Planning Lesson For Communicative English

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.3 DISCUSSING “DEFORESTATION”

OBJECTIVES 60 minutes

 Identify significant points of a current issue
 Discuss significant points of a current issue

PREPARATION

 A picture / an illustration of deforestation;
 “Effects of Deforestation” text (see Appendix);

 6 strips of paragraphs (of the above text) coded with different colours.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Identifying main points and supporting details in a text.

IN CLASS

1. Show a picture / an illustration of deforestation.
2. Ask students to say a few words based on the picture and guess the topic

of the day.
3. Write ‘Deforestation’ on the whiteboard and ask students to say a few

things related to it and then, continue writing students’ feedback on the
whiteboard.
4. Paste all 6 strips of paragraphs with different colour codes which have
been prepared beforehand around the class.
5. Ask students to sit in a group of six.
6. Label each student from each group with 6 different colours (i.e.; red
[R], blue [B], yellow [Y], green [G], purple [P] and orange [O]).
7. Ask students to move around and read the paragraph which has the same
colour with the colour which has been assigned to them. Ask them to
take down some important points for about 3 minutes.
8. Ask students to return to their respective groups and communicate to
others what he/she has read in the paragraph (based on the main point
and supporting details recorded).

Page 40

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

9. Each student in the group is to note down the details shared by their
group members.

10. Choose one reporter from each group to report to the whole class about
their reading. The reporting should follow the structure below (which is
applicable):
 All of us know that……….
 Many of us know that………
 Half of us know that………
 One of us knows that………
 None of us know that………

11. Choose a secretary to draw a table on the whiteboard (separating the
categories above) and note down the information.

12. This simple information analysis method may provide more space for
further discussion by the teacher.

Page 41

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

APPENDIX

READING TEXT – cut and color-code the following paragraphs.

EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION

Scientists are finding more and more links between deforestation and global warming. The carbon
footprint created by four years of deforestation is equal to the carbon footprint of every single air flight
in the history of aviation up to the year 2025. Let's break that down into simple logic: Trees absorb
carbon dioxide. So fewer trees means more carbon dioxide is loose in the air. More carbon dioxide
means an increased greenhouse effect, which leads to global warming.

Reduced biodiversity is another deforestation concern. Rainforests, arguably the biggest victims of
deforestation, cover only about 7 percent of the world's surface. However, within this 7 percent live
almost half of all plant and animal species on earth. Some of these species only live in small specific
areas, which make them especially vulnerable to extinction. As the landscape changes, some plants and
animals are simply unable to survive. Species from the tiniest flower to large orangutans are becoming
endangered or even extinct. Biologists believe that the key to curing many diseases resides within the
biology of these rare plants and animals, and preservation is crucial.

Soil erosion, while a natural process, accelerates with deforestation. Trees and plants act as a natural
barrier to slow water as it runs off the land. Roots bind the soil and prevent it from washing away. The
absence of vegetation causes the topsoil to erode more quickly. It's difficult for plants to grow in the
less nutritious soil that remains.

Because trees release water vapor into the atmosphere, fewer trees means less rain, which disrupts the
water table (or groundwater level). A lowered water table can be devastating for farmers who can't
keep crops alive in such dry soil.

On the other hand, deforestation can also cause flooding. Coastal vegetation lessens the impact of
waves and winds associated with a storm surge. Without this vegetation, coastal villages are
susceptible to damaging floods. The 2008 cyclone in Myanmar proved this fact to catastrophic effect.
Scientists believe that the removal of coastal mangrove forests over the past decade caused
the cyclone to hit with much more force.

Deforestation also affects indigenous people, both physically and culturally. Because many indigenous
people actually have no legal rights to the land on which they live, governments that want to use the
forest for profit can actually "evict" them. As these populations leave the rainforest, they also leave
their culture behind.

Adapted from:
Ronca, D. (n.d.). Effects of deforestation. Retrieved May 12, 2015 from
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/deforestation2.htm

Page 42

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION
Sample image

wtf0111. (2007, February 24). Deforestation [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzK2XITThZM

Page 43

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.4 IDENTIFYING SEQUENCE IN A PROCESS

60 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Identify sequence of processes and procedures presented in linear form.

PREPARATION

 Paper strips of a few sentences on how to make tuna sandwich;
 “Paper recycling process” text (see Appendix);

 6 strips of paragraphs (of the above text) coded with different colours.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

 Identifying main points and supporting details in a text;
 Some knowledge on linkers/cohesive devices.

IN CLASS

1. Write / paste paper strips of a few jumbled up sentences on how to
make tuna sandwich on the whiteboard. (e.g.; Drain any liquid from the
tuna. Put 5 to 6 ounces of tuna into the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of
mayonnaise and mix well with the tuna. Lay 2 slices of bread on a
plate. Spread the tuna mixture on one of the bread slices. Place the
other slice on top of the tuna spread.)

2. Ask students to identify the correct steps. Then, ask students how they
managed to identify the steps.

3. Insert some sequence connectors in the sentences and inform students
the lesson objective for the day.

4. Label each student in class from A to F.

5. Ask As to sit in one group, Bs in their group, followed by Cs, Ds, Es and
Fs in their respective groups. Hence, there will be 6 groups altogether.

6. Provide one paragraph to each group. For instance, Para 1 to Group A,
Para 2 to Group B, Para 3 to Group C and so forth.

7. In 2 minutes, ask students to read the assigned paragraph and identify
the main point and supporting details. Inform students that they are
not allowed to capture the paragraph or rewrite the whole paragraph
on another piece of paper.

Page 44

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

8. Collect the paragraphs from the groups and then, regroup the students
with different colour codes. Label each student from each group (A to
F) with 6 different colours (i.e.; red [R], blue [B], yellow [Y], green
[G], purple [P] and orange [O]).

9. Ask these students to sit in their respective new groups (R, B, Y, G, P &
O).

10. Ask each student in the new group to take turn and share what he/she
has read in the paragraph assigned earlier (based on the main point and
supporting details recorded).

11. Provide jumbled up paragraphs of the text to the groups and ask them
to rearrange the paragraphs to identify the correct steps of paper
recycling process.

12. Choose one reporter from each group to read aloud their paragraphs in
sequence.

13. Discuss in plenary and ask students how they managed to identify the
correct sequence.

14. Highlight sequence connectors.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students can be asked to read more about sequence connectors for future
lesson.

Page 45

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

APPENDIX

READING TEXT – cut and color-code the following paragraphs.

Paper recycling process

Successful recycling requires clean recovered paper, so your paper must be kept free from contaminants,
such as food, plastic, metal, and other trash, which make paper difficult to be recycled. The recovered paper
is unloaded by paper mill workers and put into warehouses, where it is stored until needed. The various
paper grades, such as newspapers and corrugated boxes, are kept separate, because the paper mill uses
different grades of recovered paper to make different types of recycled paper products. When the paper mill
is ready to use the paper, the paper is moved from the warehouse to large conveyors.

The paper is moved by conveyor to a big vat called a pulper, which contains water and chemicals. The
recovered paper is chopped into small pieces. Heating the mixture breaks the paper down more quickly into
tiny strands of cellulose (organic plant material) called fibers. Eventually, the old paper turns into a mushy
mixture called pulp. The pulp is forced through screens containing holes and slots of various shapes and
sizes. The screens remove small contaminants such as bits of plastic and globs of glue. This process is called
screening. Mills also clean pulp by spinning it around in large cone-shaped cylinders. Heavy contaminants
like staples are thrown outside of the cone and fall through the bottom of the cylinder whereas lighter
contaminants are accumulated in the center of the cone and removed. This process is called cleaning.

Sometimes the pulp must undergo a “pulp laundering” operation called deinking (de-inking) to remove
printing ink and “stickies” (sticky materials like glue residue and adhesives). Papermakers often use a
combination of two deinking processes. Small particles of ink are rinsed from the pulp with water in a
process called washing. Larger particles and stickies are removed with air bubbles in another process
called flotation. During flotation deinking, pulp is fed into a large vat called a flotation cell, where air and
soap-like chemicals called surfactants are injected into the pulp. The surfactants cause ink and stickies to
loosen from the pulp and stick to the air bubbles as they float to the top of the mixture. The inky air bubbles
create foam or froth which is removed from the top, leaving the clean pulp behind.

During refining, the pulp is beaten to make the recycled fibers swell, making them ideal for papermaking.
If the pulp contains any large bundles of fibers, refining separates them into individual fibers. If the
recovered paper is colored, color stripping chemicals remove the dyes from the paper. Then, if white
recycled paper is being made, the pulp may need to be bleached with hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide,
or oxygen to make it whiter and brighter. If brown recycled paper is being made, such as that used for
industrial paper towels, the pulp does not need to be bleached.

Now the clean pulp is ready to be made into paper. The recycled fiber can be used alone, or blended with
new wood fiber (called virgin fiber) to give it extra strength or smoothness. The pulp is mixed with water
and chemicals to make it 99.5% water. This watery pulp mixture enters the head box, a giant metal box at
the beginning of the paper machine, and then is sprayed in a continuous wide jet onto a huge flat wire
screen which is moving very quickly through the paper machine. On the screen, water starts to drain from
the pulp, and the recycled fibers quickly begin to bond together to form a watery sheet. The sheet is moved
rapidly through a series of felt-covered press rollers which squeeze out more water.

The sheet, which now resembles paper, is passed through a series of heated metal rollers which dry the
paper. If coated paper is being made, a coating mixture can be applied near the end of the process, or in a
separate process after the papermaking is completed. Coating gives paper a smooth, glossy surface for
printing. Finally, the finished paper is wound into a giant roll and removed from the paper machine. One
roll can be as wide as 30 feet and weigh as much as 20 tons! The roll of paper is cut into smaller rolls, or
sometimes into sheets, before being shipped to a converting plant where it will be printed or made into
products such as envelopes, paper bags, or boxes.

Adapted from:
How is Paper Recycled? (2001). Retrieved May 12, 2015 from
http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/earthanswers_recycle.pdf

Page 46

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.5 DESCRIBING PROCESSES AND
PROCEDURES

60 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Describe processes and procedures
 Give instructions using the imperative verb form

PREPARATION

Prepare a set of instruction. The sentences are divided into 4 sections
according to the complexity and length of the sentences.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students have already learned “imperative verb form”.

IN CLASS

1. Students are grouped in groups of 4.
2. Each student is labelled as A, B, C and D (it is better if all the group

members are of mixed abilities from low to highly proficient students).
3. Each student will write sentences which have the same label as them,

i.e. students A will write down all As sentences (see the Appendix).
4. Each sentence will be read twice.
5. After all the sentences are read, each student is asked to show his/her

sentences to the group members. Later, they will arrange all the
sentences accordingly to show a set of instructions (see the Appendix).
6. The first group which manages to arrange all the instructional steps
correctly will win (this activity can be turned into a competition).

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

In the same group, students are asked to write a set of instructions using the
imperative verb form. They will later present it in front of the class.

Page 47

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

APPENDIX

Information for students

A: Next, apply the parking break to prevent the car from rolling.
B: Pull your car as far off the road as possible for your own safety.
C: Once your car is safely off the road, turn off the engine and turn on the hazard

lights.
D: Take your tire jack and jack the car up slightly higher than needed to remove

The flat tire.

A: Do this in a star pattern.
B: Loosen one lug nut and then the one opposite from it until all are slightly

loose.
C: Get out your spare tire, car jack, tire gauge and lug nut wrench.
D: Open the hood to show other drivers that you have pulled off the road for

repairs.

A: Remove the flat tire and exchange it with the spare.
B: Remove the lug nuts and put them in a safe place so you don’t lose them.
C: Use your lug nut wrench to loosen the lug nuts
D: Place something such as a rock or wheel block in front of the opposing wheel

so that the car won’t roll.

A: Check the air pressure of your spare with your tire air gauge.
B: If the tire pressure is safe to drive on, jump in your car and you’re on your

way.
C: Replace the lug nuts by tightening them the same way you loosened them
D: Carefully lower the car jack and tighten the lug nuts once more and make

them as tight as you possibly can.

Page 48

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION
Answer Key

How to Change A Tyre

1. Pull your car as far off the road as possible for your own safety.
2. Once your car is safely off the road, turn off the engine and turn on the hazard

lights.
3. Next, apply the parking break to prevent the car from rolling.
4. Open the hood to show other drivers that you have pulled off the road for

repairs.
5. Place something such as a rock or wheel block in front of the opposing wheel

so that the car won't roll.
6. Get out your spare tire, car jack, tire gauge and lug nut wrench.
7. Use your lug nut wrench to loosen the lug nuts.
8. Do this in a star pattern.
9. Loosen one lug nut and then the one opposite from it until all are slightly loose.
10. Take your tire jack and jack the car up slightly higher than needed to remove

the flat tire.
11. Remove the lug nuts and put them in a safe place so you don't lose them.
12. Remove the flat tire and exchange it with the spare.
13. Replace the lug nuts by tightening them the same way you loosened them.
14. Carefully lower the car jack and tighten the lug nuts once more and make them

as tight as you possibly can.
15. Check the air pressure of your spare with your tire air gauge.
16. If the tire pressure is safe to drive on, jump in your car and you're on your way.

Adapted from: http://www.dmv.org/how

Page 49

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.6 DESCRIBING TRENDS ON A LINE GRAPH

60 minutes

OBJECTIVE
 Use different phrases to describe trends in a line graph.

PREPARATION

 Blank graph template (see the Appendix).

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students have already learnt useful phrases to describe trends on a line graph.

IN CLASS

1. Distribute a blank template of a line graph to each student (see the
Appendix).

2. Read aloud the sentences (see the Appendix) to describe a line graph.
Each sentence is read twice.

3. Ask students to draw a line graph based on the sentences that they have
heard.

4. Ask students to compare their line graphs with their friends’. If they find
that their graphs are different from their friends’, they need to find out
why and explain the reasons for the differences.

5. Pick a few students to present their line graphs in front of the class.
6. Show the actual line graph (see the Appendix) to the students and ask

them to correct their line graphs as necessary.

Page 50

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

This activity can be carried out in different ways for different purposes:

1. This activity can be carried out for other charts and graphs to check the
students’ understanding on the use of correct words and phrases to
describe graphs and charts.

2. This activity can be done in small groups (to avoid sleeping partners).
Each group is given a mahjong paper for the students to draw the line
graph. Later, the line graphs are pasted on the wall and the students do
a gallery walk.

3. This activity can also be done in pairs. One student will read the text
aloud and another student will draw the line graphs. Later, they change
their role. After that, the students are asked to compare their line
graphs with their partner. Finally, the teacher will show the actual line
graph so that the students can check their work.

Page 51

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

APPENDIX

Transcript and Answer Key

1. From January to March the percentage of children using supplements remained
fairly static at approximately 10%.

2. It then fell gradually in March.
3. It fluctuated for the following two months.
4. Between June and August, the percentage of children taking dietary

supplements increase dramatically.
5. It reached a peak of 25% in April.
6. Between August and October, this figure dropped dramatically to 11%.
7. Supplement use continued to fall steadily over the next two months until it

reached 5% in December.
Adapted from: http://www.ielts-exam.net/ielts-preparation-tips/describe-a-line-graph.html

Page 52

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION
Blank Line Graph Template

Use of dietary supplements by children

25

20

15

10

5

0
J FMAM J J A S OND

Page 53

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.7 DESCRIBE YOUR GRAPH PLEASE

20 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Describe trends and movements in graphs and charts
 Use the past tense form in describing graphs and charts

PREPARATION

Two versions of the same graph, one which is fully illustrated and another with
only x and y axes.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Simple past tense, vocabulary to describe trends and movements in graphs and
charts.

IN CLASS

1. Students are to work in pairs, sitting facing each other.
2. Student A is given the fully illustrated graph while student B gets an empty

graph.
3. Student A has to describe the trend and movement of the graph to Student

B who will then plot the graph accordingly.
4. Teacher goes round to ensure proper sentences are used and may ask Student

B if Student A uses appropriate sentences and words.
5. Before checking with Student A if he/she has a similar graph, Student B

checks with other students who have the same role.

Page 54

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.8 EXTRACTING INFORMATION FROM JOB
ADVERTISEMENTS

10 - 20 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Locate and extract information about a company’s background, job

requirements and specifications.

PREPARATION

 Job advertisements (can be obtained at http://goo.gl/4iME8n);
 Jigsaw organizer (see the Appendix).

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Identifying relevant job advertisements.

IN CLASS

1. Divide students into groups of 3 – 5 (depending on the class size). Each
group should have the same number of students if possible. Give these
groups a number each.

2. Every group will assign roles to their group members (Bearer = students
who will handle the job advertisements information, Seekers = students
who will seek answers from other groups, Writers = students who will
stay in their ‘headquarters” and only write the answers).

3. Provide each group with random job advertisements and a jigsaw
organizer with omitted information such as company’s background, job
requirements and specifications.

4. Seekers will have to find bearers from other groups in order to find
information that they require (5 minutes). Once the seekers have the
information, they will have to inform their own writers so that the
writers may fill in their jigsaw organizer. (* Seekers cannot write the
answers on paper)

5. Once the time is up, they will have to stop writing and present their
findings to the whole class (5 minutes).

Page 55

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

APPENDIX

Job Advertisement Jigsaw Organizer

ELECTRICIAN

COMPANY’S JOB SPECIFICATIONS
BACKGROUND REQUIREMENTS

Page 56

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.9 HOW TO WRITE A COMPLAINT LETTER

60 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Find six steps in writing a complaint letter by extracting information from a
reading text

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

In the previous class, students have familiarized themselves with the steps of
making an oral complaint and they have had some practice with their friends.

IN CLASS

1. Divide students into groups of 4 - 6.
2. Provide each student with a reading text (see the Appendix) and ask him / her

to read silently in their respective groups. While reading, each student needs
to fill in a “WHAT I KNOW” form (see the Appendix) by classifying information
into 3 areas, namely ‘things they know’, ‘things they did not know’ and
‘examples to remember’.
3. After they have finished classifying the information, they need to share their
findings with other group members. In each group, while all the members are
sharing their findings, one person acts as the group leader and summarizes all
the findings by completing the 11 sentences given to him / her (see the
Appendix).
4. After that, each leader will appoint someone in the group to present their
summary. Each group will take turn conducting their respective presentations.
5. In each presentation, students must use the “How To Present Findings”
template given earlier (see the Appendix).
6. After all the groups have presented their summaries, they must sit together
again to find six steps in writing a letter of complaint extracted from the
reading text. Then, each group has to write the steps on white board and
compare their answers with other groups.
7. Finally, discuss the steps written on the white board with the students and
eventually reveal the 6 correct steps to the students (see the Appendix).

Page 57

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

APPENDIX
Reading Text

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

When writing a letter of complaint, your best chance of success will come from
directing the letter to the customer service department of the company. The customer
service department is accustomed to dealing with complaints and your letter is likely to be
processed efficiently and effectively.

Try to find out the name of the customer service manager or director and address your
letter to them personally. Begin your letter with Dear Mr, Mrs, Miss followed by their
surname. If you cannot find the name of the customer service manager, simply write Dear
Sir or Madam.

You should be able to find the address of the customer service department on the
company's website, on any of the company's promotional or advertising materials or
product packaging or labels.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The very first line of your letter should clearly address why you are writing the letter
and what your exact complaint is. Give as many pertinent facts as possible, including the
date, time and location where you made the purchase or received the service, along with
any relevant serial or model numbers.

The recipient of the letter should be able to identify the point of the letter in under five
seconds, so avoid any long, rambling intros. You may provide further detail or explanation
of the situation in the paragraph following your opening sentence, but the first line should
draw attention to your complaint as succinctly as possible.

For example, your opening sentence might read: "I am writing to complain about a
faulty hair dryer that I purchased from your company on the 15th of July at your location
on Jalan Pekeliling, Kota Bharu."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

… continues on next page

Page 58

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

If you want a replacement, a refund, a repair, or some other form of compensation,
state this clearly in your second paragraph. This will help to avoid receiving a form letter
or other stock response, and give the recipient something to work with on their end.

Try to be as constructive as possible in your comments, suggesting a way that you can
move forward and continue your relationship with the company. If you demand a refund
or some other form of compensation, while simultaneously informing them that you plan
on taking your business elsewhere, they will have little incentive to try and resolve the
problem.

If you would like the company to correct a broader problem, state that in your letter as
well, but recognize that such a thing may take time.

Do not threaten legal action in your first communication. It may be the solution you
ultimately require, but send your complaint letter first and await a response.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may include receipts, guarantees, warranties, copies of checks you sent and, if
appropriate, photos or videos. All documentation should be included with your letter.

Make sure that you send copies of any documentation you wish to include, not the
originals. That way, there's no chance of this key information being lost or mislaid, should
you need to provide evidence to someone else.

Also make sure to state in the body of the letter the exact materials you are including.
For example: "Please find attached a copy of my original receipt, along with a copy of the
hair dryer's guarantee and information regarding the serial number."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is helpful to provide an exact time period within which you would like the issue
to be resolved. This will give you peace of mind and will help bring the issue to a
speedy conclusion.

Providing a time limit will also help to prevent the possibility of your letter
becoming lost or forgotten about, which may lead to further awkwardness and
resentment between you and the company.

Just make sure that the time period you provide is reasonable. A week or two is
usually sufficient, though this will vary depending on what your requests are.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

… continues on next page

Page 59

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

Thank the recipient for their assistance, and let them know how and when they can
reach you to resolve the matter. This will make their job a lot easier, resulting in a more
efficient outcome for you.

Sign off the letter with ‘Yours sincerely’, if you know the name of the person you are
writing to, or ‘Yours faithfully’ if you referred to them as "Sir" or "Madam". Avoid
informal closings such as "Best," or "Yours truly." This will ensure a respectful finish of
the letter.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adapted from:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Complaint-Letter-to-a-Company#/Image:Write-a-
Complaint-Letter-to-a-Company-Step-5-Version-2.jpg

What I Know

THINGS I KNOW

THINGS I DID NOT KNOW

EXAMPLES TO REMEMBER

Page 60

Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

How To Present Findings

- Half of us know that….
- Several of us know that….
- Some of us did not know that….
- Quite a lot of us know that….
- None of us knows that….
- All of us know that….
- Every single one of us knows that….
- Almost all of us know that….
- Only one of us knows that….
- A few of us know that….
- Most of us know that….

Steps In Writing A Complaint Letter

1. Address your letter to the customer service department.
2. Quickly get to the point of your letter.
3. State specifically what outcome or remedy will satisfy you.
4. Attach copies of supporting documents.
5. Give them a time limit to resolve the matter.
6. Finish the letter respectfully.

Page 61



Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING

ACTIVITY 4.1 EXTENDING, ACCEPTING OR REJECTING
INVITATIONS

60 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Extend an invitation
 Accept or reject invitations

PREPARATION

 A PowerPoint presentation with pictures of places to visit (see the
Appendix);

 Picture cards of places to visit (see the Appendix).

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Would you like to ……… / How about ….ing……? / I would love to /
I’m sorry I can’t.

IN CLASS (Activity 1)

1. Revise the structures “Would you like to….” , “How about going…..?”, “I
would love to.” and “I’m sorry I can’t”.

2. Divide the class into groups A and B. Group A will extend the invitation
and group B will respond by accepting or rejecting the invitation.

3. Show the picture of a place, e.g. a restaurant, cinema, etc., with the
main verb.

4. Provide an example for group A: “Would you like to go to the
restaurant?'” Make group A repeat the invitation.

5. Group B looks at the symbol  (Accept) or X (Reject) and responds
appropriately (see the Appendix).

6. Show the next picture and Group A uses the same structure and group B
responds based on the given stimulus.

7. Repeat the steps above for 5 other pictures and get the groups to
exchange their roles.

Page 63

Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING

IN CLASS (Activity 2)

8. Students are put into groups of 4-5.
9. Give a set of 15-20 picture cards consisting of pictures from the first

activity as well as extra pictures to each group.
10. Students place the picture cards facing downwards.
11. Student A picks up a card and extends the invitation using either ‘Would

you like to…’ or ‘How about …..ing ……’.
12. Student B accepts or rejects the invitation and picks up a card then

extends the invitation to student C. This is repeated until all the cards
are finished.

IN CLASS (Activity 3)

13. Students form 2 big circles. The same picture cards from Activity 2 are
reused and distributed. Each student is given one card.

14. The lecturer appoints the first student in each group. The first student
from both groups looks at their picture card and extends the invitation
to someone specific in the group. The student then responds
appropriately and extends his/her invitation to a different student. This
is repeated till every student has taken their turn.

REMARKS

Lecturers can stop with the second activity if there isn’t enough time to
continue. The activity starts with a class activity to provide comfort and then
followed by a small group activity to allow students to gain confidence. Finally,
for reinforcement and checking on achievements, students are required to
perform in a bigger group.

Page 64

Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING

APPENDIX

Sample Pictures On The Power Point And Picture Cards



Have dinner at the restaurant / having Play tennis / playing tennis
dinner at the restaurant




Go to the library / going to the library Go for a swim / going for a swim

Page 65

Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING

ACTIVITY 4.2 I’M REALLY DRAWN TO THIS JOB
BECAUSE…

OBJECTIVE 10 minutes

 Use “I’m really drawn to this job because …?” or “I really believe in your
company because …” to answer job interview questions.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Interview questions.

IN CLASS

1. Divide class into three groups (depending on size of class).
2. Teacher says “I’m really drawn to this job because …”.
3. Teacher goes round the groups.
4. Teacher points to individual student who uses the phrase.
5. Teacher repeats using the other structure.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students use the phrases and answer in full. Students write down the
answers by sharing their personal examples and teacher checks the
individual answers. Students use the answers to answer questions at a mock
interview.

Page 66

Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING

ACTIVITY 4.3 IS USED FOR / ARE USED FOR

10 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Use “is used for” and “are used for” to describe things.

PREPARATION

Substitution table (see the Appendix).

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Vocabulary related to descriptions of products, for example: “It is made of….” or
“blue in colour….” etc.

IN CLASS

1. Show the substitution table to the class (see the Appendix).
2. Divide class into four groups (depending on size of class).
3. Teacher points to a word/phrase in the table and students read out the

words to string a sentence together.
4. After reading a few sentences together, point randomly to a group and

get that group to read the sentences.
5. Once the students are confident, select a student to make his/her own

sentence from the table.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students are asked to write sentences from the table on their own. Students
are given 3 minutes to write as many sentences as possible.

Page 67

Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING

APPENDIX is made of metal
Substitution Table are plastic
glass
A drill rubber
A protractor
Hacksaws
Erasers
A lens
Tyres
Callipers
Windscreens

Page 68

Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING
10 minutes
ACTIVITY 4.4 WHAT IS THIS?

OBJECTIVE

 Use “This is” or “These are” to describe things.

PREPARATION

Objects/Equipment and pictures of objects (see the Appendix).

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Vocabulary related to objects.

IN CLASS

1. Divide the class into three groups (depending on size of class).
2. Show an object and teach students to ask “What is this?” and answer the

question by saying “This is a tumbler”.
3. Students repeat the step above by saying the question and answer in

unison.
4. Repeat the steps above in individual groups.
5. Ask another question and point randomly to a group to elicit similar

responses.
6. When students are confident, one group asks question and another

answers.
7. Finally, get students to ask questions and provide answers individually.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students ask and answer questions on their own.

Page 69

Planning Lessons For Communicative English DRILLING

APPENDIX
Sample objects as stimuli

Page 70



Planning Lessons For Communicative English LANGUAGE SUPPORT

ACTIVITY 5.1 WHAT IS THIS ITEM?

30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Describe products correctly from pictures

PREPARATION

 Pictures of various products on PowerPoint slides and printed handouts (see
the Appendix);

 PowerPoint slides or handouts with sample sentences that describe
products (see the Appendix).

IN CLASS

1. Show a PowerPoint presentation containing pictures of products and ask
the students to describe them.

2. Show them sample sentences on how to describe the products in correct
sentences.

3. Ask students to describe the products by referring to the sentences given.
4. Ask students to form subgroups of four.
5. Pair two subgroups together, for example subgroups A1 and A2 will form

group A.
6. Each group will be given two sets of cards (A and B).
7. They have to arrange the cards as shown in the picture below.

A A A AA

AB
B B B BB

8. The card should be placed down and the first member from subgroup
A1 will need to open a card and describe the picture (product) printed
on the card. Then, he/she will open one of subgroup A2’s cards to try
and get the same picture obtained earlier.

Page 72

Planning Lessons For Communicative English LANGUAGE SUPPORT

9. If they can find a match (same picture), they can keep the card. If they
fail to get the same card, they will need to put back the card at the
same place.

10. The game will be continued by the first player from subgroup A2 and
they will take turn until all cards are drawn.

11. Use more cards if the class is large.

Page 73

Planning Lessons For Communicative English LANGUAGE SUPPORT

APPENDIX
Sample products to be used as pictures

Sample sentences to describe a product

1. The colour – It is red.
2. The shape – It is cylindrical in shape.
3. The use – It is used to illuminate a place, for example a room when

there is no electricity.
4. The characteristic – It has a wick in the middle.
5. The materials – It is made of wax and the wick is made of strings.

Page 74

Planning Lessons For Communicative English LANGUAGE SUPPORT

ACTIVITY 5.2 GET THAT JOB!

30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Match words found in job advertisements with accurate definitions.

PREPARATION

A job advertisement, 10 strips of individual words from the job advertisement
and their definitions (see the Appendix).

IN CLASS

1. Divide students into groups of four.
2. Provide each group with the 10 strips; they must match each word with

the correct definition.
3. Groups that manage to complete the step above will be declared as

winners.
4. Provide students with a job advertisement to read and study; ask some

questions pertaining to the content of the advertisements.
5. In addition, ask students to write a grammatically correct sentence for

each word.

Page 75

Planning Lessons For Communicative English LANGUAGE SUPPORT

APPENDIX
A sample job advertisement

Minions (M) Sdn Bhd, a multinational company, a leading manufacturing of high
quality Aluminium Electrolytic Capacitors (Electronic Components). We have a long
history of developing capacitors for audio equipment and is highly evaluated by
professionals worldwide for its high-quality products. We are presently inviting
dynamic and high motivated individuals who have the passion to excel to join our
progressive team as:-

SENIOR LINE LEADER/LINE LEADER

Puchong

Responsibilities:-

 To guide, train and motivate a group of operators to meet company goal.
 To make sure the line discipline well followed by all operators.
 To monitor the production line performance and report the line output,

process reject etc.
 Update daily attendance on individual line.

Requirements

 Candidates must possess at least a Higher Secondary/STPM/ Certificate,
Diploma, Engineering (Industrial), or equivalent.

 Required language(s) : Bahasa Malaysia, English
 Good leadership qualities & computer literate
 Applicants must be willing to work in Puchong.
 Willing to work in night shift.
 Fresh graduates are encouraged to apply.
 10 full-time positions available.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their applications online. Only
shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Minions (M) Sdn Bhd Fax : 603-85476214

No 5, Jalan 50,

Bandar Puchong Jaya,

44500 Selangor.Telephone: 603-895764521
Email : [email protected]

Page 76

Planning Lessons For Communicative English LANGUAGE SUPPORT

Sample words that can be found in job advertisements and their
definition

WORD DEFINITION
multinational
candidates A company operating in several countries.
dynamic
Highly motivated a person who applies for a job.

passion (of a person) positive in attitude and full of energy
excel and new ideas
equivalent
notify person not only works hard, but is also proactive,
Computer literate which means that they look for things that need to
be done without being asked.
Fresh graduates
any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling.

be exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity
or subject.

equal in value, amount, function, meaning, etc.

inform (someone) of something, typically in a
formal or official manner.

(of a person) having sufficient knowledge and skill
to be able to use computers; familiar with the
operation of computers.

is a person that has just recently graduated. They
usually have little to no skill sets, making them
ideal for apprenticeships.

Page 77

Planning Lessons For Communicative English LANGUAGE SUPPORT

ACTIVITY 5.3 WHAT CAN THIS EQUIPMENT DO?

30 minutes

OBJECTIVE
 Describe what a piece of specialised equipment can do

PREPARATION

 Get permission from various technical instructors for learners to go visit
their workshops/labs/classes to learn how a piece of specialised
equipment works;

 Teach the learners to ask appropriate questions pertaining to the
functions of a piece of equipment, for example: “What can this thing
do?”, “What is this equipment called?” et cetera.

IN CLASS

1. Divide students into groups of three or four.
2. Allow each group to visit a technical lab/workshop.
3. When visiting a lab/workshop, students need to ask several questions to

get a general idea about the functions of a piece of specialised equipment
as well as how it works. Allow 20 – 30 minutes for this.
4. Students need to jot down their findings for the next step.
5. Students then return to the class and prepare a short presentation on
their findings. Each group will need to tell the entire class the following:
a. Name of equipment;
b. Functions of equipment;
c. How the equipment works;
d. Its special features and other supporting information (if applicable);
6. Students may use PowerPoint slides to enhance their oral presentation.

Suggested Follow Up Activities

 Students may find an electrical gadget at home and write a paragraph
on how to use it based on the lesson learnt.

 Their work will be put up on the notice board for everyone to read.
 This could form a part of their evaluation.

Page 78



Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES
20 minutes
ACTIVITY 6.1 REMEMBER MY NAME?

OBJECTIVE

 Remember and recall their friends’ names.

PREPARATION

No preparation is needed.

IN CLASS

1. Ask students to form a big circle in class.

2. Inform students that they are going to play ‘remember me’ game. In this

game, each student needs to introduce him/herself by giving an

appropriate adjective which best describes them. The rule is that the first

letter of the adjective chosen must be the first letter of their name, for

example “Marvellous Mary”.

3. The next person will start by repeating the first person’s name before

introducing him/herself. This will be continued by the next person till the

circle completes.
4. Provide an example to the students:

First person : I’m Mary. You can call me Marvellous Mary.

Second person : This is Marvellous Mary. I’m Radiant Radika.

Third person : We have Marvellous Mary, Radiant Radika

and I am Maverick Mahmud.

REMARKS

This game can also be used to teach pronunciation to students. Ask students to
choose an adjective which has the same initial sound as the initial sound of their
names.

Page 80

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6.2 BACK TO THE BOARD (HOT SEAT)

OBJECTIVE 10 minutes

 Recap key terms/vocabulary

PREPARATION

A list of words to be recapped

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students should be exposed to the words that will be used in this game before
doing this activity.

IN CLASS

1. Teacher places a chair at the front of the class facing away from the board.
2. A student sits on the chair; the teacher writes a word on the board.
3. The rest of the students in the class describe the word to the student

sitting in front of the class.
4. The student guesses the word on the board.
5. Repeat the steps above with different students and words.

REMARKS

To encourage active participation from students, the game can be conducted in
pairs. A student from each pair faces away from the board. The other student
explains the word on the board. The students may exchange roles.

Page 81

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6.3 ICE BREAKING WITH PICTURES

15 minutes

OBJECTIVE
 Get to know the others in a group

PREPARATION

Students should have something to draw on (paper/books).

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students know how to formulate questions and have intermediate level of
language proficiency.

IN CLASS

1. Students draw 2 pictures that are meaningful to them. The pictures should
symbolise some aspects of their life.

2. Students walk around the class to show their pictures to other students.
Working in pairs, students take turn to guess the relevance of the pictures.

3. For example, Student A has a picture of a cat and shows it to Student B.
Student B: “Do you like cats?”
Student A: “No.”
Student B: “Do you have a cat?”
Student A: “Yes!”

4. Then, reverse the roles - Student A asks questions about Student B’s
pictures. After the pair has completed the activity, they find new partners
and repeat the process.

REMARKS

This ice-breaking activity should be conducted after the students have
introduced their names. This activity creates a creative platform for students to
share information about themselves instead of giving mundane speeches.

Page 82

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6.4 MY DREAM

30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Allow students to know one another and talk about their dreams with

their friends.

PREPARATION

A4 paper in various colours.

IN CLASS

1. Provide each student with a piece of A4 paper; students need to write a
simple paragraph about “My Dream” in a few sentences. Allow 10 minutes.

2. Guide the students by providing them with some sample paragraphs that
they can modify. Students are encouraged to provide as much detail as
possible.

3. Once they have finished writing their dreams on the paper, ask the
students to fold their paper into paper airplanes.

4. Ask all students to throw the airplanes onto the air at the same time.
5. Each student will pick a paper airplane, read the content and find the

owner of the airplane.
6. When they have found the owner, they will need to ask more questions

about the owner’s dream.
7. The other person needs to explain more about it.
8. Stop the game after everybody has found the owner of the airplane and

talked to each other about their dreams.

Page 83

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES
10-20 minutes
ACTIVITY 6.5 THE FLYSWATTER GAME

OBJECTIVE

 Identify language forms and functions.

PREPARATION

PowerPoint slides with sample sentences and 4 choices of language functions for
each (see the Appendix), a few plastic/rattan flyswatters.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students know the various commonly used forms and functions that will be used
in this game.

IN CLASS

1. Divide the class into two teams.
2. Draw a starting line about 3 metres from the board/screen.
3. The first student in each team is given a flyswatter. They stand up next to each

other at the starting line, looking at the board/screen.
4. The teacher shows a slide that has a sample sentence and four choices of

language function for each.
5. The students may not cross the line until they identify and locate the correct

language function, which they then go “swat” with their flyswatter.
6. The first student to swat the correct answer wins a point for his/her team.
7. If contested, the flyswatter on the bottom wins.
8. Allow only one swat per player, so if one player hits an incorrect answer, the

other player can take his/her time selecting an answer.
9. If neither player knows the answer, the whole class identifies the answer.
10. The two students return to the end of their team’s line.
11. Repeat steps 3 – 10 until everybody has had their turn.

Page 84

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES

REMARKS

 Remind students these basic rules:
a. Players should not hit another player with the flyswatter;
b. Players should not "block" another player with their arm or body to
prevent others from getting to the answer

 The game can be used for other language items such as vocabulary, grammar,
etc.

APPENDIX

Sample PowerPoint slide with a question and choice of answers

Page 85

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6.6 ICE BREAKING WITH ADJECTIVES

10-15 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Use adjectives and socialize

PREPARATION

Small cut-out pieces of paper with a word or a picture. Each piece should belong
to selected categories such as fruits, sports, stationery etc.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Adjectives, descriptive words

IN CLASS

1. Provide each student with a piece of paper each with a photo/word of an
item.

2. Students must come up with two words to describe their respective photos.
3. Students will then go round asking/telling other students about their items.

They have to look for other students who possess items of similar
categories.

Page 86

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6.7 CAN YOU GUESS THE WORD?

30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Improve/practice vocabulary by guessing words

PREPARATION

Mini whiteboards (made from laminated pieces of A4 paper)

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Words used in previous tasks/exercises

IN CLASS

1. Provide each student with a mini whiteboard.
2. Describe a word or provide definition(s) of a word; students will then have

to guess the most suitable word that matches the definition or description.
3. All students will have to show their answer when they are done.
4. Allow peer correction or allow the students to correct their answers if their

answers are incorrect.
5. Repeat the steps above for a few more words.

REMARKS

This can also be used as a cloze test where students write down a word to
complete the teacher’s sentence. Using mini whiteboards allows immediate
response from students and immediate feedback from peers and the teacher.

Page 87

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES
30 minutes
ACTIVITY 6.8 THIS IS MY OPINION

OBJECTIVES

 Agree/disagree and give/ask for opinions
 Use present tense form to describe current issues

PREPARATION

Mini whiteboards (made from laminated pieces of A4 paper)

IN CLASS

1. Provide each student with a mini whiteboard.
2. Students write their opinion about a specific theme on their own

whiteboards, for example “feeding the needy”.
3. Students have to work in groups of four.
4. Each student will take turn to show his/her board, and the rest can agree

or disagree, giving comments or asking for clarification.
5. Go round to ensure the target language is used.

REMARKS

Using mini whiteboards allows immediate response from students and immediate
feedback from peers and the teacher.

Page 88

Planning Lessons For Communicative English FILLER ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 6.9 DIY TABOO GAME

30 – 60 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Guess correct words from explanation given by peers

PREPARATION

A manila card, stationery and 2 stop watches/ digital watches/ smart phones.
See the Appendix for sample Taboo cards.

IN CLASS

1. To produce the Taboo cards, get students to cut a manila card into small
rectangles of 3” x 2”. Then, divide students into two big groups.

2. Give 20 cards to each group and they have to come up with their own words. They
have to decide on the words themselves by helping one another to get the best
words.

3. Provide a common theme for the words, for example “VERBS” (one of the eight
parts of speech). Students must find twenty verbs and come up with five words
that are associated with the verb (the Taboo words). For example, if they choose
the word “cry”, the Taboo words might be “sad”, “hurt”, “tears”, “child”, and
“pain”. If they want the words to be more challenging, they can find verbs which
are more uncommon. See some examples of the cards in APPENDIX A.

4. After they have found all the twenty words, they can start playing the game. (In
time keeping, they can replace the hourglass with a stop watch/ digital watch/
smart phone and to make the sound when the opposing team violates the rules or
the time is up. They can just knock on a table twice.)

5. To start playing this game, the two groups will sit facing each other. One
representative (the player) from Group A will go to Group B and pick one of their
cards. There must be one different player in one turn.

6. The player will provide oral clues to his group to guess the word. The selected
card is placed in front of and facing him. One person from Group B will stand
behind the player to see if he uses any Taboo words, and another will keep the
time (one minute for each turn) using a stop watch/ digital watch/ smart phone.

Page 89