A Reading Task and Role Play

Here is an activity to challenge the students' reading skills at intermediate

level and give them controlled speaking practice in a role play. The learners
have to put a jumbled conversation into the correct order and can then act it
out in pairs. The conversation takes place in a Travel Agent's.

Author: 
Aiden Broderick

Materials

The materials consist of one sheet with the jumbled conversation, each part of the
interaction being numbered and a second sheet with the key, which is also numbered
for ease of checking. The task sheet is attractively presented in a "call-out" format and
can be printed in colour or black and white.

 Download Conversation sheet 83k pdf

 Download Key sheet 15k pdf

Preparation

 Make copies for the class. One between two or even three is enough as this
encourages co-operation. If you want to use the materials again, make laminated
copies.
 Make copies of the Key.
Procedure

 The activity can be inserted into a course at almost any point as travel and
holidays are a popular theme. Initiate some discussion of planning holidays -
what means are available in the country, what methods the members of the class
(or their parents) use, where students would like to go for a short holiday - and if
necessary, some relevant vocabulary.
 Give out the conversation sheet. Explain that it is a conversation between a
Travel Agent and a customer but that it is jumbled. Their task is to put the
dialogue in the right order.
 To do this they must look for links between the ‘speech bubbles'. The teacher can
decide whether to get the students to write out the dialogue or just to make a list
of the correct sequence of numbers.
 Circulate to deal with any textual problems.
 Ask students to read their restored conversation to each other. This will soon
show up any flaws.
 Give out the Key.
 Do some pronunciation practice using the Key.
 Put the students in pairs to practise the conversation. Encourage them to read
and look up to make eye contact with their partner as in a natural conversation.
 Invite students to repeat the conversation in front of the group.

Variations

 See if any students can memorise the conversation and perform it in the group.
 Invite students to make up similar conversations in a Travel Agent's using the
task sheet as an example.
 Introduce a problem: the recommended holiday is too expensive; the customer
wants some extra services etc
 Introduce the possibility of the customer returning or telephoning the next day to
make some changes. The students are then free to prepare or improvise another
related conversation.
 Introduce a third person to accompany the customer and have them agree or
disagree.
 Make a video and upload it to YouTube, if that's allowed in your school.

Aidan Broderick, British Council Ukraine