ESOL Sc/E3.3b Ask questions to obtain personal or factual information

Sc/E3.3 Make requests and ask questions to obtain information in familiar and unfamiliar contexts
Sc/E3.3b Ask questions to obtain personal or factual information

 

  • Use a range of question words, including whose. Example: Whose bag is this? Whose is this bag?
  • Form questions of both the open type and the yes/no type in a range of tenses, e.g.: (a) present perfect (b) present continuous - with appropriate intonation. Example: Ask questions of a new acquaintance in a social situation, e.g.: Have you been here long? How long have you worked there? A couple of months, is it? Have you ever been to ...? Have you finished yet? Are you working at the moment? What are you doing at the weekend? When will you see her?
  • Form alternative questions, including comparative questions, with awareness of the tendency for intonation to rise on the first alternative and fall on the second. Example: Ask for information about transport, e.g.: Which is quicker, train or bus? 
  • Adapt register to suit the relationship between speakers, e.g. by using some indirect forms of questioning, such as the use of embedded question forms. Example:  Ask for information about an event in the past, e.g. reporting an incident: What happened? Could you perhaps tell us what happened? Please tell us what you saw.
  • Understand some of the cultural conventions regarding acceptable questions to ask, e.g. in Britain it is not usual to ask how much a person earns. 

This interesting report on an overseas sportsman in UK allows for work in ESOL. The report covers a footballer who wishes to live in Cardiff and previously moved from Birmingham to Moscow. The comprehension questions cover his career and the people that influence his life. A conversation between the journalist and player allows for forming questions and the last task is a writing opportunity.

Editor's note

Also suitable for Functional English - see the notes within the resource. I love the dialogue exercise. :)

Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
FE L1.2 Make requests & ask relevant questions to obtain specific information
FE E3.9 Identify, understand & extract main points & ideas in/from texts
FE Writing composition
ESOL
ESOL Sc/E3.3b Ask questions to obtain personal or factual information
ESOL Rt/E3.4a Extract the main points and ideas, and predict words from context.
ESOL Rs/L1.2a Use punctuation to help understanding
ESOL: Writing - text focus (composition)
Context
Sport and fitness

This activity can be used as an icebreaker or as resource when teaching about 3rd person agreement in the present tense.  

Learners ask 'Do you ..... ?' and use the answers in the box to complete the question however after the Tutor's monitoring they should realise that the answer form cannot be used for the question form.  

The questionnaire has 16 boxes but according to time and size of class, it can be reduced by folding the questionnaire so only 8 questions are used instead.  

Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
English
FE E1.5 Respond to questions about specific information
FE E2.3 Respond appropriately to straightforward questions
FE E1.4 Make requests & ask straightforward questions using appropriate terms & registers
FE E2.2 Make requests & ask clear questions appropriately in different contexts
ESOL
ESOL Sc/E1.3a  Ask for personal details
ESOL Sc/E2.2c Ask for personal details
ESOL Sc/E3.3b Ask questions to obtain personal or factual information
ESOL Lr/E1.4b Recognise different question words
ESOL Lr/E2.5b Respond to requests for information
ESOL Lr/E3.5b Respond to requests for information

A useful role play that provides the guest house owner’s script and prompts the student to complete the missing dialogue.
Designed to supplement the DfES ESOL materials (E3 unit 4 Getting to know the UK – page 9, Phoning a guest house) available at http://rwp.excellencegateway.org.uk/readwriteplus/Learning_Materials_ES… but can also be used independently.

Level
Entry Level 3
English
SLlr/E3.2
SLlr/E3.1
SLc/E3.2
SLc/E3.3
ESOL
ESOL Lr/E3.2a Listen for detail in narratives & explanations
ESOL Sc/E3.2a Use formal language and register when appropriate
ESOL Sc/E3.3b Ask questions to obtain personal or factual information
ESOL Sc/E3.3d Ask for descriptions of people, places & things
Context
Leisure, Hobbies, Travel & Tourism