Functional Language Dice Game

Telephone, email or face to face functional language dice game

Roll a dice three times to decide the function, the situation/ topic and the means of communication from the table below, then roleplay that situation with your partner(s) (saying what you would write if you have to communicate by email or SMS).

If you are successful in doing the thing above (successfully ordering something, etc), play passes to your partner. If you are unsuccessful, try again with a different form of communication (your own choice this time).

When your teacher tells you to, switch to only rolling the dice once to decide the means of communication, then choosing your own function and situation/ topic to roleplay.

Possible functions:

• Apologising
• Asking for advice/ Asking for feedback on something
• Asking for permission
• Asking to put in contact with someone
• Chasing something up/ Checking the progress of something
• Correcting wrong information
• Giving advice/ Giving feedback/ Recommending/ Suggesting
• Giving information
• Introducing yourself
• Negotiating
• Offering a product or service
• Offering help
• Passing on someone else’s opinion
• Quitting something
• Requesting (= Asking for something or asking for help)
• Thanking
• Warning

Report back to the class about which roleplay and means of communication was easiest and most difficult. 

Homework

Choose three situations and write an email exchange for one of those situations, a telephone exchange for one, and a face-to-face conversation for the other.