True friends: How many?

Discuss before you watch

1. How many close friends do you have?
2. How many friends do you have on Facebook? How many of those pals do you regard as true friends? Are most of your friends on Facebook just acquaintances?
3. Do you think social networks like Facebook or Twitter bring people closer? Why? Why not?
4. How can you tell who your true friends are?

Watch and answer

1. How many friends does the average user have on Facebook?
2. What has the University study mentioned revealed?
3. How can you tell who is a true friend according to Psychologist Michelle Callahan?
4. What is the effect of social networks in relationships as far as Michelle Callahan is concerned?
5. What’s good about social network interaction in Michelle’s opinion?

Focus on collocations

Watch the video again and try to match up the collocations

1.    Brag                                a. stress

2.    Have                               b. on somebody

3.    Share                               c. secrets with sby

4.    Rely                                d. to yourself

5.    Friend                             e. roughly 1000 friends

6.    Loan                                f. about the number of friends you have

7.    Build                               g. someone

8.    Keep information            h. somebody money

9.    Relieve                           i. an intimate relationship

10. Make                               j. a positive change in your life

Focus on Phrasal Verbs

Get into pairs. Open your Facebook accounts and let each other see your friends. Take turns to ask questions.

1.    Who’s this? Is he/she a close friend or just an acquaintance?

2.    How long have you known each other? How/ Where did you meet him/her?

3.    Is there anything you used to do together that you no longer do?

4.    Do you keep in touch?

5.    What does s/he do (go to school/college/ work)?

6.    Do you share any activity outside Facebook?

7.    How do you and (you mate’s name) get on?

8.    Has he/she ever let you down? When?

9.    Have you ever fallen out with each other or had a big argument? Why? How did you make up?

10. Have you ever been cross with him/ her or He/ she with you? Why?

11. Tell me a time one of you stuck up for the other.

12. Can you always count on him/ her?.

13. Do you think your friendship will last long? Why?

Focus on conditional II

Cut out the following questions. Get into pairs or small groups and take turns to ask each other the questions below.

1.    What would you do if your best mate started hanging out with the wrong people?

2.    If you could choose a friend to go on vacation with, who would you choose and why?

3.    If your best friend forgot your birthday, would you get cross?

4.    If you discovered your best friend has lied to you. Would you talk to him/her or fall out?

5.    If your best friend started to drop in on you all the time and expected you to spend all your free time with her/ him, what would you do? Would you get cross?

6.    If you had a huge argument with a close friend and he/ she asked you to apologize. Would you do it and make up even if you knew that you are right?

7.    Would you get into big trouble in order to stick up for a friend?

8.    Would you lie to a friend in order not to let him/ her down?

9.    If you ran into a friend you have fallen out with, would you say “hi” or pretend you haven’t seen him/her?

10. Would you hit it off with somebody even if you knew he/ she has let down your best friend?

11. Would you keep counting on somebody who has let you down once?


Follow up: Reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%ADa_del_Amigo