E7 E - A multilingual communication challenge
aiMOOCE7 E - A multilingual communication challenge
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E7 E - A multilingual communication challenge
Mini-description: Handle a simulated international meeting with simple English. Ask when you do not understand, explain words in another way, and help between German and English when needed.
Level: Class 7 · E-level · English as first foreign language · Baden-Württemberg
Your mission: You meet other young people at an international youth event. Plans change, signs are unclear, and not everybody knows the same words. Your goal is not perfect English. Your goal is successful communication.
Media start: What helps communication?
Look at the picture. In pairs, answer in English:
- What can you do when you do not understand?
- Which short phrases can keep a conversation going?
- How can context, signs and gestures help?
Try English first. If you get stuck, use the hints below.
Hint 1: repeat · slower · mean · example · show · different word
Hint 2: Start with: “Could you …?” or “What does … mean?”
German help if needed: Du musst nicht jedes Wort verstehen. Frage nach, nutze den Kontext und formuliere einfacher.
I can ...
| I can ... | Goal |
|---|---|
| ask for clarification | “Could you say that again, please?” |
| check meaning | “Do you mean ...?” |
| explain around a missing word | “It’s a thing you use for ...” |
| mediate a short message | give the key idea, not every word |
| keep a talk going | react, ask, answer, repair |
What you already know
Quick pair check:
- Ask one question with can or could.
- Explain one school word without saying the word.
- Listen for key words, not every word.
30-second challenge: Explain “ticket”, “meeting point” or “charger” without translating it.
Notice → understand
Scene 1: Finding the meeting point
You are at an international youth event in a busy transport hub. The group message says:
Meet at the information desk near Gate B. If you arrive late, ask for the blue meeting point sign.
What information matters most? Find: place – landmark – backup plan.
Try: Tell a partner the meeting point in your own simple English. Do not copy the sentence word for word.
Feedback check: Did your partner know where to go?
Viewing transfer: Listen for simple direction phrases. Then change one detail and give a new direction to your partner.
Listening / Viewing: Ask for clarification
Watch a short part first without stopping. Then watch again.
First viewing: What is the speaker trying to find out?
Second viewing: Listen for useful clarification questions.
Use it: Choose two phrases and adapt them to a school or travel situation.
Need help? Focus on the question words and polite starters. You do not need every detail.
Mini listening task: Which phrase asks for repetition? Which phrase asks for an explanation? Say one example aloud.
Reading: A short international encounter
Fictional profiles: Maya from Bristol, Leo from Freiburg and Sam from Cork are fictional learners. No real social-media data are used.
Maya: Hi! Are you here for the city challenge?
Leo: Yes. We need to find the “assembly point”, but I’m not sure what that means.
Maya: It’s the place where the group meets.
Leo: Oh, the meeting point?
Maya: Exactly.
Sam: Sorry, could you say that again? It’s loud here.
Leo: We’re meeting by the information desk.
Sam: Got it. Which desk?
Maya: The one next to the big blue sign.
Reading check: Who asks about meaning? Who asks for repetition? What solves the problem?
Vocabulary in context
| Phrase | Use |
|---|---|
| Could you say that again, please? | ask for repetition |
| Could you speak a little more slowly? | slow the conversation down |
| What does ... mean? | ask about a word |
| Do you mean ...? | check your idea |
| Can you give me an example? | ask for context |
| It’s a thing/place/person that ... | explain around a missing word |
| In other words, ... | say it differently |
| The important point is ... | mediate the key idea |
Micro-task: Pick three phrases you would really use. Put each into a new sentence.
Pronunciation: clear before perfect
Your goal is understandable English, not accent-free English.
Say these chunks naturally:
- Could you SAY that again, please?
- What does MEETING POINT mean?
- Do you mean the BLUE SIGN?
- Could you speak a little more SLOWLY?
Keep the key word clear. Let your voice rise a little when you check meaning.
Private practice option: Record yourself only if you want to. Keep recordings private unless you choose to share them.
Try → use
Speaking: Repair the conversation
Work in pairs. One person has the information; the other person has a problem.
Round A – easier: You cannot hear one detail.
Round B – standard: You do not know one word.
Round C – freer: You understand the words but not the plan.
Use at least two strategies: repeat – clarify – check – paraphrase – give an example.
Fast feedback: Your partner shows 0, 1 or 2 fingers:
- 0 = I am still lost.
- 1 = I understand part of it.
- 2 = I know what to do.
Then improve one sentence and try again.
Information gap: International youth event
Choose one fictional role:
| Role | Information |
|---|---|
| Amina | Workshop moved from Room 12 to Room 21. |
| Noah | Meeting time changed from 14:30 to 14:45. |
| Chloe | The group needs one reusable water bottle per team. |
| Ben | The bus leaves from the north entrance, not the main entrance. |
Do not show your card. Explain the information orally. Your partner must ask one follow-up question.
Less support: No full sentence starters unless you need them.
Mediation: Help between German and English
A German classmate reads:
„Treffpunkt ist nicht mehr am Haupteingang. Geht zum Nordeingang neben dem Fahrradparkplatz. Der Bus fährt um 16:10 Uhr.“
Your English-speaking partner asks: “Where do we need to go, and when does the bus leave?”
Give the key information in simple English. Do not translate every word.
Try first.
Hint: meeting point · north entrance · bike parking · 4:10 p.m.
German help if needed: Sprachmittlung bedeutet hier: die wichtige Botschaft passend weitergeben, nicht Satz für Satz übersetzen.
Functional grammar: Useful question patterns
| Function | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| repetition | Could you + verb ...? | Could you repeat that? |
| meaning | What does + word + mean? | What does “platform” mean? |
| checking | Do you mean + idea? | Do you mean Gate B? |
| detail | Which + noun ...? | Which entrance do you mean? |
Notice: Polite question forms help, but successful communication is more important than perfect grammar.
E-look ahead: Past perfect, controlled only
You do not need the past perfect for the main challenge. Here is one controlled preview:
By the time we arrived, the group had changed the meeting point.
Meaning: The change happened before we arrived.
Do not use this tense unless the time order matters and you feel confident.
Writing: A clear update
Write a 45–65 word message to your fictional international group.
Include:
- one changed plan
- one clear place or time
- one sentence that checks understanding
- one offer to explain again
Useful ending: “If anything is unclear, ask me.”
AI note: If you use AI feedback, check whether the language still fits your level and your meaning. Do not let AI replace your own text.
Communicate → feedback → improve → use again
Final simulation
Situation: Your international group must get from the station to a youth centre. One sign is unclear, one person misses a detail, and one German notice contains an important change.
Your group has 4 minutes.
Success means:
- everyone knows the destination
- one misunderstanding is repaired
- one idea is paraphrased
- one short German message is mediated into English
- the group checks the final plan together
Rule: English first → try → use context/media → ask for a hint → use German help only if needed.
Feedback loop
After the simulation, each partner gives:
- one thing that was easy to understand
- one strategy that worked
- one sentence to improve
Then repeat the difficult 30 seconds of the conversation.
Mini-transfer
New context: You are no longer at a station. You are at a school exchange event.
Change three details: place – problem – key message. Keep the same communication strategies.
Self-check: Can you do it?
| Can-do | Not yet | Almost | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| I can ask someone to repeat. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| I can ask what a word means. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| I can explain a missing word in another way. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| I can pass on the key idea from German into English. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| I can improve after feedback and try again. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Next step: Continue with a course on directions, travel problems and real-world interaction.
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
Which phrase asks for repetition? (Could you say that again, please?) (!Where are you from?) (!I like this plan.) (!The bus is blue.)
Which phrase checks your understanding? (Do you mean Gate B?) (!I went to Gate B.) (!Gate B is busy.) (!Open the gate.)
What is the best goal in a communication problem? (Make the message understandable.) (!Use the longest sentence possible.) (!Speak without any pauses.) (!Avoid asking questions.)
What does paraphrasing mean here? (Saying the same idea in simpler or different words.) (!Changing to a new topic.) (!Speaking much faster.) (!Reading every word aloud.)
What should you do in mediation? (Pass on the important meaning.) (!Translate every single word.) (!Add new facts.) (!Ignore the listener.)
Which question asks about meaning? (What does platform mean?) (!When is your birthday?) (!Who is in the room?) (!How old is the station?)
Which phrase politely asks for slower speech? (Could you speak a little more slowly?) (!Speak now.) (!You are too fast.) (!Stop talking.)
What can help when you do not know one English word? (Describe what the thing is used for.) (!End the conversation.) (!Invent a random word.) (!Stay silent.)
What should happen after feedback? (Improve one part and try again.) (!Delete the whole task.) (!Change to German immediately.) (!Avoid the difficult part.)
Which sentence is a controlled past perfect example? (By the time we arrived, the group had changed the meeting point.) (!We change the meeting point now.) (!Can you change the meeting point?) (!The meeting point is near the desk.)
Memory
| clarification | asking for clearer information |
| paraphrase | say an idea in different words |
| mediation | pass on key meaning between languages |
| meeting point | place where a group meets |
| follow-up question | question that asks for more detail |
| feedback | information that helps you improve |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| Ask for repetition | You did not hear the message. |
| Ask for meaning | You do not know one word. |
| Paraphrase | Your partner does not understand your first explanation. |
| Mediate | A German notice has key information for an English speaker. |
| Check understanding | You want to confirm the final plan. |
Kreuzworträtsel
| repeat | What can you ask someone to do when you did not hear? |
| clarify | Which verb means make an idea clearer? |
| context | What helps you guess meaning around an unknown word? |
| paraphrase | What do you do when you say an idea differently? |
| feedback | What helps you improve after a speaking task? |
| meaning | What are you asking for in What does this word mean? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Phrase cards: Create six small cards with useful clarification phrases and one situation for each.
- Picture talk: Choose one image from this aiMOOC and describe what communication problem could happen there.
- Explain the word: Explain five everyday words without using the word itself or German.
- Key-word notes: Watch one embedded video again and note only five useful key words or phrases.
Standard
- Two-minute role-play: Create and perform a short misunderstanding at an international youth event. Repair it with at least three strategies.
- Mini-mediation: Write a short German event notice and pass its key message to a partner in English.
- Group update: Write a 60-word update about a changed meeting place and ask readers to confirm understanding.
- Clear speech check: Practise four useful chunks and ask a partner which key words were easiest to understand.
Schwer
- Perspective switch: Perform the same situation once as a visitor and once as a local helper. Compare what information each person needs.
- Strategy discussion: Discuss which strategy works best for noise, unknown words and unclear plans. Give simple reasons.
- One-minute presentation: Present three rules for successful multilingual communication and answer one follow-up question.
- New-context challenge: Design a new school-exchange scenario with one listening problem, one unclear word and one mediation moment.
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Lernkontrolle
- Repair a breakdown: Read a short dialogue with a misunderstanding. Rewrite only the turns needed to make the plan clear.
- Choose and justify: For three communication problems, choose a suitable strategy and explain why it fits.
- Mediate selectively: Turn a short German notice into a short English message for a specific visitor. Explain which details you left out and why.
- Change perspective: Explain how the same message should change for a classmate, a tourist and a teacher.
- Improve after feedback: Compare a first and second version of a short message and explain which changes improve understanding.
- Create a challenge: Build a realistic communication task in which learners must ask, paraphrase and check understanding.
Lernnachweis
For a successful learning record, show that you can:
- ask for repetition or clarification
- explain an idea in different words
- pass on key information between German and English
- keep a short conversation going with follow-up questions
- use feedback to improve and try again
- judge which strategies you can already use independently
A suitable learning record can be a live role-play, a teacher-observed pair task, or a private audio/video recording chosen by you. No unasked uploads and no external AI access are required.
OERs zum Thema
Freie Medien in diesem Kurs: Die eingebundenen Bilder stammen aus Wikimedia Commons. Beachte für Wiederverwendung jeweils die Lizenz auf der Dateiseite.
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