Functional Language: Offering to help
Elementary level
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide clarification of language used for offering help
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide accuracy speaking practice in a conversation in the context of offering to help
Procedure (35-42 minutes)
Give students handout. Play audio 11.4 (track 42) (only 1 min - play twice) Students (alone) listen to audio once and try to fill the blanks. Peer check. WGFB - elicit answers, write all three sentences on board, and also elicit - these are ways of offering help.
Give students second handout and cutouts to rearrange onto it. Listen again, this time for the responses to each offer. (listen twice if needed) Peer check. WGFB.
Meaning - make four groups on board: offers, accepting, declining, reply - elicit from students one correct phrase for each category - cutouts - give equal number of cutouts to pairs, they discuss together for (2 mins), then students rearrange into categories on board Check - elicit meaning (are they trying to help? do they HAVE to accept?)
Form - clarify that polite question words are used to make offer, and which types of responses are for accepting/declining - elicit more examples that fit in gaps Pronunciation - drill the examples
Set up role-play using flowchart: - first draw the flowchart - stick pictures on board, elicit what they are following flowchart steps - elicit ways of declining as well - in pairs, assign students a picture to make up their own role-play (2 mins) WGFB
Now put the pictures AND CUTOUTS upside down on the table. Shuffle them. PAIRS. Students get a random picture and have to role-play using what it shows. Then put everything upside down again and repeat with new partner. After third time, volunteer shows class. WGFB - delayed error correction
Elicit more problems from EACH student and write on board - got lost, cut finger, too hot, have a cough, cut finger, lost wallet etc. Say we will act now. Ask a student to mime being cold. Ask them "are you okay?" They should say "I'm so cold!" Say "Shall I get you a jacket?" They thank you. "No problem!" In pairs, students act. (2 mins) Swap pairs, act again. WGFB - Volunteers show; delayed error correction.