Two adult learners use gestures and examples to explain a missing word during a conversation

Guided Speaking · Topic Family 29

Keep the Conversation Moving

B1 · Paraphrase, clarify, and complete your message

Level
B1

Time
30 minutes

Lesson type
Guided Speaking

Topic Family
Conversation Strategies & Repair

Why this lesson matters · เหตุผลที่เรียนบทนี้

For learners: Turn a missing word into a paraphrase so the conversation and original message can continue.

For teachers: Guided strategy practice leads to listener clarification, a live exchange and an improved independent retry.

สำหรับผู้เรียน: เปลี่ยนคำที่นึกไม่ออกเป็นการอธิบายด้วยคำอื่น เพื่อให้บทสนทนาและสารเดิมดำเนินต่อได้
สำหรับครู: ฝึกกลยุทธ์แบบมีตัวช่วย ต่อด้วยคำถามจากผู้ฟัง บทสนทนาจริง และการลองใหม่อย่างอิสระ

Your goal

Describe one missing word with at least two useful clues, answer a clarification question, check understanding, and complete your original message independently.

เปิดเป้าหมายภาษาไทย

อธิบายคำที่นึกไม่ออกด้วยข้อมูลอย่างน้อยสองอย่าง ตอบคำถามเพื่อขยายความ ตรวจสอบว่าคู่สนทนาเข้าใจ และกลับไปพูดสารเดิมให้จบได้ด้วยตนเอง

Why this lesson / ทำไมต้องเรียนบทนี้

EN: Real conversations do not stop just because one word is missing. Paraphrasing, responding to the listener, and returning to the original purpose keep meaning moving.

TH: การสนทนาจริงไม่จำเป็นต้องหยุดเมื่อเรานึกคำหนึ่งไม่ออก เราสามารถอธิบายด้วยคำอื่น ตอบคำถามของผู้ฟัง และกลับไปพูดสารเดิมให้จบได้

COMVRFPProgress focus

COM · CommunicationRespond to the listener, check understanding, and complete the original purpose.

VR · Vocabulary rangeCombine category, purpose, appearance, place, or example clues accurately.

FP · Final performanceRepair a missing word and finish a 45–60 second message independently.

30-minute lesson path

3 minChoose

5 minExplore

4 minCompare

5 minBuild

4 minExchange

6 minAdapt

3 minProve

Teacher Lesson Plan · Read before class

This is a speaking lesson, not a reading lesson. Keep learner talk time above 70%. Scaffold the repair strategy, then remove complete models before independent performance.

Time	Teacher does	Student does	Required result
0–3	Offers four real-message situations and removes one useful word.	Chooses a situation, listener, and original purpose.	One message worth finishing.
3–8	Guides a short language hunt; limits silent reading.	Selects useful opening, clue, clarification, and checking expressions.	Four personalised choices.
8–12	Asks which clues are precise, vague, or repeated.	Compares clue quality and improves two weak paraphrases.	Two evidence-based improvements.
12–17	Removes target words and prompts keyword planning only.	Builds and says three true paraphrases from keywords.	Two accurate clues per word.
17–21	Acts as listener and asks one real clarification question.	Repairs, adds a new clue, checks understanding, and finishes the sentence.	One complete exchange.
21–27	Changes the listener and communicative purpose for two rounds.	Adapts the same repair for a friend and a service worker.	Two noticeably different versions.
27–30	Hides support, scores the whole performance, and requests one retry.	Completes a 45–60 second message independently and improves one point.	COM / VR / FP evidence.

Teacher standard: Do not supply the missing word too early. Give one communication success and one language target after each round, then change the missing word for the retry.

Use the page—do not read the page

1 · Choose meaning
Start with a real message and listener.

2 · Personalise
Replace every model detail with your own.

3 · Speak
Close the examples and repair in real time.

1. Choose the message you still need to finish

3 min

Choose a real communicative purpose before a word is removed.

Everyday message

Recommend a useful place.
Explain an object you need.

People and events

Describe a person’s job.
Tell one short event.

STUDENT TASK

Choose one situation and one real listener.
Say the original message once.
Circle one important word that the teacher may remove later.

Your planI want to tell __________ about __________ because __________.

You are ready whenYou have a clear listener, message, and reason to keep speaking.

Teacher help

Choose a message with a genuine purpose, not a random vocabulary test. The missing word should matter but should still be paraphrasable.

2. Explore the Language Toolkit

5 min

Choose language for opening the repair, giving clues, responding, and checking meaning.

A · Open the repair

Signal that one word is missing without abandoning the message.

I don’t know the exact word, but …Continue immediately with useful meaning.

I can’t remember what it’s called. It’s …Move from the gap to a category or feature.

B · Add precise clues

Combine at least two different kinds of meaning.

It’s a kind of …Category: tool, service, person, place, feeling.

You use it to … / It’s where …Purpose or place.

It looks / feels / works like …Appearance, feeling, or comparison.

For example, …A concrete situation that helps the listener infer.

C · Respond and check

Treat repair as a two-way exchange.

Do you mean …?The listener checks a possible meaning.

Not exactly. It’s more like …The speaker rejects politely and adds new information.

Yes, exactly. Does that make sense?Confirm, check, and return to the message.

STUDENT TASK

Choose one opening, two clue frames, and one checking expression.
Replace every example with details from your message.
Say the four choices from keywords, not full sentences.

Your four choicesOpen: ______ · Clue 1: ______ · Clue 2: ______ · Check: ______

You are ready whenYou can move from “I don’t know the word” to two useful clues without a long pause.

Teacher help

Limit reading to two minutes. Ask the learner to select and personalise language, then close the toolkit before speaking.

3. Compare meanings and clue quality

4 min

Decide which clues help a listener and which clues need repair.

Clue	What it communicates	Better choice
It’s a thing.	Only a very broad category.	It’s a small metal tool.
You use it.	No clear purpose.	You use it to open bottles.
It’s like a bottle opener.	Repeats the missing word.	You often keep one in a kitchen drawer.
It’s a service in a shop.	A useful category and place.	Add: the shop returns your money.

STUDENT TASK

Label each clue: vague, repeated, or useful.
Improve the first three weak clues.
Explain why one combination would help a listener most.

Your best combinationCategory/place: __________ · Purpose/example: __________

You are ready whenYour two clues add different, accurate information.

Teacher help

Ask “What new meaning does this clue add?” Do not accept two clues that repeat the same idea.

4. Build true paraphrases from keywords

5 min

Build first. Listen only after the learner’s first version.

kettle

category + purpose

pharmacist

person + place + help

refund

service + money + problem

STUDENT TASK

Hide each target word and write two or three keywords only.
Paraphrase all three without using the target word.
Repeat one version with a clearer second clue.

Your keyword planCategory/place: ______ · Purpose/action: ______ · Example/feature: ______

You are ready whenA listener can identify the meaning from your clues without seeing the target word.

Optional model audio · Use only after the learner builds a first version

British English · Emma · Neural

Speed:

Transcript

I don’t know the exact word, but it’s a small metal tool. You use it to open a bottle. You often keep one in a kitchen drawer. Do you mean a bottle opener? Yes, exactly. I need to buy a bottle opener before the picnic. Does that make sense?

Australian English · Olivia · Neural

Speed:

Transcript

I can’t remember the word. It’s a service in a shop. You take back something you bought, and the shop returns your money because there was a problem. Do you mean a refund? Yes, a refund. I’d like to ask for a refund for these headphones. Does that make sense?

Teacher help

Use the audio only after the learner’s first attempt. Ask which clue types they hear, then remove both transcripts for the improved version.

5. Exchange meaning with a listener

4 min

Repair is interactive: the listener asks, and the speaker adds new meaning.

Speaker

Open the repair.
Give two different clues.
Answer with a new clue.
Check and finish the sentence.

Listener

Ask “Do you mean …?”
Ask one real clarification question.
Confirm the meaning you understood.

STUDENT TASK

Start the original message and pause at the removed word.
Paraphrase until the listener asks one real question.
Add a new clue, confirm meaning, and finish the original sentence.

Repair chainOpen → clue 1 → clue 2 → listener question → new clue → check → finish

You are ready whenThe exchange ends with your original message completed, not only with the word guessed.

Teacher help

Do not rescue the speaker after the first clue. Ask one natural question and require new information before confirming.

6. Adapt the same repair for two listeners

6 min

Keep the target meaning stable while changing tone, detail, and checking language.

Listener A · A friend

Use a relaxed opening, an everyday example, and a quick understanding check.

Start: “I can’t remember what it’s called…”

Listener B · A service worker

State the category and problem precisely, then confirm the practical action needed.

Start: “I don’t know the exact term, but…”

STUDENT TASK

Round 1: repair the missing word while speaking to a friend.
Round 2: repair the same meaning with a service worker.
Name two changes you made for the second listener.

Keep stable
The intended meaning and original purpose stay the same. The opening, amount of detail, and checking language may change.

You are ready whenThe friend version sounds natural and the service version sounds precise and actionable.

Teacher help · exact teaching script

Say: “The meaning stays the same. Your friend needs a natural explanation. The service worker needs precise details and the action you want.” Run both rounds before feedback.

7. Final Practice · Show your progress

3 min

Hide every model. Use only three keywords and respond independently.

Final speaking task

Start a real 45–60 second message.
Repair one removed word with at least two different clues.
Answer one clarification question with new information.
Check understanding and finish the original message.
Receive one feedback point and complete an improved retry with a different missing word.

No script. You may look only at three keywords.

Progress Check

COM · Communication

Responds to the listener, checks meaning, and completes the original purpose.

VR · Vocabulary range

Combines at least two accurate clue types without repeating the missing word.

FP · Final performance

Completes the full repair and improved retry independently without a model.

Teacher scoring guide

Score the complete final performance, not practice rounds.

0 · Not yetStops, repeats the missing word, or abandons the original message after one neutral prompt.

1 · With supportMeaning is mostly clear but needs choices, a model, or repeated prompts to finish.

2 · IndependentRepairs, responds, checks, finishes, and improves the retry without a model.

Give one COM/VR success and one next target. Then require the improved retry.

Teacher help

Hide all models. Give no target vocabulary during the performance. Record one communication success, one language target, and whether the retry improved.

คำอธิบายภาษาไทย — เปิดเมื่อจำเป็นเท่านั้น

เริ่มจากบอกว่านึกคำไม่ออก แล้วให้ข้อมูลอย่างน้อยสองชนิด เช่น เป็นอะไร ใช้ทำอะไร อยู่ที่ไหน หรือตัวอย่างอะไร ตอบคำถามของผู้ฟังด้วยข้อมูลใหม่ ตรวจสอบความเข้าใจ และกลับไปพูดสารเดิมให้จบ

Content and media rights

© 2026 Engduo Thailand. This original lesson design, clean AI-assisted cover and prepared audio are for authorised Engduo use. Do not copy, republish, sell, scrape or use them in another course, dataset, product or AI system without written permission, except where applicable law permits.

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