Contents
=> Live From Mongolia
=> “Landlocked” - a warm-up brainstorming activity
=> “A Hip Guide to Your Town” - writing and/or discussion activity
=> Mongolian Roots in Russian Words
=> In the Next Issue

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Live From Mongolia
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“ETs in Russia” #61 is being sent from an internet cafe in Mongolia, the largest landlocked country in the world.

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“Landlocked ” - a warm-up activity
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1. Write the word “LANDLOCKED” on the board
2. Ask learners what they think it means. [A landlocked country has no coastline].
3. Put learners in groups; give them 3 minutes to make a list of landlocked countries.
4. See which team gets the most correct.

Purposes:
A. to learn the word “landlocked.”
B. to learn geography
C. to learn country names in English
D. to stimulate discussion (there will be disagreements on which countries
are landlocked and which border what countries.
E. to have fun little warm up you can follow up with other geography activities.

List of Landlocked Countries

Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia,
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Zambia, Zimbabwe

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landlocked

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A “Hip” Guide to Your Hometown
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Here’s some vocabulary–all of it very informal–which can often be found in travel guidebooks.

Learners will–in either spoken or written form–use these terms to give a foreign visitor information on their town.

Use the questions that follow as guidelines.

Learners may wish to draw a map indicating where these places are located too.

1. DIVE (noun)- a cheap, unpleasant, disreputable place (like a nightclub, a restaurant, a hotel).
2. HIP (adj.) - fashionable, stylish, popular or cool.
3. HANGOUT (noun) - a frequently visited place.
4. HOT SPOT (noun)
a). A lively and popular place, such as a nightclub.
b). Also: An area in which there is danger: “Miami is a hot spot for drugs.”
5. NIGHTLIFE (noun) - social activities or entertainment for the evening.
6. TRENDY (adj.) - in accordance with the latest fad or trend. A trendy place is the most popular AT THE MOMENT. A club, a bar, or even clothing can be trendy.

1. Name a hotel, restaurant, or bar in your city that is a dive? Describe why it’s unplesant?

2. What is the hip restaurant in town?

3. What is the popular hangout for students near the university?

4. What kind of nightlife does your town feature? What can people do in the evening?

5. What night club is a hot spot–a place where there are always lots of people?

6. What fashions are trendy? (These are the most current fashions and perhaps they won’t last. In Vladivostok, it seems to be girls wearing striped leggings.)

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Mongolian Roots in Russian Words
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These words are derived from Mongolian roots (from Ulaan Baatar Guide: 2002):

MOSCOW from “mushgia,” twisted or spiral.
SIBERIA from “shirenge,” grove.
KREMLIN from “kherem,” fortification.
BAIKAL from “baigal,” nature.

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In the Next Issue (around May 21st, 2004)
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Love across borders: discussion activity.

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Copyright 2004 Kevin McCaughey & I.M. Poosheesty
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