E6 E - Conversation repair strategies

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E6 E - Conversation repair strategies

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E6 E - Conversation repair strategies

Mini idea: A conversation can stop when you do not understand. You can repair it. Use a short question, easy words, a gesture, or I mean ….

Learning path: Notice → understand → practise → use → feedback → use again.

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I can …

1. I can ask again when I do not understand.
2. I can explain again with easy words.
3. I can use a gesture to help meaning.
4. I can say “I mean …” and try again.
5. I can keep talking even when a word is missing.

Quick check: What do you already know?

Try English first. What can you say when you do not understand?

Hint: Start with “Sorry …” or “Could you …?”

Deutsch-Hilfe: Du willst höflich um Wiederholung bitten.

Example: “Sorry, could you say that again?”

Solution idea: “Could you say that again, please?”

Notice: What happens in a conversation?

Read the mini-dialogue.

Mia: Meet me by the science room after lunch.
Ben: Sorry, could you say that again?
Mia: After lunch. By the science room.
Ben: Oh, got it!

Ben does not stop the conversation. He asks again. That is a conversation repair strategy.

Four useful repair strategies

1. Ask again: “Could you say that again, please?”
2. Use easy words: “It is a big bag for school.”
3. Use a gesture: Point, show size, or mime an action.
4. Say “I mean …”: “Meet me by the lab — I mean, by the science room.”

The goal is understanding, not perfect English.

Understand: Match the problem and the repair

Problem A: You did not hear a word.
Good repair: “Could you say that again?”

Problem B: Your partner does not know the word “backpack”.
Good repair: “I mean the bag you carry to school.”

Problem C: You forget the words “turn left”.
Good repair: Use your hand and show the direction.

Try English first → Hint → German help → example → solution

Use this help order when you get stuck.

1. Try English first: Say what you can.
2. Hint: Use one starter: “Sorry …”, “I mean …”, “It’s like …”
3. German help: Kläre nur das Problemwort oder die Aufgabe.
4. Example: Look at one model sentence.
5. Solution: Check only after your own try.

Practise: Useful language

Asking again

1. “Sorry?”
2. “Could you say that again, please?”
3. “What does … mean?”

Explaining again

1. “I mean …”
2. “It is like …”
3. “It is a thing you use for …”
4. “It is a place where …”

Checking

1. “Do you mean …?”
2. “Is that right?”

Pronunciation: Keep it clear

Clarity is more important than sounding like a native speaker.

Say these chunks slowly, then naturally:

1. “Could you SAY that aGAIN, please?”
2. “What does THAT mean?”
3. “I MEAN the BLUE one.”
4. “Do you MEAN this one?”

Work with a partner. One speaks. One gives one piece of feedback: clear, a bit slower, or try the key word again.

Use: Mini speaking mission

Work in pairs. Use fictional information only.

Student A: Explain where to meet after school. Add one small misunderstanding on purpose.
Student B: Repair the conversation with at least two strategies.
Then swap roles.

Challenge: Keep talking for 45–60 seconds without switching fully to German.

Short reading: The lost water bottle

Leo cannot find his water bottle. Sam says, “It is next to the lockers near the gym.” Leo does not know which lockers Sam means. He asks, “Do you mean the lockers by the sports hall?” Sam says, “Yes. I mean the green lockers.” Leo understands and finds the bottle.

Think: Which repair phrases help Leo?

Short writing

Write a mini-dialogue with 5–7 lines. Include:

1. one misunderstanding,
2. one asking-again phrase,
3. one “I mean …” phrase,
4. one clear ending.

Write it yourself first. If you use AI later, check every sentence and rewrite it in your own words.

Optional language mediation

A German-speaking classmate asks: “Wo sollen wir uns treffen?” Your English-speaking partner said: “Meet us by the main entrance at half past three.”

Give the key information in German. Do not translate every word.

Feedback: Did the repair work?

Partner check:

1. Did you keep the conversation going?
2. Did you use a repair phrase?
3. Did your partner understand?
4. Was your speech clear enough?
5. Did you try again after feedback?

Use again: Repeat the same task with a new place, object, or plan. Use less help the second time.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What can you say when you did not hear your partner? (Could you say that again, please?) (!I never listen.) (!Stop talking.) (!That is your problem.)

Which phrase helps you correct your own message? (I mean …) (!You are wrong.) (!Never mind forever.) (!Be quiet.)

What is a good repair strategy when you forget one word? (Explain it with easy words.) (!End the conversation.) (!Say nothing.) (!Change every sentence into German.)

What can a gesture do? (Help show meaning.) (!Make every sentence perfect.) (!Replace all speaking.) (!Show your test score.)

Which question checks meaning? (Do you mean the blue one?) (!Are you a blue one?) (!Why are you blue?) (!Can blue speak?)

What is the main goal of conversation repair? (Understanding.) (!A perfect accent.) (!Very long sentences.) (!Difficult grammar.)

Your partner does not know the word backpack. What can you do? (Say it is a bag you carry to school.) (!Repeat backpack louder ten times.) (!Stop the task.) (!Write a German essay.)

Which phrase is polite when asking again? (Sorry, could you say that again?) (!Say it now!) (!You speak badly.) (!No idea. Bye.)

What should you do after feedback? (Try the task again.) (!Forget the task.) (!Only read the answer.) (!Avoid speaking.)

What is a good first step when you get stuck? (Try English first.) (!Upload a recording.) (!Use an external AI tool.) (!Give up.)

Memory

Asking again	Could you say that again?
Paraphrasing	Explain with easy words
Self-correction	I mean …
Gesture	Show meaning with your hands
Checking	Do you mean …?
Clarity	Speak so your partner can understand

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Ask again	You did not hear the message.
Paraphrase	Your partner does not know a word.
Gesture	You can show the meaning with movement.
I mean	You want to correct your own message.
Check meaning	You want to make sure you understood.

Kreuzworträtsel

repeat	What do you ask someone to do when you did not hear?
explain	What can you do with easy words?
gesture	What can you use with your hands to show meaning?
meaning	What are you trying to understand?
paraphrase	What do you do when you say the same idea in easier words?
clarify	What do you do when you make a message clearer?

Lückentext

Vervollständige den Text.

When you do not hear a message, you can ask your partner to it. You can start politely with . If a word is difficult, you can it with easy words. A hand movement can be a useful . To correct your own message, say . To check understanding, ask “Do you …?” Good repair strategies keep the going. The most important goal is clear .

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

1. Repair phrase cards: Make four small cards with one useful phrase on each card. Add a simple symbol.
2. Gesture guess: Show three everyday meanings with gestures. Your partner guesses and says a matching English phrase.
3. One-line repair: Write six short misunderstandings and one useful repair phrase for each.
4. Read and improve: Take a short fictional dialogue and add two repair phrases.

Standard

1. Partner dialogue: Create a 45-second dialogue with two misunderstandings and at least three repair strategies.
2. Picture talk: Choose a free Wikimedia Commons picture and describe one object without naming it. Your partner asks questions.
3. Mini role-play: Act out a school situation such as finding a room, borrowing an item, or making a plan. Swap roles.
4. Private audio reflection: If you want, record yourself privately on your own device. Listen once and note one point for clearer speech. Do not upload it.

Schwer

1. Repair challenge: Speak for one minute about a familiar topic. Your partner creates two natural misunderstandings. Repair them without changing fully to German.
2. Retell with repair: Retell a short story. If you forget a word, paraphrase it and continue.
3. Mini presentation: Give a one-minute presentation on “My best conversation repair strategy” and include two examples.
4. Strategy comparison: Observe two fictional dialogues and explain which repair strategies fit each moment and why. Focus on the strategy.

Lernkontrolle

1. Transfer dialogue: In a new school situation, write a short dialogue in which one misunderstanding is repaired in two different ways. Explain why both can work.
2. Strategy choice: For three communication problems, choose a suitable repair strategy and explain your choice in simple English.
3. Paraphrase task: Explain three everyday words without using the words themselves. Your descriptions must stay understandable.
4. Listening response: After a short teacher-read message with one unclear detail, write the exact repair question you would ask.
5. Feedback loop: Perform a short dialogue, use one piece of partner feedback, then perform it again and describe what changed.
6. Language mediation: Pass on the key message from a short English school notice in German without translating every sentence.

Lernnachweis

For your learning record, show that you can:

1. notice a misunderstanding,
2. ask again politely,
3. paraphrase with easy words,
4. use “I mean …” to repair your own message,
5. use gestures when helpful,
6. check meaning,
7. respond to feedback and try again,
8. keep a short conversation going with less support.

No public upload is needed. Use fictional data. Recordings are optional and private.

OERs zum Thema

Wiederholung und Can-do-Check

Tick what is true for you:

1. I can ask someone to repeat.
2. I can explain a missing word with easy words.
3. I can use “I mean …”.
4. I can use a gesture without stopping the conversation.
5. I can check meaning.
6. I can try again after feedback.

Next course: E6 E - Keeping a conversation going

Verknüpfte Lernbereiche

E6 E - Conversation repair strategies Englisch Sprechen Hörverstehen Kommunikation Wortschatz Sprachmittlung