Workplace Lesson Idea: Asking for Clarification

Your students need to be able to ask what they don’t understand when customers talk to them. This lesson should be practiced all the time with other lessons in class. By the end of the lesson, your students will be able to ask for clarification when they don’t understand something.

• Blackboard or whiteboard & chalk or markers
• Student Handouts: Words I Can Use and People Talking

• Warm-up: Use the handout of People Talking. Talk about words they use at work when they don’t understand something.
• Use the handout Words I Can Use and write the phrases on the board: Excuse me? Can you repeat that? Pardon? What was that? One more time please. Again? Have students practice pronunciation with these words. Keep these words on the board throughout the class.
• Remind students that throughout the lessons, they should be able to practice these words when they don’t understand something.
• For the next lesson, in the beginning of the class, put these words on the board again. Students should be able use them in class. This will get them used to saying these words when they don’t understand.