If I Were a Rich Man: Unreal (Second) Conditional Warmer

If I Were a Rich Man: Unreal (Second) Conditional Warmer

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To introduce the unreal or second conditional, the “If I were rich, I would buy a big house” construction, pass out the lyrics to “If I Were a Rich Man” from the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” Also play a clip of the song from the musical. Then lead a discussion of the things that the character Tevye wants but doesn’t have. Students can then create their own lists of what they would do if they were rich or interview each other.

This often goes beyond introducing a grammar point as students become interested in seeing the rest of the movie, which can lead into discussion of themes of the conflicts between generations and oppression and the tension between tradition and change.