Getting someone to give you the pen.
I don’t know why this was not mentioned in the previous post, but it is obvious to use the Functional Language Lesson Plan in this month’s newsletter to work on social skills gambits and phrases as described in the previous post. Rather than giving out advice, students would work on appropriate language for giving a compliment, admonishment, advice on a task or asking to be handed an object, for a compliment for work well done or a new blouse, or for an opinion on a presentation. So in Stage 1: Lead in & Set Context, the teacher’s instructions would be: “Each team, split into two pairs, both write all the ways you asked for the pen in the team, such as (elicit one example from one team, i.e. “Give pen!” – “Thank you, Layla”) Open brainstorm. 3 minutes, go!” ESOL teachers would just need to stick to the lesson plan, where teachers of native English learners would have time to accentuate appropriacy over spelling and pronunciation.
Hopefully, at some point, “Please hand me a pen.” should find it’s way into the classroom vocabulary.
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