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Year I • Chapter 01 – Numbers • Session 01
How to say numbers in English Prerequisites :
Year Chapter Session Time frame
I 01 – Numbers 01 55 mins
Vocabulary : digit, decimal point and all cardinal numbers.
Objectives : – Discover how to say numbers in English, including the main differences with French. – Practise pronunciation. Materials : – Computers. – Four different question cards handed out to the students (5 copies each). – Answer sheet giving the answers to all four questions (40 copies).
1 – Webquest
15 mins
The students must use the internet to find the answers to four questions about the way to say numbers in English.
2 – Gathering information in teams
15 mins
Students team in groups of four or five with the different questions represented in each group. They gather the information and devise an exercise sheet to be handed out to another group. The exercise sheet will just be a list of 10 well-chosen numbers, that the other group will have to read out loud.
3 – Oral training and presentation
Remaining time
The groups have a few minutes to read the exercise sheet they were handed out and practise. Then, they turn by turn stand up in front of the class and read the numbers out loud. The teacher may correct pronunciation at the end of each round.
How to say numbers in English
Year Chapter Session Document
I 01 – Numbers 01 FAQ
Question A : In English, do you say the integer part and the decimal part of a number in the same way ? For example, think about the number 281.281. The integer part is said using the decimal place-value system, with extensive use of the words hundred, thousand, million, billion. For example, 4563870 is four million, five hundred and sixty-three thousand, eight hundred and seventy. The decimal part is just said as the juxtaposition of its digits. For example, 56.7908 is fifty-six point seven nine nought eight. Question B : Can there be an “s” at the end of the words hundred, thousand, million, billion ? By the way, what does billion mean ? The words hundred, thousand, million, billion are invariable when used in numbers. But you say hundreds, thousands, millions or billions in non-mathematical senteces such as “Thousands of people came to the concert yesterday evening.” One billion is one thousand million in the USA and other short scale countries. It originally meant a million million in British English and still does in long scale countries, but the short scale is the most commonly used in the UK. Question C : What are the three main ways to pronounce the digit 0 ? Which of those is the correct way in numbers ? Which is the most commonly used ? The digit 0 can be pronounced zero in a formal mathematical context, nought in numbers, and oh in telephone numbers for example. Nowadays, while nought is still the right way to say it in anumber, oh is more commonly used, notably in the decimal part (you can also say double oh for 00). Question D : Some people use the word “and” when saying number, as in 124. Is it the correct way to say a number and if so where should the word “and” be ? The word and is used when saying numbers in British English between any occurence of hundreds and tens or units. For example, 123507 would be one hundred and twenty-three thousand, five hundred and seven. But it’s never used in American English, where the same number would be one hundred twenty-three thousand, five hundred seven.
Year I • Chapter 01 – Numbers • Session 01
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Document 1 Questions about how to say numbers Use http ://google.co.uk and http ://en.wikipedia.org and any other websites you may find useful to answer the following question. When it’s done, find three (or four) other people with the three other questions and share your information. Question A : In English, do you say the integer part and the decimal part of a number in the same way ? For example, think about the number 281.281. Use http ://google.co.uk and http ://en.wikipedia.org and any other websites you may find useful to answer the following question. When it’s done, find three (or four) other people with the three other questions and share your information. Question B : Can there be an “s” at the end of the words hundred, thousand, million, billion ? By the way, what does billion mean ? Use http ://google.co.uk and http ://en.wikipedia.org and any other websites you may find useful to answer the following question. When it’s done, find three (or four) other people with the three other questions and share your information. Question C : What are the three main ways to pronounce the digit 0 ? Which of those is the correct way in numbers ? Which is the most commonly used ? Use http ://google.co.uk and http ://en.wikipedia.org and any other websites you may find useful to answer the following question. When it’s done, find three (or four) other people with the three other questions and share your information. Question D : Some people use the word “and” when saying number, as in 124. Is it the correct way to say a number and if so where should the word “and” be ?
