Hibiscus Teach | A1 Teen Dialogue Extension
A1 teen listening and speaking
The Festival Help Desk
Follow two young volunteers as they solve four live problems at a Melbourne festival.
30-minute lesson map
Listen 3 min
Transcript 5 min
Vocabulary 7 min
Quiz 7 min
Speaking 8 min
Audio
Before you listen: What problems can happen when a festival opens?
Recording pending. This lesson is waiting for its audio file.
Listen to the track again before you start the quiz and speaking section.
Lesson goals and instructions
Listen twice. First, catch the key information. Then, listen for useful phrases you can reuse.
- Understand what several people are doing at a busy event.
- Use eight practical festival and location words.
- Share live updates and match each problem to a helper.
Transcript
- Sophie: Ben, the Melbourne Youth Festival is opening in ten minutes. Is everything ready?
- Ben: Not exactly. I'm checking the messages from the volunteers.
- Sophie: What's happening?
- Ben: A lot of people are waiting at the east entrance.
- Sophie: But the east entrance is closed today.
- Ben: I know. They're looking at the map, but they don't know where to go.
- Sophie: Let's send Mia to help them. She can take them to the main entrance.
- Ben: Good idea. I'm sending her a message now.
- Sophie: Is there another problem?
- Ben: Yes. A dance group is looking for the blue stage.
- Sophie: Where are they now?
- Ben: They're standing near the food area.
- Sophie: The blue stage is next to the river. Can Tom show them the way?
- Ben: No, Tom is helping the musicians.
- Sophie: What are the musicians doing?
- Ben: They're carrying their instruments to the red stage.
- Sophie: Okay. I can help the dancers.
- Ben: Wait. A food truck is arriving, and it's stopping in front of the main entrance.
- Sophie: It can't stay there. Visitors are coming through that entrance.
- Ben: I'll speak to the driver. The food trucks are parking behind the information tent.
- Sophie: Great. What about the children's art activity?
- Ben: The teacher is preparing the tables, but she doesn't have any paper.
- Sophie: There's paper in the help desk cupboard.
- Ben: I can take it to her after I speak to the driver.
- Sophie: Perfect. Mia is moving the visitors, I'm helping the dancers and you're helping the food truck and the art teacher.
- Ben: That's four problems in five minutes.
- Sophie: Welcome to festival work!
- Ben: Look, the main entrance is opening now.
- Sophie: And the first visitors are coming in.
- Ben: Are we ready?
- Sophie: Almost. You're still holding the art paper.
- Ben: Oh! I'm taking it to the teacher now.
- Sophie: Run, Ben!
- Ben: I'm not running. I'm walking very quickly!
Vocabulary
1. entrance
Meaning: the place where people go into an area or building
Example: Visitors are waiting at the wrong entrance.
2. volunteer
Meaning: a person who helps without being paid
Example: The volunteers are preparing the festival.
3. stage
Meaning: a raised area where people perform
Example: The dancers need to find the blue stage.
4. food truck
Meaning: a vehicle that prepares and sells food
Example: The food truck is blocking the entrance.
5. information tent
Meaning: a festival place where visitors can ask for help
Example: The trucks park behind the information tent.
6. carry
Meaning: to hold something while moving it
Example: The musicians are carrying their instruments.
7. visitor
Meaning: a person who comes to see a place or event
Example: The first visitors are coming in.
8. open
Meaning: to begin allowing people to enter
Example: The main entrance is opening now.
Interactive quiz (8 questions)
Answer all eight questions before grading. You get one score and clear per question feedback.
Speaking task
Festival Control
Task: You are youth volunteers at a festival. Exchange live updates, find each location and choose the best helper.
Scenario: Four problems are happening at the same time. Student A and Student B each have two updates.
Shared information
- Mia is at the entrance and can guide visitors.
- Tom knows all the stage locations.
- Zoe is helping food and drinks trucks.
- Ben has the keys to the storage tent.
Steps
- Open only your own role card.
- Ask: Where are they? What are they doing? What do they need?
- Share the four updates and choose the best helper for each one.
- Give a final control-room report using the present continuous.
Role cards
Open only your own card.
Student A: Entrance updates
Open only this card. Do not show it to Student B.
- A singer is waiting at the art tent and is looking for the red stage.
- Two families are entering through the staff gate and need the main entrance.
Student B: Activity updates
Open only this card. Do not show it to Student A.
- A drinks truck is stopping beside the blue stage and is blocking the performers.
- The craft teacher is looking for six chairs for the art tent.
Language box
- What is happening?
- Where are they waiting?
- They are looking for…
- She is taking them to…
- He can help because…
Checklist
Output goal: Give a one-minute live report covering all four situations and solutions.
Solo option: Working alone? Read the updates one at a time and record both the question and the solution for each one.