COMMUNICATION

Solving
technical
problems

LEVEL NUMBER LANGUAGE

Intermediate (B1) EN_B1_1013X English

www.lingoda.com

www.lingoda.com
 Learning outcomes

● I can describe a simple

technical problem and ask for
help to fix it.

● I can offer suggestions for

how to fix a simple technical
problem.

2
 Warm-up
Choose one of the questions and ask a classmate to find out more about them.

What device are you using right now?

What’s your favourite device for video-calls?

How many devices do you have at home?

How often do you have problems with your

devices?

3
 Discuss
Answer the questions below to prepare for the text on the next slide.

What is meant by the

term ‘tech support’?

When was the last time

you contacted tech
support about a
problem you had?

4
 Reading
Read the text below and answer the questions in the red box.

Darren: Hello, this is Darren from tech support. How can

I help you?
Bianca: Hi Darren. It’s Bianca from Finance. I have a
video-call this afternoon, but I think the office Wi-Fi is
down. My video-calling software also keeps crashing and
now my screen is completely frozen.
Darren: Hmmm. Looks like you have a few issues there.
Let’s see what we can do. Can you restart your laptop?
Press and hold the power button for five seconds.
Bianca: Sure. Oh! The screen just went blank. I can’t see
anything.

1. Which department does Darren work in?

2. Why does Bianca call Darren?
3. What is the first thing Darren tells Bianca to do?

5
 Reading
Read the text below and answer the questions in the red box.

Darren: It needs to restart. Give it a moment… How

about now? Is it any better?
Bianca: Hang on a sec… Yes! It looks like it’s working fine
now. Thanks!
Darren: Happy to help! Now try disconnecting and then
connecting to the internet again. If the Wi-Fi continues to
cause problems for you, we’ll need to contact our internet
provider to get it fixed.

4. What is the second thing Darren tells Bianca to do?

5. Are Bianca’s technical problems solved?

6
 Give it a moment…
Real-life language

Hang on a sec…

Do these phrases have the same

meaning?

Discuss with your teacher and classmates.

7
 How about now?
Is it any better?
Real-life language

Darren asks Bianca this question in the

text, after she follows his instructions to
restart her laptop.

What does he want to know? Can you

think of another way to ask this?

8
 Looks like there’s a
problem with the
hardware.

It looks like it’s

working fine now!

What does (it) looks like mean in

these sentences?

How sure are the speakers?

9
 Complete the dialogue
Fill in the gaps using the phrases in the red box, to complete the dialogue between a tech
support agent and a caller. Afterwards, practise the dialogue with a classmate, taking turns
being the tech support agent and the caller.

1 Hi, it’s Lucy from tech support here! _______________

Hi Lucy. I’m calling because I have a problem logging into my account. I Hang on a sec
2
_______________ an error message.
keep seeing

_______________ there are a lot of people trying to access the platform

3 How about now?
right now. That might be the problem. Try restarting the browser.

(It) looks like…

4 _______________... Ok, I’ve done that. I’m logging in again…
How can I help
you?

5 _______________ Is that any better?

10
 keep + -ing

The software keeps crashing.

I can’t work because my screen keeps freezing.
Your audio keeps cutting out – we can’t hear you.
I keep dropping my phone when I go for a run and now it’s broken.

● When something happens again and again, we

can say it _______________ happening.

● What does cutting out mean in this context?

11
 Practise using keep + -ing form
Use the phrase keep + ing form and the verbs in the red box to complete the technical
problems.

I don’t know why my audio _______________. Maybe there’s something

1
wrong with my mic.

2 My laptop _______________ from the Wi-Fi.

have
crash
disconnect
I _______________ problems whenever I open my browser. Maybe I cut out
3
need to update it to the latest version.

The video-call software _______________ every time I try to open it. Are
4
you having the same problem, or is it just me?

12
 Practise describing a technical problem
Choose a problem and describe it in more detail to the class. You can use the vocabulary in the
red box to help you. Take some time after the activity to note any new words or phrases that
came up.

Useful vocabulary
Hi, this is tech support. How can
we help you? ● keep + -ing ● internet provider
● looks like ● to cut out
● frozen ● to crash
● screen ● go blank
Hello. I have a problem with…
Technical problems

● The internet connection is slow or keeps

disconnecting.
● The microphone isn't working during an online
meeting.
● An app crashes every time it’s opened.
● The Wi-Fi password isn’t being accepted.
● A phone goes out of battery too quickly.

13
 Try + -ing

Oh no, my screen just went blank!

Try restarting it… Give it a moment… How

about now?

● We use _______________ + verb (in -ing form) to give

someone advice on how to fix a technical problem.

● We can also use this verb after the phrase: why

don’t you… to be even more polite.

● Can you rephrase the advice in the box using why

don’t you...?

14
 Giving advice politely
Rephrase the advice below using the verb to try to make it sound more polite.

1 Turn your phone off and on again.

›
2 Call your internet provider. ›
3
Speak to tech support. They’re usually quite
helpful! ›
4
Fix it yourself before you take it to the
computer repair shop. ›
5 Connect to a different Wi-Fi network.
›

15
 Roleplay preparation
Categorise the phrases below. Which phrases is a tech support agent likely to use? Which
might a caller use? Can you add any other words and phrases that might be useful for each
role?
How can I help? Try…

Looks like… Hang on a sec…

… keeps … How about now?

Give it a moment… Happy to help!

Can you…? Could you…?

16
 Roleplay preparation
As a class, brainstorm useful vocabulary for describing and solving one of the problems below.

A file won’t upload to a A laptop won’t turn on,

cloud storage service. even when plugged in.

A document won’t print

A software program won’t correctly (e.g., wrong
update properly. formatting or missing
pages).

17
 Roleplay: solving a technical issue
Role-play a conversation between a tech support agent and a caller needing urgent help.
Your classmates will give feedback. Was the tech support agent helpful? Was the caller satisfied
with the service?

Tech support: Introduce yourself and prepare to help the caller.

1 Caller: Describe your technical problem(s) in detail. Let them know that you
need urgent help because… (explain your situation).

Tech support: Respond to the caller’s situation. Ask them questions to find out
2 more information. First, try to identify the problem. Give advice.
Caller: Answer the tech support agent’s questions. Respond to their advice.

Caller: The problem hasn’t been solved and you don’t have much time. Try to
3 get an answer!
Tech support: Do your best to help the caller.

18
 Let’s reflect!

● Can you describe a simple

technical problem and ask for help
to fix it?

● Can you offer suggestions for how

to fix a simple technical problem?

Your teacher will now make one suggestion

for improvement for each student.

19
End of the lesson

Idiom

We got our wires crossed somehow!

Meaning: to be confused because of a misunderstanding

between two people in a conversation
Additional practice

Additional practice

21
 Correct these sentences
Find the mistakes in these sentences and say them correctly to your teacher.
Additional practice

1 Can you turning off your computer?

2 I can’t to see anything on my screen.

3 Could you to repeat that?

4 Do you check your Wi-Fi connection please?

22
 Practise keep + -ing
Use the phrase keep + ing and the verbs in the red box to complete these sentences.
Additional practice

Ugh, my screen _______________ whenever I’m watching a movie –

1
always during a really big scene. I need a new computer!

My phone _______________ to the Bluetooth and then my battery runs

2 have
out.
crash
connect
cut out
I _______________ issues with the Wi-Fi when I work from home. I need
3 freeze
to find a new internet provider.

4 The website _______________ because so many people are using it.

23
Additional practice
Discuss

Would working in tech

support be fun for you?
Why or why not?

Do you think you would

like to work from
home? Why or why not?

24
 Practise keep + -ing and try + -ing
Practise describing and giving advice about technical problems. Take a moment to make
some notes for your role. You can use the verbs in the red box to help you, as well as your own
Additional practice

ideas.

Student A

My _______________ keeps _______________

Describe your
ongoing
technical
problems.

Try _______________

Student B

Give student A ● freeze ● go blank

advice about
their problems.
● crash ● restart
● cut out ● turn off
● (dis)connect ● cause (problems)

25
 Build sentences
Build complete sentences using the phrases in the first box and the verbs in the second box.
You can also come up with your own verbs.
Additional practice

keep + -ing and try + -ing

My mother keeps asking why I
don’t have kids. ● (It) keeps…
● Try…
● Why don’t you try…
● You should try…
Try listening to classical music –
it really helps me to concentrate.

verbs

● work ● break
● wake ● (dis)connect
● do ● go
● change
● ask

26
 Discuss these scenarios
Choose a situation. What do you do if this happens?
Additional practice

Has anything similar ever happened to you? How did you respond?

You have a major You are about to give an

technical issue during a online presentation to a
very important meeting large audience, but the
at work… Wi-Fi is down…

You have an interview You just bought the latest

online for your dream job version of a smartphone
and your laptop crashes and your friend knocks it
15 minutes before the out of your hand
video-call… accidentally…

27
 Discuss
Do you do these things? Is there anything here that you don’t (or can’t) do? Expand on your
answer (eg: I don’t play computer games, because I find them boring. My son does. He plays…)
Additional practice

play computer use online

shop online
games banking

take part in video

record music and create a
calls very
videos website
regularly

solve most
technical code build and repair
problems myself computers

28
 Discuss
Additional practice

Could we live
without
technology?

We could live without it…

We couldn’t live without it…

29
 Discuss
Additional practice

Can people still work as

hard from outside of
the office?

How stable is the

internet connection in
your area?

30
 Summary

Vocabulary for describing and solving technical problems

● Verbs: crash, (dis)connect, cut out, go blank, to freeze
● Phrases: How about now? Give it a moment… Hang on a sec… Happy to help!

keep + -ing and try + -ing

● Use keep + -ing to talk about something that happens again and again: My audio keeps cutting out
● Use try + -ing to make suggestions: Try disconnecting and connecting again.

(It) looks like…

● We use this phrase to say that something seems to be the case (but we aren’t fully sure): Looks like
your screen is broken – you’ll probably have to replace it.

Modals can and could

● Are useful for discussing problems and solutions: offering help, asking for help, expressing ability

33
 Vocabulary

device to restart

the latest version of to cut out

technical problem to keep +ing

tech support The screen went blank.

How can I help you? How about now?

the Wi-Fi is down Happy to help.

The software keeps crashing. to try +ing

The screen is frozen. Give it a moment.

can/could Hang on a sec.

It looks like… to disconnect

34
 Vocabulary

internet provider

35
 Notes

36