Lesson 06

Airport

From check-in to boarding: navigating the airport in English
Adult Speaking English  ·  Arc 2: Everyday Situations
By the end of this lesson

Today's Goals

You will be able to:
  1. The student can check in for a flight and answer common check-in questions.
  2. The student can ask for seat and baggage-related information.
  3. The student can ask about gates, boarding time, and flight status.
  4. The student can react appropriately to an unexpected change (gate change, delay).
  5. The student can narrate a complete airport trip from arrival to boarding.
Lesson flow — 45 min
Warm-up5 min
Input8 min
Controlled Practice8 min
Listening7 min
Role-play10 min
Free Speaking5 min
Review/Homework2 min
Lesson 06 — Airport3
Stage 1

Warm-up

55 min
Goal
Activate prior knowledge — ask about the student's past flights and airport experiences
Lesson 06 — Airport4
High-frequency words

Key Vocabulary

Press C to show or hide the Chinese.
check-in counter
值机柜台
Where is the check-in counter for this airline?
boarding pass
登机牌
Here's my passport and boarding pass.
window / aisle seat
靠窗/靠过道座位
Can I have a window seat, please?
baggage / luggage
行李
How many bags can I check in?
carry-on
随身行李
Is this bag okay as a carry-on?
gate
登机口
Where is Gate 22?
boarding
登机
What time does boarding start?
delayed / on time
延误的/准时的
Is the flight on time?
Lesson 06 — Airport5
High-frequency words

Key Vocabulary (cont.)

Press C to show or hide the Chinese.
security check
安检
We need to go through security first.
connecting flight
转机航班
I have a connecting flight in Dubai.
overweight
超重
I'm afraid your bag is a bit overweight.
departure / arrival
出发 / 抵达
What's our departure time?
Lesson 06 — Airport6
2 of 7 patterns

Core Expressions 1–2

1
I'd like to check in.
我想办理值机（航站楼开场句）
Hi, I'd like to check in for my flight to London.
I'd like to check in — here's my passport.
Your turn: Ask: "Do you usually check in online, or at the airport counter? Why?"
2
Can I have a window seat?
可以要靠窗的座位吗？（选座偏好）
Can I have a window seat, please?
Can I have an aisle seat this time? I like to move around.
Your turn: Ask: "Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? Why?"
Lesson 06 — Airport7
4 of 7 patterns

Core Expressions 3–4

3
Where is Gate...?
…号登机口在哪？（问路/找登机口）
Excuse me, where is Gate 15?
Where is Gate B7? I can't find it on the screen.
Your turn: Ask the student to imagine they can't find their gate — what do they say to an airport staff member?
4
Is the flight on time?
航班准点吗？（询问航班状态）
Excuse me, is the flight on time?
Is the flight to [Destination] on time, or is it delayed?
Your turn: Ask: "Have you ever had a delayed flight? What happened?"
Lesson 06 — Airport8
6 of 7 patterns

Core Expressions 5–6

5
What time does boarding start?
几点开始登机？（了解登机时间）
What time does boarding start for this flight?
Excuse me, what time does boarding start? My ticket doesn't say.
Your turn: Ask the student what they usually do while waiting at the gate.
6
How many bags can I check in?
可以托运几件行李？（了解行李规定）
How many bags can I check in with this ticket?
How many bags can I check in for free?
Your turn: Ask: "How many bags do you usually bring when you travel?"
Lesson 06 — Airport9
7 of 7 patterns

Core Expression 7

7
Could you tell me where... is?
能告诉我…在哪吗？（询问机场设施位置，通用句型）
Could you tell me where the nearest restroom is?
Could you tell me where I can find a currency exchange?
Your turn: Ask the student what they most often need to find at an airport (food, restroom, charging point, etc.).
Lesson 06 — Airport10
Stage 4

Listening

77 min
Agent
Good morning, may I see your passport, please?
Passenger
Sure, here you go. I'd like to check in for the flight to Singapore.
Agent
Thank you... Alright, I have you on flight SQ118, departing at 11:40. Do you have any bags to check in?
Passenger
Yes, just one suitcase.
Agent
Okay, could you place it on the scale, please?... That's 21 kilos, that's fine, under the limit. And would you like a window or an aisle seat?
Passenger
Can I have a window seat, please?
Agent
Let me check... yes, I have 24A available, a window seat. Here's your boarding pass. Boarding starts at 11:00 from Gate 22.
Passenger
Great, thank you. Oh — is the flight on time?
Agent
As of now, yes, it's on time. But please check the screens before heading to the gate, just in case.
Passenger
Will do, thanks.
(later, at the departure hall, an announcement plays)
Announcement
Attention passengers on flight SQ118 to Singapore: the departure gate has been changed from Gate 22 to Gate 35. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Passenger (to airport staff): Excuse me, I just heard an announcement — did the gate for SQ118 change?
Lesson 06 — Airport11
Stage 4

Listening (cont.)

Staff
Yes, that's right, it's now Gate 35, at the far end of this terminal. You have about 25 minutes to get there.
Passenger
Thank you so much, I'd better hurry.
Lesson 06 — Airport12
Comprehension & discussion

Listening Check

Before listening

  1. Look at the title "Airport Check-in and Boarding." What steps do you think happen, in order?
  2. Do you think something unexpected will happen? What kinds of surprises happen at airports?

While listening

  1. Listen and write down the flight number and departure time.
  2. Listen and check: which seat does the passenger get, window or aisle?
  3. Listen for what time boarding starts and from which gate — first mentioned.
  4. Listen for what changes near the end, and what the passenger does about it.

After listening

  1. In your own words, what happened right before boarding, and how did the passenger react?
  2. Why do you think the agent told the passenger to check the screens, even though the flight was on time?
  3. If your gate changed suddenly and you only had 25 minutes, what would you do first?
Lesson 06 — Airport13
Stage 5

Controlled Practice

88 min
Model
Teacher says the sentence naturally with correct rhythm: "Can I have a window seat, please?" Student listens only.
Repeat
Student repeats until pronunciation feels natural.
  • "I'd like to check in for my flight."
  • "What time does boarding start?"
Substitute
Teacher gives a new word, student swaps it into the pattern.
  • Prompt: aisle seat → "Can I have an aisle seat, please?"
  • Prompt: Gate 9 → "Where is Gate 9?"
  • Prompt: two bags → "How many bags can I check in? I have two."
Lesson 06 — Airport14
Stage 5

Controlled Practice (cont.)

Personalize
Student uses real or imagined personal information.
  • "Where was the last place you flew to? What seat did you choose?"
  • "What's the first thing you do after arriving at the airport?"
Remove prompts
Teacher describes a situation only; student produces the full sentence unaided.
  • "You've just arrived at the check-in counter — say what you need."
  • "You want to know if your flight is delayed — ask."
  • "You can't find your gate on the screen — ask a staff member."
Lesson 06 — Airport15
Stage 6

Role-play

1010 min
Situation
The student is at the airport in [City], checking in for a flight to [Destination] (teacher plays the check-in agent / gate staff).
Teacher
Play the check-in agent: greet the passenger, process check-in, confirm seat and baggage, then later introduce one challenge card at the gate area.
Student
Check in for the flight, choose a seat, ask about baggage, ask about boarding time and the flight status, then react to whatever complication comes up near boarding.
Useful language
I'd like to check in.
Can I have a window seat?
Where is Gate...?
Is the flight on time?
What time does boarding start?
How many bags can I check in?
Lesson 06 — Airport16
Make it unpredictable

Challenge Cards

Drop one of these in mid-role-play.
Gate change

The gate changes suddenly and the student must ask for directions and react to the time pressure.

Overweight baggage

The student's bag is overweight and the agent explains the extra fee — the student must respond and decide what to do.

Seat unavailable

The window seat the student wants is no longer available — the agent offers an alternative.

Flight delay

The flight is delayed by two hours and the student must ask follow-up questions (new boarding time, what to do while waiting).

Lesson 06 — Airport17
Stage 7

Free Speaking

55 min
Ask the student to speak for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, without looking at any notes, either as a monologue or in a live extended role-play: "Imagine you are traveling to [Destination]. Describe your trip through the airport from check-in to boarding — checking in, choosing your seat, checking your bag, waiting at the gate, and then something unexpected happening. Tell it like a story."
Lesson 06 — Airport18
Error correction

Review & Common Mistakes

Correct immediately
  • Errors that block understanding of essential travel details (flight number, seat type, gate number).
  • Misuse of this lesson's core expressions (e.g. confusing "boarding" and "check-in," wrong word order in questions).
  • Full communication breakdowns during the role-play.
Note & correct later
  • Minor grammar slips (e.g. "I have check in already" instead of "I've already checked in").
  • Pronunciation issues that don't block understanding (e.g. stress on "departure" vs "arrival").
  • Slightly unnatural but understandable phrasing — note and revisit after the fluency stages.
Lesson 06 — Airport19
Before next lesson

Homework

22 min
Speaking
Record a 1-minute voice memo narrating a full airport trip from check-in to boarding, including one unexpected event. Use at least 4 expressions from this lesson.
Review
Review the 6 core patterns from Section 4 and write one new original sentence for each.
Real life
If you have a flight booked, or can find a sample boarding pass online, look at it and identify the gate, seat number, and boarding time in English. Bring what you found to the next class.
Lesson 06 — Airport20
Lesson 06 complete

Nice work.

Next up: Lesson 07
Adult Speaking English

Keyboard shortcuts

→ / Space
Next slide
←
Previous slide
O
Slide overview
C
Confetti 🎉
T
Show / hide the Chinese translation
N
Notepad — type notes, saved in this browser
S / Shift+S
Next / previous style
F
Fullscreen
Home / End
First / last slide
Ctrl+P
Export deck to PDF
Notes — Lesson 06
All lessons