Do roleplays from below with a partner, varying who is explaining each time. Try to use as wide a range of language for checking and clarifying as you can.
| Explain a problem with an electronic device which is not here and ask for advice. |
| Explain the stages in doing something and ask for suggestions for changes to that process. |
| Interview your partner for the student magazine, clarifying or asking for more details on everything they say. |
| Ask about the geography of the local area, misunderstanding everything that your partner says. |
| Dictate your (real or imaginary) email address really quickly. |
| Dictate your (real or imaginary) postal address really quickly. |
| Leave a long telephone message (starting the conversation with your partner answering the phone). |
| Dictate an email address containing B, V, M, N, WW, and UU. |
| Dictate a phone number with double and triple numbers in it. |
| Suggest eight changes to your partner’s recent essay. |
| Start a teleconference by introducing the eight people at your end. |
| Really quickly give someone directions from here to someone else. |
| Give really vague directions on how to get from here to somewhere else. |
| Give really vague instructions on how to use a piece of technology (e.g. some tech that is in the classroom now). |
| Explain a recent news story really vaguely. |
| Explain a recent news story really quickly. |
| Explain something you have studied recently. |
| Explain how to repair something. |
| Explain the background to a recent news story. |
| Explain the history behind a place name in this town. |
| Explain the layout of your bedroom or office for your partner to draw a plan (without you being able to see to what they are drawing). |
| Explain how to do a piece of official paperwork, e.g. a tax returns form. |
| Explain how a part of the human body works. |
When your teacher stops you, ask about any roleplays above that you are not sure what to say in, brainstorming suitable phrases as a class each time.
Do some more roleplays from above, but this time using the cards from below that your teacher gives you when you manage to use different ways of checking and clarifying that match those cards. You can discard each card as you successfully do that thing. The winner is the person with least cards remaining when your teacher stops the game.
When your teacher stops the game, look at all of the cards and brainstorm suitable phrases for doing those things, first in groups then as a class.
Cards for Student A – The person being explained to
| Showing your general lack of understanding | Pointing out (exactly) what you don’t understand | Checking your understanding |
| Asking for (more) explanation | Asking for changes in how something is explained | Pointing out (exactly) what you don’t understand |
| Showing your general lack of understanding | Pointing out (exactly) what you don’t understand | Checking your understanding |
| Asking for (more) explanation | Asking for changes in how something is explained | Pointing out (exactly) what you don’t understand |
| Showing your general lack of understanding | Pointing out (exactly) what you don’t understand | Checking your understanding |
| Asking for (more) explanation | Asking for changes in how something is explained | Pointing out (exactly) what you don’t understand |
Cards for Student B – the person explaining
| Giving (more) explanation | Offering (more) explanation | Mentioning the other person’s (probable) lack of understanding |
| Checking the other person’s understanding in general | Checking the other person’s understanding of something specific | Checking the other person’s understanding of something specific |
| Giving (more) explanation | Offering (more) explanation | Mentioning the other person’s (probable) lack of understanding |
| Checking the other person’s understanding in general | Checking the other person’s understanding of something specific | Checking the other person’s understanding of something specific |
| Giving (more) explanation | Offering (more) explanation | Mentioning the other person’s (probable) lack of understanding |
| Checking the other person’s understanding in general | Checking the other person’s understanding of something specific | Checking the other person’s understanding of something specific |
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