Holidays are over and at Cambridge Assessment English we are excited to start the new academic year! September is the ideal month to set our learning and professional goals and leave bad habits behind. We have prepared some activities for our C1 Advanced, B2 First and B1 Preliminary students to help them reflect on opportunities to make a fresh start and remain positive. Younger students love getting their back-to-school stationery ready, so we have designed some fun activities to help them remember school vocabulary. Happy teaching!

1. 1
September
Holidays are over and at Cambridge Assessment English we are excited to start the new
academic year! September is the ideal month to set our learning and professional goals and
leave bad habits behind. We have prepared some activities for our C1 Advanced, B2 First and
B1 Preliminary students to help them reflect on opportunities to make a fresh start and remain
positive. Younger students love getting their back-to-school stationery ready, so we have
designed some fun activities to help them remember school vocabulary. Happy teaching!
1. Not Yet...............................................................................................................................................2
2. Settling back into Routine after the Holidays...............................................................................5
3. Getting Ready for School ...............................................................................................................9
4. Back to School................................................................................................................................11
5. References......................................................................................................................................12

2. 2
1. Not Yet
Level: B2 First / C1 Advanced
Skills: speaking and listening
Interaction: whole class, individual activity
Equipment: digital board, speakers
Time: 35 minutes
Warm up! (10’) – whole class activity
• Tell us about your holidays.
• Do you usually feel sad or depressed after your holidays? If so, do you have any
strategies to get over these sad feelings?
• Do you think that coming back from holidays could be an opportunity to change the
habits you don’t like and start new ones?
• Have you ever taken advantage of the end of your holidays to make a fresh start?
• How do you feel about failure?
• Have you ever felt out of your comfort zone? If so, how did you feel about it?
• How do you react to challenges?
Listening (15’) – individual activity
The questions cover the content of the video up to minute 10. Students should watch the video
twice.

3. 3
Questions:
1. What is the meaning of the ‘not yet’ grade?
2. Carol Dweck described a study she carried out with 10-year-old children. She gave them
problems that were slightly too difficult for them. How did students react to this situation?
3. Carol Dweck categorises people as having either a ‘growth mindset’ or a ‘fixed mindset’.
How do their brains react to error?
4. How does having a ‘fixed mindset’ impact the working environment?
5. What does Carol Dweck mean when she says that we can praise wisely?
Discussion (10’) – whole class activity
• What is your opinion about Carol Dweck’s position?
• Do you think you have a ‘growth mindset’ or a ‘fixed minset’?
• Do you feel you should change your attitude towards challenges?
• Do you have any goals for the new academic year? If so, which ones?
KEY
1. What is the meaning of ‘not yet’ as a grade?
But if you get the grade “Not Yet”, you understand that you’re on a learning curve. It gives you
a path into the future.
2. Carol Dweck described a study she carried out with 10-year-old children. She gave
them problems that were slightly too difficult for them. How did students react to this
situation?
‘Not Yet’ also gave me insight into a critical event early in my career, a real turning point. I
wanted to see how children coped with challenge and difficulty, so I gave 10-year-olds
problems that were slightly too hard for them. Some of them reacted in a shockingly positive
way. They said things like, “I love a challenge,” or, “You know, I was hoping this would be
informative.” They understood that their abilities could be developed. They had what I call a
growth mindset. But other students felt it was tragic, catastrophic.
3. Carol Dweck categorises people as having either a ‘growth mindset’ or a ‘fixed
mindset’. How do their brains react to error?
Scientists measured the electrical activity from the brain as students confronted an error. On
the left, you see the fixed-mindset students. There’s hardly any activity. They run from the
error. They don’t engage with it. But on the right, you have the students with the growth
mindset, the idea that abilities can be developed. They engage deeply. Their brain is on fire
with “yet”. They engage deeply. They process the error. They learn from it and they correct it.

4. 4
4. How does having a ‘fixed mindset’ impact the working environment?
Maybe, because employers are coming to me and saying, “We’ve already raised a generation
of young workers who can’t get through the day without an award.”
5. What does Carol Dweck mean when she says that we can praise wisely?
Here are some things we can do. First of all, we can praise wisely, not praising intelligence or
talent. That has failed. Don’t do that anymore. But praising the process that kids engage in,
their effort, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance, their improvement. This process
praise creates kids who are hardy and resilient.

5. 5
2. Settling back into Routine after the Holidays
Level: B1 Preliminary
Skills: reading, writing and speaking
Interaction: whole class, in groups, individual activity
Content: travel vocabulary and recommendations
Time: 75 minutes
Warm up! (15’) – whole class activity
• Tell us about your holidays.
• Do you usually feel sad or depressed after your holidays? If so, do you have any
strategies to get over these sad feelings?
• Do you think that coming back from holidays could be an opportunity to change the
habits you don’t like and start new ones?
• Have you ever taken advantage of the end of your holidays to make a fresh start?
Tips for getting back into routine after your holidays (20’) – in groups of three
In your groups try to come up with five tips for getting back into routine after your holidays. Try
to give a short explanation of your tip in a couple of lines. Prepare a poster or use a digital
board to present the information to your classmates.
Once all the groups have presented their tips, agree on the most useful or popular ones to
create the final list.
Reading (15’) – individual activity
Read the text below and choose the correct word for each space.
For each question, mark the correct letter A, B, C, or D.
TOP TIPS FOR GETTING BACK INTO ROUTINE
AFTER YOUR HOLIDAY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6. 6
How to Settle back into a
Routine after Travelling
November 9, 2017 by Alice Benny
Updated: May 1st, 2019
Travelling can take a lot out of you, so when you get home you’ll more (0) than likely have the
“travel blues,” (1) _____ you don’t fit in. It’s important to get back into a routine after travelling.
However, it can be difficult to adjust once you get home and try to get back to daily life.
“Missing” is a big part of this process. You’ll miss your home away from home and all that
entails: friends, food, the culture, and perhaps not having work or other responsibilities.
Here are a (2) _____ tips to help you throughout the process of settling back into a routine:
1. Unpack
As you arrive, it’s easy to start putting off all the basic chores you need to do to get back to
normal life. Don’t (3) _____ your suitcases sit there whilst you spend your days feeling blue
about being back. Sort things out: take care of dirty laundry, we know it is a pain but finishing
it quickly will eliminate more to do later as it just piles up, put (4) _____ shoes and your
suitcases. If you bought any souvenirs, find a new place in your home for them. If you need to
pack away summer or winter gear, make sure you do that too.
2. Conquer jet lag
When travelling across time zones, jet lag may be inevitable, but take steps
to eliminate it as quickly (5) ______ you can. It can take a day to recover for
each time zone you crossed. Some things you can do to lessen jet lag
symptoms are to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine. Depending if you are
travelling east to west, or west to east, you can start changing your bedtime
by a half hour each day. Many people have had success eliminating jet lag
by setting their watches (and their minds) to their “home time” when they
get on their plane. They sleep on the plane. At the very least, be aware of
jet lag and how it can impact your mood. Go to bed early if you need to in
order to ensure you’re getting the rest you need.
3. Get back to work
If you have a job, make sure you return quickly. If you work from home, make sure you have
your office space set up and ready so you can get back on (6) _____. Free your area from
distractions. When you have an inviting space with proper, functional office furniture, you will
increase productivity.
4. Remember the good!
Print your pictures. We love the convenience of digital cameras
and smart phones but we end up (7) ______ lots of pictures we
never look at again. Take time soon after your trip to go through
your photos. Print out some of your favourite pictures on display
at home and on your desk at work. This way, you will enjoy your
memories and can relive the good times.

7. 7
5. Reconnect with family and friends
If you’ve been away for (8) ______ long time, it’s important that you
reconnect (9) _____ with your friends and family. You could organise a
little get-together at home, invite your friends and family, and maybe
even provide a little entertainment with a slide show of your travels.
They will all be excited to have you back and eager to (10) _____ about
your trip. Show them your photos and talk about what you enjoyed while
you were away.
Adapted from: Benny, Al. (2017). How to Settle back into Routine after Traveling. Available at:
https://www.aswetravel.com/settle-back-routine-traveling/ [Acccessed 21 August 2019].
Example
0. A: OF B: WHAT C: THAN D: THAT
1. A: LIKE B: HOW C: AS D: IF
2. A: LOT B: LITTLE C: MANY D: FEW
3. A: STAY B: KEEP C: ALLOW D: LET
4. A: OUT B: OFF C: AWAY D: OF
5. A: THAN B: OF C: LIKE D: AS
6. A: ROAD B: PATH C: TRACK D: ROUTINE
7. A: TAKE B: TAKING C: TOOK D: TAKEN
8: A: SUCH B: SO C: MUCH D: A
9. A: FAST B: RAPIDLY C: QUICKLY D: SPEEDLY
10. A: LISTEN B: DISCOVER C: FIND D: HEAR
Reading (15’) – in pairs
Correct the activity with the person next to you and discuss the following questions.
Questions
Answer these questions in your own words and underline where in the text you can find the
answers.
1. How will you probably feel after the holidays according to the author?
2. Why is it better to wash your clothes as soon as possible once you are back?
3. What do you need to do to be more productive if you work from home?
4. What is the downside of having digital cameras and smartphones?
5. What should you do to re-connect with your friends and family?
Correction and discussion (10’) – in pairs
Do you agree with the ideas presented in the text? Why (not)?

8. 8
KEY
1. A: LIKE
2. D: FEW
3. D: LET
4. C: AWAY
5. D: AS
6. C: TRACK
7. B: TAKING
8. D: A
9. C: QUICKLY
10. D: HEAR
1. How will you probably feel after the holidays according to the author?
You’ll more than likely feel the “travel blues,” like you don’t fit in.
2. Why is it better to wash your clothes as soon as possible once you are back?
Sort things out: take care of dirty laundry, we know it is a pain but finishing it quickly will
eliminate more to do later as it just piles up, put away shoes and your suitcases.
3. What do you need to do to be more productive if you work from home?
If you work from home, make sure you have your office space set up and ready so you can
get back on track. Free your area from distractions. When you have an inviting space with
proper, functional office furniture, you will increase productivity.
4. What is the downside of having digital cameras and smartphones?
We love the convenience of digital cameras and smart phones but we end up taking lots of
pictures we never look at again.
5. What should you do to re-connect with your friends and family?
You can organise a little get-together at home, invite your friends and family, provide a little
entertainment with a slide show of your travels.

9. 9
3. Getting Ready for School
Level: A2 Flyers / A2 Key
Skills: writing
Interaction: whole class, individual activity
Content: school vocabulary and prepositions
Time: 25 minutes
Warm up! (10’) – whole group activity
• Look in your pencil case. Can you name all the objects you have?
• Compare the objects you have with the ones your classmate has. Are they different? If so, can
you explain why these objects are useful to you?
• Look at your classroom. Where is the …?
Wordsearch (15’) – individual activity
Find 23 school-related words in this wordsearch.

10. 10
BACKPACK
BIN
GEOGRAPHY
SCISSORS
HOMEWORK
GLUE
GYM
UNIVERSITY
TIMETABLE
SENTENCE
KEYBOARD
WEBSITE
COLLEGE
UNDERSTAND
FLAG
SCIENCE
SCREEN
SUBJECT
CRAYON
LESSON
PENCIL
PAINTING
ANSWER

11. 11
4. Back to School
Level: Pre-A1 Starters / A1 Movers
Skills: writing
Interaction: whole class activity
Equipment: digital board
Time: 20 minutes
Warm up! (5’) – whole group activity
• What objects can you see in the classroom?
• Show me a… (pencil, pen, rubber, ruler…).
• What colour is the… (door, chair, desk, wall…)?
• How do you spell… (pencil, pen, rubber, ruler…)?
Hangman (15’) – whole group activity
Use the smart board to play hangman.

12. 12
5. References
Benny, Al. (2017). How to Settle back into Routine after Traveling. Available at:
https://www.aswetravel.com/settle-back-routine-traveling/ [Acccessed 21 August
2019].
Dweck, C. (2014). The Power of Believing that You Can Improve. [online] Available at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_impr
ove [Acccessed 21 August 2019].
Fernández, J. (2018). White Airplane Window. [image/jpeg]. Available at:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-airplane-window-2405101/ [Acccessed 22
August 2019].
Hangman (2013-2018). Flippity: Bunkat LLC
Herrera, A. (2017). Empty Concrete Road near Trees. [image/jpeg]. Available at:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/empty-concrete-road-near-trees-2740783/ [Acccessed
22 August 2019].
Kelley, L. (2018). Close up of Pictures. [image/jpeg]. Available at:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-pictures-185933/ [Acccessed 22 August
2019].
Pixabay (2018). Assorted-color Pencils Forming Circle on Brown Surface. [image/jpeg].
Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/art-artistic-bright-color-220320/
[Acccessed 22 August 2019].
Pixabay (2018). Boy in Brown Hoodie Carrying Red Backpack while Walking on Dirt Road
Near Tall Trees. [image/jpeg]. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-in-
brown-hoodie-carrying-red-backpack-while-walking-on-dirt-road-near-tall-trees-
207697/ [Acccessed 22 August 2019].
Rawpixel.com (2018). Laptop, Calendar and Books. [image/jpeg]. Available at:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/laptop-calendar-and-books-908298/ [Acccessed 22
August 2019].
Shevtsova, D. (2018). People Gathered inside House sitting on Sofa. [image/jpeg]. Available
at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-gathered-inside-house-sitting-on-sofa-
1054974/ [Acccessed 22 August 2019].
Silitonga, S. (2017). Silhouette of Boy Running in Body of Water during Sunset. [image/jpeg].
Available at:https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-boy-running-in-body-of-
water-during-sunset-694587/ [Acccessed 22 August 2019].
Word Search (2011). Flippity: Bunkat LLC.