Yo quiero ser torero

There’s an old song by a Basque band, Korroskada, called “Torero” which I have used for years in lessons, mostly for my own amusement. Nevertheless, it has become a part of the lesson I am sharing here. It is all about jobs. I like to try and add an element of culture into my lessons and the bullfighter features a few times in the resources in this post. Being vegetarian and a big animal rights advocator, I’m against bullfighting, but it exists, so I’m sharing this reality with my classes. Firstly, in the PowerPoint I present various professions. I have tried to use pictures which reflect the Spanish-speaking world as much as possible rather than clipart. This presentation of vocabulary inevitably leads to a few worksheets to consolidate what has been presented. I then go on to a reading comprehension based on what are the best jobs in the world. This is developed from an El País text. Before reading the text I ask the students to list what they think could be on the list. The aim is just to see how many jobs they can remember from the presentation. I then link this to my own profession in order to present some language which will be needed in the next section based on an advert from Chile which presents being a mother as the best job in the world. There are a few exercises based on this and then work based on an interview with Rashel Díaz, a presenter on Telemundo in the US. All of this is for a top set preparing for the GCSE and my focus is on higher level listening and reading skills. Next we get to the bullfighter. The slide with the picture of the bullfighter + the office worker is the basis for a reading activity. The statements are copied on to cardand the students have to decide whether they match the bullfighter or the office worker. Some of the statements are culturally based but they should be able to work them out. Next I want to the students to reflect on what makes someone good for a job. What qualities are needed? After a few slides in which the students decide whether each person is the best for the given job, they come to a thinking skills activity. The grid is copied on to card and the students read through each statement. The aim is to decide what sort of job Antonio should go into. There is no one correct answer although journalism would be ideal for him. The aim is for the students to provide a good argument in English. Hope this is all of some use!