Exchanging Phone Numbers (Novice)

Practice on Your Own

• In the language you are studying, how do people read phone numbers? Do they say each digit individually, or are they grouped in twos or threes (for example, would 4135425264 be read “four, one, three…” or “forty‐one, thirty‐five…” etc.)? If you’re not sure, look it up online or ask your conversation partner.
  • If you have only learned numbers 0‐10, you can practice saying each digit individually for now.
• Practice saying phone numbers out loud.
  • Can you say your own phone number?
  • Can you say your friends’ and family members’ phone numbers?
  • You might want to look up businesses in the country/ies where the language is spoken and practice reading their phone numbers as well.
• Keep practicing throughout the week. Every time you dial or look up a phone number, practice saying it in the language you are studying.

Practice in Conversation Session

• Warm‐up practice saying phone numbers. Be prepared for a warm‐up activity in which you practice saying phone numbers in similar ways to how you have been practicing on your own. Your conversation partner might write down phone numbers and ask you to read them out loud.
• Practice comprehending phone numbers. You have been practicing saying phone numbers on your own. You may not have had much chance to practice comprehending phone numbers 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 phone numbers and have you write them down.
• Practice asking for and giving phone numbers. Be prepared to practice asking for and giving phone numbers using complete sentences. You can use your own phone number and/or make some up.
  • Have you learned different ways to ask for phone numbers (different wording, formal vs. informal, etc.)? If so, make sure you practice each of them several times.
  • In addition to asking your partner for their own phone number, try asking for other phone numbers (“What is her phone number?” “What is your brother’s phone number?” “What is the doctor’s phone number?” etc.).
  • Write down the phone number your partner tells you and read it back to verify that it is correct.
• Taking it further. Depending on what else you have learned, you may do some activities that combine phone numbers with other material. Perhaps you can combine phone numbers with mailing addresses, email addresses, or other personal information. You might role play meeting a new classmate/roommate/host family member, introducing yourself, and exchanging contact information. You could also role play running into a friend’s parent and asking the parent for your friend’s cell phone number. (Would you talk to your friend’s parent differently from how you would talk to your friend?)