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2 Tell students that in today’s class, they will study

language for royalty. Hand out the student

worksheets, face-down. Students work in pairs.

Their task is to complete a wordsearch about

words related to royalty. The fastest pair wins.

Students turn the worksheets to Task 1a and

begin the race. Monitor the class as they do this.

For weaker groups, you could reveal that words

only appear in two directions (→ and ). Once

a group has found all 12 words, check that they

have done so correctly before declaring them the

winners! Finally, elicit all 12 words, focusing on

pronunciation and precise meaning of potentially

confusing ones:

a duke = a man with a very high social position,

just below that of a prince

a count = a nobleman in some European

countries, but not in the UK, e.g. Count Dracula

Point out that, for some of the words, there also

exist feminine versions (e.g. prince → princess).

Ask students to identify which other words have

feminine versions (answer = duchess, countess).

Male and female royal titles

Emperor Empress

King Queen

Prince Princess

Duke Duchess

Marquis/Marques Marchioness

Count Countess

Earl Lady

Baron Baroness

Lord Lady

→

Age: Adult / Young adult

Level: Upper-intermediate–Advanced

Length: 90 minutes (approx.) +

optional extension activities

Language Focus: key expressions

for talking about royalty

Skills: reading, listening

Materials: One copy of the worksheet per student;

if possible, a computer/projector with an internet

connection in classroom; one copy of the extension

activities worksheet per student (optional)

Aims: to allow students to effectively understand

and use common expressions for talking about

royalty, to prepare students to understand a

Christmas video-message by Queen Elizabeth II

What are red words?

Ninety per cent of the time, speakers of English use

just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words

appear in the Macmillan Dictionary in red and are

graded with stars. One-star words are frequent,

two-star words are more frequent and three-star

words are the most frequent. ‘Language for’ lessons

are based on red words and encourage students to

improve their English through communicative tasks

using collocation and commonly used phrases.

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/learn/

red-words.html

1 Begin the lesson by showing the photo of

the British Royal family (other photos if you

prefer can be found on their Instagram account

https//www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/?hl=en .

Alternatively, you could show a photo of more

locally recognizable royals. Ask students to discuss

the royal positions and family connections of the

various members of the family (e.g. ‘that man is

the Queen’s grandson’).

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royalty

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http://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/?hl=en


for Task 4a and allow students a minute or two to

discuss the two questions. Try to elicit some of

the reasons behind a royal Christmas speech (e.g.

to reflect on the year, to make people hopeful

about the year ahead, to make the nation feel like

a ‘big family’, etc.)

8 Read the instructions for Task 4b and allow

students a minute or so to individually complete

the missing letters. When the time is up, students

should compare their suggestions. Then elicit the

correct answers.

9 Read aloud the instruction and question for Task

4c. Then play the video. Note that only a short

section of the video is relevant to this lesson. By

using the given link (http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=mv8kG31cSr4&t=3m2s), the video will

automatically start at the correct time (3.02), but

you will need to manually stop the video at the

end of the section (4.22). Once the section ends,

allow students to discuss the question in pairs.

Then elicit the correct answer.

10 Allow students a moment to read the questions

in Task 4d. Play the video again, give students

a moment to compare their answers to the

questions, then elicit the correct answers.

11 Refer students to Task 4e and ask them to discuss

the questions in pairs. Allow them a few minutes

to talk, monitoring and taking notes as they do so.

Once the time is up, provide feedback, focusing

on ‘royal’ vocabulary from this lesson which

students may have used.

12 Refer students to Task 5. Ask them to sit in new

pairs for this task. Give students a few minutes

to discuss the questions, encouraging them

to incorporate new language from this lesson.

For the question related to statistics, make sure

students have had a chance to discuss it before

3 Refer students to Task 1b and ask them to discuss

the questions in pairs. Allow them a few minutes

to talk, monitoring and taking notes as they do so.

Once the time is up, identify a student who seems

to know a lot about the topic and ask him/her to

share some information about a particular royal.

Finally, provide feedback to the whole class,

focusing on useful ‘royal’ vocabulary which may

have come up.

4 Refer students to Task 2a Read the instructions

aloud. Set a time limit of a few minutes for

students to individually read through both texts

and complete the table at the end. Monitor the

class as they do so, helping weaker students

to understand more challenging vocabulary.

Once the time is up, ask students to compare

their answers in pairs. Finally, elicit the correct

answers, asking students to identify the part(s) of

the texts that correspond to the answers.

5 Now refer students to Task 2b. Again, allow them

a few minutes to work individually, encouraging

them to reread the two texts for context. After a

few minutes, they should again compare answers

in pairs. Then elicit the correct answers.

6 Read aloud the instructions for Task 3 as a

class, complete the first missing word together

(answer = monarchy). Once students have

suggested this word, ask them to make sure

that they don’t need to modify it: does the word

need to be plural? (No); is there more than one

possible answer here? (No). Students work in

pairs to complete the rest of the missing words.

Monitor the class and provide clues to weaker

students. Finally, elicit the correct answers.

7 Tell students that in this part of the lesson, they

are going to watch a short video of the British

Queen Elizabeth II. Read aloud the instructions

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv8kG31cSr4&t=3m2s



2. Text

a. Susan Bret

The disadvantages of being royal ✔

Public opinion ✔

Money ✔

How to react if you meet a King or Queen

✔

b. 1. a republic 2. a monarchy 3. to reign 4. an heir 5. an estate 6. a residence 7. to be next in line for something 8. to bow 9. to curtsy 10. nobility 11. a monarch 12. Your Majesty 13. a commoner 14. a coronation

3. 1. monarchy 2. estate/residence 3. commoners 4. throne 5. line 6. coronation 7. bow 8. reigned

4. a. Students’ own answers b. occupied; Prince; wisdom; paradox; evil; faith c. Family events: She mentions two weddings, the

arrival of two babies, another baby expected soon, the 70th birthday of the Prince of Wales

you reveal the answers. Once you have elicited the

correct statistics (see Answer Key), give students

another moment to discuss the final question.

Finally, provide feedback on this entire task.

Extension Activities

This lesson also includes three possible

extension activities:

a. Complete the rules – This activity could be

given for homework, or completed in pairs in

the classroom.

b. Write a paragraph – This could be completed

individually in class, with students then explaining

their paragraph to classmates and subsequently

submitting it to the teacher. Alternatively, it could

be set as a homework task.

c. True or False quiz – This could be used as a fun

way to finish the lesson, or to revise vocabulary

in a later lesson. Students should work in small

groups to complete it. Encourage them to use new

language from the lesson as they discuss each

sentence in the quiz.

KEY:

1.

h z r r c o u n t m

v m x u f c r o w n

k c w p r i n c e i

i i c a s t l e a e

n t l b g d x l l y

g h s g x y q y t d

p r i n c e s s h u

s o k q u e e n y k

k n p a l a c e z e

o e k i n g d o m s

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b. 1. True 2. False – it will be Prince Charles 3. True 4. False – Princess Anne and Prince Edward’s

children do not have these titles 5. True 6. True 7. False – she has four 8. False – she first met him when she was 13 and

he was 18. She was 21 when she got married 9. False – Princes Charles, Edward and Andrew 10. True – her real birthday on 21st April

and her official birthday, usually on the second Saturday in June

d. 1. The Queen says that she herself is very occupied (as the grandmother and great-grandmother to so many new babies).

2. She shares the wisdom that life contains many paradoxes, such as the way that humans can do great good, but also great evil.

3. She says that faith, family and friendship have always been a source of comfort to her.

5. i. 69% ii. 21% iii. 31%

Extension Activities (optional)

a. 1. Majesty 2. curtsy 3. back 5. speak 7. wear 9. shake 10. stands

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Rules for meeting the Queen

a. In the UK, there are various traditions for how people behave when they meet the Queen. Think of one

word to complete each gap. Most (but not all) of the missing words have been seen in this lesson.

1. Greet her first as ‘Your ’ then afterwards simply as ‘ma’am’

(rhymes with ‘ham’).

2. Bow or each time you meet her.

3. Don’t turn your on the Queen.

4. If you are eating a meal with her, you must finish when she finishes.

5. If you are sitting next to her at a meal, you must only to her when

she speaks to you first.

6. The Queen arrives last to events.

7. You must formal clothes.

8. Hand any flowers or gifts you may have for her to her equerry or lady-in-waiting, not directly to the Queen.

9. Don’t touch her unless she offers to your hand.

10. Follow her lead – if you are sitting down with her and she up, it is

time for you to leave.

b. What about in your country? What traditions do people follow when they meet your country’s

leader(s)? If you don’t know, search for the information online. Write a short paragraph to explain.

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Extension activities

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c. Quiz! With your classmate, discuss whether you think these sentences about the British Royal Family

are True or False.

1. The Queen is the British Head of State.

2. After Queen Elizabeth II dies, Prince William will become King.

3. When a Prince or Princess becomes King or Queen, they can change their name if

they wish.

4. The Queen’s grandchildren all have the title ‘Prince’ or ‘Princess’.

5. The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, also has the title ‘The Princess Royal’.

6. In Scotland, Prince Charles is known as the Duke of Rothesay.

7. The Queen has five children.

8. The Queen first met her husband, Prince Phillip, when she was 21.

9. The Queen’s sons are called Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Prince Richard.

10. The Queen has two birthdays.

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Extension activities


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1

British ro

yal family tree

royalty

m. 1

973-

1992

Mar

kPh

illip

s

1948

–

Anne

Prin

cess

Roy

al

1950

–

m. 1

992

Tim

othy

Laur

ence

1995

–

Andr

ewDu

ke of

York

1960

–

m. 1

986–

1996

Sara

hFe

rgus

on

1959

–

Edw

ard

Earl

of W

esse

x

1964

–

m. 1

999

Soph

ieRh

ys-Jo

nes

1965

–

m. 1

981–

1996

Dian

aSp

ence

r

1961

–199

7

m.20

05

Cam

ilaPa

rker

Bow

les

1947

–

Char

les

Prin

ce of

Wal

es

1948

–

Will

iam

Duke

of Ca

mbr

idge

1982

–

m. 2

011

Cath

erin

eM

iddl

eton

1982

–

Harry

Duke

of Su

ssex

1984

–

Mar

k Phi

llips

1977

–

m. 2

008

Aut

umn

Kelly

1977

–

Zara

Phi

llips

1981

–

Beat

rice

of Yo

rk

1988

–

Euge

nie o

f Yo

rk

1990

–

m. 2

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Jack

Broo

ksba

nk

1986

–

Lady

Loui

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inds

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2003

–

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es,

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2007

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1978

–

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han

Mar

kle

1981

–

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Win

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2019

–

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2018

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2010

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1 Warmera. Work in pairs. In the wordsearch below, find twelve words related to royalty. The fastest team wins!

h z r r c o u n t m

v m x u f c r o w n

k c w p r i n c e i

i i c a s t l e a e

n t l b g d x l l y

g h s g x y q y t d

p r i n c e s s h u

s o k q u e e n y k

k n p a l a c e z e

o e k i n g d o m s

b. Discuss the questions with your classmate.

• Does your country have a royal family? If so, what do you know about it? If not, do you know any

countries which do have a royal family?

• Describe a person who is (or was) a member of a royal family.

Examples: Queen Elizabeth II, Marie Antoinette, Alexander the Great, King Henry VIII, Prince William,

Kate Middleton, Princess Grace of Monaco, Princess Diana, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, etc.

• Describe a palace or castle which you have visited.

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royalty

‘Royalty’ words

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.


2 Texta. In the texts below, Joan and Bret talk about royalty. Read both texts and complete the task at the end.

Task: Decide which person mentions each item.

Susan Bret

The disadvantages of being royal

Public opinion

Money

How to react if you meet a King or Queen

Joan (66), UK

The British monarchy is one of the most famous in the world. And

I’d say that people from my generation are generally quite fond

of our Queen. Ever since her coronation back in 1953, she’s led

the country through some very difficult times. She attends lots of

public events, where people call her ‘Your Majesty’, men bow to her

and women curtsy. The Queen’s official residence is Buckingham

Palace, in London. However, she also has other famous homes

around the UK, such as her large estate at Sandringham (in the east

of England), where she spends Christmas. These days, the Queen

is quite old. The heir to the throne is her son Charles, but I think

he’ll also be quite popular when he eventually becomes King.

Bret (32), USA

My country is a republic, which means it doesn’t have a royal family.

To be honest, I’d prefer it that way. Sometimes I think it must be difficult

to be royal. Think about it: if you’re the oldest kid in the family, you grow

up knowing that when your father or mother dies, you’re next in line for

the throne. And then you need to reign for the rest of your life! It must

be so much pressure! I’d hate it. I know monarchs tend to be really

wealthy, but I’m glad I don’t come from nobility. I’m very happy to

be just a normal commoner, just like everybody else in my country.

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b. Look at the following expressions taken from the two texts in part a. Match each expression to the

corresponding definition below.

a monarchy a coronation to bow /baʊ/ Your Majesty a residence

an estate an heir /eə(r)/ a republic to be next in line for something

to reign a monarch nobility a commoner to curtsy

Definitions:

1. a country that is ruled by a president or other leader that people vote for (not by a king or queen)

= noun [countable]

2. a country (or state) which is ruled by a king or queen

= noun [countable/uncountable]

3. to rule a country as the king or queen

= verb [intransitive]

4. someone who will receive money, property, or a title when another person dies

= noun [countable]

5. a very large area of land that belongs to one person, usually with a very big house on it

= noun [countable]

6. a house (or apartment) where someone lives, especially a large house used by an

important person = noun [countable, formal]

7. to be the next person who will experience something

= phrase

8. to formally show respect for someone by bending your body forwards from the waist


9. to formally show respect for someone by bending your knees with one leg behind the other


10. a group of people from a very high social class (e.g. dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses)

= noun [uncountable]

11. a king or a queen

= noun [countable]

12. a formal expression used for talking to a king or queen

= phrase

13. a person who does not belong to a royal family or to nobility

= noun [countable]

14. a ceremony at which someone officially becomes king or queen

= noun [countable

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3 Language in Use

Write one word to complete each gap. All the words are from earlier tasks in this lesson. Make sure to use

the word in its correct form. Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.

1. Hundreds of years ago, Germany used to be a , but it is now a republic.

2. I n summer, the Queen often leaves her palace in London and travels to her country

in eastern Scotland.

3. Years ago, members of the Royal Family weren’t allowed to marry ;

they could only marry people who had come from nobility.

4. When a monarch dies, sometimes there is a battle to decide who will be next to sit on the

.

5. Elizabeth’s father died in 1952. As his oldest child, Elizabeth was next in

for the throne.

6. Elizabeth was just twenty-seven years old when her

took place, crowning her as the new Queen of the United Kingdom.

7. When my friend Peter met the Queen, he was very embarrassed. He forgot to

to her and, instead, tried to shake her hand!

8. Louis XIV was a famous French king, who for over seventy-two

years, from 1643 to 1715.

4 Communicationa. In many countries (e.g. UK, Spain, Sweden, Belgium), the King or Queen gives a special speech on

television every Christmas. With your classmate, discuss the following questions:

• What do you think is the objective of such a speech?

• In your country, is there any time of the year when the country’s leader appears on TV? Explain.

b. In a moment, you are going to watch a Christmas speech from Queen Elizabeth II, recorded in

December 2018. Before you watch, let’s look at some vocabulary from the video. Read the definitions

below and complete the missing letters.

• to be busy = to be o c e d

• the Queen’s son, Charles = The c of Wales (note: Wales is a country within the UK)

• knowledge which you have learned over a long time = w o

• a situation which is strange because it contains two opposite elements = a p r d

• the opposite of good = l

• a religion / a belief in God = a t

c. Watch the video once and answer the question below:

What family events does the Queen mention?


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d. Watch the video again and answer the questions below.

1. Who does the Queen say is very ‘occupied’?

2. What wisdom does the Queen share?

3. What three elements does the Queen say are very important to her?

e. Discuss these questions with your classmate:

• From this short video, what impression do you get of the Queen’s personality?

• In what ways does the Queen’s speech express the general feeling of Christmas?

• The British Royal Family is probably the most famous in the world. Why do you think this family

is so popular?

5 Discuss

To finish the lesson, let’s talk about general ideas related to royalty. Discuss these questions.

• How have the duties of a royal family changed over the years?

• Some people believe that there is no place for a royal family in the twenty-first century. Why does this

opinion exist?

• Would you prefer to live in a monarchy or in a republic? Explain.

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• The following statistics relate to the UK Royal Family. Discuss where each statistic should go. In the end,

your teacher will tell you the correct answers.

21% 31% 69%

i. The number of British people in favour of the monarchy =

ii. The number of British people who don’t want a Royal Family =

iii. The number of British people who have met (or seen) the Queen in real life =

Do these statistics surprise you? Why / Why not?

Red Words

king*** queen*** prince** princess** crown*** throne** wealthy**

palace** castle** kingdom*** monarchy* residence** bow(verb)*

estate*** heir** republic*** reign (verb)** monarch* speech***

wisdom** faith*** royal***

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