Invitations: A Lesson Plan Guide for ESL Teachers

A basic skill to have in speaking any language is to be able to make and accept/decline invitations. English language students will face situations where they have to respond to or make an invitation all the time in their daily lives.

Below are some resources to put together an interactive and engaging lesson plan that will give students lots of practice with different invitation scenarios. Change them around some and develop your own activities using these resources as a guide. Each class is different, so make sure you are tailoring everything to the level, make up, and interests of your students.

Just a few key phrases that might be included in your lesson plan are:

Would you like to. . .?

Are you busy (on Tuesday/this weekend/etc.)?

What are you doing (Saturday night/tomorrow)?

That sounds like fun.

I'd love to.

Sure!

I'm sorry, but (excuse not to attend). . .

I can come, but I'll be a bit late.

I'm running late.

I'm sorry, but I'm busy (that day/Friday afternoon/etc.).

I have another appointment at that time.

What time (does it start/does it end)?

Where is it?

Here are some Internet sites that have some ideas on how to take your lesson plan on invitations to the next level:

http://www.parlo.com/en/teachers/lessonplans/excuseng_6.asp#activity6-This site has some role play cards that provide information about the invitation situation. However, the students must supply the key phrases in their conversations with each other. Each student can be given a card with their part on it, and he or she can fill in the blanks from memory. This is probably best for intermediate/advanced students.

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/invitation.html-This site is an interactive online quiz that is related to invitations. It covers areas like someone being upset that the person they invited won't go with him/her. So, it might be more appropriate for advanced learners who enjoy independent, extracurricular learning.

http://www.english-at-home.com/speaking/making-invitations/-This site focuses on a few key phrases for making, accepting, and declining invitations. It provides a few cultural tips which are useful for students to know.

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/53827-invitation-letter.html-This is a forum post on how to write an invitation letter. There are several people's responses and ideas. This might help with some ideas on how to incorporate writing an invitation into your lesson plan.

With these phrases and resources, your lesson plan on invitations should go smoothly. It will help your students with their ability to handle social situations where invitations are presented, and it will give them the confidence to know that they can deal with the situation independently and in English.