Most explanations (for teachers and students) covered the form but didnt really explore the functions. Please let me know. If you dont pay attention to the road, youll have an accident. I would argue that learners feel as if they have mastered the formbut rarely get sufficient exposure and practice opportunities to perform the specific functions. The Disagree Reluctantly Principle of PoliteSpeaking, 6.

I was mistaken. As a side note, make sure your learners know that to be going to is often used in the conditional form. Of course, we cant know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true. The Respect Intelligence Principle of PoliteSpeaking, 4. Change). In my experience, learners are far more engaged by exploring functions such as warning and negotiating than something as general as future events. Thats why I clicked.). Have I missed any common functions? Here are some examples: We use the first conditional to talk about the result of an imagined future situation, when we believe the imagined situation is quite likely. If you eat those carrots, Ill buy you an ice cream.Ill take you to the concert if you pass your English exam.If you lend me 10, Ill pay you back 20. Radio / TV adverts: Students use this sales copy to create short radio or TV ads. If you do that again, Ill report you to the police!Ill leave you for good if you speak to me in that way again.If I catch you smoking in the bathroom again, youre going to get fired! (I have a problem with these, and yet am drawn to them. Study contracts: Students work with the teacher to create study contracts detailing what each part promises to do. Good day Dylan I have found your article about first conditional for communication very interesting. Ill agree to that as you long as you provide two season tickets to watch Manchester United for me and my son. Other exponents (structures and phrases) are used to perform these functions and insisting on only one form leads to awkward and inauthentic discussions. Survival Task: Students are stranded somewhere (desert. Discussing options:to talk about a subject with someone and tell each other your ideas or opinions. I will definitely be sharing this with the teachers I supervise, and Ill look forward to implementating this in my own teaching. Youre going to get fired if I catch you smoking in the bathoom again. If you eat these vegetables, youll grow up to be a strong boy like your brother.If you dont buy this product now, youll regret it.Juts imagine. If we focus on speaking for the first 6 weeks, we can work on our writing in the second half of the course. The ideas you suggest are rock solid. Warning: Encourage rather than insist that your learners use the first conditional in these freer practice activities. For example: Syllabus Planning: Teachers and students discuss the syllabus and type of activities for their English classes. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Making threats:to tell someone that you will kill or hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what you want. If we dont make a decision soon, we wont have any options left. Business Negotiations: Great for Business English learners.

Sales copy: Students discuss how to promote their products or businesses. In other words, they are trying to persuade or convince. If you agree to work in Manchester, well pay for 60% of your relocation costs and put you and your family up in a 5-star hotel for the first month until you find somewhere to live.OK. If you buy two packs, youll get a third pack for free.Well enter you in our competition for a holiday to New York if you write your email here. Some course books and grammar reference books mention specific functions but Im not sure they are explored in any depth. The parent is trying to influence the behaviour of the child. (LogOut/ Its easy enough to present, the structure is logical, and we can give them lots of transformation and gap-fill exercises to ensure they master the form. Making promises:to tell someone that you will certainly do something. The grammar focus would only be one component of the lesson. Warning:to make someone realize a possible danger or problem, especially one in the future: If you dont pass the exam, you wont go to university. Create a class contract for learners and teachers: We can only use our mobile phones in class if our teacher says we can. The first conditional isnt particularly difficult for our learners. There are specific functions of the first conditional which we should explore. Talking about possible future events is a general communicative function. Can one make a complete lesson for making promises using the first conditional or is this a to specific (narrow context to use. Safety Guides: Students create a guide (travel, going to university, moving to another country) with a list of warnings. Creating rules, regulations, and laws. Holiday Planning: Students try to persuade their peers that their choice for a holiday destination is the best option. In this sentence, we can imagine a parent persuading their child to eat some vegetables. Then, we move on to more complex conditionals and rarely explore the more interesting and useful functions of the first conditional. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It is real because the situation (context) is not an imaginary one (it might rain tomorrow) and the consequence (taking an umbrella) is a likely or possible action in the future. Lets look at some examples: If you eat these vegetables, youll grow up to be a big strong boy like your brother. Well, if we accept the offer, well make $5000 in the next 6 months.But, if we wait until next year, the long-term benefits will be higher.Um, but if we dont make a decision soon, theyll take both options off the table. Ill pick you up from the airport if your plane gets in late. These tasks can be used to give our learners the opportunity to practise first conditionals and related structures (provided that, in the case of, as long as etc.). I suppose I thought it was going to another let me explain why youre doing it all wrong sort of post. Here are some activities you could use to explore these functions. This is a really valuable activity as it encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning. (LogOut/ Before writing this post, I did a quick online search for explanations of the first conditional. Youll be eating hospital food for a week if you speak to my wife like that again! Hello. The other functions are more difficult as concepts, but we can provide clear and memorable contexts to present the first conditional when used for these other communicative functions. Thanks. More importantly, they can acquire a deeper understanding of the specific communicative purposes of the structure. to make someone do or believe something by giving them a good reason to do it or by talking to that person and making them believe it. So, if we agree to a 5% increase in your salary, will you be willing to relocate to Manchester?If I relocate to Manchester, will you pay for the relocation costs?How about this? The Uncertainty Principle of PoliteSpeaking, 2. English Language Teaching, Training, and Coaching, We use the first conditional to talk about the result of an imagined future. The Sensitive Correction Principle of PoliteSpeaking, 5. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Begin typing your search above and press return to search. How often do we explore the range of functions associated with the first conditional? The points you make are spot on. For some reason (my fault, not yours), I was sceptical when I clicked on this post via Facebook. I really like the tone you adopt. Many explanations were vague. However, you could use the topic of promises as the basis for the lesson and get your students talking about a) promises they have made b) the importnace of making & keeping promises c) collocations with promises d) strategies for ensuring you keep promises e) situations in which people make promises and so on. Speed Dating: Students convince their peers to choose them as their date. If you leave your job to travel the world, youll never buy a house when youre older. to make someone realize a possible danger or problem, especially one in the future: to tell someone that you will kill or hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what you want, to tell someone that you will certainly do something, to ask someone if they would like to have something or if they would like you to do something, to talk about a subject with someone and tell each other your ideas or opinions, to have formal discussions with someone in order to reach an agreement with them, 15 Reasons Why You Should Take a TEFLCourse, Introduction to the 6 Principles of PoliteSpeaking, 1. Hi Gerard. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Youll get sick again if you dont take your medicine. If you get married to him, youll be expected to give up your job. I just have a question which I hope you or anyone else can help me with. If we agree to a 5% increase in your salary, will you be willing to relocate to Manchester? Role plays: Students act out situations of conflict, such as meetings between students and teachers, parents and children, husband and wife, rival businesses, police officers and suspects. If you do that again, youre going to have an accident. (LogOut/ Press Esc to cancel. Making offers:to ask someone if they would like to have something or if they would like you to do something. Or am I completely confuse with regard to context (meaning).

I dont know you, Dylan Gates, but I hope Ill be reading more of this kind of thing in the future. The first conditional is sometimes called a real conditional. They think of enticing promises and offers. Our typical explanation (future possibilities related to real events) is rather vague and doesnt really engage the learners. They explore options using first conditionals. Purchasing: Students try to persuade their peers that their preference for a new car/computer/mobile phone is the best option. The Indirect Question Principle of PoliteSpeaking, 3. Persuading / Convincing:to make someone do or believe something by giving them a good reason to do it or by talking to that person and making them believe it. Negotiating:to have formal discussions with someone in order to reach an agreement with them. We often present the first conditional to A2 level learners and give them plenty of opportunities to practise the form. Negative Consequences: Students try to dissuade their peers from doing something by focusing on the possible consequences. Thanks for your question. As you can see, we can create a variety of authentic tasks related to the functions listed above. The first conditional (as its often called) is generally a sentence with two clauses: Here is an example commonly found in grammar reference books: If it rains tomorrow, Ill take my umbrella with me. Its used to talk about things which might happen in the future. If you walk home alone, something bad might happen. If you accept this job, youll be running the department within 6 months. We usefirst conditionalwhen talking aboutpossiblefuture events. the moon, on a raft in the ocean) and have to persuade their peers to take action. There are many functions of the first conditional which are rarely explored by teachers. When we start thinking about the real function of these sentences, we can bring them to life. I think an entire lesson on making promises using the 1st conditional would be too much. The Avoid Direct Commands Principle of PoliteSpeaking, The 10 Guiding Principles of TEFL An accidentalmanifesto, an if clause with the present tense (or verb 1), a conditional clause with some reference to the future (will, might, may), Selling Products: Students try to convince their peers to buy their products/services.