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On the Phone

A teaching resource designed to energise your English lessons.

A2 pair roleplay: a caller phones a friend to arrange to go to the cinema and agree a time. Self-contained A/B cut-out cards with per-card phrases and [S]/[A] variants. Prints 5 sets per A4.

CEFR: A2 Spoken interaction
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On the Phone

Documents to download (2)

  • Roleplay cards In your teacher account
  • Roleplay cards (black and white) In your teacher account

Teaching guide

Objective & content

By the end, A2 students can make a simple phone call to arrange to meet a friend. This resource is a pair speaking activity: two self-contained cut-out role cards — a caller (Card A) and a friend (Card B) — each carrying only the phrases that role needs, plus [S]/[A] variants. Prints 5 sets per A4 page.

Pedagogical guide

Roleplay cards work because each student only sees their own role, so the exchange stays a real information gap. This card set targets phone and arranging-to-meet functional language (suggestions, agreeing a day/time) and pairs naturally with a free-time or days-of-the-week lesson. Use it once students can form simple suggestions and state availability.

Suggested procedure

  1. (1 min) Seat pairs back to back so it feels like a real phone call.
  2. (1 min) Distribute one Card A and one Card B per pair; model one round with a confident student.
  3. (8–10 min) Pairs call, agree a day and time, then swap roles and repeat.
  4. (2 min) Quick whole-class check: did students invite, decide, and agree a time?

Adaptations

  • [S] Give the caller the invitation and the time on the card.
  • [A] Cover the "You can say" lines and improvise; use the complication (the friend is busy on Saturday — choose another day); bonus: swap roles and change the plan (park, football match).

Materials & prerequisites

Print the cards sheet (A4, 5 sets per sheet) and cut into cards; one set per pair. Assumes basic free-time vocabulary and days of the week.

Curriculum alignment

Maps to Cycle 3 "child and close environment" (FR 6e) — everyday social arrangements.

Possible adaptations

  • Lower levels: Offer segmented listening and additional visual aids.
  • Advanced levels: Encourage an oral summary and a debate in English on the theme.
  • Large groups: Organise group work with differentiated roles.

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Teaching criteria

CEFR
A2
Skills
Spoken interaction
Access levels
Academy subscribers