Name	  ____________________________________________	  	  	  Telephone	  Skills:	  Role-­‐plays	  	  Time:	  45-­‐90	  minutes,	  depending	  on	  the	  size	  of	  your	
  class	  	  Preparation:	  5	  minutes	  (Print	
  this	  page,	  cut	  the	  cards	
  into	  strips,	
  make	  copies	  of	  the	  Classroom	  Handout	  and	  at	  least	  glance	  at	  what	  the	  cards	
  have	  to	  say.)	  	  Level:	  Intermediate+	  	  Directions:	  Of	  course	
  there	  are	  a	  number	  of	  ways	  to	  use	  role-­‐play	
  cards	  in	  class.	  For	  these	  particular	  cards,	  we	  recommend	  the	  following:	  	  Place	  two	  chairs	
  back	  to	  back	  at	  the	  front	  of	  the	  classroom.	  Explain	  to	  the	  class	
  that	  students	
  will	  be	  coming	  up	  to	  these	  chairs	  to	  perform	  impromptu	
  role-­‐plays.	  Because	  these	
  role-­‐plays	
  take	  place	  on	  the	  telephone,	
  they	  will	  not	  be	  able	  to	  see	
  their	  partner.	  
Divide	  the	  class	
  into	  pairs.	
  While	  each	  pair	  is	  performing,	  the	  other	  pairs	  should	
  fill	  out	  the	  Classroom	  Handout.	  Choose	  two	  students	
  from	  the	  class	  to	  come	  and	  sit	  in	  the	  chairs.	
  Hand	  each	  one	  a	  card	  (one	  "A,"	  one	  "B").	
  (You	  can	  pretend	  to	  be	  the	  telephone	
  and	
  ring	  here	  .)	  Allow	  the	  students	  to	  act	  out	  their	
  role-­‐play	  as	  the	  rest	  of	  the	  class	  listens	  and	
  takes	  notes.	
  Once	  the	  role-­‐play	  is	  finished,	
  give	  all	  the	  pairs	  a	  couple	  of	  minutes	  to	  compare	
  their	  answers	  to	  the	  questions.	
  Then,	  ask	  for	
  whole	  class	  feedback	  on	  the	  answers	  and	  provide	  any	  useful	  telephone	  expressions	  and	  reformulations.	
  Now,	
  ask	  the	  first	
  pair	  to	  select	  the	  next	  pair.	
  Have	  these	  next	  two	  students	
  come	  to	  the	  front	  of	  the	  room	  and	  repeat	  the	  process.	  	
  Once	  you	
  have	  gone	  through	  all	  the	  cards,	  you	
  could	
  pass	  out	  all	  the	  cards	  again.	
  (Make	
  sure	  each	  pair	  receives	  a	  different	  situation	
  from	  the	  one	  they	  performed	  for	  the	  whole	  class.)	  Remind	  the	  students	  to	  use	  the	  new	  expressions	  (Hopefully,	
  these	  are	
  still	  on	  the	  board.)	
  Then	  give	  the	  class	  a	  few	  minutes	  to	  act	  out	  the	  role-­‐plays	  simultaneously.	
  (If	
  they	  are	
  into	  this	  activity	  and	  you	
  still	
  have	  some	  time	  to	  kill,	  you	
  might	
  want	  to	  have	  pairs	
  trade	  situations	  and	  do	  it	  again.)	  Finally,	
  bring	  the	  class	  together	  and	  select	  a	  few	  students	  to	  report	
  back	  on	  the	  simultaneous	
  role-­‐play(s).	  	  Note:	
  There	  are	  enough	  role-­‐plays	  for	  18	  students.	  	  Phone	  Call	  #1	  (write	  on	  board)	
  Who	  are	  the	  two	  callers?	
  What	  is	  the	  purpose	  of	  the	  phone	
  call?	
  How	
  does	  the	  phone	
  call	  end?	
  List	  any	  useful	  telephone	  expressions	  you	
  hear:	
  Read	  more:	  Learning	  ESL	  -­‐	  Speaking	  on	  the	  Telephone	  	  Listening	  and	  Speaking	  112LS	  
Matthew	  Barbee	  	  	  	  Name	  ____________________________________________	  Role-­‐plays:	  Telephone	  Skills	  B:	  You	  answer	  the	  phone.	  The	  person	  on	  the	  other	  A:	   You	   are	   calling	
   your	   friend	
   Ken.	
   You	   want	   to	  end	   of	   the	   line	   wants	   to	   speak	   to	   Ken.	
   You	   don't	  invite	  him	  to	  a	  party	
  this	  Friday.	
  know	  anyone	
  named	
  Ken.	  
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.	
  B:	
   You	   work	   at	   a	   restaurant	   called	
   the	   Slanted	  Door.	   Answer	
   the	   phone.	
   (The	   restaurant	   is	  completely	  booked	  for	  Friday	  and	  Saturday	  nights	  this	  week.)	
  A:	
   You	   need	   to	   make	   a	   doctor's	   appointment	  B:	   You	   work	   in	   a	   pediatrician's	   office	   answering	  because	
   you	   hurt	   your	
   back	   while	
   you	   were	
  the	   phones.	   (Note:	   a	   pediatrician	   is	   a	   doctor	
   for	  cleaning	
   the	   house.	
   Call	   the	   doctor's	   office	
   and	  children.)	
  make	  the	  appointment.	  	  B:	   You	   borrowed	
   your	   friend's	
   car	   to	   buy	   more	  A:	   Your	   friend	
   just	   borrowed	
   your	
   car	   to	   go	   get	  beer.	  You	
  have	  just	  driven	
  into	  a	  lamppost.	  You're	
  some	   more	   beer.	
   Call	
   him	   (on	   his	   cell	   phone)	   to	  not	   hurt,	
   but	   the	   car	   is	   badly	   damaged.	
   Your	
   cell	  remind	  him	  to	  get	
  some	  chips	  and	  salsa.	  
phone	  rings.	  
A:	   You're	   on	   vacation	
   with	
   your	   friend	   in	   Las	  B:	   You're	   asleep	   in	   your	
   Las	   Vegas	   hotel	   room.	  
Vegas.	
   You	   have	
   just	   spent	
   all	   your	   money.	
   Your	  Your	   friend	   is	   still	   downstairs	   in	   the	   casino.	
   It's	  friend	   is	   upstairs	   in	   the	   hotel	   room.	
   Call	
   your	
  four	  o'clock	  in	  the	  morning.	  The	  phone	  rings.	  
friend	  and	  ask	  to	  borrow	
  $60.	  
B:	
  Your	  girlfriend/boyfriend	  always	
  stays	  out	
  late.	  
A:	
   Call	
   your	   girlfriend/boyfriend	   to	   let	   them*	
  You	   suspect	   that	   they*	
   are	   having	   an	   affair.	
   The	  know	
   that	   you'll	   be	   home	   very	
   late	   because	
   you	  phone	  rings.	
  have	  to	  work.	  	  *they=he	  or	  she	  (informal)	  *them=him	  or	  her	  (informal)	  	  B:	  You	  are	
  away	  on	  vacation	  in	  San	  Francisco.	  You	  A:	   You	   promised	
   your	   mother	
   that	
   you	   would	
  have	   a	   lot	   of	   beautiful	   plants.	
   Call	
   your	  water	
   her	   plants	   while	
   she	   was	   away	   on	   vacation.	  
son/daughter	   to	   find	
   out	   how	
   your	   plants	
   are	  You	  forgot.	  The	  plants	  are	
  dead.	  The	  phone	  rings.	  
doing.	  
A:	
   You	   have	
   not	   finished	   writing	
   your	   English	  B:	   You	   are	   an	   English	   teacher.	
   The	   phone	   rings.	  
essay.	
  Call	  your	  teacher	  and	  ask	  if	  you	  can	
  turn	  it	  It's	  one	  of	  your	  students.	  
in	
  late.	  
B:	
   You	   own	   a	   beautiful	
   old	   apartment	   building.	  
A;	  You	
  live	  in	  an	  old	
  flat.	  Things	
  break	  all	  the	  time.	
  You	
  have	  one	  tenant	  who	  is	  always	  calling	  you	  to	  This	   time,	
   your	   toilet	   is	   flooding	   the	   bathroom.	  
complain.	  The	  phone	  rings.	
  Call	  your	  landlady	  and	  demand	
  that	  she	  fix	  it.	   	  	  	  Listening	  and	  Speaking	  112LS	  
Matthew	  Barbee	  	  	  Name	  ____________________________________________	  Telephone Skills: Partners ActivityThis is a fast fun way to pair students for another activity. Justprint this page, copy on to colored paper if you want, cut the page downthe middle and cut strips for each telephone exchange. Students shouldwalk around the room and find the missing half of their exchange.
Combinations must be logical. This sheet has a total of nine exchanges,which allows for eighteen students. If your class size is larger than this,just duplicate one sentence for every two extra students.
As an alternative, you could make multiple copies of this page, cutthe same as above, divide students into groups, and give each group allthe exchanges to match.

Find	
  Your	  Partner:	  Telephone	  Skills	  May I please speak to Jerry?

He's not here right now. May I take amessage?

I'd like to make a reservation.

For how many people?

Is this the Animal Defense League?

The Animal...what? Sorry, I think youhave the wrong number.

She just stepped out for a minute. Can IMay I please speak to Maria Shigematsuhave her call you back?
in Accounting?
Sorry to bother you but-Do you know what time it is?

I'd like to order a large pizza withCanadian bacon and pineapple.

Delivery or pick-up?

Sorry, we're out of red. We should begetting more in next week.

I'd like to place an order for 500 redpens.

I really have to get back to my Englishhomework.

Oh, I'll let you go. Give me a call whenyou have some time.

I'm sorry I didn't call you last night. I fellasleep early.

That's okay. I wasn't here anyway.

Listening	  and	  Speaking	  112LS	  
Matthew	  Barbee