CLP Lesson Plan

Teacher/s: Kelly Frantz, Tina Chen

Level: Intermediate Conversation Date/Time: Feb 19/ 9:30am-12:30pm

Objectives:
Students Will Be Able To…
1. identify which questions have rising intonation (yes-no questions) and which ones
have falling intonation (wh- questions).
2. understand when and how to ask for clarification in conversations
3. use communication repair strategies in authentic scenarios

Theme: question intonation, communication repair strategies

Aim/Skill/Microskill Activity/Procedure/Stage Interaction Time

Review or Preview (if Review/Preview or Linking/Transitioning total:
applicable)  So far, we have learned some T-SS 85
strategies to start a conversation,
keep a conversation going, and ways
to close a conversation. But
sometimes conversations don’t go so
smoothly and you don’t always
understand what the other person is
saying. So now, we’re going to talk
about ways to politely ask questions
or to have someone to repeat what
they just said.
Purpose/objective/focus: 35
Activity 1: 1.1 Pre-Stage:
Question intonation: ● Pair work: SS interview each other S-S 5
information questions with information questions and yes-
and yes-no questions no questions (one each, four in total)
● Did you notice that there are two T-SS
kinds of questions? Which ones are
information questions (wh-
questions)? Yes-no questions?

1.2. During Stage: introduce question

intonation
● Have SS come up with examples of
 yes-no and wh- questions and draw T-SS 10
the intonation lines:
yes-no question: 2, 3, 4
wh- question: 2, 3, 1
● SS practice saying the questions in
pairs (y/n then information S-S 5
questions)
● Are there any sentences that are T-SS
harder to pronounce?
1.3 Post-Stage: SS ask the person in the hot
seat information questions and yes/no
questions
● Model: I am in the hot seat. Each of T-SS 5
you will think of one information
question and one yes/no question to
ask me. Have one student ask me
one wh- question and one yes/no
question.
● Pick two students to sit in the hot S-SS 10
seat and answer questions from SS
Purpose/objective/focus: 40
Activity 2: 2.1 Pre-Stage: start with an example T-SS
Communication repair  I just went to ______ last weekend.
strategies  When will we need to use these
repair strategies? > When you don’t
understand what the other person
just said.

2.2. During Stage: introduce communication

repair strategies
● How would you ask the person T-SS 5
politely if you didn’t understand then S-S
what they were saying? Talk to your
partner.
● Write SS ideas on the board whole class 5
● Introduce more repair strategies (on T-SS
slides and handout)
● Anything new that you’ve never T-SS
seen before? Go over them with SS. then S-S
Then, practice saying them out loud
 with partner.
● Anything hard to pronounce? Pick
one or two of these strategies that T-SS 2
you are going to use. A polite/formal
one, and a short one that you can say
really easily.
● Wh-question can have rising
intonation! e.g. What did you say T-SS 3
again?
● Pair work: mad gab (sentences with
gibberish, practice asking for S-S 5
clarification)
○ Model with one student and
have SS play the game with
their partners. Use repair
strategies.

2.3 Post-Stage: Role play: asking for

information in authentic scenarios S-S 20
(using repair strategies, and other
conversational skills learned in previous
sessions)
● Four SS (A1-4) work at different
spots, the other four SS (B1-4) go to
these spots to ask for information
● Ask SS what repair strategies they
used. Then have them switch roles
and continue.
● wrap-up: I hope you had fun with
this activity because I really enjoyed
designing it. And these are all places
that I’ve been to and would really
recommend!

Wrap-up Exit ticket individual 10

 One takeaway from today’s lesson: then whole
What’s the most important thing class
you’ve learned today.
 What’s your favorite part about
today’s lesson? How can it be
 improved?

1. Materials:
Google slides, print: communication repair strategies, mad gab, asking for information,
exit ticket, lesson plan

2. Anticipated Problems & Suggested Solutions:

● Problems: Students have trouble understanding the instructions of the activities–
mad gab and role-play.
Solutions: Ask a student to be my partner and demonstrate to the whole class.

3. Contingency Plans (what you will do if you finish early? need to cut LP? etc.):
If we finish early, we will review by practicing small talk conversations in a number of
scenarios using communication skills learned.
If we run out of time, cut the review practice and skip to wrap-up. The whole group
sharing part of the exit ticket is optional.
 A
Communication Repair Strategies: Mad Gab

1. I just ate some not joe geez. (nacho cheese)

2. She has a pretty shack scent. (British accent)

3. Did you watch the whole imp pig aims? (Olympic Games)

B
Communication Repair Strategies: Mad Gab

1. I’m going to read the noose pay perry port later. (newspaper report)

2. I just saw of lions quarrel. (a flying squirrel)

3. Heaven iced hey! (Have a nice day)

 A1
Communication Repair Strategies: Asking for Information

You are a barista who works in a Plowshares Coffee Roasters.

This is the coffee shop’s WIFI password: 1351plowshares

A2
Communication Repair Strategies: Asking for Information

You are a ticket seller who works at an AMC theater.

This is the timetable for the movie Uncharted:

2/18 (Sat) 6:35pm 7:05pm 9:30pm

A3
Communication Repair Strategies: Asking for Information

You are a store clerk who works at Brooklyn Candle Studio.

Here are the product details of the Montana Forest Candle.

Top notes: Blue Spruce, Pine

Middle notes: Cypress
Base notes: Moss, Cedarwood

(A “note” is a scent you smell when you burn a candle.)

A4
Communication Repair Strategies: Asking for Information

You are a receptionist who works at the front desk of MoMA (Museum of Modern Art).

Here are the opening hours of the museum:

Sun–Fri, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Sat, 10:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.

 B
Communication Repair Strategies: Asking for Information

1. You are in Plowshares Coffee Roasters, and you need to use the Internet. Ask the

barista for the WIFI password.

WIFI password:

Remember to use one of the communication repair strategies!

2. You are planning to go to an AMC movie theater tonight to watch Uncharted. Ask the

ticket seller the timetable for the movie.

Timetable for Uncharted:

2/18 (Sat)

Remember to use one of the communication repair strategies!

3. You are buying a scented candle from Brooklyn Candle Studio. Ask the store clerk the

top notes of the Montana Forest Candle (A “note” is a scent you smell when you burn a

candle).

Top notes:

Remember to use one of the communication repair strategies!

4. You walk past MoMA and decide that you want to visit the museum tomorrow. Ask

the receptionist what the opening hours are.

The opening hours of MoMA for tomorrow (2/19):

Remember to use one of the communication repair strategies!