1
Introduction
Discussion Questions
1) How many hours a week do you spend in class?
2) How many hours a week do you spend studying and doing homework?
3) How many hours a week do you spend working?
4) Is it easy or difficult to accomplish (do) all your tasks each day? Why or why not?
5) What is time management? Do you manage your time well?
6) What are ways to manage your time well?
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Time Management Tips-Vocabulary Activity
Name: ______________________________
Directions: Read the definitions and discuss the questions below.
ahead: earlier, in advance
o You are going to the beach this weekend. How can you plan ahead for your beach
trip?
prioritize: to put tasks in order of importance so you can do the most important task first
o Today is Monday. Here is a list of all the things you need to do. Prioritize what is
most important.
Things to do
Vacuum the living room
Do the reading
homework (due on
Friday)
Wash the car
Study for Tuesday’s
grammar test
Plan my next vacation
urgent: very important and needing you to take action immediately
o Which of the following situations is urgent?
o a. You need to buy a new bathing suit for your vacation next week.
o b. You’re tired of taking the bus to work, so you need to buy a new car.
o c. You are very sick and need to see a doctor.
deadline: a time by which something must be done
o When is the deadline to drop classes this semester?
focus (n.): the person or thing that is getting the most attention
o What is your focus this week?
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group (v.): to form a group or put people or things into a group or groups
o Here is a list of things that you need to do. Group similar tasks together.
Things to do
Clean the kitchen
Do my grammar homework
Make my bed
Go to the supermarket
Write an essay
Wash clothes
Dust the house
Go to the bank
Buy a birthday gift for my
mom
block out: to arrange time for something by planning in advance
o Look at John’s schedule below. Exercising is important to John. He blocks out
6:00 AM – 7:00 AM every day to go to the gym. What is important to you? What
do you block out time for each day? Each week?
John’s Schedule
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
6:00 AM Gym Gym Gym Gym Gym
7:00 AM
8:00 AM Class Class
9:00 AM
10:00 AM Work Work Work
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Time Management Tips
(This article has been adapted from “Time Management Tips” by Phil LaViolette
[Link]
Time management can be difficult for many people. However, if you follow these tips,
you can save and gain time!
1. Get a planner and use it!
Use an electronic or paper planner. Write all your work and social plans in it. Always review
upcoming events and appointments. Get into the habit of looking 2 to 3 weeks ahead.
2. Prioritize your life!
It’s important to decide what is most important. The best way to prioritize is to make a list of all
your tasks. Next, ask yourself, “What tasks are important?” and “What tasks are urgent?” Do
some of your tasks have deadlines? For example, studying for your grammar test tomorrow is
more urgent than studying for your reading test next week.
3. When are you most productive?
Some people work better in the morning, some in the afternoon, and some in the evening. By
picking the best time for you, you can schedule your day. Are you most productive in the
morning? Then plan tasks that need a lot of focus in the morning.
4. Group similar tasks together
When you look at your tasks, group similar tasks together. If you have a lot of emails to reply to,
then block out 45 minutes in your planner to do this. You can do this with other tasks, like
making phone calls or cleaning.
5. Give Yourself Extra Time
Always plan for tasks to take longer than you think. For example, if you think it will take one
hour to complete your homework, write 5:00-7:00 in your planner. Why? If the homework takes
longer than you think, you won’t have to rush.
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Time Management Tips-Questions
Name: ______________________________
1) According to the reading, you should look __________ ahead.
a. 2-3 years
b. 2-3 days
c. 2-3 weeks
2) Do you have a planner?
a. Yes
b. No
3) Do you prefer a paper planner or an electronic planner?
4) How do you decide what task is the most important?
5) When are you most productive (ex. morning, evening, etc.)?
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The Simple Present-Affirmative Statements
A simple present verb has two forms: the base form and the -s form.
Examples
Subject Base Form
I
You live in New Jersey.
We
They
Subject -s Form
He
She lives in New Jersey.
It
Directions: Create sentences in the present tense using the subject and verb provided.
1) Mr. Sanchez/live
Mr. Sanchez lives in an apartment with his wife.
2) The cashier/group
3) I/study
_________________________________________________________________________________
4) Sarah/prioritize
_________________________________________________________________________________
5) My sister and I/plan
_________________________________________________________________________________
6) You/block out
_________________________________________________________________________________
7) He/organize
_________________________________________________________________________________
8) The children/need
_________________________________________________________________________________
9) The teacher/give
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Questions
Directions: You will make a schedule to help organize your time better. First, ask a partner
questions about his/her life. This information will help your partner create a schedule.
Present: Yes/No Questions
I Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
you Yes, you do. No, you don’t.
Do we work full time? Yes, we do. No, we don’t.
they learn on the job? Yes, they do. No, they don’t.
he have long hours? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.
Does she Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.
it taste good? Yes, it does. No, it doesn’t.
Brainstorm: What yes/no questions can you ask your partner?
Do you have a job?
Present: Wh-Questions
What I
Where you
When do we work?
Why they study?
How he save?
How often does she
How much
How many hours it last?
Brainstorm: What wh- questions can you ask your partner?
When do you have class?
What time does your class start?
What time does your class end?
When are you most productive?
o When do you schedule studying?
Listening Practice: Wasting Time
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Name: _______________________________ Date: _______________
Circle True or False for these sentences.
1. Tom doesn't know how to start studying. True False
2. Tom's mum thinks that music helps people study. True False
3. Tom puts the dog outside. True False
4. Tom's mum recommends having a sandwich on the desk. True False
5. Tom doesn't want to turn off his phone at first. True False
6. Tom needs the internet to study. True False
7. Tom's going to turn off his messages. True False
8. Tom thinks his mum has helped him. True False
Student’s Name
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Instructor’s Name
Class
Date
My Goal
Hello! My name is ___________. I am _____ years old, and I am from _________. Now,
I live in ___________. I live with my ____________. I am a __________ (job), and I study
English at Hudson County Community College. I have a goal for this semester. I want to
_________________ by __________________.
This goal is important to me because _______________________. In order to reach my
goal, I will ________________ and _________________. I know it won’t be easy, but I know
that I can do it.
Example
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Juan Gomez
Professor Whalley
ESL-026-01
February 5, 2023
My Goal
Hello! My name is Juan Gomez. I am 19 years old, and I am from Mexico. Now, I live in
Jersey City, New Jersey. I live with my parents and two brothers. I am a waiter at a diner. I
study English at Hudson County Community College. I have a goal for this semester. I want to
read 3 books in English by August 2023.
This goal is important to me because I want to improve my reading skills in English. In
order to reach my goal, I will read one book every two months, and I will read the books with a
friend so we can encourage each other to read. I know it won’t be easy, but I know that I can do
it.
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Schedule
Directions: Create a schedule for this semester. What are all the things that you need to do (ex.
go to class, study, do homework, work, cook, clean, rest, etc.). What are all the things that you
want to do (ex. spend time with friends/family, exercise, do hobbies)? Now, complete the
schedule below with all the things that you need to do and want to do.
