Improve speaking skills - conversation role play

A. Listening

Work in pairs. Talk to each other about the latest developments
in technology. Share your information with your class.
Task: Now listen to an expert speaking about some of the latest
technological developments. (Your teacher will read it
out for you.) Make notes as you listen. Then answer the
questions given.

A B
1) What item is being described? ………….. …………..
2) Describe it. …....…….. …………..
………...... …………..
……...…... …....……..
3) What is it used for? .….......….. …………..
.………….. …………..
Compare your answers with your partner. Refer to your teacher
if you have any doubt.

B. Speaking

Task 1: Work with a partner. How skilled are you with the word
processor? Tell each other how to use the various tools.

I. Read the following dialogue between Manav and his mother.
She is doing some work on the computer, but is not very adept at
it and often needs his assistance.

Mother : Manav, do you know how I can move this paragraph?
I need to put it at the end of this page.

Manav : Yes, I think so. First, you move the mouse to select the
text that you want to move ….. like this …...Then you
go to the Edit menu and choose the Cut command.

Mother : A….mmm …. E….dit…then … Cut…. Like this?

Manav : Very good, mother! The selected text disappears and
goes onto the Clipboard. Next, you find where you

want the text to appear and you click to position the
insertion there.

Mother : Okay. I want the text here ….. so I position the cursor
here and click. Right?

Manav : Yes – right! Now, choose Paste from the Edit menu,
or hold down Command and press V. Finally, check
that the text has appeared in the right place.

Mother : Mmm …. Paste and click. Oh dear ….. what did I do
wrong?

Manav : Your cursor shifted when you were clicking! It doesn’t
matter - Go to Edit again and choose Undo this time.

This will reverse your last editing command …. Now,
try again.

Mother : Thanks so much, Manav. You are a patient teacher.

Manav : You are most welcome, Ma. You are a …. er - quick
learner!

Task 2: Working in pairs, role-play the dialogue. You could swap
roles, or, change the characters if you don’t want to
play mother and son.

II. Have you been inside a Cyber Café?
Task 1: Working with a partner list out the things you can do
there. Some ideas have been given to start you off:
- check e-mail
- play computer games
- drink coffee
- ……………………
- ……………………
- ……………………
- ……………………
- ……………………

Task 2: Write out the three things you would most like to do at
a Cyber café. Talk about your choice with your partner.
Task 3: Work with a partner. Your partner does not know how
to get information from the Web about cyber cafés in
India. Help him, using the information given below.
Then role-play, taking turns. Interview each other about
the cyber café he/she has researched.
Information (for you)

-activate ‘Internet’
-look for ‘Cyber café’ …….. SEARCH
-you can also use a search engine like ‘yahoo.com’, or
‘google.com’
-explore websites of the Cyber cafés
-choose the cyber café that interests you most
-note down relevant information
Questions your partner could ask:
- What’s the name ……..?
- Where …………………………….?
- When open ……………………….?
- How much .…………….?
- What games………………………?
etc., etc.

Task 4: Discuss which cyber café you prefer - yours or your
partner’s? Why?