The /p/ and /b/ sounds cause problems for a lot of learners, who cannot hear or produce the difference between pairs of words like crap and crab.
1. Get students to read the dialogues and identify the cause of the misunderstandings.
2. Ask them to read it out in pairs. Get them to dramatize the situation as in a comedy sketches.
3. Pairs perform their sketch to the rest of the class. The rest of the class must produce the ‘canned laughter’ sound effect.
Students usually enjoy this activity, and it really forces them to make a difference between the pairs of words – because if there is no obvious difference, then the comedy sketch isn’t funny any more. As a side benefit of the activity, students get to see and practice repair strategies. Despite any amount of pronunciation work they do, there will always be misunderstandings, and it’s best to be ready to deal with these effectively.