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Giving Directions in British and American English

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Easy and then more difficult practice of different directions language in the UK and US, including different names for places.

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Lesson Plan Content:


Giving directions in British and American English

Match the directions on the left with the equivalents on the right.

  1. block of flats                       apartment
  2. car park                             apartment building       
  3. chemist’s                            downtown
  4. cinema                               drugstore/ pharmacy
  5. city centre/ town centre       first floor
  6. estate agent                       front yard                       
  7. first floor                           parking lot
  8. flat                                   realtor
  9. front garden                     second floor
  10. ground floor                       theater/ movie theater

 

 

 

 

  1. high street                            across from the station              
  2. ironmonger                           crosswalk         
  3. junction                                expressway/ highway  
  4. motorway                             gas station
  5. off license/ wine merchant     hardware store
  6. opposite the station               intersection
  7. pavement                             liquor store 
  8. pedestrian crossing/ zebra crossing               main street
  9. petrol station                        sidewalk

 

  1. phone box                           city hall             
  2. post code                            streetcar/ trolley            
  3. roundabout                         subway             
  4. subway                               taxi stand         
  5. taxi rank                             telephone booth
  6. town hall                           traffic circle/ rotary
  7. traffic lights                       traffic signals/ stoplights
  8. tram                               underpass
  9. underground (railway)       zip code

There is always one British English version and one American English version in each pair above, so check that you have matched them that way.  

Check your answers as a class or with the suggested answers below.

 

Suggested answers

  1. block of flats apartment building
  2. car park parking lot
  3. chemist’s drugstore/ pharmacy
  4. cinema theater/ movie theater
  5. city centre/ town centre downtown
  6. estate agent realtor  
  7. first floor second floor
  8. flat apartment
  9. front garden front yard
  10. ground floor first floor

 

  1. high street main street
  2. ironmonger hardware store
  3. junction intersection
  4. motorway expressway/ highway
  5. off license/ wine merchant liquor store
  6. opposite the station across from the station
  7. pavement sidewalk 
  8. pedestrian crossing/ zebra crossing crosswalk
  9. petrol station gas station

 

  1. phone box telephone booth
  2. post code zip code
  3. roundabout traffic circle/ rotary
  4. subway underpass
  5. taxi rank taxi stand
  6. town hall city hall
  7. traffic lights traffic signals/ stoplights
  8. tram streetcar/ trolley
  9. underground (railway) subway

Ask about any which you don’t understand, don’t know how to pronounce, think might have different meanings, etc.

 

Without looking above, write the British English of each American expression below.

  1.                                                                                         apartment building
  2.                                                                                          parking lot
  3.                                                                                  drugstore/ pharmacy
  4.                                                                                  theater/ movie theater
  5.                                                                                          downtown
  6.                                                                                              realtor  
  7.                                                                                          second floor
  8.                                                                                               apartment
  9.                                                                                              front yard
  10.                                                                                              first floor

 

  1.                                                                                                main street
  2.                                                                                                  hardware store
  3.                                                                                        intersection
  4.                                                                                        expressway/ highway
  5.                                                                                      liquor store
  6.                                                                                      across from the station
  7.                                                                                        sidewalk 
  8.                                                                                        crosswalk
  9.                                                                            gas station

 

  1.                                                                                      telephone booth
  2.                                                                                      zip code
  3.                                                                                          traffic circle/ rotary
  4.                                                                                                  underpass
  5.                                                                                      taxi stand
  6.                                                                                      city hall
  7.                                                                            traffic signals/ stoplights
  8.                                                                                      streetcar/ trolley
  9.                                                                                    subway

-----------------------------------cover, fold or cut--------------------------------------

Hint: The British versions should be in alphabetical order.

 

Key words

Use these key words to help with the brainstorm task above. Most need to be combined with other words.

agent                                block                                 box                                    estate                               garden

ground                high                                  iron-                                  license               motor-

off                                      pedestrian                       post                                   rank                                  round-

street                                town                                  under-                               zebra

Check above. Other versions are possible, so check if you wrote something different.

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