1. Teacher introduces the lesson and tells students: the lesson will be about dealing with a problem tactfully. Teacher certifies (by eliciting) that students are aware of the meaning of 'tactful - tactfully' (tactful - adj. = not likely to upset or embarrass other people). 2. Teacher asks students what kinds of topics personal problems are usually related to, e.g. family, romantic relationships, work, studies, health, money. This can be done as whole class. 3. Teacher hands out five cut up sentences. Each sentence states a problem. Students will put them in order from the easiest to the worst to deal with and discuss how they will handle each one.

1. Matching activity: Students go through some relevant vocabulary that appears in the texts students are about to read, namely: fly off the handle - informal = get angry suddenly about something that doesn't seem very important; be at your wits' end = be very worried; land a job - informal = succeed in getting a job that was difficult to get; be besotted with someone = be completely in love with someone; and washed out = looking unhealthy. 2. Predicting activity: Teacher tells students to look at the the titles of the three texts exposing situations as well as look at the photos accompanying them on pages 52 and 53 of St's Book, and try to predict what the problem is in each case. 3. Reading comprehension activity: Teacher tells students to read the texts and summarise the problem in each case.

1. In groups students chose one of the situations they have just read about to discuss; 2. Individually they make a list of all the options they think of for handling the problem and they should decide why it is (not) a good idea. They should refer to useful language box sections a and b as an aid; 3. In groups they compare their lists and discuss the following questions: a) What would be the worst options for tackling the problem? b) What would be the worst thing you could do, in your opinion? c) What else should you avoid? d) What is the best thing to do?

1. Students present their conclusions to the class. If they cannot agree, they explain why and find out what the class think; 2. Teacher makes remarks on task fulfilment good language practice as well as elicits or provides correction to relevant aspects that need to be looked at.