USING AUTHENTIC MATERIAL TO IMPROVE ESL STUDENTS PHONE SKILLS

SETESOL

September, 2009

KAROLINA GOLDBERG

ELS LANGUAGE CENTERS

karolinagoldberg@gmail.com

USING AUTHENTIC MATERIAL TO IMPROVE ESL STUDENTS TELEPHONE SKILLS

IN GROUPS:PART 1

1. If you learned a second language abroad, what was your personal experience talking on the phone to strangers to request information or to make appointments?

2. Do you think your students struggle when making phone calls? Have they shared any experiences about how they feel when they have to make a phone call?

3. What do you think are the calls that ESL students are terrified to make the most?

4. What can be done to help ESL students improve their phone skills?

5. Do you include any kind of phone skills instruction in your daily lessons?

USING AUTHENTIC MATERIAL TO IMPROVE ESL STUDENTS TELEPHONE SKILLS

IN GROUPS:

PART 2

Look at the textbook samples and answer the following questions:

1. How close are these phone conversations to real-life interaction?

2. What is missing?

3. Listen to an authentic telephone conversation and transcribe it, then compare it with the textbook samples.

4. Can you think of other ways in which this material can be used in class?

LESSON PLAN #1

Class: PHONE SKILLS / ENGLISH SURVIVAL SKILLSDuration: 50 minutesLevel: AdvancedTeaching Point: Openings and Closing in Authentic American telephone calls

Objectives: Students will develop an awareness and understanding of the nature of authentic American telephone openings.

Materials Needed: phone call conversations, worksheets

Procedure

Warm-up / Review (5 min.)

The teacher will start the call by asking students what difficulties they face when making telephone calls in English.

Introduction of Teaching Point (5 min.)

The teacher will tell students that in today’s class they will learn about the different openings that occur in an authentic American conversation.

Presentation (15 min.)

The teacher will explain the four sequences in the opening section of telephone calls. The teacher will ask students to create a phone conversation based on what they think are the standards of a typical phone conversation.

Practice (15 min.)

Students will listen to the samples that the teacher will bring to the class and transcribe them. The students will complete the handout with the information about the four sequences and will then compare them with the conversation they had previously created.

Application (10 min.)

Students will change the transcripts by providing their own information. After that they will practice and role-play them for the class.

Activity 1

Complete the following chart as you listen to the telephone conversations:

CONVERSATION First thing said by the answerer

Identification-recognition

Greeting How are you?

#1

#2

#3

#4

LESSON PLAN #2

Class: PHONE SKILLS / ENGLISH SURVIVAL SKILLSDuration: 50 minutesLevel: AdvancedTeaching Point: Openings, closings, getting cut off in telephone conversations

Objectives:

Students will develop an awareness and understanding of the nature of authentic American telephone openings, closing and what to say when the conversation is cut off.

Materials Needed: Worksheets, situation cards

Procedure

Warm-up / Review (5 min.)

The teacher will ask students how they open, close a telephone conversation.

Introduction of Teaching Point (5 min.)

The teacher will tell students that in today’s class they will learn how to open and close a phone conversation.

Presentation (20 min.)

Students will be given a handout with a table with useful expressions to use in a phone conversation. The teacher will ask students to work in groups and decide how formal or informal the expressions included in the table are. Students will listen to the phone calls and check which of the expressions found in the table were mentioned.

Practice (20 min.)

Students will be given situations in which they have to use the expressions given before. Students will be seated back to back. The teacher will have them draw a card that contains situation in which they have to use some of the expression included in the handout. (This activity can also be done by having students leave the classroom and having them making an actual phone call one to another, the speaker phone feature will be necessary so the rest of the class can listen to the conversation).

ACTIVITY 2:

Listen to the conversations. As you listen put a checkmark to the expressions that you hear. After that discuss with your partners. Which

are more formal? Which are less formal?

Answering the phone Hello? Thank you for calling Suncoast office . Jody speaking. How can I help you? Doctor's office.

Introducing yourself Hello, this is Julie Madison calling. Hi, it's Gerry from the dentist's office here. This is she.* Speaking.* *The person answering says this if the caller does not recognize their voice.

Asking to speak with someone

Is Fred in? Is Jackson there, please? Can I talk to your sister? May I speak with Mr. Green, please? Would the doctor be in/available?

Connecting someone Just a sec. I'll get him. Hang on one second. Please hold and I'll put you through to his office. One moment please. All of our operators are busy at the moment. Please hold for the next available person.

Making special requests

Could you please repeat that? Would you mind spelling that for me? Could you speak up a little please? Can you speak a little slower please? My English isn't very strong. Can you call me back? I think we have a bad connection. Can you please hold for a minute? I have another call.

Leaving a message with someone

Yes, can you tell him his wife called, please. No, that's okay, I'll call back later. Yes, it's James from Comp Inc. here. When do you expect her back in the office? Thanks; could you ask him to call Brian when he gets in? Do you have a pen handy? I don't think he has my number. Thanks. My number is 222-3456, extension 1

Confirming information

Okay, I've got it all down. Let me repeat that just to make sure. Did you say 555 Charles St.? You said your name was John, right? I'll make sure he gets the message.

Finishing a conversation

Well, I guess I better get going. Talk to you soon.

Thanks for calling. Bye for now.

I have to let you go now.

I have another call coming through. I better run.

I'm afraid that's my other line.

I'll talk to you again soon. Bye

You are calling your friend Ken. You want to invite him to a party this Friday.

You live in an old condo. Things break all the time. This time, your toilet is flooding the bathroom. Call your landlord and demand that he fixes it.

You just got engaged and can't wait to tell your best friend all about it. You call him/her.

A: You want to reserve a table for five at a restaurant called the Slanted Door. Call the restaurant and make a reservation for 8:00 this Saturday.

You are travelling very early the next morning and need to get some sleep. You have an important meeting the next day that you've been preparing for 2 weeks. Your phone rings.

You and your boyfriend or girlfriend have just broken up and you desperately need someone to talk to. You call your friend.

ROLE CARDS

LESSON PLAN #3Class: ConversationDuration: 50 minutesLevel: Advanced

Teaching Point: Making a doctor’s appointmentObjectives:

Students will learn how to make a Doctor’s appointment over the phoneStudents will learn common phrases used when making an appointmentStudents will describe common reasons to call a Doctor’s office

Materials Needed: Dice, Game board.

Procedure:

Warm-up / Review (5 min.)

The teacher will ask and discuss with students the following questions: In your home country where you were born, how do you make an appointment with your doctor? Is making an appointment or calling a doctor to ask for information doctor in your home country easy or difficult? Why do you think so?Is making an appointment or calling a doctor to ask for information with a doctor in the United States easy or difficult? Why do you think so?

Introduction of Teaching Point (5 min.)The teacher will tell students that in today’s class they will learn how to call a Dr. for different reasons. Teacher will give the students a handout in which students have to check from a list the reason why they have called the Dr. while they have been in the United States.

Presentation (20 min.)The teacher will ask the students for the answers they completed in the handout and will ask students which will be the expression that they will use in each of those situations. The teacher will give the students a handout with useful expressions used in phone conversations. The students will listen to three different samples of authentic telephone conversation that deal with doctor situations. As they listen they will have to underline the expressions they hear in the conversations.

Practice (20 min.)Students will make groups of four. They will be given a game board, a die and. Students will roll the die and will move their counter the number of spaces required then they will have to improvise a short dialog using an appropriate expression for the telephone situation described at the point where they land. One student will play the caller, the other will be the receiver.

Read the table below. Some of the reasons people call the Dr. are listed below. Choose the ones you have used while living in The U.S.

□Schedule an appointment □ You feel sick and you need to see a doctor

□Confirm an appointment □Ask a question about a bill

□ Ask a question to the Dr. □Request a prescription refill

□Change an appointment □Ask the nurse practitioner a question

□Request a referral □Talk about an emergency

Have you called a Dr. for any other reasons? Write them below.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DIEGO: You saw Dr. Trogolo a month ago because you injured your knee playing soccer. The doctor took X-rays to make sure there wasn’t a fracture. Yesterday you received a bill for several laboratory tests, but you didn’t have any lab work done. Call the doctor’s office

and ask them to correct the mistake.

CLAUDIA: The flu season is coming and you have heard people talking about the flu shot. Since you don’t want to get sick while you are in a foreign country, call Dr. Smith’s office and make an appointment to schedule a flu shot.

JUN: Your prescription for you high blood pressure has expired and you need more.

Call Dr. Yamamoto’s office and ask for a prescription refill

FRANCOIS: You are on your way to your Dr’s office. You appointment is at 3:30. It’s 2:30 now and you car has broken down in the middle of the interstate. Call the doctor’s office and cancel your appointment.

SINEM: You have a follow-up appointment with your doctor this week. You don’t remember exactly what time the appointment is. Call the Dr’s office, ask for the exact date and time of the appointment and confirm it.

TOM: You have been sick for three days now. You have really bad diarrhea and vomit. You think you got food poisoned. Call Dr. Jones and ask to talk to him.

LUIS: You really need to see the Dr. Jones this week, but there are no appointments available until the next month. Call the Dr.’s office and ask the assistant to try to get you in if somebody cancels an appointment.

ANNA: You were cooking dinner and accidentally cut one finger. Your hand is bleeding and you are in panic. Call the doctor and explain what the emergency is.