Image credit: tips.pk

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

I’m running the Barcelona Half-Marathon dressed as David Bowie to raise money for Cancer Research, sponsor me here:

https://www.justgiving.com/Timothy-Warre/

This is a lesson plan for B1+ students on the topic of quitting smoking in which students learn the language of asking for, giving, accepting and rejecting advice and using it in a role-play. I prepared and taught this class as part of my productive skills assignment for the DELTA at International House Barcelona.

Download all the materials below:

giving-advice-problem-cards – Role Cards

Smoking TWarre Prod Skills – Powerpoint

TWarre prod skills listening comp qs – Listening questions

TWarre Prod Skills Procedure – Procedure/Teacher’s notes

TWarre prod skills sts handout – Student hand out

Audio File

Procedure:

Stage	Time	Focus	Procedure	Aim
Speaking  1	3 mins	Closed pairs       OC	Sts ask and answer questions about smoking from 1st slide of powerpoint (pp)   Give opportunities for 1 or 2 sts to explain how they quit.	To engage top-down knowledge and personalise topic. Lead in to pre-listening.
Pre-listening	5 mins	Closed pairs         OC         Closed pairs	Sts brainstorm different ways to quit. Board any that are different to the 4 on slide 2: nicotine gum/patches, e-cigarettes, hypnosis.     Show 2nd slide, board pronunciation of cigarette, patches and hypnosis. Drill briefly. /sɪɡə’ret/ /ˈpætʃɪz/ /hɪpˈnəʊsɪs/   Sts answer questions at bottom of 2nd slide.	To activate top-down knowledge further and pre-teach some vocab for listening.   To check and improve pronunciation.     Sts react to content.
Listening	5-10 mins	Closed pairs                             OC	Introduce characters and situation from listening with 3rd slide.     Give out listening comprehension handout. Sts listen and answer 3 questions from handout: 1.       What methods does Joanne recommend? 2.       What methods does Ian recommend? 3.       Which method does Katy decide to try? Replay as needed, break into two parts if necessary.   Check answers across class.   Give out handout, sts listen again with tape script. “Any questions?”	To ground sts in the situation of the listening.   TAVI exercise to aid sts listening comprehension. Secondary aim: to introduce exponents of advice in context.               To clear up doubts.
Language focus	10 mins	Closed pairs             OC                 OC/closed pairs	Sts categorise the exponents listed on the handout by meaning. Elicit correct categories for first 2/3. Show slide 4 with first 3 in correct categories.   While sts do this board all exponents  in categories, add phonetic script for pronunciation focus: Drill pronunciation of: If I were you, I’d… /ɪf ˈaɪ wə ju: aɪd/ Stress “I” and “you” That’s a good idea /ðæts ə ɡʊd aɪˈdɪə/ stress “that’s” Why don’t you try /waɪ dəʊnt jə traɪ/ notice weak “you” compared to in “If I were you”   Sts analyse grammar of components. Use 5th slide to give examples, then answers.	Focus on meaning               Focus on form: pronunciation, elements of connected speech.         Focus on form: grammar, verb patterns.
Speaking – controlled practice 1	2 mins	Grps of 3	Sts use the transcript to practice the dialogue from listening.   Monitor and correct pronunciation.	Controlled practice of exponents without pressure of creating new sentences.
Writing + speaking controlled practice 2	5-10 mins	OC                                 Grps of 3	Sts write their own dialogue. Explain that we’ll do an example together on the board. Students don’t write anything yet.   Label one strong group of students A-C, choose strongest student to be A.   Give A a problem card.   Using cued dialogue on 6th slide model a dialogue on the board.   Sts create their own dialogues in the space on the handout. Monitor and correct written form, board vocabulary.   Sts read their dialogues.	Scaffolded controlled practice of exponents without performance pressure.                     Spoken controlled practice.
Speaking controlled practice 3	10 mins	Rotating groups of 3	A’s stand up and rotate to the next group. They explain their problem to the new group who give them advice. Less structured, A is now free to accept/reject advice.   Repeat until all A’s have spoken to all groups.	Less scaffolded controlled speaking practice.
Wrap-up	5 mins	OC	A’s tell class the best advice they received. Focus sts attention to emergent language.	Sts respond to activity + develop fluency.

Student’s handout

Transcript

Katy: Hi guys, I need your help with a problem I’m having. I want to give up smoking but I’m finding it very difficult. What should I do?

Joanne: Well, if I were you, I’d try to stop smoking gradually. You know, smoke 10 cigarettes today, then 9 tomorrow, 8 the next day until you’ve stopped.

Katy: Hhmmm, I don’t think that’ll work. I tried it last year and it was too difficult.

Ian: I think you should buy an electronic cigarette. My girlfriend has one and she loves it!

Katy: I’m not sure. I think they’re bad for me too.

Joanne: Ok well, why don’t you try nicotine chewing gum or patches? My sister used them to give up.

Katy: Ok, that’s a good idea.

Ian: Or you could try hypnosis, my friend Sarah is a hypnotist, I could give you her number.

Katy: Hhmm, maybe not. I think I’ll try the nicotine chewing gum. Thanks for your advice guys.

Language

Put the expressions in bold (1-10) in the correct box (A-D)

1. What should I do?
2. If I were you, I’d try to stop smoking gradually.
3. I don’t think that’ll work.
4. I think you should buy an electronic cigarette.
5. I’m not sure. I think they’re bad for me too.
6. Why don’t you try nicotine chewing gum or patches?
7. Ok, that’s a good idea.
8. You could try
9. Hhmm, maybe not. I think I’ll try the nicotine chewing gum.
10. I recommend giving up gradually

A.      Asking for advice.	B.      Giving advice.	C.      Accepting advice.	D.      Rejecting advice.

Grammar

Look at the expressions in the language exercise, how does the grammar work?

1. If I were you, I’d try to stop smoking gradually.

If I were you, I’d + BASE FORM (stop/go/have/buy etc.)

2. I think you should buy an electronic cigarette.

I think you should + __________________________________

3. Why don’t you try nicotine chewing gum or patches?

Why don’t you + _____________________________________

4. You could try hypnosis/going to a hypnotist.

You could try + _________________________________________

5. I recommend giving up gradually.

I recommend + _______________________________________

Now practice the dialogue in groups of 3, one person is Katy, one is Ian and one is Joanne.

Writing a new dialogue

Write a new dialogue with your group, you HAVE TO follow the structure below.

A: Hi guys, I need your help with a problem I’m having. (Explain problem)____________________________. What should I do?

B: Well, if I were you, I’d (gives advice) ____________________.

A: (rejects advice) ___________________________.

C: (gives advice) ___________________________.

A: (rejects advice) ____________________________.

B: Ok well, (gives advice) ___________________________.

A: (rejects advice) ____________________________.

C: (gives advice) ______________________________.

A: (accepts advice) __________________________. Thanks for your advice guys!