HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M
ON THE
PLANE
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1BIM-B3UA-V2B3

1 Warm up
There are lots of rules and expectations when you travel on a plane. Work in pairs. Think of three
rules you have to follow on a flight, and three things that other people expect you to do or not to do.
Compare ideas with the class.

rules expectations

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/7

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

2 Listening
Listen to two passengers talking on a plane.

1. Did you talk about any of these rules and expectations in the Warm up activity?

2. Do the passengers know each other or are they strangers?

Listen again and complete each gap with three words.

1
A: Hey – she said put your phone on airplane mode.

B: Oh, they always say that, but no one ever does.

2
A: Why they ask everyone to do it if it’s not important?

B: It’s just something they have to say.

3
A: the same way that you do – then the plane might crash!

B: Oh, all right, I’ll put it on airplane mode. There – are you happy now?
4
A: you could help me with my phone? I don’t know how to do it.

B: OK, let me have a look.

A: Thanks.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/7

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

Match each phrase 1-4 from the last exercise with the meaning.

1. means the same as think a. you’re supposed to...

2. introduces a polite request b. I don’t suppose...

3. describes a rule c. Supposing... (can also be Suppose...)

4. sets a condition, as an alternative to if d. do you suppose...

Pronunciation note

The second letter s in this keyword is usually pronounced with a /z/

sound.

However, in one of these items, it has a different sound – which one?

be supposed to = /s@"p@Ust@/ - this is due to assimilation with the /t/
sound in to

Work in A/B pairs. Student A should cover the dialogue and begin the conversation: Hey – she said ...
Student B should read the other part, help A to remember their words and checks A’s pronunciation.
Then change roles.

3 Reading

You are going to read an article called, "Airplane mode to disappear? Changing rules follow technology
developments." Before you read the article, make some predictions about the past and future of
airplane mode. Read the article to check your ideas.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/7

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

Airplane mode to disappear?

Changing rules follow technology developments

1. Suppose you’re on a plane, getting ready for take-off. The flight attendant is presenting the safety information.
They ask everyone to put their devices on airplane mode, and you follow the instructions, but the guy next to you
takes no action. If you’re a nervous flyer, this might worry you. In fact, nearly everyone wonders why this request
is made when it doesn’t seem to matter. What’s going on? Should you ask your seatmate to switch to airplane
mode?

2. Let’s look back at the origins of this rule. In 1991, the United States Federal Communications Commission banned
the use of mobile phones on planes. Many people today believe that this is to protect the pilot’s communication
systems, and originally it was, but it turned out that there was no serious risk outside of take-off and landing.
The real reason you’re supposed to use airplane mode is to prevent disruptions in service to ground-based mobile
networks.

3. Mobile phones automatically connect to the nearest tower to get a signal and switch to another one when they
move out of range of the first. A phone on a plane flying at 12,000 meters may try to connect to more than one
tower at the same time, and due to the speed of the aircraft, will also need to change towers frequently. This can
result in overloading the service for all users in the area. So, in 2013 the rule about airplane mode was brought
in so that users could do everything with their phones except make calls. However, the real issue is how many
people on the plane are trying to access the network. That’s why it doesn’t matter if your seatmate didn’t switch
to airplane mode and continued to use their phone to make calls. It’s not a problem as long as most people follow
the rules.

4. Of course, phone technology has moved on since then. In 2022, European airlines announced that planes would
offer passengers 5G technology to make calls, send texts and use data on board. The European Commission
announced this as a business-friendly move which would allow travellers to continue with their working day
without interruption.

5. Interestingly, in the United States, where the cell network operates differently, officials announced that they would
delay offering the same technology to passengers. There were also fears that the free use of mobile phones on
American aircraft could lead to disruptions to services, with negative impacts on business travel and supply chains.
This appears to be the complete opposite of the argument put forward by European airlines.

6. In the end, we can suppose that all these technical problems will be resolved, but some wider issues about
using phones on planes remain. Some passengers would object to hearing lengthy and possibly loud phone
conversations throughout the flight. What’s more, some business travellers actually enjoy the "downtime" that
comes from being out of contact with their offices while they’re flying. It seems likely that individual airlines will
base their rules on customer feedback.

Sources: gizmodo.com, planenerd.com, bbc.co.uk

Glossary:
seatmate → a person who is sitting next to you in a row of seats on the plane
overload → place too many demands on a machine or system, with the result that it works slowly or stops
working completely
supply chain → the system that moves food and other goods from farms and factories to shops and customers

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/7

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

Work in A/B pairs. Find words in the article with these meanings. Then explain your words to your
partner.
Student A

1. devices a. effects or results (n, para. 5)

2. banned b. small machines that do particular jobs (n, para. 1)

3. disruptions c. delays or complete loss of service when a system cannot work as

it normally does (n, para. 2)
4. aircraft d. not allowed, forbidden (v, para. 2)

5. impacts e. express a negative reaction to a new development (v, para. 6)

6. object f. any type of flying vehicle (n, para. 3)

Student B

1. origins a. relating to scientific knowledge or machines (adj., para. 6)

2. risk b. the causes or beginnings of something (n, para. 2)

3. switch c. change from one thing to another (v, para. 1)

4. interruption d. when an event stops for a short period of time (n, para. 4)

5. technical e. danger to safety (n, para. 2)

6. feedback f. information from service users saying what they did or didn’t like
(n, para. 6)

What’s the most surprising or interesting thing you learned from the article?

4 Language in context
Explain what these phrasal verbs in bold from the article mean.

1. Many people today believe that this is to protect the pilot’s communication systems, and originally
it was, but it turned out that this was not a serious risk outside of take-off and landing.

2. So, in 2013 the rule about airplane mode was brought in so that users could do everything with
their phones except make calls.

3. Of course, phone technology has moved on since then.

Finish these sentences in a logical way. Compare your ideas with your classmates.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/7

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

I thought the guy sitting next to me on the plane was going to ,

but it turned out that

The airline brought in a new charge for

Back in the day, we thought it was pretty cool to on the plane.

But technology has really moved on and now we can

5 Talking point

Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Is making calls from a plane important to you? Do you feel differently about other people making
calls?
2. Would you feel comfortable asking another passenger to switch airplane mode on? How about
letting them know that their phone calls were disturbing you?
3. It’s possible that another reason for restricting phone calls during take-off and landing relates to
safety. Do you have any idea why the flight attendants might want people to stay off the phone
during these times?
4. Here are some ideas which could improve passenger experiences. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each one and any other rules that may need to come in, for example specific
timings or costs. Which idea is best?

• Tell passengers their phone calls can only last 3 minutes.

• Tell passengers they can only make calls between certain times during the flight.
• Ask passengers to move to another area of the plane if they need to make a call.
• Set up special rows of seats on the plane where passengers can book seats if they want to make
calls.
• Set up special rows of seats on the plane where all phone calls are banned.
• Your own ideas

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/7

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

6 Optional extension

Look at the airline safety card and talk about the rules. Use be supposed to and other forms of suppose
to describe the rules and explain why they’re important. Try to use other vocabulary from the lesson
as well.

Example: You’re not supposed to wear high-heeled shoes during an emergency landing. Suppose you had to
leave the aircraft in a hurry, and you couldn’t run in these shoes.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/7

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

Transcripts

2. Listening

Flight attendant: And finally, ladies and gentlemen, at this time, I’d like to request that you set your
portable electronic devices, that is, your phones, tablets, and laptops, to ‘airplane’
mode until an announcement is made upon our arrival at our destination. You will
find this and all the other safety information in the card located in the seat pocket
in front of you.

A: Hey – she said you’re supposed to put your phone on airplane mode.

B: Oh, they always say that, but no one ever does.

A: Why do you suppose they ask everyone to do it, if it’s not important?

B: It’s just something they have to say.

A: Supposing everyone thinks the same way that you do – then the plane might crash!

B: Oh, all right, I’ll put it on airplane mode. There – are you happy now?

A: I don’t suppose you could help me with MY phone? I don’t know how to do it.

B: (deep sigh) OK, let me have a look.

A: Thanks.

FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! i
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
Go over the introduction and elicit/explain the meaning of expectation (what other people expect, even if this is
not covered by official rules). Set up pairs and give them a minute or two to list 3 rules and 3 expectations. You
may want to feed in language like: you have to ..., you mustn’t ... and you should ... Elicit some ideas around the
whole class, accepting any reasonable response.

2. Listening

15 mins.
Students listen first for main idea, relating the topic of the recording to their ideas in the Warm up stage. They
then listen again to complete a gap fill – check answers and elicit that the gaps all contain forms of suppose: a
useful word for this level with several meanings/functions. Complete the matching activity with the whole class
and explain and drill the pronunciation. Students then work in A/B pairs to reformulate the dialogue. Monitor
and support as necessary. There is a further opportunity to work with be supposed to in the Optional extension
activity.
Questions:

1. Students’ own answers.

2. They know each other – they seem to have a familiar and informal relationship.
Dialogue completion:

1. you’re supposed to 2. do you suppose

3. Supposing everyone thinks 4. I don’t suppose
Phrase matching:

1. → d. 2. → b.
3. → a. 4. → c.

3. Reading

15 mins.
Students tackle the reading in three stages. To begin with, present the introductory information and elicit some
predictions from the class. Then set the first reading task which students should aim to complete in 2-3 minutes.
Compare their impressions of the article with the predictions they made earlier. Set up A/B pairs so they can each
locate and define six B2 items from the text. They may want to work initially in A+A/B+B pairs. They can then
share answers in A+B pairs. Check answers and pronunciation – stressed syllables are underlined. You may want
to call attention to the root -rupt in disrupt/interrupt – this has the meaning of break. You could also let students
know that the word aircraft is useful for avoiding repetition of the word airplane in a text. The three higher-level
items in the glossary are for support. Finally, pose the follow-up question for a short discussion.
Sources:
https://gizmodo.com/airplane-mode-uk-airlines-air-travel-1849846995
https://planenerd.com/can-you-use-your-phone-on-a-plane/

FOOOOTERAPPENDIXLEFT
Learn without forgetting! ii
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

HELLO, I’M ON THE PLANE

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-63786591
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60036831
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60042178
Student A

1. → b. 2. → d. 3. → c. 4. → f. 5. → a. 6. → e.
Student B

1. → b. 2. → e. 3. → c. 4. → d. 5. → a. 6. → f.

4. Language in context

10 mins.
Noticing useful expressions in a text is an excellent way to increase the range of natural language, including phrasal
verbs, in students’ repertoires and guessing meaning from context is also a crucial skill for this level. Call attention
to the phrases in bold and work with the whole class to elicit what they mean. Two items are intransitive, and one
is separable. Then set the follow-up task – students can work alone before they compare ideas in pairs and check
around the class.
Phrasal verbs:

1. had a particular result which was unexpected

2. this form is passive, the active verb means to introduce a new practice or system (bring something in)
3. changed and become quite different
Sentence finishing: students’ own answers.

5. Talking point

15 mins.
These questions allow students a chance to respond to some of the issues raised in the lesson. Remind students to
give reasons and examples for their answers and to explore other points of view. Monitor and support as necessary
and round off the stage with feedback and error correction, including pronunciation. An additional question you
could pose is: How much do you think this article has dated since it was written in 2023?
Note: this topic lends itself well to an IELTS writing task 2 essay – problems and solutions. You could set this task
for homework to follow the discussion:
Some passengers find it annoying that they cannot use their mobile phones to make calls during flights. What do
you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest? Give reasons for your answer and include any
relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience. Write at least 250 words.
Sample answer for 3): so they pay more attention to safety presentations and emergency instructions, if necessary.

6. Optional extension

10 mins.
This activity is intended as a filler or cooler if you have time in your lesson. Explain the instructions and the
example. Students may feel worried about vocabulary, but many items are named on the card, and they can also
use generic terms like put on and fasten. Students could work in pairs – perhaps the teacher could assign one or
two sections for each pair to explain, or as a whole class. Check answers and pronunciation.

FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! iii
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Matheus Martins 's lessons.