Our Names

Start with the lead-in questions. “Who chose your name?” and “Do you know anyone with an unusual name?” get students sharing stories immediately. In classes with mixed nationalities, this is gold because naming traditions vary so much. After a few minutes, move to the vocabulary matching. Eight terms cover the basics: surname, given name, middle name, nickname, hyphenated name, special significance, cultural heritage, and identity. Most B1 students will know “surname” and “nickname” but might confuse “given name” with just “name.” Explain that “given name” is more formal and means the same as “first name.” “Hyphenated name” usually needs an example on the board.

The fact or myth reading on slide four asks students to guess which statement about names is false. Number four, the claim that a name can only be a single word, is the false one. Let students discuss before revealing the answer. Then read the quote about names reflecting cultural heritage and ask students if they agree. Move into the three reading texts. The first covers how names carry meaning in China, Africa, and Bali. The second explains naming laws in Denmark and New Zealand. The third looks at how names change after marriage in Western countries and Spain. Take each text one at a time. Read it together, then discuss the follow-up question before moving on. The sentence completion exercise on slide ten checks comprehension across all three readings.

The pronunciation section is a highlight. Fifteen English names appear without pronunciation guides. Students try to say each one, then check against the answer key on the next slide. “Sean” pronounced as “Shawn” and “Cillian” as “Killian” always surprise students. “Xavier” as “Zay-vee-er” and “Isaac” as “Eye-zak” catch a lot of people too. Have students repeat each name a few times and ask whether each one is male, female, or unisex. Then do the nickname guessing activity. Students see twelve shortened names like Alex, Liz, Sam, and Rach and guess the full versions. Some are obvious, others less so. “Bill” for William and “Tony” for Anthony tend to be the trickiest.

End with the extra words section. Students pick two or three terms from a list: pseudonym, maiden name, call sign, pet name, handle, and stage name. They look up definitions and explain how each word connects to the lesson topic. This works well as a quick research task in class or as homework. It extends the vocabulary naturally and introduces some fun concepts that students enjoy discussing, like what stage name they’d choose for themselves.