A 911 Fridge Magnet and Reporting Skills

By Lynn King

The following activity was developed for a Civics requirement in an adult education class on dealing with different kinds of emergencies and making a 911 call. However, it could be used for any level or age group. The aims of this activity were to: 1) acquaint students with how to access help in case of an emergency; 2) practice medical emergency and first aid vocabulary; 3) role play 911 calls; 4) improve students’ overall reporting skills; and 5) make a helpful refrigerator magnet to take home that included students’ own personal information.

Knowing the 911 number for emergency help is one thing. Knowing how to express that emergency in English is quite another. The anxiety that new English speakers feel when talking on the phone is real, so we talked about how one might feel during an emergency and about what problems one might have with English at such a moment. In an emergency, there can be injury, trauma, shock, fear, or panic. How fast one can react and clearly state important information is difficult but imperative. Reporting specific names, addresses, locations, times, phone numbers, and describing an emergency under duress requires lots of practice.

First, we used the Oxford Picture Dictionary, Interactive, Second Edition (2009) section on different kinds of emergencies to introduce the base vocabulary. Students pronounced, repeated, and spelled the vocabulary many times. We discussed and described non-emergency versus emergency. We included descriptions of injuries and what to do for them if possible. There are many online videos available to choose from as well that students can watch in class, at home, or on their phones anywhere. (To find videos online, try searching for “ESL 911 calls" or "training ESL students to make 911 calls.") In the classroom, we inspected a First Aid Kit and named everything in it—including what and where to buy or make a kit for use at home and in the car.

Then, students practiced making 911 calls using a prepared conversation format with substitutions for various problems. It was evident that they might have difficulty anticipating possible questions a 911 operator might ask them, so we brainstormed possible questions and wrote them on the board. Then I asked them to write their own conversations to share with the class.

Next, as a result of our practice and discussion, and since many emergencies occur in the home, I thought a home refrigerator magnet with personal information on it would be a helpful aid if students ever had a home emergency and had to call 911. They could refer to it in case they couldn’t remember information or couldn’t speak clearly and had to spell a name or repeat numbers. Clarification by spelling their names, names of family members, and street names was particularly important to practice because many students’ names are very difficult for American 911 operators to understand, and pronunciation of street names and numbers is often not understandable either. And, for many languages, translators may not be available.

The Procedure

Each student received a 3x5 card and printed the following in their best handwriting: 9-1-1 at the top, then all family names and family relationships of adults and children, complete home address, and phone numbers. If they wanted to add any other information, they could if there was room on the card. I had the cards laminated and then purchased magnetic backing at a hobby store, which I then cut and attached to each card. The cards were then ready to be handed back so students could take them home and put them on the refrigerator.

Before they took them home, however, we again practiced making 911 calls using their own cards first. Students worked in pairs facing each other—one student as the caller, one as the 911 operator. Each caller had a home emergency to report. The operator had to repeat back to the caller for verification of the information. If the operator didn’t understand a name or address, for example, the caller had to spell it. Phone numbers were practiced as: area code (1-2-3), pause, 4-4-4, pause, 5-6-7-8 (each number separately). Students practiced both caller and operator roles, and then changed partners and repeated the process for several rounds. This additional practice acting as both “caller” and “operator” enabled students to gain more confidence in their ability to communicate adequately and more fluently when making a 911 call.

The students were happy to have something tangible to take home and show their families as well. They were encouraged to make sure all household members knew what the card was for and how to use it if an emergency occurred. With today’s smartphone technology, making an emergency call is relatively easy. But, that little magnetic card on the refrigerator might just be the aid that helps them and their families report an emergency and respond to questions clearly and accurately.

There are, of course, many other topics that offer opportunities for students to practice emergency vocabulary and/or make 911 calls: reporting a crime, robbery, or break-in; a highway accident; problems due to natural disasters. Being able to recycle emergency language in an active and participatory way helps students become more proficient and capable at this reporting skill. A magnet card is just one more tool for them to use.

References

Adelson-Goldstein, J., & Shapiro, N. (2009). Oxford picture dictionary, interactive (2nd ed). Oxford University Press.

Lynn King is retired after 30 years in secondary and adult education ESL. She lives in Springfield, Illinois.


A 911 Fridge Magnet and Reporting Skills By Lynn King The following activity was developed for a Civics requirement in an adult education class on dealing with different kinds of emergencies and making a 911 call. However, it could be used for any level or age group. The aims of this activity were to: 1) acquaint students with how to access help in case of an emergency; 2) practice medical emergency and first aid vocabulary; 3) role play 911 calls; 4) improve students’ overall reporting skills; and 5) make a helpful refrigerator magnet to take home that included students’ own personal information. Knowing the 911 number for emergency help is one thing. Knowing how to express that emergency in English is quite another. The anxiety that new English speakers feel when talking on the phone is real, so we talked about how one might feel during an emergency and about what problems one might have with English at such a moment. In an emergency, there can be injury, trauma, shock, fear, or panic. How fast one can react and clearly state important information is difficult but imperative. Reporting specific names, addresses, locations, times, phone numbers, and describing an emergency under duress requires lots of practice. First, we used the Oxford Picture Dictionary, Interactive, Second Edition (2009) section on different kinds of emergencies to introduce the base vocabulary. Students pronounced, repeated, and spelled the vocabulary many times. We discussed and described non-emergency versus emergency. We included descriptions of injuries and what to do for them if possible. There are many online videos available to choose from as well that students can watch in class, at home, or on their phones anywhere. (To find videos online, try searching for “ESL 911 calls" or "training ESL students to make 911 calls.") In the classroom, we inspected a First Aid Kit and named everything in it—including what and where to buy or make a kit for use at home and in the car. Then, students practiced making 911 calls using a prepared conversation format with substitutions for various problems. It was evident that they might have difficulty anticipating possible questions a 911 operator might ask them, so we brainstormed possible questions and wrote them on the board. Then I asked them to write their own conversations to share with the class. Next, as a result of our practice and discussion, and since many emergencies occur in the home, I thought a home refrigerator magnet with personal information on it would be a helpful aid if students ever had a home emergency and had to call 911. They could refer to it in case they couldn’t remember information or couldn’t speak clearly and had to spell a name or repeat numbers. Clarification by spelling their names, names of family members, and street names was particularly important to practice because many students’ names are very difficult for American 911 operators to understand, and pronunciation of street names and numbers is often not understandable either. And, for many languages, translators may not be available. The Procedure Each student received a 3x5 card and printed the following in their best handwriting: 9-1-1 at the top, then all family names and family relationships of adults and children, complete home address, and phone numbers. If they wanted to add any other information, they could if there was room on the card. I had the cards laminated and then purchased magnetic backing at a hobby store, which I then cut and attached to each card. The cards were then ready to be handed back so students could take them home and put them on the refrigerator. Before they took them home, however, we again practiced making 911 calls using their own cards first. Students worked in pairs facing each other—one student as the caller, one as the 911 operator. Each caller had a home emergency to report. The operator had to repeat back to the caller for verification of the information. If the operator didn’t understand a name or address, for example, the caller had to spell it. Phone numbers were practiced as: area code (1-2-3), pause, 4-4-4, pause, 5-6-7-8 (each number separately). Students practiced both caller and operator roles, and then changed partners and repeated the process for several rounds. This additional practice acting as both “caller” and “operator” enabled students to gain more confidence in their ability to communicate adequately and more fluently when making a 911 call. The students were happy to have something tangible to take home and show their families as well. They were encouraged to make sure all household members knew what the card was for and how to use it if an emergency occurred. With today’s smartphone technology, making an emergency call is relatively easy. But, that little magnetic card on the refrigerator might just be the aid that helps them and their families report an emergency and respond to questions clearly and accurately. There are, of course, many other topics that offer opportunities for students to practice emergency vocabulary and/or make 911 calls: reporting a crime, robbery, or break-in; a highway accident; problems due to natural disasters. Being able to recycle emergency language in an active and participatory way helps students become more proficient and capable at this reporting skill. A magnet card is just one more tool for them to use. References Adelson-Goldstein, J., & Shapiro, N. (2009). Oxford picture dictionary, interactive (2nd ed). Oxford University Press. Lynn King is retired after 30 years in secondary and adult education ESL. She lives in Springfield, Illinois.
Spring 2022 - Volume 50, Issue 1