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Lanternfish ESL

An oral communication activity for practising making banking transactions.

ESL Banking Role-play

A one-hour banking role-play for practising five basic transactions at a bank: depositing money, withdrawing money, cashing checks, exchanging currency, and paying bills.

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Banking Role-Play:
Language for Conducting Bank Transactions


Purpose and Audience

The purpose of these materials is to get the students to practice making basic bank transactions in English. This is a fairly simple role-play intended for false beginners (or perhaps even beginners). In short, students will go into the bank and deposit money, withdraw money, cash checks, and pay bills. Due to the nature of the material, this role-play is intended for adults.


Resources to Download

The teacher will need to print off and photocopy five sheets:



Bank Teller Activity Sheet

PDF Download
MS Doc Download

Bank Client Activity Sheet

PDF Download
MS Doc Download

Realia: Bank Cards and Photo ID

PDF Download
MS Doc Download

Realia: Biggle Bucks and American Dollars

PDF Download
MS Doc Download

Realia: Checks and Bills

PDF Download
MS Doc Download

Class Set-up

The class is divided into two groups: bank tellers and bank customers. Bank tellers should all sit in a line facing the clients (like in a real bank). Bank tellers are given the Bank Teller Activity Sheet and a supply of Biggle Bucks and American Dollars.


Bank clients will visit the bank tellers and conduct transactions. Each bank client will need a bank client activity sheet, a bank Card, one piece of photo ID, two checks, and three bills (gas, electricity, and telephone).


Bank clients will go to a bank teller and conduct one of the five transactions (pay a bill, cash a check, withdraw money, deposit money, and exchange some currency. When they are finished, they go to another bank teller and conduct another transaction. Each time the students go to a teller, they should get a signature. The students can use the conversation as a guide. If you have time remaining have the students switch roles and go over it again.


Quirks

I always like to throw in a few hidden quirks for the more observant students in the hopes of eliciting some spontaneous conversation: One passport is expired, one check is void, one bill has the wrong total, the photo ID is awful, and some of the clients only have library cards. If students miss these facts, that's OK. I say nothing. But sometimes, it's nice if it generates some extra unscripted conversation.



Further Study and Related Resources

Credit Cards and Mortgages Role-play Banking and Saving Money Vocabulary Video Banking and Borrowing Money Vocabulary Video