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Marcin Stanowski | http://superteachers.pl
FORK MY LIFE LESSON http://www.fmylife.com/
Level: Intermediate +
Age: teens/ adults (content may be adjusted)
Time: 40 mins (depending on group and choice of tasks)
Skills: reading/ writing / reacting to a sad/ funny story /
Vocabulary area: everyday language/ swears/ expressions of sorry/sad/empathetic
Grammar: It is possible to choose such FML stories that suit a certain grammar target.
Overall goal: Make students think over the FML moments. Make SS aware of appropriate reaction to
somebody’s misfortune. Practise reacting to stories. Practise telling stories. Practise giving support to the
unlucky.
Procedure:
1. Tell SS a story that is unfortunate, your own or borrowed from fmylife.com. Elicit their reactions.
2. Elicit /Pre-teach phrases for expressing sympathy:
 I’m awfully sorry that…
 I’m sorry to hear that..
 I’m sorry to hear such terrible news.
 My goodness!
 I can’t believe it!
 Poor you!
 I do sympathize with you
 Please, accept my deepest sympathy.
 I know how you must be feeling.
 That must be awful
 Oh, dear !
 Too bad !
 That’s awful / a pity / unfortunate.
The above expressions are quite polite. Relate to this and at this point encourage SS to come up with
more realistic reactions. Allow vulgarisms if possible. Explain the use in contexts. Some students may
find a story funny. React in a positive way asking for more expressions like this.
3. Show on the screen (you have to scroll, the picture is long)/ share with SS picture attached presenting a
couple celebrating the anniversary (https://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Fuck_075e1b_2857900.png) Ask
SS if it is sad or funny and why. What makes a story funny or not? Why do people laugh at unfortunate
stories?
4. Print page 2 and cut along the lines, scramble and make SS work in pairs or groups. Matching activity.
Elicit reactions. Check. Comment on vocabulary chunks: faced my fears, elaborate plan, I have to go,
Today, took me to get a tattoo done …
5. Tell students the stories come from fmylife.com, explain what it is and ask to write short comments/
questions, later to be posted on-line
6. Ask students to work in pairs. SS are to invent similar stories and react to them. Ask some pairs to
perform and close the lesson with comments.
7. Follow-up/ homework: SS write similar stories. SS act out the stories. SS post stories to fmylife.com

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Marcin Stanowski | http://superteachers.pl
Today, I faced my fears. I've always had a weird
fear of looking out of windows at night, afraid a
face would suddenly appear. When I heard a
strange noise outside, I looked out the window.
Sure enough, the face of a man suddenly
appeared.
Today, I had an elaborate plan to ask this girl to
Prom, and it was going to take a few minutes to
set up. I asked my friend to distract her.
He decided to do that by asking her to the
party. She said "Yes".
Today, I saw an elderly man fall in a crosswalk,
so I jumped off my bike to help. As I helped him
across, the light turned green.
I then watched across a 6 lane street as
someone stole my bike.
Today, I took the bus to work. A sweet old lady
got on after and sat next to me. Halfway there, she
fell asleep, her head on my shoulder. I gently tried
to wake her up before my stop.
She wasn't sleeping. I let a dead woman lie on
me for 30 minutes.
Today, my friend had to take my cat who has a
tumor to be put down when I wasn't home since I
couldn't bear to take him myself.
I have two cats. He took the wrong one.
Today, I was the only one in an elevator when an
attractive girl came in, talking on her phone. She
told her friend, "I have to go, there's a cute guy on
this elevator." Before I could even react, she
turned to me and said:
Sorry for lying, I really wanted to get off the
phone with her.
Today, my boyfriend of 2 years took me to get a
tattoo done with his name on. He paid for it.
After it was done he told me it was over
between us and he thought it'd be a nice
reminder of him for me.

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Marcin Stanowski | http://superteachers.pl