Table of Contents
Introduction
In this lesson, students will learn and practice expressions for asking and giving advice. The focus will be on real-life scenarios, helping students develop practical language skills for offering suggestions and solutions to common problems.
Asking for and Giving Advice Lesson Plan: Lesson Details
Asking for and Giving Advice Lesson Plan
- Level: Intermediate
- Objectives:
- Students will learn key expressions for asking and giving advice.
- Students will apply these expressions in both spoken and written forms.
- Students will engage in role-playing activities to simulate real-life advice-giving scenarios.
- Materials: Sheets of paper, pens or pencils
- Duration: 50 minutes
Asking for and Giving Advice Lesson Plan: The Activity
1. Teach Expressions of Advice
Start with an exchange to contextualize the target structures:
Contextualizing the Expressions of Advice
Asking for and Giving Advice:
Jane: “I’m really struggling with my math homework. What do you suggest I do?”
Betty: “If I were you, I would ask the teacher for extra help after class. Why don’t you also try some online tutorials?”
Jane: “That’s a good idea. Do you think I should form a study group with classmates too?”
Betty: “Definitely! You’d better start studying with others; it might make the concepts easier to understand.”
Answer these questions:
- What is Jane’s problem?
- What is Betty’s advice?
Discovering and Discussing Expressions of Advice:
Complete this chart with expressions from the text:
| Asking for Advice | Giving Advice |
|---|---|
Once finished, ask them to add more expressions. Here are examples:
- Asking for Advice:
- What do you suggest?
- What do you advise me to do?
- What should I do?
- What ought I to do?
- If you were me, what would you do?
- Giving Advice:
- If I were you, I would…
- Why don’t you…?
- You’d better…
- You ought to/should…
- If you take my advice, you…
2. Discussion
- Present students with a set of problems to discuss in pairs or small groups:
- A bad headache
- You need to give up smoking but can’t figure out how.
- A problem with a school subject.
- Your PC broke, and you need money to buy a new one.
- You can’t sleep at night.
- Students discuss and suggest solutions using the advice expressions.
3. Role-Playing
- After the discussion, have students write a short dialogue using the expressions of advice. For example:
- Student A: Asks for advice.
- Student B: Gives advice.
- Students perform their dialogues in front of the class or exchange written notes.
4. Personalized Advice
- Ask students to write down a problem they are currently facing in their lives (e.g., issues with parents, school, health, friends).
- Each student writes a short note to a classmate stating their problem and asking for advice.
- The classmate responds with advice, using the expressions learned.
Variation
- Using Technology: Encourage students to use digital platforms like mobile messages, social media, or email to practice giving and receiving advice. This approach can make the activity more engaging and relevant to their daily communication.
Conclusion
This activity provides students with valuable language tools for navigating everyday situations where advice is needed. By practicing both giving and receiving advice, students will build confidence and fluency in using these expressions effectively.