Name of the Teacher Date Level of the class Length of lesson

Sabaah Razvi 22 December 2023 Upper-Intermediate (B2) 60 minutes

Lesson Type:
Business English

Lesson Topic:

Telephone Language: Taking a message on behalf of a colleague.

Lesson Aims: Lesson Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to… By the end of the lesson, students will have…

Develop and practice listening and speaking skills over the Developed and perfected listening and speaking skills on how to be
telephone to take a message from a client on behalf of a work polite and assist with when speaking with a client on the telephone
colleague. Introduce, respond, and understand phrases to take a message. This will be done in pairs, where students will
(conditional, subjunctive and verbal phrases) to a client who roleplay speaking to each other telephonically to take in a message.
has called in the office to speak to one of the work colleagues.

Anticipated difficulties: Suggested solutions:

1. Adult working students are usually tired and cannot 1. Keep topics of activities within the interests of students to
focus because of working hours. avoid students losing their attention.

2. Cultural Variations in Polite phrases: Politeness is highly 2. Include cultural sensitivity exercises in your lessons that
valued in Japanese culture. Getting used to the proper emphasize how Japanese and English have different polite
degree of formality and etiquette in communications in expressions. Students can learn how to act professionally in
English, might be difficult if it doesn't follow Japanese a variety of settings by practicing with role-playing

pg. 1 Lesson Plan 150823

 customs. scenarios.

3. Japanese learners find the more complex distinctions 3. Pay extra attention to the pronunciation of words, elicit
and sound combinations of English very hard to students with mouth movements of the words pronounced.
produce and have greater difficulty in perceiving what Incorporate pronunciation drills focusing on the specific
is said. Typical examples: r, I, F, and V sounds as well as sounds relevant to the target language. Provide audio
“uh” of vowel sounds is very difficult to pronounce like examples and engage in choral repetition to reinforce
glove.(Swan and Smith, 2002) proper pronunciation. Individual feedback during role-play
activities can address pronunciation challenges on a
personalized level.

Target Language Analysis

Include an analysis of the target language you will present for your learners to complete the ‘real-life’ task you
have chosen.
● Choose your set phrases/expressions (8-12 is appropriate).
● Analyse them in a paragraph or table by including the meaning (if applicable), function, features of
pronunciation (speaking), or spelling and punctuation (writing). Plus, anything else you think is relevant.

Phrase Meaning (if Function Pronunciation What will you Relevant Notes CCQs
applicable) (Speaking) teach about the
form, spelling
and writing.
“May I enquire, who Politely Gathers essential Phonetic May = modal Encourage a -What does this
do I have the inquire information for Transcription: / verb, to make a friendly tone to phrase aim to

pg. 2 Lesson Plan 150823

pleasure of about the the message. meɪ aɪ ɪnˈkwaɪə, polite request. convey find out?
speaking with.” caller's huː aɪ hæv ðə ˈpl politeness. -How would you
identity. ɛʒər ɒv ˈspiːkɪŋ Pleasure = convey
wɪð Encourages Sentence is very politeness in
politeness
formal. asking about the
caller's identity?
“If it’s convenient Requests Essential for Phonetic Stress the Highlight the -What does the
for you, would you the caller's ensuring a call- Transcription: importance of significance of speaker want
be open to sharing phone back or relaying /ɪf ɪts kən correct number obtaining from the caller in
your contact number for information. ˈviːniənt fɔː juː, format and accurate contact this phrase?
details? This way, future wʊd juː biː ˈəʊpᵊ punctuation. details. -Why is it
we can ensure that communicat n tuː ˈʃeərɪŋ jɔː ˈk essential to
you and Mr.X easily ion. ɒntækt ˈdiːteɪlz? Be open (idiom) emphasize a
connect and ðɪs weɪ, wiː kæn ɪ = willing to polite tone when
nˈʃɔː ðæt juː ænd asking for the
communicate in the
Mr.ɛks ˈiːzɪli kə contact number?
future?”
ˈnɛkt ænd kə
ˈmjuːnɪkeɪt ɪn ðə
ˈfjuːʧə/
It is = it’s
"Could you please Asks for Ensures accurate Phonetic Emphasize Stress the - Why is clear
spell your last name clarification recording of Transcription: proper spelling importance of and slow
for me?" on the information. /kʊd juː pliːz spel and the use of getting correct pronunciation
spelling of jʊər lɑːst neɪm phonetic spellings to important in this
the caller's fɔːr miː/ alphabet if avoid errors. context?
last name. needed. -Why is accurate
spelling
emphasized?
“I apologise, but Interrupting Aids in Phonetic Reinforce the Encourage active -Why is
She’s actually tied Politely summarizing the Transcription: /bɪ proper use of listening to maintaining a
up at the moment.” message ˈfɔː wiː muːv ˈfɔːw question gather the neutral tone
accurately. əd, aɪd laɪk tuː ˈm structure and purpose of the important?
əʊməntərɪli ˌɪntə intonation. call effectively. -Why is active

pg. 3 Lesson Plan 150823

 ˈpəʊz ænd brɪŋ ʌ listening crucial
p ə pɔɪnt ðæt aɪ b Bring up a point in this context?
ɪˈliːv ɪz wɜːθ kən = raise a subject
ˈsɪdərɪŋ/

I would = I’d
“I’ll make it a Promises a Provides Phonetic Emphasize the Highlight the -What is the
priority for prompt assurance to the Transcription: importance of commitment to speaker assuring
[colleagues name] response caller. /aɪl meɪk ʃʊər conveying a customer service the caller in this
to get back to you from the [kɒliːgz neɪm] sense of and prompt phrase?
as soon as colleague. gets bæk tʊ jʊː urgency. follow-up. -Why is clear and
possible.” əz suːn əz confident
ˈpɒsəbl/ Get back to = delivery
phrasal verb important?
“Thank you for Expresses Sets a Phonetic Ensure correct Emphasize the Why does the
reaching out to gratitude professional and Transcription: spelling and importance of a speaker express
[company name]. and offers welcoming tone /θæŋk juː fɔː ˈriːʧɪ punctuation of positive and gratitude at the
How may I be of assistance. for the ŋ aʊt tuː [ˈkʌmpə the company welcoming beginning?
assistance to you conversation. ni neɪm]. haʊ meɪ name. company image. What tone
aɪ biː ɒv əˈsɪstᵊns
today?” should the
tuː juː təˈdeɪ/ Reaching out speaker use in
(idiom) = trying offering
to communicate
assistance?

“Could you run that Asks for Emphasizes the Phonetic Reinforce the Encourage active -Why does the
by me one more repetition to importance of Transcription: use of proper listening and speaker ask for
time to make sure I confirm accuracy. /kʊd juː rʌn ðæt punctuation effective repetition in this
got it right.” information. baɪ miː wʌn mɔː t when recording communication phrase?
aɪm tuː meɪk ʃɔːr information. for clarity. -Why is a polite
aɪ ɡɒt ɪt raɪt / tone important
Run that one in requesting
more time = repetition?
repeat what was

pg. 4 Lesson Plan 150823

 said,
“Before we Invites the Ensures Phonetic Emphasize Reinforce the -Why is
conclude, is there caller to comprehensive Transcription: /bɪ proper question commitment to maintaining a
any other concerns address any assistance and ˈfɔː wiː kən structure and customer service friendly tone
you would like to additional concludes the ˈkluːd, ɪz ðeər ˈɛ intonation. and willingness important?
discuss.” concerns. conversation ni ˈʌðə kənˈsɜːnz to assist. -What does the
positively. juː wʊd laɪk tuː d speaker express
ɪˈskʌs/ by saying, "Is
there anything
else I can help
you with today?

Stage Name Stage Aim Time Interacti Teacher’s Procedure Students will...
on
Pattern
Warmer Engage 5 min T-S The teacher arranges a collection of Engage in discussions based on
students to captivating visuals pertaining to intriguing images (figure 1) by
start thinking S-S communication, like various expressing their thoughts, opinions,
in English, individuals conversing over the and associations inspired by the
introduce Ss-S phone, global communication visuals. Share their ideas with the
topic. symbols, etc. Students are divided class, promoting active participation
into pairs or small groups. The and communication within the groups
teacher distributes the images to and the entire classroom. Practice
each group and instructs students creative thinking and speculation,
to discuss what comes to mind allowing them to explore diverse
when they see the images. perspectives related to the theme of
Encourage creative thinking and communication.
speculation. After the group
discussions, each pair or group
shares their thoughts with the class.

pg. 5 Lesson Plan 150823

Presentation To introduce 8 min T-S Each example phrase will be written Student will understand the function
Meaning phrases used on the board, T will read each one of each phrase with regards to a
in telephone out and explain their meaning and phone conversation.
conversations functions respectively.
and explain Pronunciation is emphasized, and Student will know when to use the
their functions Ss-Ss students participate in choral and target phrases.
individual repetition.
CCQ’s will be asked.
T hands out a dialogue containing
the target phrases. Students must
match the target phrase to its
correct function.
WCFB T goes through the target phrases
providing answers and feedback
with the class.

Presentation To ensure 8 min T-S T will explain and elicit the Students will have a better
Form students S-S grammatical features of each target understanding of the structure of
understand phrase that’s already written on the words in the phrases. Student will
the structure board. have a better understanding on
of the phrases. Students will note down all the conditional, subjunctive and verbal
information provided. phrases.

Presentation To ensure the 5 min T-S From each example sentence given, Students will be able to correctly
Pronunciation correct T will focus on contractions and pronounce the target phases
pronunciation words with “R” and “L”. accurately and fluently.
on the phrases T will drill and chorus each phrase.
used T will monitor how each student
telephonically pronounces the phrases.
S-S

pg. 6 Lesson Plan 150823

Practice To build 14 T-S Students engage in controlled Students will feel more confident
students min practice exercises, such as when taking a business call and when
confidence in completing sentences, matching taking down a message.
communicatin phrases with scenarios, and
g using the engaging in scripted phone
target phrases conversations. The teacher
circulates to help and feedback.

Production To get the 16 T-S T will pair up students and instruct Student will be comfortable to speak
students to min them to do a roleplay about having over the phone with a client.
confidently S-S a conversation over the telephone
communicate using the target phrases thought to
them.
T will provide business scenarios for
students to base their conversation.
Students will have time to practice
then do the role play in front of the
class.
T will monitor and provide
feedback.

Cooler To allow 4 min T-Ss T will review the lesson learnt by Students will check their progress in
students to asking students questions and giving speaking and understanding target
review their them points as their answer to phrases with regards to speaking over
progress and make it competitive. Correct any the phone.
end the lesson mistakes made during the lesson
on a positive activities
note.

pg. 7 Lesson Plan 150823

Lesson Rationale (700-1000 words):
Cover all the below points:
1. why you have structured the lesson in the way that you have
2. what each activity will contribute towards the learning aims and how this will be achieved
3. other activities that you considered including and why you chose not to use them
4. what you would do if any of your activities didn’t work in the way you have planned

The lesson was structured using the PPP model, because it has a simple and logical way of structuring lessons and allows you to use
a variety of different activities to help your student. Since learning occurs in controlled stages, the student’s confidence can be
built, and enables the student to acknowledge what stage they have reached in an individual lesson. As the lesson progresses,
students can gain more freedom. I provided thinking of the box activities that will give the student a lot of opportunities to practice
and use phrases in the correct context.

The lesson will start with a warmer, this activity aims to capture students interest in the lesson without directly introducing
the target language. By using intriguing images, students can freely express their thoughts, fostering creativity and curiosity. The
activity sets a positive and engaging tone for the lesson, creating a receptive mindset for the upcoming activities.

Presentation meaning: The target phrases used in business telephone conversations will be introduced .The lesson systematically
addresses the learning aims of understanding the meanings of key phrases, recognizing their correct forms, and refining
pronunciation. The teacher focuses on clear presentation, providing explicit examples sin a dialogue to highlight grammatical
aspects and ensure comprehension of the correct structure.

Presentation form: After understanding the function of phrases, T will Explain the structure and grammatical features of the
phrases and students will note them down. From this, students will know when to use the target phrase.

Presentation pronunciation: T will hand out the target phrases in phonemic alphabet and will focus on contractions and words with
“R” and “L”. Each phrase will be drilled and chorused. Students will be able to correctly pronounce the target phases accurately and
fluently.

Practice: Students will practice what they have learnt to build their confidence. This stage provides structured exercises for
students to apply the newly learned phrases in a controlled setting. It contributes to the aim of reinforcing understanding and

pg. 8 Lesson Plan 150823

gaining confidence in using the phrases. By completing exercises and engaging in scripted conversations, students practice in a
structured environment, consolidating their learning before moving to more open-ended activities.

Production: Students, in pairs, will roleplay a conversation over a telephone call to take down a message for a colleague. Through
this activity, students will feel comfortable to speak to clients over the phone.
Cooler: T will ask students questions to review the lesson learnt and correct any mistakes made during the lesson. This will allow
students to review their progress and end the lesson on a positive note.
Through these activities the students will have Developed and perfected listening and speaking skills on how to be polite and assist
with when speaking with a client on the telephone to take a message. This will be done in pairs, where students will roleplay
speaking to each other telephonically to take in a message.

Other activities that I have considered includes brainstorming telephone phrases with the students as a warmer. I have also
considered asking the students business related questions as a warmer and an ice breaker, but this is more of an English lesson and
not a business lesson. However, students might get stuck on this if it is new to them and will therefore take up a lot of time. I have
also considered to include a worksheet where students have to unscramble the sentences as a practice activity but have not
included it because the worksheet that I have included in the practice activity allows the students more thinking and creativity.

For the practice activity, if students struggle to write down a conversation and is too time consuming, I will then place them in pairs
to work on the worksheet and share their thoughts and ideas. In the production stage, if students struggle to draw the roleplay
conversation according to the scenario given, we will then brainstorm ideas together on the board as a class. If time will be a
problem for the activities such as the broken telephone activity in the warmer stage, then I will divide the class into 3 groups of 4.
The students can be placed in groups of three for the practice activity, if time is an issue.

Bibliography (if needed):

business phone calls - ESL worksheet by Juanita3000 (eslprintables.com)

English Phonetic Spelling Generator. IPA Transcription. (easypronunciation.com)

Adults | Onestopenglish

pg. 9 Lesson Plan 150823

All images taken from google.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-role-play-definition-scenario-ideas-activities.html#:~:text=The%20scenario%20might
%20be%20task,lab%20in%20a%20science%20classroom.

Materials (include all physical copies of the materials you plan to use in your lesson, referenced):

Warmer activity:

FIGURE 1: Intriguing images

Presentation of meaning: Dialogue

A caller calls your company and you answer the phone:

“Thank you for reaching out to Zaynab Products; How may I be of assistance to you today?”
Caller: Hi, Hope you’re well, I would like to speak to Susan Nielsen.”

pg. 10 Lesson Plan 150823

I apologise, but She’s actually tied up at the moment. Can I take a message for her?
Caller: Yes could you please tell Susan to have the bank statements ready for the finance application and to call me back as soon as she is available.
“Sure, May I enquire, who do I have the pleasure of speaking with.”
Caller: You’re speaking to Sabaah Razvi
"Could you please spell your last name for me?"
RAZVI
“If it’s convenient for you, would you be open to sharing your contact details? This way, we can ensure that you and Susan easily connect and communicate
in the future?”
Caller: “Sure, my number is 087856568 and my email address is sabarazvi123@gmail.com.
“Could you run that by me one more time to make sure I got it right.”
Caller repeats number and email address
“Thank you, I’ll make it a priority for Susan to get back to you as soon as possible.”
Caller: I really appreciate it.
“Before we conclude, is there any other concerns you would like to discuss.”
That all for now, thank you. Goodbye.
Thank you, Goodbye.

Match the correct function to the target phrase in the dialogue (Written in bold). Only write the Letter next to the
target phrase.

A- Asking for the caller's identity.

B- Requesting the caller's contact number.
C- Seeking the reason behind the call.
D- Promising a prompt response.
E- Offering further assistance.
F- Asks for repetition to confirm information.
G- Ensures accurate recording of information.
H- Apologizing

Controlled practice activity:

Fill in the gaps.

pg. 11 Lesson Plan 150823

 1. “Thank you for to Bux Cosmetics; How may I be of to you today?”
2. I , but She’s actually at the . Can I take a message for her?
3. “ I enquire, who do I have the of speaking with.”
4. "Could you spell your last name for me?"
5. “If it’s convenient for you, would you be to sharing your contact details? This way, we can ensure that you and Susan easily connect and
communicate in the future?”
6. “Could you that by me one more time to make sure I got it right.”
7. “Thank you, I’ll make it a priority for Susan to you as soon as possible.”
8. “Before we conclude, is there any other you would like to discuss.”

Production activity scenarios:

(Choose one scenario)

Scenario 1:
A client from Eleven logistics, received a voicemail from an employee at the firm. He enlightened her that she will receive a new
contract by the end of the day. He will contact her back later regarding further details to finalize the contract.
Scenario 2:
An employee at Cubs telecommunications received a call from someone that has been a client with them for five years. They want
to speak to Mr. Thomas, the leading manager of the financial department. They received a huge bill that is double the amount that
it should be.

pg. 12 Lesson Plan 150823