Sunshine Textbook 1 Page 86-87
Can you〜？/ Can I〜？(依頼する・許可を求める)Activity: Can you Bongo?
1. Give out the BONGO cards to the class. Have them write their name and class number.
2. Tell the class to fill in all 9 blocks with 'SURE' or 'SORRY' randomly.
3. Hand in the nine colored cards with Japanese sentences to nine random students.
4. Note: It is important to explain the rules of the game to the class before you start the activity. You can ask the JTE to do the explaining in their native language. In my classes, I explained in detail in English and let the JTE translate some keys that students couldn't understand. You may adjust your teaching pattern depending on the class's English proficiency level.
5. To start the activity, call in one student who has a pink card. Have him/ her read it first in Japanese to the class and get him/ her to choose the English phrase written on the board with numbers on it. (Refer to resource2 file. I have printed an enlarged copy to put on the blackboard making sure the letters are big for the class to see. Or you may write these choices on the board. ) Have him/her think whether it is Can you...? or Can I...? sentence.
6. If the sentence is correct, the phrase from which the student has made is the number called out. Then get a different student to pull a card from the response cards. 'Giving consent' response cards mean SURE and refusal response cards mean SORRY. (Included in the Bongo card file are the general expressions which are written on the response cards. I have printed out a bigger copy to practice these key expressions for the students to put on the blackboard. I read it to class and have them repeat while the JTE gave out the Japanese meaning in the background.) If students get the right response written on their bongo card, they'll put the star on the number block. When they don't, they will write triangles.
7. Repeat 5-6 until all pink cards are called out and all 9 blocks are filled with stars and triangles.
8. Reveal the BONGO pattern to the class. In my activity, I provided four patterns and asked the JTE to pull in one pattern first then gave out stickers to winning students. If there's more time, I could pull out another Bongo pattern giving a chance to other students who didn't bongo or win.
9. To make this activity easier for students, I did a warm-up at the start of the lesson by reviewing the Can you~? (ability usage) to class with target respond 'Yes, I can.'/ 'No, I can't'. I elicited verbs from them and wrote all the verbs they mentioned on the board. I then asked for nouns. Examples: food, sports, subjects, language, things, animals, etc. I then ask them to make a sentence themselves by using the Can you~? ability usage. All my classes were able to make it without a fuss. Then I let the JTE explain the other usage of Can you~?(usage: making request, unpolite form) and followed the lecture for Can I~?( usage: making an offer/ asking permission). I did this warm-up to help students understand the difference between these two usages and know each respective response. As well as to prepare them on through the main activity by making sentences themselves.
10. Please feel free to use this activity as you want or you may change the plans depending on your teaching style and/or class English proficiency level.
