Dialogues to Show Polite and Necessary Interuptions

Here are some dialogues I'm going to ask the students to act out so that we can make a video of how to interrupt politely and put it on our own private channel of YouTube (where we have their self-introductions).

Dialogue 1

Teacher:  So please be sure to leave the phone message before midnight on Sunday.

Student 1:  Why do we have to leave messages?

Teacher:  Oh!  That's so important!  I can tell you, but maybe---

Student 2:  Students need to learn to leave clear messages.

Teacher:  Yes!  It's very hard to understand some messages sometimes, and--

Student 2:  And the teacher will tell you what she understood and ask about what she didn't understand.

Dialogue 2

Deborah T.:  We need to let our ESL students know that it's okay to interrupt politely. 

Shocked Listener:  No!  I think it's very rude.

Deborah T:  It depends upon how we do it.  If we do it politely--

Shocked Listener:  I don't think it's ever okay to interrupt.
(Notice that she just did.)

Dialogue 3

Three students are in a group talking.  A fourth student comes in the room and walks over to them, but they don't see her.  They continue to talk.

Student 1:  The teacher says it's okay to interrupt politely.

Student 2:  She says it's sometimes even necessary to interrupt.

Student 3:  If we want to participate in a group discussion, she says we have to.

Student 4:  Excuse me.  After a minute they notice.

Student 1:  What is it?

Student 4:  There's a fire in the building. 



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