Speaking: Interactive Communication A2 - Lesson 5: Making Simple Suggestions ("Let's...")

Speaking: Interactive Communication A2

Function: Making Simple Suggestions

Listen to the conversation example.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to make suggestions, and agree or disagree with them politely.

Conversation Scenario: Making Plans 💬

A big part of communication is deciding what to do together. Let's look at how two friends, Dara and Vanna, make a plan.

Dara: I'm bored. Class is finished, what should we do?

Vanna: I know. Let's do something fun.

Dara: Okay. How about going to the cinema?

Vanna: I'm not sure. I saw a movie yesterday. Why don't we go for a coffee instead?

Dara: Good idea! Let's go to the new café near the university.

Vanna: Sounds good.

Your Suggestion Toolkit 🛠️ (Click 🔊)

Here are the key phrases you need to make plans with someone.

✅ Making a Suggestion (ការ​ផ្ដល់​យោបល់)

• Let's... (e.g., Let's get some lunch.)
• Why don't we...? (e.g., Why don't we watch a movie?)
• How about...? (e.g., How about playing football?)

👍 Agreeing to a Suggestion

• Good idea!
• Sounds good.
• Yes, let's. (Reply to "Let's...")

👎 Disagreeing Politely

• I'm not sure.
• Maybe another time.

Tips for Making Good Suggestions

🗣️ Intonation of Suggestions

The "music" of your suggestion can change its feeling.

• "Let's go to the market.↘" - Usually has a falling intonation. It's a confident, friendly suggestion.
• "Why don't we go to the market?↘" - Also has a falling intonation. It's a suggestion, not a real question asking "why".
• "How about going to the market?↗" - Often has a rising intonation, as it's a more open question asking for an opinion.

💡 Grammar: Three Ways to Build a Suggestion

Pattern 1: Let's + base verb
Example: "Let's get some lunch."

Pattern 2: Why don't we + base verb?
Example: "Why don't we watch a movie?"

Pattern 3: How about + verb-ing OR noun?
Example: "How about playing football?" / "How about some noodle soup?"

Practice Making Suggestions 🎯

Activity 1: Rephrase the Suggestion (Self-Check)

Use the prompt to make a full suggestion sentence. Click "Show Answer" to check.

1. (Let's...) go to the market.
   Show Answer

   Let's go to the market.

2. (How about...) play football?
   Show Answer

   How about playing football?

3. (Why don't we...) order pizza?
   Show Answer

   Why don't we order pizza?

4. (Let's...) drink coffee.
   Show Answer

   Let's drink coffee.

5. (How about...) noodles?
   Show Answer

   How about noodles?

Activity 2: Agree or Disagree Politely

Work with a partner or practice alone. Read Student A's suggestion. Then say Student B's response, choosing to agree or disagree politely and make a new suggestion. Click 🔊 to hear examples.

Suggestions to make:

• Let's study English.
• How about going shopping?
• Why don't we eat spicy food?

Example Responses:

Agree: "Sounds good!"

Disagree & Suggest: "I'm not sure. How about watching a video instead?"

Vocabulary

• Suggestion | ការ​ផ្ដល់​យោបល់
  An idea or plan put forward for consideration.
• Agree | យល់ព្រម
  To have the same opinion about something; accept a suggestion.
• Disagree | មិនយល់ព្រម
  To have a different opinion; not accept a suggestion.
• Politely | ដោយសុជីវធម៌
  In a respectful and considerate way.
• Cinema | រោងកុន
  A place where you watch movies.
• Instead | ជំនួសវិញ
  As an alternative to something else.
• Café | ហាងកាហ្វេ
  A small restaurant selling coffee, drinks, and snacks.

Your Communication Mission ⭐

This week, your mission is to make a suggestion in a real situation. When you are deciding what to do with friends or family, be the person to suggest an idea.

Use "Let's...", "Why don't we...?", or "How about...?". For example, "I'm hungry. Let's get some noodles."