The 30th July is International Friendship Day and this month our activities are dedicated to the topic of friendship. Our C1 Advanced students and B2 First students will read about research into making new friends. Our B1 Preliminary and B2 First students will watch a video about maintaining old friendships. Finally, our young learners will ready a story about helping our friends. Happy teaching!

1. 1
July 2022
The 30th
July is International Friendship Day and this month our activities are dedicated to the
topic of friendship. Our C1 Advanced students and B2 First students will read about research
into making new friends. Our B1 Preliminary and B2 First students will watch a video about
maintaining old friendships. Finally, our young learners will ready a story about helping our
friends. Happy teaching!
1. Making new friends……..………….……………………………………………………………..…………………………….2
2. Maintaining our friendships..….…………………………………………………………………………………………….5
3. Helping our friends.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8
4. References………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………12

2. 2
1. Making new friends
Level: B2 First / C1 Advanced
Skills: Speaking, Use of English, Writing
Interaction: Individual, pairs and whole class activity
Time: 1 hour
Warm up (10’) – whole class activity
1. What differentiates an acquaintance from a friend?
2. What differentiates a friend from a best friend?
3. What advice would you give to someone looking to make new friends?
4. How long do you think it takes to become someone’s friend?
5. Are there any challenges in maintaining relationships with friends?
Use of English (10’) – individual activity
You will read a text about making new friends. For questions 1 –10, think of the word which
best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.
How long does it take to be friends with somebody?
It's a high honour to be called someone's best friend – just look at the way characters in
sitcoms like Friends and How I Met Your Mother argue over (1)__________ of the gang is their
best friend. But the criteria for someone fitting the role of a best friend is hard to define. Until
now, (2)__________is, as a researcher from the University of Kansas thinks he has cracked the
code.
In a new paper published in March in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships,
professor of Communication Studies Jeffrey Hall defined how long it takes to make a friend,
and how long it takes for people to typically make their way through the different stages of
friendship. In his previous research, he found a person's brain is capable of handling about 150
friendships at (3)_________.
Hall and his colleague developed an online tool to assess how close people were to their
friends. In the first part of the study, they analysed 355 survey responses from adults who
(4)__________ moved within the last six months and were looking for new friends.
They (5)__________ asked to think of someone they had met since moving, and how their
friendship had developed. They had to divulge how close they were and how many hours they
spent together, as well as where they would rate the relationship in one of four categories:
acquaintance, casual friend, friend, or close friend. Through this, the researchers
(6)__________ estimate the number of hours needed for people to reach the different stages
of friendship.

3. 3
In the second part, 112 Kansas University students were asked about two people they had met
since starting university two weeks previously. The researchers followed up after four and
seven weeks to see what friendship stages had (7) __________ reached. Results showed it
takes about 40 to 60 hours to form a casual friendship, 80 to 100 hours to be upgraded to
being a friend, and about 200 hours to become "good friends”.
"We have to put that time in," Hall said in a statement. "You can't snap your fingers and make
a friend. Maintaining close relationships is the (8)__________ important work we do in our
lives."
You can't force someone to be friends with you, and of course (9)__________ relationship can
be watered down to numbers alone. But if you want to be best friends with someone, the best
way of doing it is to spend more time with them. "Make it a priority to spend time with
potential friends," said Hall. "If you are interested in a friendship, switch up the context. If you
work (10)__________, go to lunch or out for a drink. These things signal to people that you are
interested in being friends with them."
Adapted from Independent (2018).
Follow-up (10’) – in pairs
Compare answers in pairs working together to explain why you chose this word. Then look at
the key and correct your answers. What was the problem with the questions you got wrong?
Writing (30’) – individual activity
Your class has listened to a radio discussion about the different factors that define the
closeness of our friendships. You have made the notes below:
Write an essay discussing two of the factors in your notes that define the closeness of
friendships. You should explain which is most important, giving reasons to support your
opinion. You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you
should use your own words as far as possible.
Which factors define the closeness of our
friendships?
• Time spent together
• Being understanding
• Personality
Some opinions expressed in the debate:
“If you don’t have enough time to meet with someone,
they are not really a friend”.
“Good friends should be compatible and share similar
interests”.
“It is important to be understanding and caring in good and
bad times”.

4. 4
Key
It's a high honour to be called someone's best friend – just look at the way characters in
sitcoms like Friends and How I Met Your Mother argue over (1)__which___ of the gang is their
best friend. But the criteria for someone fitting the role of a best friend is hard to define. Until
now, (2)___that___ is, as a researcher from the University of Kansas thinks he has cracked the
code.
In a new paper published in March in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships,
professor of Communication Studies Jeffrey Hall defined how long it takes to make a friend,
and how long it takes for people to typically make their way through the different stages of
friendship. In his previous research, he found a person's brain is capable of handling about 150
friendships at (3)___once___.
Hall and his colleague developed an online tool to assess how close people were to their
friends. In the first part of the study, they analysed 355 survey responses from adults who
(4)____had____ moved within the last six months and were looking for new friends.
They (5)___were___ asked to think of someone they had met since moving, and how their
friendship had developed. They had to divulge how close they were and how many hours they
spent together, as well as where they would rate the relationship in one of four categories:
acquaintance, casual friend, friend, or close friend. Through this, the researchers
(6)__could___ estimate the number of hours needed for people to reach the different stages
of friendship.
In the second part, 112 Kansas University students were asked about two people they had met
since starting university two weeks previously. The researchers followed up after four and
seven weeks to see what friendship stages had (7) ___been___ reached. Results showed it
takes about 40 to 60 hours to form a casual friendship, 80 to 100 hours to be upgraded to
being a friend, and about 200 hours to become "good friends”.
"We have to put that time in," Hall said in a statement. "You can't snap your fingers and make
a friend. Maintaining close relationships is the (8)___most___ important work we do in our
lives."
You can't force someone to be friends with you, and of course (9)____no____ relationship can
be watered down to numbers alone. But if you want to be best friends with someone, the best
way of doing it is to spend more time with them. "Make it a priority to spend time with
potential friends," said Hall. "If you are interested in a friendship, switch up the context. If you
work (10)_together_, go to lunch or out for a drink. These things signal to people that you are
interested in being friends with them."

5. 5
2. Maintaining our friendships
Level: B1 Preliminary / B2 First
Skills: Speaking and Listening
Interaction: whole class, in pairs and individual
activity
Time: 30 minutes
Warm up (10’) – whole class activity
1. Which characteristics are important for you in a friend?
2. Tell us about one of your friends. What are they like? How did you meet?
3. Which factors might make it difficult to maintain a close friendship?
4. Which factors might influence the number of friends you have?
5. What differentiates a friend from an acquaintance?
Listening (10’) – individual activity
You’re going to watch a video about maintaining friendships. Read the questions, then
choose the best answer A, B or C.
1. Mona says that
a. she has moved to a new city about 20 times in her life.
b. sustaining friendships gets harder every time she moves.
c. it is not important to sustain the friendships she left behind when she moved.
2. One study found that
a. friendships fall apart when we don’t have the chance to meet and connect.
b. Some friendships have been negatively affected by a year of isolation.
c. most friendships dissolve after around seven years.

6. 6
3. The study also found that over seven years,
a. the number of friends we have stays the same.
b. the average person makes around twenty to thirty close friends.
c. the size of our friendship groups reduces by 52%.
4. Mona says that working from home
a. means it isn’t easy to go out and make new friends.
b. is a luxury she doesn’t have.
c. means she doesn’t have the opportunity to meet up with her friends.
5. A recent study found
a. you have to spend 40-60 hours with someone to become an acquaintance.
b. that a casual friend gets upgraded to a friend after 80-100 hours of quality time.
c. a friend is elevated to a best friend after spending 100-200 hours together.
6. According to Mona’s mum
a. to make friends we need to open a window of communication.
b. friendships are not affected if friends don’t meet each other often.
c. good friends are more caring in difficult times.
Speaking (10’) – in pairs or groups of 3
Now, I’d like you to talk about something together for about two minutes. Which factors are
most important for making and maintaining friendships? Discuss the five options below and
then decide which is most important.
Which factors are most
important for making and
maintaining friendships?
Spending quality
time together
Having the same
interests Being
understanding
Having similar
personalities
Living nearby

7. 7
Key
1. Mona says that
a. she has moved to a new city about 20 times in her life
b. sustaining friendships gets harder every time she moves
c. it is not important to sustain the friendships she left behind when she moved
2. One study found that
a. friendships fall apart when people don’t have the chance to meet and connect
b. some friendships have been negatively affected by a year of isolation
c. most friendships dissolve after around seven years
3. The study also found that over seven years,
a. the number of friends we have stays the same
b. the average person makes around twenty to thirty close friends
c. the size of our friendship groups reduces by 52%
4. Mona says that working from home
a. means she doesn’t have the opportunity to meet up with her friends
b. is a luxury she doesn’t have
c. means it isn’t easy to go out and make new friends
5. A recent study found
a. you have to spend 40-60 hours with someone to become an acquaintance
b. that a casual friend gets upgraded to a friend after 80-100 hours of quality time
c. a friend is elevated to a best friend after spending 100-200 hours together
6. According to Mona’s mum
a. to make friends we need to open a window of communication
b. friendships are not affected if friends don’t meet each other often
c. good friends are more caring in difficult times

8. 8
3. Helping our friends
Level: Pre-A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers
Skills: Speaking, Reading and Writing
Interaction: in pairs and individual activity
Time: 40 minutes
Warm up (10’) – in pairs
• Tell your partner about one of your friends.
- What is their name?
- How did you meet them?
- What are they like?
• Can you remember a time when you helped one of your friends?
• When did one of your friends help you?
Vocabulary (10’) – individual activity
Look at the pictures. Look at the letters and write the words.
_ _ _ _ INOL _ _ _ _ _ SOUME _ _ _ _ _ UGHAL _ _ _ _ OPER
_ _ _ _ _ _ SPLEAE _ _ _ _ CKEN _ _ _ _ _ _ NKIG _ _ _ _ ERET

9. 9
Reading (10’) – individual activity
You’re going to read a story about two friends. Write in the missing words. Write one word on
each line.
The lion and the mouse
A lion was asleep in the sun one day. (1) ___________ little mouse came out to play. The little
mouse ran up (2) __________ lion’s neck and slid down his back. The lion caught him with a
great big smack! ‘I’m going (3) __________ eat you!’ the lion roared, his mouth open wide. ‘No,
no, please don’t!’ the little mouse cried. ‘(4) __________ kind to me and one day I’ll help you.’
‘I’m a lion! You’re a mouse! (5) __________ can you do?’ The lion laughed, very hard, and the
mouse ran away. But the mouse was out walking the very next day. He heard a big roar, and
squeaked when he saw the king (6) __________ the jungle tied to a tree. But the mouse had a
plan to set him free. The mouse worked quickly (7) __________ chewed through the rope. The
lion said, ‘Oh little mouse, I had no hope. You were right, little mouse – thank (8) __________,
I’m free. You’re the best friend there ever could be!’
Adapted from British Council Learn English Kids (n.d.).
Writing (10’) A2 Flyers – individual activity
Look at the pictures and write a story about the two friends. Write 20 or more words.

10. 10
Writing (10’) A1 Movers – individual activity
Look at the picture of a group of friends who are playing in the park. Write four sentences
about the picture. Can you see someone who needs help from a friend?

11. 11
KEY
A lion was asleep in the sun one day. A little mouse came out to play. The little mouse ran up
the lion’s neck and slid down his back. The lion caught him with a great big smack! ‘I’m going
to eat you!’ the lion roared, his mouth open wide. ‘No, no, please don’t!’ the little mouse
cried. ‘Be kind to me and one day I’ll help you.’ ‘I’m a lion! You’re a mouse! What can you do?’
The lion laughed, very hard, and the mouse ran away. But the mouse was out walking the very
next day. He heard a big roar, and squeaked when he saw the king of the jungle tied to a tree.
But the mouse had a plan to set him free. The mouse worked quickly and chewed through the
rope. The lion said, ‘Oh little mouse, I had no hope. You were right, little mouse – thank you,
I’m free. You’re the best friend there ever could be!’

12. 12
4. References
British Council Lean English Kids. (n.d.). The lion and the mouse. Available at:
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/short-stories/the-lion-and-the-mouse
[Accessed 4th July 2022].
Dodgson, L. (2018). It takes roughly 200 hours to become best friends with someone,
according to science. [online]. Independent. Available at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/how-long-does-it-take-to-be-friends-with-
somebody-a8296261.html [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Friends. [image/jpeg] Available at: Cuatro Personas De Pie Sobre Un Acantilado
Frente Al Sol · Foto de stock gratuita (pexels.com) [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Making Friends. [image/jpeg] Available at: Foto de stock gratuita sobre
abrazando, amistad, bonito, de pie, feliz, gente, grupo, mejores amigos, pasando el
rato, pelo largo, sonriendo, unidad (pexels.com) [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Friends. [image/jpeg] Available at:https://www.pexels.com/es-
es/foto/mujeres-y-hombres-sonrientes-sentados-sobre-la-hierba-verde-1231230/
[Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Friends playing kids. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-
es/foto/gente-amigos-jugando-infancia-8813497/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Rope. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/cerrar-
foto-de-cuerda-906060/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Lion. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/foto-de-
primer-plano-de-leon-1598377/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Mouse. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/ratones-
marrones-y-blancos-2280794/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Niña risa. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/nina-
riendo-2965017/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Asleep. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/ligero-
mujer-telefono-inteligente-cama-4473864/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). Neck. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/mujer-
lujo-perlas-cuello-9429420/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
Pixabay. (n.d.). King. [image/jpeg] Available at: https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/nino-
vestido-con-un-disfraz-de-principe-2214590/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].

13. 13
Pixabay. (n.d.). Tree. [image/jpeg] Available at:https://www.pexels.com/es-es/foto/arbol-
verde-en-campo-de-hierba-verde-2902440/ [Accessed 4th July 2022].
TED. (n.d.). What makes a friendship last? Available at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/mona_chalabi_what_makes_a_friendship_last [Accessed
4th July 2022].
UCLES (2018). Young Leaners Sample papers volume 2. Available at:
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/es/Images/423014-cambridge-english-young-
learners-sample-papers-2018-volume-2.pdf [Accessed 4th July 2022].