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Teaching Young Learners

Meeting Parents Role Play


Teens 13-17

Session aims:

To discuss why customer care is important to the British Council

To identify positive behaviour indicators of customer care

To ascertain who are our customers and what impresses them?

To act out a role play of a parent meeting

Customer Service Orientation

Look through the following list of behaviour indicators for the British Council competency of
Customer Service Orientation. Mark with (P) those that you think are positive and (N) those that are
negative.

Requests feedback from customers to ensure satisfaction, and shares the results.

Does not make assumptions about customer needs, but asks lots of questions to clarify
them.

Assumes one type of service is valuable for all customers.

Keeps customer feedback to him- or herself and does not share learning.

Knows when, and how, politely to decline an inappropriate customer request.

Treats all customers the same.

Treats all customers with respect.

Takes the initiative in developing policies to meet customer needs.

Tries to see things from customers points of view - finds out about the pressures of their
world so as to relate to their concerns.

Fails to recognise or establish different customers needs and delivers what he or she
(rather than the customer) thinks appropriate.

Talks dismissively about customers.

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Customer Service Orientation ANSWERS

Warning Signs

Fails to recognise or establish different customers needs and delivers what he or she
(rather than the customer) thinks appropriate.

Assumes one type of service is valuable for all customers.

Keeps customer feedback to him- or herself and does not share learning.

Talks dismissively about customers.

Treats all customers the same.

Positive indicators

Treats all customers with respect.

Does not make assumptions about customer needs, but asks lots of questions to clarify
them

Takes the initiative in developing policies to meet customer needs.

Tries to see things from customers points of view - finds out about the pressures of their
world so as to relate to their concerns.

Requests feedback from customers, to ensure satisfaction, and shares the results.

Knows when, and how, politely to decline an inappropriate customer request.

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Your customers

Who are your customers? List them below.

customers

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Peak Preparation

Divide into 4 groups, each group should take 10 minutes to discuss and make notes about ONE of
the headings listed below. List what needs to be prepared in each case. Then regroup and present
your notes to the whole group, who then discuss whether they agree or would like to add to the
notes.

P ersonal appearance

E nvironment

A ttitude

K nowledge

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Parents Meetings: role-play

Work in a group of three. Take turns to do role-plays and be observers.

1. For the role-play decide which of the following roles you wish to play:

A British Council teacher you will play a teacher in a typical mid-course meeting with a
parent

A parent you will play the role of a parent who has met with the British Council teacher mid-
course.

Observer(s) you will watch the role-play and give feedback on the teacher only. Take notes if
necessary and focus on the customer service orientation, what went well as well as any areas
that caused difficulty. On the whole your feedback should be supportive and constructive.

2. Read the card with the details of the role that you are going to adopt.

3. Set the room up for the role-play to make it as realistic as possible re-arrange tables and chairs
as if it was an actual parent/teacher meeting

4. The role-play should last for about five minutes.

5. The observers should take notes during the role-play, concentrating on positive indicators or
warning signs relating to customer service.

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Role A

You are the parent of a student aged 13 years old. It is his/her first year
studying at the British Council teaching centre. You want to find out
about:

What progress s/he has made so far

Whether or not s/he behaves himself in class

Why s/he doesnt get any homework

When s/he can do the Cambridge FCE exam

How you can help him/her at home

Role B

You are the teacher of a student aged 13 years old. It is his/her first
year studying at the Centre. You want to tell his parent about:

S/hes finding the level a bit difficult, has problems with the grammar

S/he speaks a lot of his/her first language in class

S/he hasnt been doing his/her homework

S/he needs to study more at home and should use the library more
often

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Parent / teacher Interviews. (Follow up notes)


WHAT? Reasons for communicating with WHERE? Places to communicate with parents
parents

To discuss the students progress In the British Council teaching centre or off-
To talk about student behaviour site at schools
To give information about exams, At arranged meetings before or after class
homework, dates/times etc. During impromptu meetings
At parents meetings In written reports
To communicate changes in the students In school diaries
family situation In note-form
To answer parent queries or address their By phone
concerns On social media pages
By e-mail

In the workshop we practised a role-play in groups of three, taking the parts of a teacher; a parent;
an observer. Teachers were asked to respond to some key questions:

Key Questions Possible answers


When can my child do the Cambridge FCE Its an adult advanced exam which requires
exam? a high level in all areas of the language.
Students may be able to do the exam after
8/9 years of study.
Interested parents should look at specific
young learner, or Cambridge KET/PET
exams, which are a good preparation for
higher level assessment.

How much homework should my child do? All students have homework. For little ones
this starts to develop good study habits. For
older students its an important part of the
course.
If students are unable to complete their
homework activities parents should write a
note explaining this.

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Why isnt my child getting high marks in his At the British Council we concentrate on a
school English? communicative approach and aim to build
up an atmosphere of English in the class.
This is not always measured at school.
We use different course books so the same
work wont be covered.
If students would like our teachers to review
work for a school test they should mention it
to their teacher at the start of class. The
teacher can take 5 minutes to go over
school work.

End the session by collecting feedback and evaluation.

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Notes

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