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Here’s a lesson plan I designed with the help of my friend and (ex-) colleague (sniff) Raquel Gomez. It’s based around our attempt to complete a CAE part 3 task. Download the lesson plan pack and audio below:

Lesson Plan and Audio

Students’ Handout

The task

You are going to hear two people completing the part 3 task below:

They must first discuss the question in the middle for two minutes. Then they have one more minute to decide which job should receive the highest salary.

First Listen

Cover the transcript below, listen to the audio and answer the following questions:

1. Which jobs do they talk about?
2. What different reasons do they give for why the jobs appeal to people?
3. Which job do they decide deserves the highest salary?

Second Listen

Listen again, this time listen for different phrases and expressions for giving opinion and agreeing and disagreeing.

Third Listen

Now listen again with the transcript and try to fill the blanks.

• Tim: Errr so _____________?
• Raquel: Sure
• Tim: Let’s start with surgeon. Ummm, well __________, I think being a surgeon appeals to people probably because, __________, you’re helping people, you might be saving peoples’ lives and you’re making a big contribution to society
• Raquel: _________, yeah, ______________ but, _______________? I think that at least in our society teachers should be given more.. they should be empowered maybe more than surgeons because they really can make a change in peoples’ lives.
• Tim: Yeah I think _____________. They’re definitely very important and I could see why people would want to be a teacher, because of the way they can, you know, help people and educate people.
• Raquel: Yeah, __________________ both professions here, I think that they are very vocational, like being a surgeon or being a teacher.
• Tim: _________, yeah, yeah, ______________. Ummm what about the other ones over here? Let’s ___________ a football player, what’s ____________ that?
• Raquel: Buff I’m not really sure, I don’t think that they have to… How can I put this? Umm, I don’t really like football and I think they just, they’re earning far too much and I don’t buy the idea of like their career is too short.
• Tim: _____________, surely it’s good to do a job that’s something you love, surely if you’re a big fan of football then if you’re spending all day every day doing, you know, your favourite activity that must be good no?
• Raquel: Yeah, _______________ and that was my idea when I was talking about vocational jobs before. But still, I think it’s a bit too much, the gap between the payment is just crazy.
• Tim: Yeah __________. Well so we’ve got to… the ___________ is…
• Raquel: The ____________ is we have to choose one so…
• Tim: Yeah, which one should receive the most… the highest salary? Well I’m _________ maybe a surgeon and a teacher, _________________?
• Raquel: Well it’s true that _____________ the surgeon might save the actual physical life whereas the teacher might just contribute to our long life _______ ummm enrichment or, you know, making people grow so maybe it’s more like long-lasting.
• Tim: Well ______________ what you were saying about, yeah the contribution to society I think they’re both very important.
• Raquel: Yes, it’s really difficult to choose between these too.
• Tim: But maybe you know without the teachers, you wouldn’t have the surgeons…
• Raquel: ___________
• Tim: Who’s going to teach the surgeons? So, _____________ teacher?
• Raquel: Ok, alright.
• Tim: Ok, perfect.

The Expressions

Check your answers and then put the different expressions below into the boxes based on their meaning.

1.       As I see it, 2.       Shall I start? 3.       What’s your take on that? 4.       You know 5.       How can I put this? 6.       What do you reckon?

7.       Yeah I’d go along with that. 8.       Coming back to what you were saying about… 9.       I’m torn between… and… 10.    At the end of the day… 11.    Sort of/kind of

12.    I take your point but… 13.    Shall we go with…? 14.    Exactly/definitely 15.    It’s also worth bearing in mind that… 16.    You’ve got a point there

 

Starting	Giving Opinion	Agreeing	Disagreeing
Asking opinion	Adding + Referring	Fillers/time-buyers	Reaching a conclusion

Work with a partner; try to add at least one more expression to each box.

Pronunciation

Look at the expressions below, listen to the expressions and try to take notes about how they’re pronounced. Then try to reproduce them with a partner.

1. Shall I start?
2. What do you reckon?
3. How can I put this?
4. As I see it,
5. Yeah, I’d go along with that.
6. It’s sort of, like a pizza but different.
7. Shall we go with teacher?
8. Coming back to what you were saying about teachers…

Scripted Role-play

Decide who is going to be Tim and who is going to be Raquel. Use the transcript on the previous page to recreate the conversation, play close attention to the pronunciation of the expressions.

Your Turn

Find an example of a part 3 task in your textbook and complete it with your partner. See who can use the most expressions, keep count while your completing the task, the winner is the one who uses the most.

 

 

Teacher’s Notes

First Listen

Cover the transcript below, listen to the audio and answer the following questions:

1. Which jobs do they talk about? Teacher, surgeon and football player
2. What different reasons do they give for why the jobs appeal to people? Help people, contribute to society, a vocation, doing something you love
3. Which job do they decide deserves the highest salary? A teacher

Complete Transcript

• Tim: Errr so shall I start?
• Raquel: Sure
• Tim: Let’s start with surgeon. Ummm, well as I see it, I think being a surgeon appeals to people probably because, you know, you’re helping people, you might be saving peoples’ lives and you’re making a big contribution to society
• Raquel: Absolutely, yeah, you’ve got a point there but, how can I put this? I think that at least in our society teachers should be given more.. they should be empowered maybe more than surgeons because they really can make a change in people’s lives.
• Tim: Yeah I think I’d go along with that. They’re definitely very important and I could see why people would want to be a teacher, because of the way they can, you know, help people and educate people.
• Raquel: Yeah, it’s also worth bearing in mind that both professions here I think that they are very vocational, like being a surgeon or being a teacher.
• Tim: Exactly, yeah, yeah, I couldn’t agree more. Ummm what about the other ones over here? Let’s move on to a football player, what’s your take on that?
• Raquel: Buff I’m not really sure, I don’t think that they have to… How can I put this? Umm, I don’t really like football and I think they just, they’re earning far too much and I don’t buy the idea of like their career is too short.
• Tim: I take your point but, surely it’s good to do a job that’s something you love, surely if you’re a big fan of football then if you’re spending all day every day doing, you know, your favourite activity that must be good no?
• Raquel: Yeah, you’ve got a point there and that was my idea when I was talking about vocational jobs before. But still, I think it’s a bit too much, the gap between the payment is just crazy.
• Tim: Yeah definitely. Well so we’ve got to… the bottom line is…
• Raquel: The bottom line is we have to choose one so…
• Tim: Yeah, which one should receive the most… the highest salary? Well I’m torn between maybe a surgeon and a teacher, what do you reckon?
• Raquel: Well it’s true that at the end of the day the surgeon might save the actual physical life whereas the teacher might just contribute to our long life sort of ummm enrichment or, you know, making people grow so maybe it’s more like long-lasting.
• Tim: Well coming back to what you were saying about, yeah the contribution to society I think they’re both very important.
• Raquel: Yes, it’s really difficult to choose between these too.
• Tim: But maybe you know without the teachers, you wouldn’t have the surgeons
• Raquel:
• Tim: Who’s going to teach the surgeons? So, shall we go with teacher?
• Raquel: Ok, alright.
• Tim: Ok, perfect.

The Expressions

Starting	Giving Opinion	Agreeing	Disagreeing
Shall I start?	As I see it,	Yeah I’d go along with that. Exactly/definitely You’ve got a point there	I take your point but…
Asking opinion	Adding + Referring	Fillers/time-buyers	Reaching a conclusion
What’s your take on that? What do you reckon?	Coming back to what you were saying about… It’s also worth bearing in mind that…	You know How can I put this? Sort of/kind of	I’m torn between… and… At the end of the day… Shall we go with…?

Pronunciation Notes

1. Shall I start? – Focus on very weak “Shall” | ʃəl ˈaɪ stɑːt |
2. What do you reckon? – Waddaya recken | ˈwɒdə jə ˈrekən |
3. How can I put this? – weak “can” focus on intonation
4. As I see it – intonation, stress “I”
5. Yeah, I’d go along with that. – Elision/disappearance of “d” in I’d go, very weak “with” connecting with “that” | wɪðæt |
6. It’s sort of, like a pizza but different. – “sorta-likea” | sɔːtə ˈlaɪkə|
7. Shall we go with teacher? – weak “shall” connected with “we” | ʃəwi ɡəʊ |
8. Coming back to what you were saying about teachers… – weak “were” in “what you were saying” all connected – | ˈwɒtjuwə ˈseɪɪŋ |