3

Getting around

Curriculum coverage
Listening and speaking

Listen to travel information

Ask for and give travel information
Ask for things and respond
Ask for and give directions
Talk about events in the past

Reading and writing

Find information in timetables, plans and booking forms

Read about a travel problem
Fill in booking forms
Write directions

Skills
Lr/E2.2a, 2b, 2d, 3c
Sd/E2.2d, 3a; Lr/E2.5b
Sc/E2.1a, 1b, 2a; Lr/E2.2d
Sc/E2.2e, 3e 4a; Lr/E2.2b, 4a
Sc/E2.1a, 2a, 3c, 3d; Lr/E2.2d

Skills
Rt/E2.1b, 2a, 4a
Rt/E2.1a, 1b
Wt/E2.1a, 1b
Ws/E2.1a, 3a, 4a; Ww/E2.1a

Key functions

Making and responding to requests

Asking for and giving directions
Talking about the past
Giving the locations of places

Key grammar
Imperatives, Wh- questions with present simple; past simple, short answers, modals in polite requests;
present continuous for future arrangements; prepositional phrases, simple phrasal verbs.

Resources to support the unit

30

Local maps (teachers own)

Bus routes (teachers own)
Coach timetables and price information (teachers own)
Train timetables (teachers own)
Role cards (teachers own)
Blank flash cards (teachers own)
Cue cards (teachers own)
Photographs/postcards of cities in UK, e.g. Manchester, Edinburgh, Preston, Birmingham (teachers own)
Map of UK (teachers own)
Computer with Internet access (teachers own)

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

Page 1
Getting around

Rationale
To introduce the theme and content of the unit
and set and discuss the learning objectives

Differentiation

Task

Use the pictures to elicit the names of means of

transport in the picture, e.g. the Underground.
Check pronunciation and see what other
transport words learners know.
Learners then discuss the first two questions in
pairs. Take whole-class feedback and discuss
transport in the place where they live. Keep the
discussion short as the main purpose is to focus
on the topic and to proceed smoothly to the
first skills page.
For suggestions on working with the objectives,
see the Introduction to the Teachers Notes.

Materials

Audio Getting travel information

2 sets of role cards
Pictures of Manchester and Edinburgh

To listen and extract information for a specific

purposes, including travel information.

Pre-task activity

Show photos of Edinburgh and Manchester. Ask

what the learners know about them.
Discuss where or how to get travel information,
e.g. coach station, railway station, the Internet.
Elicit or teach the word travel agent.

Listening: asking for

travel information

Work with the class to build up the conversation

on the board using the audio as a model. Give
out the cards. Student A the travel assistant
gets a completed table and Student B the
traveller a blank table. Rehearse it in pairs, B
making notes on the blank form. Reverse roles
for the second set of role cards.

Differentiation

Activity A

Before doing the information exchange, elicit

and practise the stress and intonation of
questions e.g. How far is it from (name) to (name
of place)?, How much does it cost by (rail)? and
How long does it take from (name) to (name of
place)?

Task

Rationale

Speaking: asking for

information

Pre-task activity

Page 2
Choosing how to travel

Pair more confident with less confident readers

to read the questions in task 3 together.
Ask the more confident learners to put the
questions in the order they heard on the audio.
Ask some pre-listening questions on the
timetable. Then allow pairs to listen to the audio
as many times as they need to complete a
partially completed table.

Activity B

Learners listen and complete the missing

information and compare their answers in pairs.
If necessary, play the audio again.
Learners identify who asked the questions in
task 3, Emad or the travel agent. Then play the
audio for learners to check their answers.

Assign roles according to learners strengths,

e.g. Role A needs good reading skills, Role B
needs good writing skills.
Get more confident learners to face away from
board, others face board and refer back to
prompts for support.

Task

Use the pictures and map to set the context. Ask

learners to suggest questions Emad can ask the
travel agent. Write these on the board so they
can check their predictions against the audio.

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

31

Page 3
Finding information in
timetables

Extension

Materials

Timetables of local bus services

Give out copies of local bus or train timetables

together with additional questions for learners to
answer.
Alternatively, ask learners to write their own
questions for other learners to research in the
timetables.

Rationale
To discuss strategies for reading timetables and
extracting relevant information

Activity A

Reading timetables

Page 4
Booking a ticket
Materials

Pre-task activity

Show the map of the UK and help locate towns

listed in the timetable. Elicit what it would be
like to travel on this bus.
Discuss timetables, the kind of information they
contain and where to locate it. Use the example
of the Ribble Runabout timetable or bring in a
selection of local timetables. Ask the learners to
identify the purpose of each.

Rationale
To find specific information about a journey from a
booking form; to practise filling in a booking form

Ask learners to read the Remember box. Remind

them they dont need to understand every word
in a timetable, or read all the text. They only
need to look for information relevant to their
task, and know that key words, captions and
layout can help them find information quickly.
Before they do the search task, read through the
questions to make sure learners understand
them. Focus on the Wh- question word in the
questions and elicit the kind of information
that learners need to look for as answers (e.g.
question 1 is for places, question 2 is days of the
week, etc.). They can then work on the
questions in pairs.

32

Initially ask learners to answer only 3 questions.

Help less confident learners and then suggest
that the others proceed to the remaining
questions at their own pace.
Alternatively, write the answers on a worksheet
in random order so less confident learners can
copy when they find the answers.
Learners may need help with numeracy.

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

Reading: booking on the

Internet

Pre-task activity

Show photos of Birmingham and Preston.

Locate them on map. Elicit ideas for the best
way to travel.
Draw learners attention to the booking form.
Point out that it is a booking screen from a
travel site on the Internet. Discuss the types of
information it contains.
Remind learners of different strategies for
reading - skimming, scanning, detailed reading.

Task

Differentiation

Blank booking form in Teachers Notes

Coach timetables and prices
Map of UK showing Preston and Birmingham
Photos of Preston and Birmingham

Activity A

Task

Learners extract specific information from the

text without reading all of it. Encourage them
to look quickly for the information, highlighting
the parts of the screen where they can find the
information and making a note of the question
it answers.

Differentiation

Identify easier questions. Less confident learners

work on these while others proceed to all the
questions.

Activity B

Writing: filling in a
booking form

Task

Before the lesson collect some coach timetables

(e.g. National Express) with information for a
number of different coach routes. You need one
set of timetables per pair or group of three.
Put the learners into pairs or groups of three and
give out the timetables and a blank booking
form to each learner. They complete the
booking form with their personal details,
imaginary dates and days for travel and other
ticket information from the timetables.

ITC Link
Where feasible learners go into a local Internet
site for coach travel information and fill in a form
on-line.

Differentiation
Less confident listeners hear the audio again and/or
listen and read audio script.

Activity B

More confident learners rehearse role-play using

conversation flow chart only. Meanwhile work with
less confident learners to build up conversation on
board or flip chart. They then practise using
prompts. Whole group listens to more confident
learners role-play.

Task

Page 5
Making travel arrangements
Materials needed

Audio Talking about arrangements

Completed booking forms from previous page

Rationale
To extract specific information from a listening text;
to listen and identify simple requests for
information about travel plans; to discuss travel
plans; to practise a conversation discussing travel
plans

Activity A

Listening: talking about

arrangements

Speaking: talking about

travel arrangements

Differentiation

Practise pronunciation of easily confused

numbers 13/30, 14/40, 15/50. Discuss
difficulties this confusion can cause.

Before learners role-play the phone call, review

questions for asking about travel plans. Also
allow time to build up the opening part of the
call and discuss how much time to spend on
social chat before getting down to the point of
the call the travel plans.
Working in pairs learners take turns with each of
the roles. For role B learners can use the
completed booking forms from Activity A.

Extension

Ask the learners to work in groups of three. One

learner acts as the listener during the role-play
and monitors the effectiveness of the
conversation the use of question forms,
intonation, an appropriate beginning and
ending for the call. Use a standard feedback
form. Make sure the learners take turns with the
three roles.

Pre-task activity

Use the picture and the context to set the scene.

Ask the learners to predict what information
Tina may be interested in and the questions she
may ask.

Task

Before playing the audio, ask the learners to look

at Tinas notes and explain there are two
mistakes in the information she wrote. Learners
listen and note errors.

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

33

Pages 6 and 7
Travel stories

Materials

Dictionaries
Audio The next part of the story

Rationale
To trace and understand the events in a story; to
listen to a text for gist; to retell a simple narrative;
to tell a simple narrative; to review the past tense;
to express views and opinions

Activity A

Reading about a journey

Pre-task

In task 1 learners work in small groups or pairs

and use the photo to predict what the story is
about. (Ask them to cover the text while they do
this).
Read the story to check predictions. Ask general
questions to gauge understanding.
Complete task 3. When they finish ask learners
to compare answers. There may be slight
variations in order.

Write or type out the sentences for re-ordering

on slips of paper. This allows learners to
manipulate the sentences physically and can
help them to carry out the task more easily.

Activity B

Speaking: discussing
a story

Task

Elicit language for agreeing, opinion, etc.

In pairs learners work out an ending to the story.
There is no correct answer. They should discuss
a plausible way for the story to conclude. Follow
with a whole-class feedback session.
Pairs tell their story to other pairs/groups.

Differentiation

34

Work with less confident learners to build up

story.

ESOL E2

Materials

Photographs of family groups (to be brought in

by teacher and learners)

Rationale
To focus on prepositions of place and practise
asking and describing location

Teachers Notes Unit 3

Language: prepositions
of place

Task

Differentiation

Page 8
Who is where?

Activity A

Elicit vocabulary and teach any new items e.g.

colleagues. Discuss travel, elicit their experiences
of travel in UK.

Task

Give out jumbled sentences to form an ending

for the story.

In pairs or small groups learners label the people

in the photo. Make sure there is a learner with
strong literacy skills in each group. As learners
work, help groups to read and decode
unfamiliar names and words.
When everyone has finished draw a rough
sketch of the photo on the board and elicit the
correct names.
Before learners do task 2, practise prepositional
phrases using diagrams on the board. Another
useful way to do this is to give simple
instructions and ask students to carry them out,
e.g. (Name of student) Please go and sit between
(another name) and (another name).

Extension
In small groups, ask the learners to show their
family photo to the group. They can name and
describe the location of the people in the photo.

Link to ITC
Put Miriams short text on computer as a model
and ask learners to substitute information from their
own photos.

Page 9
Asking where things are

Materials

Audio Public announcements

Examples of plans of places in the local area,
e.g. of a bus or train station, or a shopping
centre
Pre-prepared cue cards with a list of local
destinations and stand numbers

Activity B

Activity A

Listening to public
announcements

To set the scene for this activity, check what

learners remember about Shazia and her plan to
visit her sister in Birmingham.

Task

Before doing the listening task, discuss the

listening strategies learners need, i.e. they dont
have to understand every word in the
announcements in order to pick out the
information they are looking for.

If necessary play the audio several times,

pausing the tape at intervals just before the
information to predict what theyll hear, and
then pausing after to check what they heard.
Another idea is to put the information randomly
on the board, including some distracters.
Learners can then identify what information they
hear.

Before working with the plan of the bus station,

write some high frequency words (e.g. office,
telephones, shop) on flash cards to help learners
to read them on sight. The flash cards can also
be used to draw attention to some of the sound
symbol relationships in the words, e.g. sh and
ph in shop and telephone.

Extension

Extension
Before class prepare sets of cue cards, one set
containing cards with different local bus
destinations (one destination per card), the
second set with numbers between 1 to 10 (one
number per card). Use the cue cards to practise
this short dialogue:
A: Excuse me, where do I get the bus to (Oxford),
please?
B: The bus to Oxford? You get it from Stand (4).

Use the model conversation in task 1 to

demonstrate and practise the target language.
Then build up another similar conversation on
the board for another place.
Pair the learners to ask and give directions to
other places on the bus station plan. If
appropriate, record some of the conversations
so that learners can monitor their use of
language and intonation.

Differentiation

Differentiation

Use the plan to elicit the prepositional phrases

learners need for the pair work conversation in
task 2.
Check that learners can say and use them
reasonably correctly. Examples of useful phrases
are opposite, next to, near, between, in front of,
behind, on the left (of), on the right (of).

Task

Pre-task activity

Speaking: asking for and

giving directions

Pre-task

Rationale
To listen to specific information about buses;
to find information on a plan; to ask for/give
directions/locations; to ask for confirmation

Focus on the intonation in the phrase The bus

to Oxford? which the second speaker repeats to
check that she has heard the information
correctly.

Present and practise other examples of language

to ask for clarification or repetition, e.g. Sorry?
Pardon? Excuse me? Highlight and practise the
rising intonation pattern in the phrases with the
learners.
Then, using plans of other places in the local
area, e.g. bus station or shopping centres, the
learners can practise similar conversations.

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

35

Pages 10 and 11
Following directions

Activity B

Materials

Audio Following directions on a map

Map of local town centre

Rationale
To extract specific information from a text; to listen
to and follow a set of directions; to practise basic
phrasal verbs in the context of giving and following
directions; to practise writing directions

Learners can work on the text individually or in

pairs.
Before learners start, check that they are clear
that they have cross out the wrong item in each
pair.
With less confident learners, the text could be
copied and put on an OHT and the task done as
a class activity.

Activity C

Pre-task activity

Before the learners complete the instructions,

focus on the use of the imperative form of the
verb. Demonstrate with instructions to the
learners, e.g. Go out of the room / Dont go out of
the room etc.
The learners then complete the instructions.
Encourage them to refer to the map to help
them choose the correct prepositions.
When learners finish, play the audio again so
they can check their answers.

Listening: following
directions on a map

Speaking: giving
directions

Task

Activity A

Language: giving
directions

Elicit why Lucia repeats some of Tinas directions

at various points to confirm shes heard
correctly.
Focus on the intonation of repeated phrases. It is
important that learners finish the repeated
phrase with a falling tone to indicate they are
confirming (and not questioning) the
information.
Ask learners to work in pairs and practise
directions, using the map on the previous page.

Activity D

Writing directions

Pre-task activity

Use the map to present verbs and prepositions

used in giving directions. Try some simple search
and locate instructions and ask questions, e.g.
Point to the library; Point to the school; If you
come out of the Health Centre and turn left, what
road are you in?
Focus on verbs and phrasal verbs such as turn,
go up, go down, go along and on prepositions
such as past, over, and (un)till.

Task

36

To focus learners on the listening task, ask the

them to suggest five words which they think
Tina will use to give directions. Write their
predictions on the board.
Play the audio while learners mark the route on
it. They can then compare their predictions to
the actual words.

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

Task

Learners base their writing on the model in

task 1.

Differentiation

Cut up examples of directions which learners

then have to arrange and copy.
Alternatively, give learners partially completed
directions based on the map on the previous
page, which they complete.

Extension

Ask learners to work in pairs and use sets of local

maps to practise giving directions between local
places.
Ask learners to write directions to and from wellknown local places, using sets of local maps,
rather than the map in the learner materials.

Page 12
Making polite requests

Materials

Audio Listening for stress

Rationale
To develop awareness of the use of stress and
intonation for making polite requests and
responding to them; to practise conversations
making and responding to requests

Page 13
Sounds and spellings
Materials

Activity A

Listening for stress

Pre-task

Introduce the notion of main or primary stress in

the request the word which gets the most
emphasis. In neutral requests the primary stress
will fall on the noun at the end of the noun
phrase (or the first noun in a compound noun
phrase) but the primary stress can shift
according to the emphasis and meaning the
speaker wishes to give to the sentence.

Ask the learners to underline the word they

think carries the primary stress. If necessary help
them by saying the request with an exaggerated
primary stress. Then play the tape so they can
check their answers. 1 = station. 2 = note, 3 =
ticket, 4 = train, 5= ticket, 6 = return, 7 =
cheque, 8 = bus.
As learners repeat the sentences in task 2 focus
on the weak forms of can or could.

Activity B

Speaking:
making requests

Task

Audio Vowel sounds

Rationale
To listen and compare four English diphthongs; to
focus on the four diphthongs and some common
spellings of these sounds

Activity A

Listening: vowel sounds

Task

Task

Set up the pair work practice. If possible, record

some of their conversation to play back to them
at the end of the activity so they can comment
on their own work.

Task 1 gives listening practice of four of the

diphthongs in the English sound system: (ay) as
in fame, (ie) as in like, (ai) as in air and (oa) as in
so. The aim is to sensitise learners to the
differences in vowel sounds. It is an important
step in helping them to be aware that the same
sounds (which in their own language might
have a single, consistent spelling) are often
spelled in different ways in the English writing
system.
As learners listen to the audio, they count the
number of different sounds they hear, e.g. if the
group of three sounds contains two identical
sounds and one different sound, the learner
circles 2.
When learners have completed the task, they
can compare answers in pairs before listening to
the audio again.

Elicit requests for everyday situations. Point out

that both can and could are used and that
adding please makes them sound more polite.
Then elicit phrases for responding positively and
negatively, using the examples in speech bubbles
to help contextualise the language.
Point out the meaning of Im afraid.
Demonstrate and emphasise the importance of
intonation in making a refusal sound polite.

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

37

Activity B

Spelling: same sound but

different spellings

Task

In this task learners group words which have the

same sound, but different spelling. Before
learners do the task, check pronunciation of
words in the box and the head words (pay,
chair, so, like).
Ask learners to write the words which contain
similar sounds under the appropriate head word
and then check their answers in pairs.

Extension

Elicit examples of other words which contain the

same four diphthongs. As the words are
suggested, elicit the spelling and write the
words on the board.

Learners discuss in the same small groups and then

present their decision to the class, giving reasons
for their choice.

Activity C

Give directions

Where possible, learners can compose their e-mail

on computer. Encourage peer evaluation of the
drafts before e-mails are finalised.

Link to ITC
If learners have access to a computer and e-mail
facilities, they should write the final e-mail at the
end of the project on a computer and send it
to you.

Rationale

Materials

Discuss the best journey

Page 15
Check it

Page 14
Project

Activity B

Map of Britain which shows Inverness and main

cities in UK
Photos of Inverness

To check understanding of some of the learning

points in the unit; to identify any difficulties
individual learners may have

Rationale
To bring together skills practised in the unit; to
provide an opportunity to move outside the
classroom; to provide evidence of learning for the
learners portfolio, progress record and ILP review
The project will need careful setting up. See notes
on project work in the Introduction to the Teachers
Notes.

Learners complete the two tasks in their own

time and can check their answers in the key.
Make time to check progress and give feedback
and help.

Activity A

Checking prepositions

Recycles prepositions, which are useful in giving

directions and locations.
Learners match the words in the box to the
correct illustration.

Task
The project will need careful setting up. See notes
on Project Work in the Introduction to the Teachers
Notes.

Activity A

Find travel information

Learners can work in small groups. For task three it

might be useful to bring in a yellow pages or list of
useful numbers and e-mail addresses.

38

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

Activity B

Using a map

Checks if learners are confident in completing

directions and using a map. Learners complete
the text with information from the map.
Learners complete the task in their own time
and can check their answers in the key. Make
time to check progress and give feedback and
help.

Page 16
Mini-projects
Materials

Access to phone and Internet

Rationale
To encourage learners to work independently; to
practise and apply the skills and language from the
unit outside the class
Learners can select one or both of the tasks. For
more information, see the Introduction to the
Teacher's notes.

Activity A

Learners will need to be given the new directory

enquiries number as it has changed since the
unit was finalised.

Activity B

Plan a journey by train

Plan a journey by coach

using the Internet

Where Internet access is not possible, learners

can visit and pick up timetables or ring the
coach station to request the information.

How am I doing?
Rationale
To encourage learners to evaluate their own
learning; to provide a record of learning for the
learners progress record
Learners record and evaluate their learning over the
course of the unit. For more information, see the
Introduction to the Teacher's Notes.

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

39

Pairwork pages
Page 2
Choosing how to travel
Activity B

Speaking: Asking for travel information

Role card 1 Student A

From

Manchester

to

Liverpool

Taxi

Coach

Train

Cost

20.00

7.50

14.00

Journey time

50 minutes

an hour

40 minutes

Distance

35 miles

Role card 1 Student B

From

To
Coach

Plane

Train

Leeds

to

Glasgow

Coach

Plane

Train

Cost

45 return

220 return

120 return

Journey time

6 hours

1 hour

4 hours

Distance

220 miles

Cost
Journey time
Distance

Role card 2 Student B

From

Role card 2 Student A

From

To
Coach

Cost
Journey time
Distance

40

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

Plane

Train

Page 4
Booking a ticket
Activity B

Writing: Filling in a booking form

Booking form
Name

Telephone number

Journey details

Outward Journey: Service:

From

To

Departs

Arrives

Day

Month

Date

Year

Return Journey: Service:

From

To

Departs

Arrives

Day

Month

Date

Year

Ticket type and price. Click on ticket choice.

Single

Return

Open Return

Special fares

ESOL E2

Teachers Notes Unit 3

41