How to Ask for Directions Confidently in English

Do you find yourself at a loss for words when beginning conversations in English? Our lesson plan aims to equip adult A1 beginner students with the necessary vocabulary and confidence to engage in everyday English dialogues. From saying "hello" to buying groceries, we've got you covered with practical activities.

Summary

Starting with receptive listening exercises for common greetings and progressing through interactive role-play scenarios, this ESL lesson plan focuses on building students' conversational skills in various social contexts. Accessibility to real-life dialogue examples and visual aids will ensure the linguistic structure and usage are crystal clear, forming a solid foundation for conversational English.

Lesson Focus

By the end of this lesson, students will have gained the vocabulary to engage in basic conversations, the ability to recognize and use everyday greetings, and the speaking skills to interact politely in common situations.

Lesson Content

Activity 1: Greetings and Pronunciation Practice

Approximate Time Needed: 15 minutes

Objective: To familiarize students with common greetings and ensure proper pronunciation.

Materials: Audio recordings of greetings, printed transcripts. These can be found in standard ESL textbooks or created by recording native speakers.

Play the audio recordings of common English greetings.
Ask the students to listen carefully and repeat each greeting.
Hand out the transcripts and have students practice speaking alongside the recording.
Correct pronunciation as needed, emphasizing intonation and stress patterns.

Activity 2: Role-Play: Meeting Someone New

Approximate Time Needed: 20 minutes

Objective: To apply greetings and introductory phrases in a simulated social setting.

Materials: Cue cards with different social scenarios, role-play scripts for guidance. You can write these based on common situations or use examples from ESL resource books.

Divide the class into pairs and distribute different scenario cue cards to each pair.
Explain the context briefly and hand out suggested dialogue scripts.
Encourage students to practice the role-play, utilizing the phrases they've learned.
Monitor the pairs and offer help with vocabulary and pronunciation as needed.

Activity 3: Asking for Directions

Approximate Time Needed: 20 minutes

Objective: To practice the language needed for asking and giving directions.

Materials: Maps, sample dialogues with common directional phrases, and flashcards with key vocabulary. Use simple maps of a fictional town and create dialogues that utilize basic directional language.

Introduce key phrases and vocabulary with flashcards.
Show students the map and go over the terms for different places and directions.
In pairs, have one student ask for directions while the other gives them, using the map as a reference.
Rotate roles so each student has the chance to ask and give directions.

Activity 4: Making a Simple Purchase

Approximate Time Needed: 25 minutes

Objective: To build vocabulary and confidence in making purchases in English.

Materials: Realia such as play money, food items, shopping lists, and a "store" setup. You can create your own store with items found around the classroom or bring in props.

Set up a corner of the classroom as a small shop with items and price tags.
Explain the basic phrases needed for transactions.
Give each student a shopping list and play money.
Instruct students to take turns being the shopkeeper and the customer, carrying out transactions using the phrases learned.

Wrap Up

To conclude, we'll have a group discussion to underline the importance of polite expressions and assign homework to craft a brief dialogue incorporating the phrases and skills practiced. This solid consolidation ensures that the new information transitions from passive knowledge to active, usable language skills.

A great tool to help reinforce the language learned in this lesson plan is ALULA, an AI-powered ESL app. It provides conversation exercises on varying topics, allowing students to consolidate their knowledge through speaking with an AI tutor. Additionally, ALULA offers grammar lessons and exercises - handy for students to review and practice at home, ensuring they arrive well-prepared for the next lesson.