 35. refrigerator - refrig. 36. security deposit - sec. dep. 37. separate - sep. 38. side by side - SxS 39. small - sm. 40. spacious - spac. 41. stove - stv. 42. sublet - sub. 43. suite - ste. 44. transportation - trans. 45. unfurnished - unfurn. 46. utilities - util. 47. wall to wall carpeting - w/w carp. 48. washer/dryer - w/d 49. week - wk.
Reading Rental Accommodation Advertisements

Directions: Read the Classified Ads below and then answer the questions on the following page.
Room for Rent (Furnished) 260 Young St., cl. to Main St.nice furn. clean room, avail. for Dec.1. Rooms incl. fridge, & cable. Share kit., bath laund., clean & quiet tenants only. $300 mo. Ph. 453-9860 Room & Board Room & board avail., downtown lcn., cl. to all conv. 3 meals, 7 days, T.V., ph. 452-3412 Apartment For Rent Unfurnished large 2 b.r. ste., nr. dntn., balc., cable T.V., a/c, pkg., immed., poss., ph. 787-3426 Townhouse For Rent immed. poss., spac., 3 b.r., one level twnhse., 2 baths, prkg. incl., $950. ph. 772-9087 Duplex For Rent 3 b.r. upper duplex, 4 appls., 1 _ baths, cl to shop., bus & schools, $900, pkg. & all util. inc., avail. Sept. 15., ph. 663-7869 House For Rent nr. shop. mall & parks, 3 b.r., 4 appls., $800/mo. plus util. w/w carp., avail.immed., No pets, ph. 895-0954 Shared Accommodation M/F Roommate wtd to share 2 b.r. house, $400/mo. Incl. Util. & prkg. , no smk., ph. 489-6059
Classified Ads 1.
Classified Ads Comprehension Exercise

Directions: Read the Classified Ads on the previous page and answer the questions below. Ad. #1. Does the room for rent have a private bath? _________________________________ Are there laundry facilities? __________________________________________________ When can you move in? __________________________________________________ Is this accommodation close to a bus stop? ___________________________________ Is lunch included in the board? _______________________________________________ Where is the apartment located? _____________________________________________ Is it on the main floor? ________________________________________________________ How do you know this? _______________________________________________________ When is it available? _________________________________________________________ Do you have to pay extra for parking? ________________________________________ Is this a side-by-side duplex? _______________________________________________ Is heating extra? ____________________________________________________________ What does 1 _ baths mean? _________________________________________________ Is electricity included in the rent? _____________________________________________ Which appliances do you think are included? _________________________________ What is not allowed in this accommodation? _________________________________
Ad. #2.
Ad. #3.
Ad. #4. Ad. #5.
Ad. #6.
Ad. #7.
Situation: Mr. And Mrs. Roberts are renting a small two-story house right now. They have two children and a large dog. Soon Mrs. Roberts mother is coming to live with them and they will have to find a new place to live. She is very old and has difficulty walking. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts own a car. Which ad do you think they should answer? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading #2 What to Look for When Renting a House or Apartment

There are many things to consider before renting a house or an apartment. First you must decide how much rent you can afford to pay. You also have to consider how much space you will need and what type of accommodation you want. Another important consideration is location. Is convenience important? Do you want to be close to shopping, schools, buses, playgrounds, etc.? When you are looking at places to rent, you should check both the interior and exterior carefully. When examining the outside of the building, it is a good idea to look for cracks and holes in the outside walls because they could let cold air in. Check the doors carefully. They should fit tightly and have locks with keys. Windows should also fit well. Any broken windows should be repaired by the landlord before you move in. Look through each room carefully. Check all electrical switches and outlets to see if they work. Look for holes or cracks in walls. A bathroom should have a fan, window or vent. You should flush the toilet to see if it works. If the water runs for a long time, it can increase your water bill. Also check to make sure the water faucets work. Look in the bedrooms and check for closet space. If appliances such as fridge and stove or washer and dryer are included, ensure they are working properly. Dont forget to look for a fire alarm or smoke detector. All homes should have one. Whether renting a house or an apartment, you should know the kind of heating system and the heating costs. If it is a house, inspect the furnace. In some rental accommodations, the utilities are included in the rent. In others, they are not. This is the same for parking. Make sure to find out what is included before you agree to take a place. Some landlords require you to sign a lease, which is a rental agreement. The lease tells how much the rent is, the date on which the rent must be paid, the amount of damage deposit, and the length of time of the rental. Always read a lease carefully before you sign it. Vocabulary Review Match the words on the left with the correct meaning on the right. _____ 1. afford _____ 2. interior _____ 3. landlord _____ 4. vent _____ 5. faucet _____ 6. appliances _____ 7. utilities _____ 8. lease _____ 9. convenience _____ 10. furnace _____ 11. accommodation _____ 12. exterior a. place to live b. outside c. written rental agreement d. heat, water, electricity e. a heater for buildings f. ease g. have enough money h. owner of building i. water tap j. inside k. fridge, stove, washer, dryer l. a hole to allow air in and out
Vocabulary Review
Choose the correct word from the list below and complete the sentences. landlord tenant lease deposit sublet appliances utilities - balcony bachelor convenient spacious available board duplex 1. That apartment building has no vacancies right now, but there may be a suite _____________________________ next month. 2. I had to sign a one year ________________________________ for my apartment. 3. His apartment is in a very ___________________________ location. It is close to many stores, restaurants and bus stops. 4. When you rent a house, you often have to pay extra for all the______________________, but when you rent an apartment, the heating costs are usually included. 5. The ________________________________ is the occupant and the person who pays the rent. 6. The ________________________________ is the owner of the building. 7. Dan lives alone, so he only needs a _______________________________________ apartment. 8. The fridge, stove, washer, and dryer are called the _____________________________________. 9. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have five children and a dog, so they want to find a very _______________________________ house. 10. When you rent an apartment, you usually have to pay half a months rent as a damage ___________________________. If the apartment is in good condition when you move out, this money will be returned to you. 11. I have a one year lease, but I want to leave before my lease expires. I will have to _______________________________. 12. A house that is divided into two, with two separate entrances is called a ________________ 13. She keeps a lot of pretty plants and flowers on her _________________ in the summer. 14. Many students ___________________ in other peoples homes when they go away to university. It is cheaper than renting an apartment.
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Find Someone Who...

Find someone:
1. who lives in a rented house. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. who has a balcony. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. who didnt have to pay a security deposit. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. who has an air-conditioned apartment. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. who doesnt have a lease. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. whose apartment doesnt have an elevator. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. who lives in a highrise. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. whose apartment allows pets. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. who is thinking of moving. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. who owns his/her own appliances. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. who had more spacious accommodation in his/her own country. ________________________________________________________________________________________
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Teachers Notes (page 1 of 3)

These activities are designed for low-intermediate level adult ESL learners; however, with some modification, they may also be suitable for upperbeginner through upper-intermediate levels. Recommended Flashcards To Accompany This Unit Housing Introduction On the day prior to introducing the theme of Housing, ask the students to bring any pictures they may have of their homes or friends homes, both interior and exterior pictures. Bring pictures of your own showing as many different types of living accommodations as possible. Also bring the classified section of several newspapers. Vocabulary Development Before distributing the vocabulary sheet on housing, try to elicit as much vocabulary as possible from the students about different kinds of living accommodation and put the words on the board. Introduce your pictures and the vocabulary. Repeat and monitor pronunciation. Give examples in sentences and ask the students to give their own examples. Practice Making Questions Asking about Apartment Rentals Work with the class to make questions for the words that are provided on the worksheet. Try to elicit the questions from the students. There may be several different questions for each word. ex. parking Is parking included in the rent? How much is parking? Is there underground parking? ex. appliances Are the appliances included? Which appliances are included? Are the appliances new? etc.) Try to encourage the students to think of more questions they would like to ask about housing. Put the questions on the board and practice repeating them. Group Work Conversation Practice - Where Do You Live? Break the class into groups of three. Have the students complete the charts provided by asking each other about their living accommodations. Have the students share their pictures in their groups, encouraging real conversation, while they complete their charts. Ensure they understand all the vocabulary before they start. There are a few words on this sheet (ex. porch, basement, fence) that were not used in the previous activity.
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Abbreviations in Housing Ads Try to brainstorm with the class the different types of categories of rental accommodation. ex. furnished apartments, unfurnished apartments, room & board, shared accommodation, townhouses, furnished houses, unfurnished houses, duplexes). Put a list on the board. Bring several newspapers to class and break the students into groups. Have them choose three or four ads and write down all the abbreviations they find. Put them on the board and have the students try to tell you what the abbreviations mean. Point out that abbreviations are not always formed in the same way and that there might be several different ways to abbreviate the same word. Distribute the list of abbreviations and read together, monitoring for pronunciation and ensuring comprehension. Reading - Classified Ads and Comprehension Exercise Have the students work individually on the worksheet while you circulate and monitor their work. Correct orally with the class as a whole. Have students alternate giving the answers. Have students alternate reading the ads aloud. Reading #2 What to Look for When Renting a House or Apartment Pre-reading - Ask the class to think of things they should consider before renting a place and what types of things to check for when looking at places to rent. Put the lists on the board. Have students take turns reading the passage aloud and monitor pronunciation. Check for comprehension, by asking questions. (ex. What should you consider before renting? Why should you check the exterior walls? What should you take note of when looking at the doors? etc.) Have the students read the passage again silently and complete the vocabulary exercise on their own. Correct together. 1.g 2.j 3. h 4.m 5.i 6. k 7.d. 8.c 9.f 10.e 11.a 12.b
Vocabulary Review Have the students work individually on the worksheet while you circulate and monitor their work. Correct orally with the class as a whole. 1. available 6. landlord 11. sub-let 2. lease 7. bachelor 12. duplex 3. convenient 8. appliances 13. balcony 4. utilities 9. spacious 14. board 5. tenant 10. deposit
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Group Interaction and Question Formation Find Someone Who.. Distribute the worksheet. Have the students write the questions before they begin the oral practice and review the questions together. This will ensure they are asking the questions correctly as they circulate around the room. Have the students circulate around the class asking the questions on the sheet. When the student finds a classmate who can answer the question, he will then write the students name on the line and follow-up with one more question of his/her own. Ex. Do you have a balcony?- If the student answers yes, the second question might be: What floor do you live on? or Can you barbecue on your balcony? Try to encourage the students to engage in real conversation during this activity. Follow up by sharing the information with the whole class. This activity provides a good opportunity for the students to practice the new vocabulary.
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Living in English: Housing

Lesson Plan Index: Housing

Practice Making Questions

Group Work Where Do You Live?

Abbreviations In Housing Ads

Reading Rental Accommodation Advertisements

Classified Ads Comprehension Exercise

Ad. #4. Ad. #5.

Reading #2 What to Look for When Renting a House or Apartment

Find Someone Who...

Teachers Notes (page 1 of 3)

Teachers Notes (page 2 of 3)

Teachers Notes (page 3 of 3)

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