6

unit
Can I take a message?
5. As students are working, walk around to monitor the
Aims activity and help as needed. Make note of any errors or
Practice taking or leaving phone messages. problems to review later.
6. After about 10 minutes, collect and redistribute the cards.
Language focus Students who had Situation 1 the first time should now
Function have Situation 2, and they should change roles so that
Phone messages they practice both taking and leaving messages.
7. After another 10 minutes, end the activity. Have a few
Set-up pairs perform their conversations for the class.
Pair work

Lesson link
For use after Unit 6, Lesson B

Time
25 minutes

Preparation
Duplicate the worksheets and cut the role cards apart.
Make enough for each student to have one card.

Procedure

1. Tell students they are going to do a role play to practice

taking and leaving phone messages.
2. Put students in pairs. Give each student a role card. There
are two situations, 1 and 2. In each pair, one student
should have the Student A card for a situation, and the
other student should have the Student B card for the same
situation.
3. Have students read the information on their card. Answer
any questions about vocabulary. Tell students not to look
at their partner’s card. If possible, have students do this
activity sitting back to back, so they can’t see each other.
This makes it more like a phone call.
4. Explain that Students A make the phone call. They can
start by making phone ringing sounds. Students B will
answer the phone and then both students role-play the
situation following the instructions on the role cards.

Four Corners © Cambridge University Press 2019 Photocopiable Teacher’s Resource Worksheet 2 Page 1 of 1
 6
unit
Can I take a message?
SITUATION 1 SITUATION 1
Student A Student B
Intro: It’s 10:00 a.m. You are a salesperson. Intro: You work as a secretary for the ABC
You’re calling a customer because you have a Company. Your boss, Sally Martin, has a meeting
meeting with her at 3:00 p.m. but you have a with a salesperson at 3:00 p.m. The phone rings.
problem.
• Answer the phone and identify yourself and
• You make the call. The secretary answers. the company. (Use your own name.)
Identify yourself and ask to speak to
• Tell the salesperson that Ms. Martin isn’t in
Ms. Martin. (Use your own name.)
the office right now. Ask if you can take a
• Ask the secretary when he or she thinks message.
Ms. Martin is going to be in the office.
• Tell the salesperson that she is coming in at
• Say yes to leaving a message. Say that you about 1:00 p.m.
can’t come in for the meeting at 3:00 p.m.
• Say that you’ll give her the message. Ask if the
Ask if you can come at 4:00.
salesperson would like to call her cell phone.
• The secretary asks if you want Ms. Martin’s
• Give the caller Ms. Martin’s cell phone number,
cell phone number. Say yes and write down
807-555-2398.
the number. Say goodbye and thank you.

SITUATION 2 SITUATION 2
Student A Student B
Intro: You are flying to visit your friend Richie in Intro: Your roommate’s friend is coming for a visit.
another city. You are at the airport. There is an The phone rings.
announcement that your flight is going to be
• Answer the phone. Say hello.
late.
• Say that Richie isn’t at home. He’s out
• Make the call. Your friend’s roommate
shopping. Ask if the friend would like to
answers the phone. Identify yourself and ask
leave a message.
to speak to Richie. (Use your own name.)
• Repeat the message to make sure you
• Say yes to leaving a message. Say that you
understand it. Say that you’ll give Richie the
are at the airport and your flight is late.
message. Ask “Is Richie picking you up at the
You’re going to arrive at 8:00 p.m., not at
airport?”
5:00.
• Say OK. Tell the friend to “have a good flight.”
• Say that Richie isn’t picking you up. You’re
going to take a taxi to their house. • Say goodbye.
• Say thank you and goodbye.

Four Corners © Cambridge University Press 2019 Photocopiable Teacher’s Resource Worksheet 2 Page 1 of 1