Type 1: 'concrete' learners. These learners tend to like games, pictures, films, video, using cassettes, talking in pairs and practising English outside class.

Type 2: 'analytical' learners. These learners liked studying grammar, studying English books and reading newspapers, studying alone, finding their own mistakes and working on problems set by the teacher.

Type 3: 'communicative' learners. These students like to learn by watching, listening to native speakers, talking to friends in English and watching television in English, using English out of class in shops, trains, etc., learning new words by hearing them, and learning by conversations.

Type 4: 'authority-oriented' learners. These learners preferred the teacher to explain everything, liked to have their own textbook, to write everything in a notebook, to study grammar, learn by reading, and learn new words by seeing them.

The course book I am using has a wordspot focus that draws learners' attention to different lexical items, sometimes to different phrases of verbs such as get, mind or particles such as over, up. They are always presented as a spider graph with some follow up activity (see below). They present a lot of very useful expressions, 'phrasal verbs' included. However, it is very difficult to present this language as it is in the book because there is an information overload. I have tried different activities to exploit this very useful bank of expressions, asking learners to look at the items as a homework task before working with them in class or using the expressions in question form as a speaking activity at the beginning of the class (see activity below) to familiarise students with the expressions frequently over a period of time. The latter exercise has led to increased learner interest in the expressions with some 'keen' learners even trying to use the expressions outside the initial context of the speaking activity because they were using them to relate personal experiences. If we want learners to use multiword verbs confidently and effectively, we need to draw their attention to them in a meaningful context, provide opportunities for using them and actively encourage their use.

To get on well with someone
To have a good relationship with someone (friends/family)

How long did it take to get to know your best friend?

To get to know someone
the process of knowing someone well

When did you last get your hair cut?

To get one's hair cut (more informal than have your hair cut)
To go to the hairdresser's and have your hair cut

How many presents did you get for Christmas?

To get a present
To receive presents

Did you get in touch with anybody special at Christmas?

To get in touch with someone
To contact someone (friends/family)

When was the last time you got your photo taken?

To get one's photo taken (more informal than have your photo taken)
To have one's photo taken

Did you get any surprises at Christmas?

To get a surprise
To receive a surprise, something unexpected

Have you ever seen anybody stopped for going over the speed limit?

To go over the speed limit
To drive faster than 120 km/hour on the motorway

Do you remember vocabulary by saying it over and over again?

Over and over again
To repeat something several times

Do things often slip your mind?

something slips your mind
You forget it

What's the best thing to cope with problems?

To cope with problems
To deal with/ respond to problems

Have you given up anything as a New Year's resolution?

To give up something
To stop doing something (a bad habit/ smoking/ eating chocolate)

What have you been up to over the Christmas holidays?

To be up to something (informal)
To do something

What's the most important thing you've done over the last decade?

Over the last decade
In the last ten years

Do you usually speak your mind?

To speak your mind
To say what you really think

Would you mind lending me a pen?

Would you mind ___ing ?
Very polite way of asking for something. Usual answer NOT AT ALL

How long does it take you to tidy up your room?

To tidy up - to clean, order completely

Have you given up anything in the New Year?

To give up something - to stop doing something

Do you think prices have gone up since the change over to the Euro?

To go up - to increase

What time were you up on New Year's Day?

To be up - not in bed

What were you up to at the weekend?

To be up to - doing : What were you doing?

If you had a bottle of champagne, would you drink it all up?

To drink up - to drink it all, to drink it completely.

Would you walk up to a handsome man and invite him out?
beautiful woman her

To walk up to - to approach, to walk towards

Are the computer programmes you use up-to-date?

To be up-to-date - to be modern