Objective: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to say “no” politely to offers, invitations, and proposals.
Stage / Procedure / Materials / Time
Warm up / The class form groups composed of four students, and each group picks a scenario, comprising an offer, invitation, or proposal, from a bag. Students, in their groups, read the scenarios and discuss how they would decline the offers, invitations, or proposals.
After students wrap up the discussions, they come together as a whole class. The teacher calls on select groups to discuss what vocabulary they used to decline the offers, invitations, or proposals. /
- Scenarios
Activity 1 / The teacher hands students a worksheet containing different ways of saying “no” to offers, invitations, or proposals.
Each student reads a single phrase. The teacher listens, ensuring students’ pronunciation is correct.
As a whole class exercise, the teacher discusses how and when it is appropriate to use the various phrases to say no to offers, invitations, or proposals. For example, the teacher talks about which phrases are appropriate to use when saying no to a boss versus declining a proposal from a friend. The teacher mentions how tone of voice should be moderated when declining offers, invitations, and proposals.
The classroom desks are aligned so that student pairs face one another. One student is handed a scenario that describes an offer, invitation, or proposal. The other student is handed a scenario that describes a polite refusal. A student whose scenario describes an offer, invitation, or proposalmust try to convince his/her partner to say “yes.”A student whose describes a refusal must politely say “no” to his/her partner using the phrases on the worksheet.
Select student pairs are called on to talk about their pair work. /
- “Saying no” worksheet
Activity 2 / Students form pairs and write five questions for their partners. The questions should comprise offers, invitations, or proposals to social events. When students have finished writing, they should ask their partners the questions they have written. The students being asked the questions must say no to the offers, requests, or invitations using the proper phrases. Students switch roles.
The teacher calls on select students pairs. /
- “Getting to Know You” worksheets
Activity 3 / Students form groups of four. Each group reads the article – Saying No to Your Boss –and discuss the following three questions:
1. What advice in the article do you agree with? Why?
2. What advice in the article do you disagree with? Why?
3. When do you think it’s okay to say “no” to your boss?
The teacher calls on select groups to discuss their answers. /
- “How to Say “NO” to Your Boss When Appropriate – 5 strategies” article:
Assessment / The teacher will be able to tell if the lesson’s objective was met by monitoring students’ as they complete the Warm Up Activity, as well as Activities 1, 2, and 3. / Monitoring
Activities 1 & 2:
30 minutes
Wrap up / The teacher collects the worksheets and asks students if they have any questions. / 5 minutes