Simulation

How to behave? / What to say?

Students are introduced to some social situations and are to decide how to behave and what language to use according to whom they are speaking to and the situation itself.

e.g.

1. Someone offers you a ticket to the concert. Refuse politely.

S: Thank you very much. That is very kind of you. Unfortunately, I cannot go. I am going to the cinema tonight.

2. You want your friend to help you spell the word photograph, but at the moment she’s reading. Interrupt her.

3. You are not sure how to pronounce the word naughty. Interrupt the teacher, who is talking to another student.

4. Your brother tells you he’s failed the exam. What do you say? Etc.

Making people do what you want.

Variation 1.

Students are asked to act out a telephone conversation as if they have just returned home from school.

Student A Imagine that you are watching your favourite film and at the most exciting moment your friend calls you. Let him/her know that you are busy but try to be as polite as you can.

Student B Imagine that you are expecting guests and cooking a cake but you are not sure about the ingredients and procedure. You know that your friend can help you. Ring her/him up and try to find out about it by all means.

Invitation.

Teacher gives out the role cards at random and asks students to find out someone to spend the evening with them.

e.g.

(taken from Classroom Dynamics by J. Hadfield)

Completing

Completing the story.

Class is divided into groups of four or five. Each group is given the opening of a story. Using it as a starting point, the groups work out a short story.

Possible openings.

1. One dollar and eight-seven cents. Mila lost everything: her job, her love, her family, her friends. It happened so unexpectedly that she still didn’t believe it herself. And yet nothing could be changed. And the next day would be Christmas…

2. It was not early. Miss Natalie lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling on which there were funny ornaments of different people and even short stories about them. She wondered who had painted all this. Her room smelted of flowers from the garden and the sun shone so brightly through the window. She was in this room for the first time in her life…

Expanding / Extending

Extending brief notes.

At post-listening stage students add to the text the missing information (from one sentence to long pieces of prose).

e.g. Listen to the story of Mary's life. With your partner retell her life story. Use these notes to help you.

Typescript:

Marsha: I'm 15 years old. I was born in Australia. My parents moved to Britain when I was five years old. We lived in Glasgow – that was great – then in London. I went to the Macintosh school in Glasgow, and now I'm at Fairfield Secondary School in South London. I'm studying for my GCSE exams. I'm no good at English or French but I'm brilliant at maths. I like pop music, disco dancing, scuba diving and walking in the mountains. Oh, and I'm on the school basketball team. There, how was that?

Tim: Brilliant! I couldn't write it all ... but maybe we can meet again.

Marsha: Uh-oh, Mum's getting impatient. Must go ... See you.

(taken from Double Take-1. Listening and Speaking by J.Collie)