Lois Larson
Teaching English to kids in an airport setting can be a fun and interactive way to build their vocabulary and communication skills. This approach provides an opportunity to teach essential travel-related words, expressions, and grammar in a practical context. The airport environment offers a wealth of learning possibilities, from checking in and boarding procedures to making announcements and dealing with common travel issues. By relating language lessons to real-world scenarios, children can better understand how to apply their English skills in everyday situations and develop their confidence in using the language.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Classroom setting | Transformed into an airport |
| Student roles | Passengers, security, flight attendants, etc. |
| Group assignment | Playing cards |
| Communication | Only in English |
| Preparation | Examples of questions and responses |
| Lesson objective | Teach children vocabulary about airports and travel |
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What You'll Learn
Listening to airport check-in conversations
To begin, play a recording of a conversation that takes place during check-in at an airport. The conversation should include common phrases and expressions used in such interactions. For example, phrases like "Good afternoon! Where are you flying to today?", "Here you go", "No, it'll go straight through", and "Your flight leaves from gate 15A and it'll begin boarding at 3:20".
After playing the recording, ask the kids to identify any vocabulary they may have heard before and predict the meaning of new words based on the context. Then, break down the conversation sentence by sentence, explaining the phrases and their grammar, spelling, and usage in context.
Next, encourage the kids to role-play the dialogue, taking turns to play the different roles. This helps them practice their speaking skills and build confidence in using the new vocabulary.
To reinforce their learning, provide a series of exercises or quizzes related to the conversation. For example, ask them to identify verbs and their objects, or identify sentences that refer to the past, present, or future. You can also cut the recording into sections and ask the kids to decide what is happening in each part of the conversation.
Additionally, expand on the theme of travel by including airport announcements in the lesson. Kids can listen to these announcements and work through exercises to improve their listening skills and comprehension.
By listening to and interacting with airport check-in conversations, kids can enhance their English abilities and feel more prepared for similar experiences in their lives.
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Learning travel-related vocabulary
Vocabulary Cards
Create a set of picture/word vocabulary cards with your child. These can be used for fun games that will build their language and comprehension skills. Start with basic travel vocabulary, then add words related to your specific destination. For example, "suitcase", "luggage", "check-in", "boarding pass", "plane", "take-off", and "landing". You can find and print photos for each vocabulary word online, or if you can't find suitable pictures, your child can draw the image instead.
The Classroom Airport
Transform your classroom or home into an airport! This activity gets kids out of their seats and speaking English in a natural setting. Assign roles such as passengers, security, flight attendants, and more. Provide students with example questions and responses they would use at the airport, such as "Do you have any checked bags?" or "Please show me your boarding pass." This helps students prepare for the activity and ensures smooth communication.
Boredom Bingo
Hand your child a stack of 10 cards with visible items. Your child can call out a letter for every find and "win" a reward. This game helps build vocabulary and makes learning fun and engaging.
Real-World Practice
If possible, take your child to a real airport and practice using the English language in a genuine travel setting. For example, they can ask for directions, listen to flight announcements, or have conversations with other travellers. This helps them apply their vocabulary knowledge in a practical and immersive way.
Online Resources
Online platforms, such as Preply, offer comprehensive guides and lessons specifically designed for travel English. These resources can provide structured learning and additional practice for your child.
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Understanding common airport phrases
Airports can be overwhelming places, especially for kids learning English. Here are some common airport phrases to help prepare for the experience and make it less daunting:
Phrases used by staff:
- "Can I see your ticket and ID card, please?" or "Can I take your passport?" – These phrases are used by check-in staff to confirm your identity and see your travel documents.
- "Have you already checked in online?" – This is usually asked by the check-in officer to know if you have completed the initial registration process.
- "How many bags will you be checking in?" or "Is your luggage checked in?" – Staff will ask this to determine the number of bags you are taking on the flight.
- "What terminal/gate is your flight departing from?" – This is to help direct passengers to the correct location for their flight.
- "What is the boarding time?" – Staff may inform you of the boarding time, but this phrase can also be used to ask when boarding starts.
- "Please show me your boarding pass." – Your boarding pass is needed to verify your flight information.
Phrases used by passengers:
- "I would like to report a lost item." – This phrase can be used to report a lost item to airport staff.
- "Where is the airport lounge?" or "Can I exchange currency here?" – These are useful phrases to ask for specific locations within the airport.
- "Is there a place to store my luggage?" – This is a request for a place to temporarily store luggage, which may be needed before check-in or after landing.
- "Can I get a receipt, please?" – Used when a receipt for a purchase is required.
- "Where are you flying to/today?" – Staff may ask this, but it can also be used by passengers when asking other travellers about their destination.
Technical terms:
In addition to the phrases above, there are some technical terms that are useful to know:
- Terminal – The main entry and exit point for passengers.
- Baggage Claim – The area to collect checked luggage.
- Security Checkpoint – The area for security screening before boarding.
- Overhead Compartment – Storage space above a passenger's seat.
- In-flight Entertainment – Movies, TV, music, and more provided during the flight.
- De-icing – Removing ice from the plane for safety.
- Autopilot – The plane flies without the pilot's manual control.
Teaching kids about these common airport phrases and terms will help them navigate the airport environment and improve their English language skills in a practical way.
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Practising speaking about airport activities
One of the biggest challenges of teaching English as a second language is that students spend too much time in the classroom and not enough time using English in real-world situations. A creative solution to this problem is to transform the classroom into a real-world setting, such as an airport. This activity gets students out of their seats and speaking English in a more natural setting.
To begin, assign each student a role within the airport setting. For example, some students could be passengers, while others could be security or flight attendants. To make this process more structured and fair, you can use a set of playing cards. Deal one card to each student and assign roles based on card colours. For instance, students with red cards go through security first and then check in, while those with black cards go to the check-in counters before security.
Next, provide students with example questions and responses that they may encounter in their assigned roles. Allow some time for students to prepare so they feel more confident during the activity. For instance, a passenger approaching the check-in counter might be asked, "Do you have any checked bags?" Knowing what to expect will help the activity run more smoothly and prevent students from feeling embarrassed or lost.
Finally, it's time to begin the role-play. Encourage students to communicate solely in English and consult their notes or classmates if they need help. As the teacher, your role is to monitor the activity, provide assistance, and direct students if they get "lost." To enhance the experience, you can transform the classroom setup to resemble an airport. For example, the rows of chairs can become the aisles on the plane, and the front desks can be the check-in counters.
Through this interactive and engaging activity, students will not only improve their English speaking skills but also learn essential vocabulary and expressions related to airports and travel.
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Learning prepositions of direction (e.g. 'towards' and 'through')
Learning prepositions of direction is an important aspect of mastering English grammar. Prepositions of movement, as they are also called, help us talk about how things are placed or how they move from one place to another. Here are some examples and activities to help teach kids prepositions of direction using an airport theme:
Towards
"Towards" is used to indicate movement in the direction of something. For instance, "The plane was headed toward a storm cloud". In this sentence, "toward" indicates that the plane is moving in the direction of a storm cloud. Another example is, "The night sky got brighter as they drove toward the city". Here, "toward" shows that the car is moving in the direction of the city.
Activity: Create a picture or diagram of an airport scene, with various locations or objects labelled. For example, you could label a gate, a check-in counter, a boarding gate, or a duty-free shop. Ask the kids to describe movement towards these locations using "towards". For instance, "I'm walking towards the check-in counter to drop off my luggage".
Through
"Through" suggests movement that passes from one side or end of an object or space to the other side or end, moving within the space. For example, "The train goes through a tunnel under the hill". Here, "through" indicates that the train is passing from one side of the tunnel to the other.
Activity: Use the same airport scene picture or diagram. Have the kids identify paths or routes that go through different areas of the airport. For instance, going through security to get to the departure gate. They can then create sentences using "through" to describe these movements. For example, "I need to go through security to get to my gate".
Other Prepositions
In addition to "towards" and "through", there are many other prepositions of direction that can be taught in conjunction with the airport theme. These include:
- "To": Signifies orientation toward a goal, especially when the goal is a physical destination. For example, "We flew from New York to Paris".
- "Into": Movement to an enclosed space or resulting in physical contact. For instance, "He got into the car and closed the door".
- "Away from": Indicates the point where movement begins. For example, "The mouse ran away from the cat and escaped".
- "Around": Movement passing something in a curved route, not going through it. For instance, "They walked around the town for an hour".
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Frequently asked questions
You can start by teaching them essential vocabulary and listening skills. For example, play a game where they listen to five airport announcements and work through a series of exercises to improve their listening skills. You can also teach them useful travel vocabulary and ask them to act out sentences for their partners to guess.
A fun activity to teach kids English at the airport is to play a board game. For example, create a game where they start on a square that says "Your house" and end up back at that square at the end of the game. To add more speaking challenges, include tasks such as naming as many uncountable nouns connected to travel as they can.
Teach your child the expression "make sure" to convey the importance of following instructions to avoid unpleasant consequences. For example, "make sure you arrive at the airport on time" or "make sure you listen to flight announcements".
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