Appointments by Phone, Mandarin Chinese, Novice low-mid
About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository
The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. In other words, the activities are “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country the platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture!
This activity was created by upper-division language students working in the World Languages Resource Center at Boise State University. Our activities seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive listening skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. We recommend using these activities to help reinforce the content students are learning, allowing the students time to feel comfortable using the unit’s vocabulary and grammar structures through application. Further, these activities should be facilitated in approximately 90% (or more) in the target language, per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Using the WLRC Repository’s Activities:
When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for your target language and audience, simply click the “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students and should be changed to the target language.
Most activities contain a connected chapter, two to three “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, main activity, and a wrap-up. In addition to the instructions, some activities may include a “cheat sheet” containing the target vocabulary and grammar structures emphasized in the activity. Though most of the lab materials are provided, a computer, projector, printer, and laminator may also be needed to fully utilize materials.
Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials. If you would like to adapt these materials for your language, please email WLRCLAR@gmail.com and we will provide you with an editable copy. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided.
Enjoy!
- Boise State World Languages Resource Center
Appointments by Phone (Novice low-mid)
In this activity, students will practice answer the phone and having a conversation in Chinese. They will practice trying to make plans with someone over the phone, explaining their schedule, and politely accepting or declining an invitation.
Keywords:
Phone call, intro lab, Chinese, China, Hello, appointments, schedule, free time, date, invitation, polite, decline, accept
Relevant NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can in my own and other cultures answer greetings over the phone
- I can politely accept or decline appointments.
- I can explain when I have available time in my schedule.
Relevant ACTFL World-Readiness Standards
Communication
Standard 1.1
Students engage in conversations,
provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
Materials Needed:
Pens and Paper
Warm-up
1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity and spend some time to review appearances.
Relevant NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can in my own and other cultures answer greetings over the phone
- I can politely accept or decline appointments.
- I can explain when I have available time in my schedule.
- Students will warm up for the main activity by going around the class, introducing themselves to a parter, and then asking for a phone number. Students are welcome to make up names, ages, and phone numbers if they would like to.
- Each student will take a paper and pen, and find a partner in the class. Each student will then ask each other a few basic introduction questions and write down their responses. Students should repeat this process until they have about 5 or so responses, depending on the size of the class.
你叫什么名字？
你今年多大了？
你的电话号码是多少？
Main Activity: Making or Declining appointments over the phone
- Ask students to pair off into partner groups. Go around the class and, with cards facing down so students cannot see the images, ask each group to choose a card at random.
- Each pair will then pretend to call one another on the phone to plan to meet to do the activity shown on the card. Students should discuss the time, place, date, who else might be there, or any other information they might find relevant to the activity.
- Example:
- "喂，你好！我想请你去喝咖啡。星期四七点半好吗？在我们的学校的咖啡店好不好？
- Other examples: The other person could decline the meeting and politely say they have a prior engagement, like a test, or meeting up with someone else at that time. Encourage students to be creative and use different excuses/responses for each round.
- Rotate partners and/or rotate the cards they pull and practice different scenarios.
Wrap-up:
See if any students have questions.
Have all the students say goodbye (since this is an intro activity).
End of lab:
• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence.
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.)
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!
Relevant NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:
- I can in my own and other cultures answer greetings over the phone
- I can politely accept or decline appointments.
- I can explain when I have available time in my schedule.
Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...