Skype the English- Speaking World
Hannah Deacon
| GRADE/ LEVEL: | SHS 3 OC1 class– any level from low to advanced is fine |
| SKILLS: | Speaking and Listening |
| TIME: | About a month |
| MATERIALS: | World time map; worksheets; internet connection; skype on a school computer, headset / speakers, or inbuilt microphone and speakers; list of international phone numbers; enthusiastic & supportive JTE [visit www.skype.com] |
| YEAR: | 2007 |
OBJECTIVES:
1. To give students the chance to make contact with the English speaking world
2. To ask questions to gain simple information, whilst learning about world time differences
PROCEDURE:
1. Lesson 1: Tell students the ultimate goal: to phone abroad & ask for information in English.
2. Brainstorm ‘English speaking countries’ with students on the board.
3. Hand out a world map including time lines. (I enlarged the one at the back of the JET diary, but it might be better to have one with your home country, rather than Japan, in the middle.) Explain about time differences. Practice Q&A firstly with the whole class together, and then in pairs. (See worksheet A.)
4. Lesson 2: Recap & review the world time activity from the previous lesson.
5. Get students to think about which country and facility/ company they’d like to call. (See B) Collect in these student worksheets afterwards.
6. Then, practise a simple conversation, introducing phone manners. (Can be longer, but see C)
7. After the lesson, the ALT should get cracking with googling companies: ones that either bear a resemblance to student ideas (e.g. a koala rescue centre in Australia) or think up new ones (maybe a chocolate factory in Ghana is a bit ludicrous). [N.B. Phoning Oz & NZ is most practical, due to the time difference. Also, find a couple of back up numbers for each area, in case there is a problem with the number.] Put it all into a spreadsheet, like D.
8. Lessons 3- 4: Assign companies to students/ let them choose. Keep a record of who will call where. Students decide what question(s) they will ask, write it down, and practise E.
9. Start telephoning! Find a suitable place with internet connection. - We set up a laptop in the English teachers’ room, right next to the language lab, where we have our lessons. The JTE practices with a student, before sending them through. Then the ALT helps student dial the number, ease nerves & help with prompts during the phone call
10. Give your student a round of applause when the call has been executed. They will have got through an international phone conversation, hopefully with their question answered!
HANDOUTS and WORKSHEETS:
Handouts for this lesson (sections A-E) are here and here
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