Dates and Days of the Week (Novice)

Practice on Your Own

• Do you remember numbers? If not, go back and review them.
• First practice listing all the months and days of the week in order. Is the calendar different from the Western/Gregorian calendar? If more than one calendar is used, make sure to practice both.
• Now mix up the months and days, and practice them in different contexts.
  • Can you say today’s date?
  • Can you say your birthday and your friends’ and family members’ birthdays?
  • What day of the week do you have your conversation session? What about other classes, work, or activities?
  • Look at a calendar or planner and practice naming random days and dates.
• Keep practicing throughout the week. If you write the date or look up when a meeting or event will happen, say it in the language you are studying.

Practice in Conversation Session

• Warm‐up practice with days and dates. Be prepared for a warm‐up activity in which you practice saying days and dates in similar ways to how you have been practicing on your own. You might start by reciting the days and months in order. Your conversation partner may write down a date or point to a calendar and ask you to say it out loud.
• Practice comprehending days and dates. You have been practicing saying days and dates on your own. You may not have had much chance to practice comprehending days and dates when they are spoken to you, so this will be practiced in your conversation session. Be prepared for your conversation partner or others in your conversation group to say random days and dates and have you write down what you hear or point it out on a calendar.
• Practice asking and answering questions about days and dates. Be prepared to practice asking and answering questions about days and dates using complete sentences.
  • Have you learned different ways to talk about days and dates (different wording, formal vs. informal, etc.)? If so, make sure you practice each of them several times.
  • How many different questions can you ask about days and dates? Can you ask for today’s date? Can you ask about birthdays, holidays, class schedules, etc.?
• Taking it further. Depending on what else you have learned, you may do some activities that combine days and dates with other material. Perhaps you can talk about times as well. You may be asked to describe your weekly schedule. Or you may role play making plans to do something with a friend on a specific date.