APIEClass activity: Harbour Link Press Office (C1 Infrastructure Simulation)
Infrastructure, megaprojects and delays
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HARBOUR LINK PRESS OFFICE
Unit: Infrastructure, megaprojects and delays • Time & sequence phrases in formal statements
Rules of the Game
For the Teacher
- Set up: Divide the class into press office teams of 3 or 4 students.
- Distribute: Give each team 1 Question Card and 1 Answer Sheet.
- Briefing: Tell teams they are the official press officers for the Harbour Link project.
- Execution: Instruct teams to draft official statements using ONLY card facts and the mandatory phrase.
- Scoring: Have teams swap sheets to peer-check answers using the Teacher Key.
For Students
- Your Role: Act as official project spokespersons responding to journalists.
- Fact Rule: Use exact numbers and facts from your card. Do not invent details.
- Target Phrase: Incorporate the required yellow phrase smoothly into your sentence.
- Winning Points: Score 1pt for strict facts, 1pt for correct phrase, and 1 bonus pt for Unit words.
Timed Plan (25 Minutes Total)
Step 1: Roles
Hand out one card and one answer sheet to each team.
Step 2: Draft
Draft formal responses using card facts & yellow phrases.
Step 3: Present
Read statements aloud in a mini press conference.
Step 4: Swap
Swap answer sheets and tick correct target phrases.
Step 5: Verify
Check against the Teacher key and catch mistakes.
Step 6: Reflect
Review closing reflection questions together.
Press Office Question Cards
Journalist Question:
"Was the tunnel always going to cost this much?"
Facts to use:
The 2019 budget was 400 million; it is now 650 million.
Journalist Question:
"When will the north station open?"
Facts to use:
No date is fixed; the company will announce one after the safety tests.
Journalist Question:
"How do people cross the river while the old bridge is shut?"
Facts to use:
The ferry runs every 20 minutes.
Journalist Question:
"Did the ferry terminal open late?"
Facts to use:
It was due to open in June and it opened in April.
Journalist Question:
"Why was the tunnel entrance moved?"
Facts to use:
A flood in October 2021 covered the first entrance site, so the entrance went higher up.
Journalist Question:
"What did the delays cost?"
Facts to use:
The company has published no figure up to now.
Press Team Answer Sheet
Peer Scoring Checklist (Completed by Reviewing Team):
Point Scoring Rules
Strict Fact Accuracy
Earned when your statement relies only on the facts provided on the card, without adding invented data.
Correct Target Phrase
Earned when the mandatory phrase is used with natural formal grammar, verified & ticked by another team.
Unit Vocabulary Bonus
Earned once if a Unit word is used accurately (e.g. blueprint, feasibility, groundwork, milestone, overrun, bottleneck, obstruct, postpone, inaugurate, shelve).
Official Press Release Starters
Combine formal time phrases with unit vocabulary:
"At the outset of the project, the budget for the tunnel was..."
"In due course, once the safety tests are finished,..."
"In the meantime, while the old bridge is shut, the ferry..."
"Ahead of schedule, the ferry terminal reached its opening milestone..."
"In the wake of the flood in October 2021, the first entrance site..."
"As yet, the company has published no figure for..."
Teacher Answer Key & Error Guide
Model Benchmark Answers:
Card 1 Model:
"At the outset, the budget was 400 million, but it is now 650 million."
Card 2 Model:
"No date is fixed, but the company will announce one in due course after the safety tests."
Card 3 Model:
"The ferry runs every 20 minutes in the meantime."
Card 4 Model:
"The ferry terminal opened ahead of schedule in April, though it was due to open in June."
Card 5 Model:
"In the wake of a flood in October 2021 that covered the first site, the tunnel entrance went higher up."
Card 6 Model:
"As yet, the company has published no figure regarding the costs."
Common Mistake to Watch/Listen For:
Listen out for ungrammatical misuse of "as yet" in positive past states, such as: "as yet it was a success".
Correct usage note: "As yet" is used with negative or unfulfilled states (e.g., "The company has published no figure as yet" or "As yet, no decisions have been made").
Activity Variations & Extensions
Sentence Skeleton Support
Provide students with fill-in-the-blank sentence frames where only the card facts need to be slotted in alongside the target grammar phrase.
Full Formal Press Release
Teams write one formal press statement that uses only the card facts and the mandatory phrase, and add a Unit vocabulary word for the bonus point.
Live Journalist Cross-Exam
Journalists (other teams) ask follow-up questions live, forcing the press office to respond spontaneously using secondary phrases like "for the time being" or "in the long run".
Fast-Finishing Groups Task:
Draft an extra press release statement explaining project "bottlenecks" or explaining why the council decided to "shelve", "obstruct", or "postpone" secondary transit links.
Closing Reflection Questions
Which time and sequence phrases help a press officer sound clear and formal when talking about delays?
Discuss how phrases like "in due course" or "in the meantime" make bad news sound calm and formal.
How does using formal phrases like "in due course" or "as yet" change the tone of a press response compared to informal speech?
Compare corporate public relations discourse against casual conversational language.
What strategy helped your team avoid inventing facts not present on the card?
Reflect on how strict factual boundaries help you write short, exact sentences.
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