The document provides a worksheet to help English language learners improve their ability to respond to difficult questions. It includes four tasks: 1) identifying emotions speakers feel when unsure of answers, 2) transcribing and practicing language to buy time like "I've never...so I'm not quite sure", 3) discussing strategies for answering unknown questions, and 4) asking factual questions and responding using time-buying expressions without answers. The goal is to help learners feel more comfortable when they don't know an answer immediately.

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Warmer.
1. How do you normally feel when you are in a job interview? Does the way you feel change
during the interview? What does that depend on?
2. In your working life, are there any situations when you need to think fast what to say or
have to answer difficult questions?
Task 1. What emotions do the speakers in the photos feel?
Watch the extracts check your ideas:
Extract 1 https://youtu.be/AzlCIS072_Y?t=42m57s (up to 43:35)
Extract 2. https://youtu.be/-uHlCKcDrzk?t=1m20s (up to 1:52)
Extract 3. https://youtu.be/XlVjiprFT9Q?t=27m43s (up to 28:00)
Extract 4. https://youtu.be/ICNsFUlTIlQ?t=27m50s (up to 28:00)

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Task 2a. Watch the extracts again and fill the gaps
Extract A. So one thing would be to understand that to interrupt is actually not a terrible violation
especially if the other person is talkin' a lot. But and it might be helpful for you to interrupt using
your hands like to say, "Oh that's a great point, what about this?" And kind of signal that, physically
that you're now taking the space. (1)_________________ of other ideas for you. Another thing, do
you have the kind of relationship where you can actually talk about this, you and your colleague?
>>female #2: That, that sounds like a good idea.
Extract B. Uhm yeah, honestly I've never gotten that error. (2) _________________, I mean, I think
the problem here is. I mean, well, you're probably, you're, uh, (3) _________________.. It, it. Hm.
[laughs] I think the important thing would be to make sure that you're not performing fragment
transactions right during the rotation. So, if there's some way that you could avoid that, I'd
probably wanna see your code to see what exactly you're doing…
Extract C. ARUN NAGARAJAN: But they're never per script.
IKAI LAN: (4) ______________________.
…I believe ScriptDb is per script.
Extract D. Unfortunately, it's not a very common task, (5)_________________ the way to do it
(6)_________________. (7) _________________ it definitely can be done. For example, I know
there was some talk a while back of trying to use this as an investigation mechanism and encrypt
classes and do all sorts of other fun things like that.
Task 3. DISCUSSION
a. When you need some time to think during the interview, do you think is it OK to just think,
or is important so say something? What does that depend on?
b. What is the best strategy when they ask you a question that you don’t know the answer to?
c. Look again at extracts B and D. What strategies do the speakers use?

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Task 4. Ask each other factual questions on the topics below. There are only two rules:
1) don’t give any factual answers
even if you know them!
2) when you reply, use the
expressions from the box
health & body sport cooking
geography celebrities technology
I’ve never… so I’m not quite sure. But I believe…
I can’t remember off the top of my head but I think..
Wait, let me think about this for a second. I think…
Uhm… just trying to think… Well I think probably…

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Teacher’snotes
WorksheetbyOlya Sergeeva
Overview
Learnersof English sometimestendtofall silentwhenthey’re askedadifficultquestion,e.g.duringa
productpresentationora jobinterview. Thismightbe especiallyproblematicif the learnersare talkingover
the phone or Skype,i.e.whenthe personthey’re talkingtocan’tsee themanddoesn’tknow howto
interprettheirsilence.
Lessonaim: the learnerswill improve theirabilityto reactto difficultquestionsanduse functionallanguage
to buythinkingtime.
Level:B1 and higher
Time: 30-45 minutes
Warmer
5’
If youteach incompany,itmightnot be acceptable tofocus onthe topicof job
interviews.If thisisthe case,editthe warmersothat it reflectsthe realityof your
learners’workinglives.
Task 1
Gist listening.
3’ (10’)
Suggestedanswers:
The speakersfeel unsure whattosayand,possibly,slightlyembarrassedbecause
theydon’tknowthe answer.
Task 2.
5’-10’,
dependingon
the learners’
listeninglevel
(15’-20’)
Key:
(1) Uhm… trying to thinkof otherideasforyou…
(2) I’ve never…soI’m not quite sure..
(3) You know.. justtrying to think.
(4) Wait, let me think about thisfora second.
(5) I can’t rememberthe wayto do it(6) off the top of my head. (7) But I know..
Afterthe learnersfinishtranscribing,focusthemonthe pronunciationof these
expressions. Afterthat,getthemto(1) try to say eachexpressionswiththe correct
pronunciation 5timesin60 seconds(2) imagine they’vebeenaskedadifficultquestion
and sayeach expressionwiththe mostnatural pronunciationtheycan.
Task 3
5’ (20-25’)
c. Key:
Extract B. The speakerusesexpressionsthatsignal thathe needssome time to think
(Imean,I think..I mean,well…).He alsosays whathe needsto andwerthe question
(I'd probably wanna seeyourcodeto see whatexactly you'redoing…)
Extract D. The speakersaysthathe’saware of the issue (Iknow it definitely can be
done;I knowtherewassometalk a while back…)
Otherstrategiesmightinclude
 thinkingaloudwhere you’dlookforinformationtoanswerthe question
 talkingaboutyourexperience withasimilarissue
Task 4
15’ (35-40)’
To helpthe learnersmemorize the expressions,getthemtodoa short game-like
drill before playingthe game.Inpairs,one learnersaysaword andtheirpartnersays
the expressionthatcontainsthe word.Theycanlookintotheirnotesbutcan’t read!.
To encourage the learnerstouse all expressions,youcouldprovidethemwith
playingcardsand assigneachsuitone of the four expressions.
If you don’thave dice,youcouldgetthe learnerstoroll dice online usingthisservice:
https://www.random.org/dice/

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