Racing to English True Stories

Taj Mahal

TEACHERS NOTES

Language learning objectives:
Language function	Narrating
Sentence structures	Simple past - she married, she went, he planned So … that - `he was so unhappy that…'
Key vocabulary	empire emperor war monument tomb building	married gave birth died remind build stayed	even (she even went…)

SUGGESTED LESSON OUTLINE

Talk about the key vocabulary (see `Language learning objectives' above) to ensure that learners understand the words. Ask learners to read the passage silently. Ask learners to work in pairs or small groups to retell the anecdote (without looking at the passage) either in English or their first language. Groups then reread the passage together. Pairs or threes practise the questions/answers in the substitution table. Written work.

BLANKS The passage with the blanks in it could be used at any stage - with advanced learners it could be used at the beginning of the lesson - with others it could be used in the middle of the lesson or at the end.

Racing to English True Stories

Taj Mahal

	Mumtaz Mahal was born about 400 years ago in India. She was the wife of Shah Jahan who was the Emperor. She married him when she was 19 years old. They loved each other so much that she travelled all over the empire with him. She even went with him when he was going to war. She gave birth to 13 children, but seven of them died when they were babies. She died in 1631, whilst she was giving birth to their fourteenth child.
When she was dying, Mumtaz asked her husband to build a monument to their love. For a year after Mumtaz died, Shah Jahan was so unhappy that he stayed away from people. He spoke to nobody. At the end of the year his hair had turned white and he looked very old. Then he started to plan a monument for Mumtaz. It took almost 20 years to build. It is called the Taj Mahal and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It reminds us of the love that Shah Jahan and Mumtaz shared.

Practise these questions and answers with a friend:

Who

married when she was 19? gave birth to 13 children? spoke to nobody for a year? died in childbirth? asked her husband to build a monument? planned a monument for his wife?

Mumtaz did. Shah Jahan did.

Look at the story about the Taj Mahal.

Now write about yourself. Write about something that made you sad.

Racing to English True Stories

Taj Mahal

Talk about this passage with some friends. Decide which word fits in each space:

Mumtaz Mahal was born about 400 years ago in India. She was the wife of Shah Jahan who was the __________1__________. She __________2__________ him when she was 19 years old. They loved each other so much that she travelled all over the __________3__________ with him. She __________4__________ went with him when he was going to __________5__________.

She __________6__________ to 13 children, but seven of them died when they were babies. She died in 1631, whilst she was ___________7___________ to their fourteenth child.

When she was dying, Mumtaz asked her husband to build a __________8__________ to their love. For a year after Mumtaz died, Shah Jahan was so unhappy that he __________9__________ away from people. He spoke to nobody. At the end of the year his hair had turned white and he looked very old.

Then he started to plan a __________10__________ for Mumtaz. It took almost 20 years to build. It is called the Taj Mahal and it is one of the most beautiful __________11__________ in the world. It __________12__________ us of the love that Shah Jahan and Mumtaz shared.

gave birth

giving birth

buildings

Emperor

empire

even

married

monument

monument

reminds

stayed

war

© Gordon Ward 2010. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution. Step 23: True Stories - Taj Mahal

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