Contents
=> “Animals as People” - vocabulary and exercises
=> “Secret Creatures” - speaking game
=> In the Next Issue

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“Animals as People” - vocabulary and exercises
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Or “People as Animals” if you prefer. Below you will find 8 common animal words that are used to describe people.

(Special thanks to Vitali Askinazi of St. Petersburg for making his research available to us).

1. CHICKEN — a coward. Someone who’s afraid. Also, “scaredy cat”
(this is a little more juvenile. “Go ask her to dance. Don’t be a chicken!”

2. DOG — an unattractive girl. “Yuck. She’s ugly. What a dog.”

3. FOX — an attractive or sexy person. “Wow, look at her. What a fox!” It can be said about guys and girls. (Adj. = foxy).

4. PIG — someone slobby, messy, unclean. Or a glutton; one who eats too much. “That guy ate five hamburgers. What a pig!”

5. PUSSYCAT — someone who’s harmless, gentle, meek. “He wouldn’t hurt a soul. He’s a pussycat.” The opposite would be a “tiger.”

6. RAT — a person who you can’t rely on; a treacherous, non-likeable person. Often a “dirty rat” or “rat fink.” “Why would you want to go out on a date with that dirty rat?”

7. RAT — someone who reveals the guilt of someone else. “I won’t tell you who did it. I’m not a rat.”

8. SHRIMP — a small person, or someone insignificant. “My little brother is so small I call him ‘Shrimp.’”

* If you don’t want to print the section above , try a dictation. Dictate the sample sentences. Students write then try to guess the meanings of the animal words.

*QUICK ORAL REVIEW
If you’ve given the above text to students, take it away. Now read the sentences below out loud, and ask students to call out the missing words.

1. I won’t tell you who did it. I’m not a _______________.

2. He wouldn’t hurt a soul. He’s a _______________.

3. Yuck. She’s ugly. What a ______________.

4. That guy ate five hamburgers and he has ketchup all over his shirt. What a _____________!

5. “My brother’s so small I call him _____________.

6. Wow! Look at that girl in the mini-skirt. What a _____________!

7. Why would you want to go on a date with that dirty _____________?

8. Go ask her to dance. Don’t be a _______________.

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“The Bla Bla Bla Animal Guessing Game
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Now you will ask students in pairs or groups to write a brief dialogue describing one of the above “people/animals.” But in their dialogue they will not mention the animal by name. In place of it, they will say “Bla Bla Bla.”

Here’s an example:

JOE: My brother is making me angry.
LENA: Why?
JOE: He always tells my parents when I do something wrong. If I don’t make my bed, he runs to my parents and says, “Joe didn’t make his bed.”
LENA: Yeah. it must be difficult to live with a “BLA BLA BLA.”

Students read their dialogue, and the rest of the group will guess the missing word–in this case, “rat.”

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Secret Creatures Game
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Here’s a speaking game you can play to practice unreal conditionals with practically no preparation.

1. Ask students to think of an unusual creature. Crow. Octopus. Grasshopper. Skate. Hyena. No cats or dogs–they’re too easy. (Or you can assign students an unusual creature yourself).

On the board write the following pattern:

If I were this creature, I would(n’t)…
live…
eat…
have…
be afraid of…
like…
have these colors…
make this sound…

This is just a pattern. Students can make up their own details. The rest of the class will guess what the secret creature is.

Make sure you demonstrate yourself first.

**Note: if you happen to be working on unreal conditions IN THE PAST, you can use this activity too. Just change the pattern sentence:

“If, in a previous life, I had been this creature,
I would(n’t) have …”

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In the Next Issue: (March 23)
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10 Compound Animal Words (like “sitting duck”)
10 Animal Verbs (like “pig out”)
Plus, brilliant activities

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Copyright 2002 Kevin McCaughey & I.M. Poosheesty
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