Car trouble notes - an excerpt from the book.

This conversation covers a lot of vocabulary, some of which can be learned easily in context. There are instructions for using jumper cables because many tutors and teachers don’t know this vital skill and it gives the learner practice in reading directions. You can check comprehension with questions like “What do you do first? What do you do next?”. It is not always likely that the learner will belong to AAA or have insurance that offers roadside assistance. None of my learners ever did.

Bring a toy car or a picture of a car to this lesson. Bring a picture of a car battery or be prepared to go to the parking lot and look under the hood of a car.

I have included the sentence, “I don’t know what to do” because it is so useful in many different circumstances. I have found that many learners who would willingly ask someone else who speaks their language to repeat, speak up, and explain will hesitate to ask for the same help in English. I want the learner to know that it is OK to say that help is needed. The sentence “I’m stuck at home” is there because you may need the word “stuck” if your car is in mud or snow,too.

Cars are vital to American culture. I think we have more words for cars than Eskimos have words for snow. Cars and driving are interesting topics of conversation for most people.

Some learners would like to stop and help other people but they are reluctant to do so because of their limited English skills. This is the sort of thing that makes people feel alone or inadequate and it can be a serious problem for English language learners.

Many native speakers who don’t read well for pleasure are much better at reading for purpose. Not everybody is a fan of literature and that’s OK.

New words and phrases: won’t start, turn the key, funny noise, out of (something), cable, wires, scrub,battery, wiggle, tight, secure, jumper cables, clamp.

Expansion: This may be the time to teach the names of various tools: “May I borrow a hammer?, Do you have a wrench?, I need a Phillips-head screwdriver. Try using duct tape.” You decide with your learner! You may want to bring a small box of tools and talk about using them. You hit things with a hammer, you turn a screwdriver, what else do you do with tools? Watch for interest cues from your learner.