Jason Anderson

Photocopiable activities to get students speaking

ROLE PLAYSFOR TODAYROLE PLAYSFOR TODAY

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1a Tourist information officeAssistant and touristpage 2

1b Enrolling at a gymInstructor and new gymmemberpage 4

1c Post OfficeCustomer and post office clerkpage 6

1d Visiting the DoctorPatient and doctor in surgerypage 8

1e Internet café Customer and café assistantpage 10

1f Train stationCustomer and assistant atticket officepage 11

1g Passport ControlEnglish student/tourist andimmigration officer at airportpage 12

1h Airport check-in deskPassenger and check-in clerkpage 14

1i Reporting a crime to the PoliceA victim of theft and police officerpage 16

1j Checking into a hotelGuest and hotel receptionistpage 18

Introduction page vi

1 Services Practical, leisure and travelImperatives Will for generalfuture predictions

Adverbs andquestions offrequency Imperatives

Question forms

Should + verbHave got

Question formsincluding indirectquestions

Present simple fortimetable future

Going to andpresent continuousfor futurearrangements andplans

Various – mixedtenses andquestion forms

Asking indirectquestionsPast continuous

Question forms

Giving directionsMakingrecommondations

Giving politecommandsGiving advice

Making enquiries

Describing howyou feelAsking for andgiving advice

Making enquiriesGetting help

Buying ticketsMaking enquiries

Expressing futurearrangementsAsking forclarification

Asking forclarificationExplaining difficultwords

DescribingappearanceExpressing degreesof certainty

Making enquiries

Tourist attractions:cathedral, funfairVerbs of motion: go straight on,turn left

Fitness and health:muscles, pulse,Sports: athlete,sporty

Shopping: postoffice, stamps,parcel, scales

Health: illness, flu,runny nose, redeyes, temperature,stress

Computers: transfer photos,scan, broadband,type up

Transport: single,fare, ID, changeat…

Education: fees,courseAccommodation:homestay, hostfamily

Transport: planetravel, aisle, board,hand luggage

Physicalappearance: face,clothes Crime: stole,criminal

Hotels: doubleroom, en suitebathroom

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Role Play and description Grammar Functions Vocabulary

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2 Shopping Supermarkets, clothes and restaurants

1k Complaining in a hotelGuest and hotel receptionistpage 19

1l Travel AgentCustomer and travel agentpage 20

Will forspontaneousdecisionsThere is / are… fordescribing rooms

Question forms

ComplainingProviding excusesApologising

Making enquiriesClarifying details

Hotels: wake-up call,guest, reduction

Travel / Holidays:excursion, flightPurchasing: perperson, hire

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2a Supermarket shoppingCustomer and supermarketshop assistantpage 22

2b Clothes shopCustomer and clothes shopassistantpage 24

2c DIY shopCustomer and DIY shopassistantpage 26

2d Shoe shopCustomer and shoe shopassistantpage 30

2e Traditional restaurantGroup of friends and waiterpage 31

2f Fast Food restaurantCustomer and assistantpage 34

2g Out of stockCustomer and electronicsstore assistantpage 36

Countable anduncountable nouns

Demonstratives(those, these, that,this)

Preposition +gerundVerb patterns

Too and enough

Will for placingordersIndirect and directquestion forms

Contractedquestion forms

Demonstratives vs.pronouns

Enquiring aboutproducts

Expressing personalpreferencesPaying compliments

Describing anobject without its name(paraphrasing)Negotiating

Expressingsatisfaction anddissatisfaction

Enquiring aboutdishesComplimentingfoodComplaining

Placing an orderComplaining in arestaurant

Reasoning withsomeoneMaking suggestionsApologising

Food: fresh fish,bananas, eggsShopping:supermarkets

Clothes: jeans, top,shirtShopping: buyingclothes

Shapes andmaterials: round,plasticTools andhardware: pliers

Clothes: suit, try onShoes: sandals,high heels

Food: peppers,stewed, pudding

Food: fast food

Purchasingproducts: model,refund Emotion adjectives:calm, annoyed

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3a A day out in LondonGoups of students decide how to spend the daypage 38

3b Party strangersTwo strangers introducethemselvespage 40

3c Argument between friendsTwo friends argue outside acinemapage 42

3d Telephone phone-aroundGroups of students makeplans for an evening outpage 44

3e FlatmatesFlatmates decide how to share the houseworkpage 46

3f Breaking bad newsMark phones his friend Nickypage 48

3g Meeting old friendsClass meet up again 10 yearsinto the futurepage 50

Structures forsuggestions (Let’s;We could…?)Future forms(going to)

Various

Question tagsImperatives

Present continuousand going to forfuture arrangementsand intentions; willfor new decisions

Verb patterns (verb + gerund;verb + infinitive;preposition +gerund)

Past simple

Present perfectsimple andcontinuous todescribe changes

Making, acceptingand refusingsuggestions

Using formal /informal registersIntroducing yourselfShowing interest

Making andrefuting accusationsMaking up after anargument

Making anddecliningsuggestions

Making suggestionsAgreeing anddisagreeing

Breaking bad newsSympathising

Expressing surprisePaying compliments

Free time: goingout, liveperformance,exhibition

Personal detailsFree time: interestsInformal English:naff, …and stuff

Free time: go out,nightclub, cinema

Social events: go out, pub,restaurant, goclubbing

Housework andchores: vacuum the flat, do thewashing up

Pets: feed, cage,rabbit

Various, includingappearance,lifestyle, work,family

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3 Social life Going out, friends and relationships

4 Lifestyle Work, accommodation and education4a Phoning for a job interview

Job applicant and humanresources managerpage 52

4b Job interview 1Applicant and interviewer (for lower levels)page 54

4c Job interview 2Applicant and interviewer (for higher levels)page 56

Question forms,both direct andindirect

Can for abilityQuestion forms

Can for abilityPresent perfect forlife experienceQuestion forms

Making politeenquiriesDescribingpersonality

Giving personalinformation

Giving personalinformationDescribingpersonality

Work: salary,positionPersonalityadjectives: patient,polite

Work: salary, CV,unemployed

Work: part-time,wages Personalityadjectives: reliable,friendly

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4d University interviewProspective student anduniversity professorpage 58

4e Enrolling at an EnglishschoolNew student and schoolreceptionistpage 60

4f International businessetiquetteBuyers and sellers at abusiness meetingpage 62

4g Finding accommodationProspective tenant andlandlordpage 66

Future forms(going to, will,future perfect,future continuous)Question forms

Can and have to toexpress permissionand obligation Would like forintentions

Modal verbs forobligation,prohibition andpossibility Comparatives

Modal verbs ofobligation andprohibitionThere is / are fordescribing rooms

Expressingopinions/beliefsRespondingpolitely

Making requestsand enquiriesExpressing rulesand obligations

Introducingyourself formallyNegotiating

Describing a roomExpressing rulesMaking anappointment

Education:university studiesuniversity lifeCourses of study:marketing

Education: triallesson, enrol,intensive course

Business: contract,buyerCars: top speed,fuel

Houses: en suite,furnishedFurniture:wardrobe, drawers

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5 Creative role plays5a The elixir of life

King calls his advisers to ameetingpage 69

5b Fortune tellerClient and fortune tellerpage 72

5c Interviewing a writer/actorJournalist and famous writeror actorpage 76

5d TV chat showWhole class role play on thesubject of rising crimepage 78

5e Political debateThree political parties takepart in class debatepage 82

5f Murder in ParadiseTeams of detectives interviewmurder enquiry suspectspage 84

Conditionals, esp.1st and 2nd Narrative tenses (inthe story)

Will and futurecontinuous forprediction Should + verb

Present perfect forlife experience vs.past simple fordetailsQuestion forms

Passive voice forstatistical andfactual information

Mixed, includingfuture verbstructures and verbpatterns

Modal verbs ofdeduction, bothpresent and pastReported speech

Making anddenying accusationsSpeculating aboutthe future

Making predictionsDescribingpersonalityGiving advice andrecommendations

Asking starterquestionsAsking follow-upquestionsShowing interest

Expressing opinionsGetting andholding a speakingturnAppealing to fact

Expressing (group)opinionAgreeing anddisagreeing

Expressinguncertainty

Various, includinghealth, politics andpunishment

Personality:spontaneous,generous, private

Literature andgenres of literatureFilms and genres offilm

Crime andpunishment: prisonsentence, trial,reoffendStatistics

Politics andgovernment: policy,taxes, banThe environment:pollution

Crime: murder,suspect, motive,alibi

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Index page 88

1d Visiting the Doctor – Teacher’s notesTime / Level45–60 minutes / Pre-intermediate to Upper Intermediate

Target languageGrammar

Should + verb (You should get some rest.)Have got (I’ve got a sore throat.)

FunctionsDescribing how you feel (I feel hot, and I can’t sleep…)Asking for and giving advice (Try not to walk on it for 3 days.)

VocabularyHealth (illness, ‘flu, hay fever, a runny nose, stress )

PreparationCopy role play cards A and B (one set per pair).Copy the symptoms and advice table (one per pair).Cut upas indicated.

Lead-in suggestionAsk the students:

What do you do when you are ill?

Elicit doctor (often called GP in the UK), hospital, make anappointment etc.

Where does a doctor work?

Elicit or teach: surgery / clinic. Write any useful vocabularythat comes up on the board.

Hand out the symptoms and advice table (one per pair).Instruct the students to try to complete the table withsymptoms and advice. Avoid pre-teaching any vocabularywith low level students. The context of the table will makeit easier to explain afterwards. Monitor. Go through theanswers when they’ve finished.

Explain any expressions the students still don’t know. Drillany difficult to pronounce words (e.g. diarrhoea, ache ). Tellthe students to discuss the questions below the table inpairs. Be sensitive during feedback. Some students may notwant to reveal their recent illnesses to the whole class.

Role Play instructionsIntroduce the role play. If much of the vocabulary is new,give them a minute to reread and remember theinformation in the chart. Hand out the role play sheets.Give the students 3–5 minutes to read through and preparewhat they are going to say. Encourage the doctors to workfrom memory, and to improvise where necessary. Draw theirattention to the Target language. Start the role play whenthey are ready. When they have finished, they should swaproles and start again. For more practice, they could changepartners and repeat the procedure.

Extra idea: You could turn the class into a surgery. Divide itinto a waiting room, where all the patients sit, and severalconsulting rooms, where the doctors receive the patients.The waiting patients can discuss what is wrong with them.This will also enable them to open and close the meetingwith the doctor more naturally.

Follow-up suggestionFind out briefly who would make a good doctor and why.Did anybody give the wrong diagnosis or advice?

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Visiting the Doctor Role Plays for Today

Student A – PatientYou are a patient at your local doctor’s surgery. Choose one ofthe illnesses from the chart and tell the doctor the answers tothese questions:

• How, when and where did it start?

• What symptoms have you got?

• Have you taken any medicine or done anything else to help?

Student B will try to provide the correct diagnosis. At the endtell student B if s/he was correct about the illness.

Photocopiable © 2006 DELTA PUBLISHING from Role Plays for Today by Jason Anderson8

Answersa) a sore throat b) take vitamin C c) take paracetamold) diarrhoea e) don’t eat anything f) can’t sleep(insomnia) g) can’t move my hand h) go to hospital i) a swollen ankle j) use crutches k) red eyes l) prescription medicine

Target languageIt started… (a week ago).I feel… (tired, hot, etc.).I had an accident when…It hurts here.I’ve got… (a sore throat, a swollen ankle).I can’t… walk / sleep Is it serious?What should I do?

Visiting the Doctor Role Plays for Today

Role Plays for Today

Look at the table below. It describes seven common reasons forgoing to the doctor. Complete the table using the informationfrom the boxes.

Student B – DoctorYou are the doctor. Listen to student A, who will describeher/his symptoms.

• Ask questions using the Target language expressions.

• Tell the patient what you think the illness is.

• Give the patient some advice.

Try to remember without looking at the chart. At the end,student A will tell you if your diagnosis was correct.

Visiting the Doctor✂

8Photocopiable © 2006 DELTA PUBLISHING from Role Plays for Today by Jason Anderson

Target languageWhat seems to be the problem?Does it hurt here?Is the pain getting worse?Do you have… (a cough, a temperature, a swollen ankle)?Can you… (move your hand, go near parks and flowers)?Are you allergic to anything?I think you have…You should / shouldn’t…Try (not) to…(verb)

• Do you agree with all this advice?

• Do you have any other advice for these complaints?

• Which of these complaints have you had over the last year?

• Did you go to the doctor?

Symptoms diarrhoea red eyes a sore throat can’t move my handcan’t sleep (insomnia) a swollen ankle

Advice prescription medicine take vitamin C go to hospital use crutches don’t eat anything take paracetamol

Illness/Complaint

a cold

the ‘flu

food poisoning

stress

a broken arm

a sprained ankle

hay fever

Cause

a virus, usually caughtthrough contact orsneezing

a virus, usually caughtthrough contact orsneezing

eating food that isn’tfresh

too many problems, especially at work

a serious fall, (e.g. off a ladder)

an unexpected fall, (e.g. when playingfootball)

an allergy to flowersand plants in summer

Symptoms

a runny nose,a) ____________________________ ,a cough

as for a cold, also a hightemperature, aching bones andhead

stomach ache, vomiting,d) _____________________________

f) ____________________________ , worrying too much, loss of appetite

a very strong pain in my arm, g) _____________________________

i) ____________________________ , can’t walk

a runny nose,k) _____________________________

Advice

keep warm, get some rest,b) ______________________________

go to bed, c) ______________________________for the temperature and the aches

e) ______________________________for 24 hours, get some rest, drink water

take sleeping pills, take a longholiday, change your job!

h) ____________________________ , set arm in plaster

bandage the anklej) ____________________________ , get plenty of rest

l) ____________________________ , stay away from parks and gardens

1j Checking into a hotel – Teacher’s notesTime / Level30–45 minutes / Elementary to Intermediate

Target languageGrammar

Question forms (Does that include breakfast? )Functions

Making enquiries (Is the bathroom en suite? )Vocabulary

Hotels (double room, en suite bathroom)

PreparationCopy the role play card below (one per pair).

Lead-in suggestionWrite the following task on the board:

Think of five questions you need to ask when you checkinto a hotel.

Tell the students to work in pairs and give them 4 minutes.Get feedback. Write a list on the board.

Role Play instructionsHand out the role play card (one per pair) and read out thefirst task. Do an example together. Give them 2–4 minutesand then check the answers.

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Checking into a hotelRead the dialogue and complete the questions with do, does, is or are.

Role Plays for Today

Photocopiable © 2006 DELTA PUBLISHING from Role Plays for Today by Jason Anderson18

Situation 14 guests – mum, dad and 2 children – need2 rooms for tonight; both en suite. Theyneed dinner tonight and breakfast at 7amtomorrow as they are leaving early.

Situation 21 guest needs a single room for 3nights. S/he doesn’t like getting upearly and doesn’t want to pay overP50 per night.

Situation 3Be yourself! You are on holidaywith your family or friends.

Is it a big hotel? What problem does the guest have? Now practise similar conversations, using the information below.

Guest Hello. 1________ you speak English?

2________ you have a double room for tonight?

Good. How much 3________ it?

P40 per person or per room?

4________ that include breakfast?

OK. 5________ the bathroom en suite?

It means that it has a private bathroom.

Right. 7________ it possible to see the room?

From England.

Yes. With my husband. He’s in the car.

OK. This is fine. Shall I pay now?

Er… Isn’t it P120?

Right. 10________ you accept credit cards?

OK. Here you are. What time’s breakfast?

Oh! 11________ it possible to have it at 10?

Another P5! Per person?

Oh, all right! Here you are.

Answers:It’s a small hotel (no credit cards; wife cooks breakfast.)The main problem is all the extra costs that the hotelowner keeps adding!

Check the students understand double room and teach twinroom / single room. Discuss the two questions underneaththe dialogue with them.

Tell them to read through the conversation twice in pairs,changing roles after the first reading. Encourage them towork from memory especially at higher levels. Tell thestudents to practise similar conversations, using thesituations given underneath. They should change roles aftereach one. At the end, get some of the pairs to performtheir third conversation in front of the whole class.

Follow-up suggestionFind out if any of the students have had similar problemswith extra costs when staying at a hotel.

Answers:1 Do 2 Do 3 is 4 does 5 is 6 does 7 Is 8 are 9 are 10 Do 11 Is

Hotel ownerA little, yes.

Let me see… Yes, we do.

P40.

Per person.

No. Breakfast is P10 extra, per person.

Sorry. What 6________ ‘en suite’ mean?

Ah, yes! That’s another P10, per person.

Yes. Come with me. Where 8________ you from?

Really? 9________ you on holiday?

Ah, I see. Here is the room.

Yes, please. That’s P130, please.

Yes, and P10 for the car park.

No. Only cash.

From 8 to 9. My wife gets up early!

Yes. For an extra P5.

Per person.

And here is your key. Goodnight.