B1+ Lesson Plan: Asking for and offering help, and reacting to advice.
Lesson Objective:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Ask for help politely.
- Offer help appropriately.
- Respond to advice in different ways.
Lesson Length: 60 minutes
This is a B1+ English lesson on asking for and offering help, and reacting to advice. Includes key phrases, speaking activities, and interactive exercises for real-life communication.
Warm-up (10 minutes)
Activity: “Help Me Out!”
- Write the following situations on the board:
- You don’t know how to use a new coffee machine.
- Your phone won’t turn on.
- You’re carrying too many heavy bags.
- Ask students: What would you say to ask for help?
- Brainstorm and elicit ideas using the target phrases.
Controlled Practice (15 minutes)
Exercise 1: Matching (Asking & Offering Help)
Match the request for help with the appropriate offer.
Requests for Help | Offers to Help |
1. “I can’t reach the top shelf.” | a. “Would you like me to grab that for you?” |
2. “I’m lost. I don’t know how to get to the station.” | b. “Let me show you on Google Maps.” |
3. “I need someone to check my CV.” | c. “I’d be happy to take a look!” |
4. “I can’t lift this suitcase.” | d. “Can I give you a hand with that?” |
Answer Key: 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d
Speaking Practice (20 minutes)
Role-Play: Help Desk Scenarios
- Put students in pairs.
- Give each student a role card with a problem. (e.g., You need help installing an app).
- Their partner must offer help and react to their response.
- Encourage students to use natural expressions and polite intonation.
- After a few rounds, switch roles and partners.
Listening & Reacting to Advice (10 minutes)
Exercise 2: Advice Reactions
Read the following advice and choose an appropriate reaction.
- Advice: “If I were you, I’d take a break and go for a walk.”
a) “That’s a great idea!”
b) “I don’t think that’s a good solution.”
c) “I already did that.” - Advice: “Try restarting your computer—it usually fixes the problem.”
a) “I’m not sure that would work for me.”
b) “Thanks, I’ll try that.”
c) “That doesn’t make sense.” - Advice: “You should ask your manager for help with the project.”
a) “I see what you mean.”
b) “That’s a terrible idea!”
c) “No, thanks.”
Answer Key: 1-a, 2-b, 3-a
Wrap-up & Reflection (5 minutes)
- Discuss: When was the last time you needed help with something? How did you ask?
- Students share their experiences using new phrases.
Real-World Reading Task: Community Help Forum
Instructions:
Read the following posts from an online Community Help Forum, where people ask for and offer help. Then, answer the questions below.
Community Help Forum
Post 1: Need Help Moving!
SamB92 – Hey everyone! I’m moving to a new apartment this Saturday and could really use some help carrying boxes. If anyone is free for an hour or two, I’d really appreciate it! I can buy pizza as a thank-you!
Reply from ChrisM: Hey Sam, I’d be happy to help! What time should I come by?
Post 2: Looking for a Tutor
AnnaG – Hi! My son is struggling with math, and I’d love to find someone who can help him with homework once a week. If you know any good tutors, please let me know!
Reply from SarahJ: I’d be happy to help! I used to teach math. Let me know what topics he needs help with.
Post 3: Advice Needed – Fixing a Laptop
JakeT – My laptop keeps freezing, and I don’t know what to do. Does anyone have any advice?
Reply from TechGuy89: Try restarting it in safe mode. If that doesn’t work, it might need a software update.
Reply from LisaB: That happened to me too! I took it to a repair shop, and they fixed it quickly.
Comprehension Questions:
- Who is asking for help with a physical task?
- What is Sam offering in exchange for help?
- Who is offering to help with tutoring?
- What two pieces of advice does Jake receive about his laptop?
- Which reply sounds like a personal experience?
Follow-up Discussion:
- Have you ever asked for help in an online forum or community group? What happened?
- How do people in your country typically ask for and offer help?
- Which of the replies in the forum sound the most polite or helpful? Why?
Asking for Help:
- Could you help me (with this)?
- Would you mind giving me a hand?
- I’m having trouble with… Could you help?
- I could use some help with…
- Do you know how to… ?
Offering Help:
- Do you need any help?
- Would you like me to…?
- Let me know if you need anything.
- I’d be happy to help!
- Can I give you a hand?
Asking for Help:
- Could you help me (with this)?
- Would you mind giving me a hand?
- I’m having trouble with… Could you help?
- I could use some help with…
- Do you know how to… ?
Sample Dialogues: Asking for and Offering Help, and Reacting to Advice
Dialogue 1: Asking for Help at Work
- Emma: Hey, Jack. I’m having trouble formatting this report. Could you help me?
- Jack: Sure! What’s the problem?
- Emma: I can’t get the headings to stay the same size.
- Jack: Let me take a look… Oh, I see. You just need to adjust the style settings. Would you like me to show you how to do it?
- Emma: Yes, please! That would be really helpful.
- Jack: No problem. Here’s what you need to do…
Dialogue 2: Offering Help in a Store
- Customer: Excuse me, do you know where I can find batteries?
- Store Assistant: Yes, they’re in aisle 5. Would you like me to show you?
- Customer: Oh, that would be great. Thanks!
- Store Assistant: No problem! Follow me. By the way, do you need AA or AAA batteries?
- Customer: I think I need AA.
- Store Assistant: Here you go. Let me know if you need anything else!
Dialogue 3: Reacting to Advice
- Mark: I’ve been feeling really tired lately.
- Lisa: You should try going to bed earlier. It really helps.
- Mark: Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll give it a try.
- Lisa: And maybe cut down on caffeine in the evening?
- Mark: Hmm… I’m not sure that would work for me. I really love my evening coffee!
- Lisa: Fair enough! But maybe try decaf instead?
- Mark: That’s a good idea. I’ll think about it!