5. Level 3 Beginner

Conversation Class for Beginners

5.           10-Minute One-on-One English Conversation Class for a Level 3 Beginner

Lesson Topic: Making Requests and Asking for Help

 Objective:

  • By the end of the lesson, the Mentee will be able to make polite requests and ask for help in everyday situations.
  • Focus: Usage of polite terms – please, sorry, excuse me, thank you, may, can. These can be indicated during the conversation practice. They are marked out in bold letters below for easier identification.

1.          Warm-up (2 minutes) – Quick Question Game

Mentor: “Let’s play a quick game! I will tell you about a situation, and please tell me what you would say.”

Situations:

  1. You are in class, and you forgot your pen at home. What do you say to your friend?
  2. You are at a shop and need help finding a book. What do you say?
  3. You are in a friend’s house and need a glass of water. What do you say?

(Encourage answers like: “Can I borrow a pen, please?” “Excuse me, where can I find this book?” etc. Emphasize and repeat the polite way of asking for things using please, excuse me, etc.)

2.          Listening & Modelling (3 minutes) – Sample Conversation

Mentor: “Listen to this short conversation between a student and a friend. Then we will practice it together.”

Student: “Excuse me, can you help me with my homework?”

Friend: “Sure! What do you need help with?”

Student: “I don’t understand this math problem.”

Friend: “No problem! Let’s solve it together.”

(Read it twice—once normally and then slowly, allowing the Mentee to understand the phrases used. Make the Mentee repeat after every sentence.)

3.          Mentee Speaking Practice (3 minutes) – Practicing Real-Life Requests

Activity:

The Mentee practices making polite requests for different situations:

  • Asking a teacher for extra help.
  • Borrowing a textbook from a friend.
  • Asking a shopkeeper for an item.
  • Asking for directions to the nearest Metro Station.

Guided Responses:

  • “Excuse me, could you help me with ___?”
  • “Can I please borrow ___?”
  • “Please can you show me ______?”
  • “May I ask where ___ is?”

(Correct their pronunciation and suggest better phrases if needed. Explain the difference between ‘Can’ and ‘May’ – ‘May’ being the more polite way of asking for something.)

4.            Wrap-up & Reinforcement (2 minutes) – Role Play

  • Role Swap:
  • The Mentor acts as a shopkeeper, teacher, or friend.
  • The Mentee must ask for help or make a request.

 

  • Homework:

Ask the Mentee to practice aloud 3 polite requests they might use at school, home, or in public places and record themselves. Ask them to play the recording in the next class.