Making an Appointment

ACTIVITY
Pairwork; speaking

AIM
To make, change, and cancel appointments on the telephone

GRAMMAR AND FUNCTIONS
Suggestions: Would you like to ...? How about ...? Could you ...?, Refusing and Accepting

VOCABULARY
Appointments: to make/cancel an appointment, to arrange, to have a meeting
Prepositions of place: At a conference/trade fair, in Belgium/Paris, on holiday, at the office


MATERIALS AND PREPARATION

Worksheet | Teacher's notes
Make one copy of the worksheet for each pair of students in the class. Cut out Student A and Student B sections as indicated.

TIME
30 minutes

PROCEDURE

1. Ask students to work in pairs and divide them into Student A and Student B. Give each student the appropriate part of the worksheet.
2. Tell the students that they are going to make and receive two telephone calls according to the instructions on the worksheet.
3. Model the activity with a student.
   For example:
   You: I need to see you. Can we meet tomorrow? (shake your head to prompt the answer No from the student.)
   Student: I'm sorry, I can't. I'm busy tomorrow.
   You: Oh, How about Friday? (nod your head to prompt the answer Yes from the student.)
   Student: That sounds fine. What time?
   You: Let's meet at my office at 4 pm.
   Student: Okay, I'll see you there.
4. Give the students a few minutes to study the diaries and the instructions on their worksheets.
5. Ask the students to work in pairs of one Student A and one Student B. Ask each pair to seat back-to-back so they cannot see each other, or see each other's worksheets.
6. When they are ready, the students make and receive their calls and write the arrangements in their diaries.
7. When they have finished, ask each pair of students to compare their diaries to check they have understood each other correctly.

FOLLOW UP
Ask students to write a short fax confirming one of the arrangements they have just made. For example:
Dear Charles,
I'd like to confirm the arrangement we made on the telephone today. I will see you at the Kowloon House restaurant on ....
[source: Reward Pre Intermediate Business Resource Pack by Colin Benn and Paul Dummett]

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