Ted,

 

I applaud you for using learner-generated themes to practice communicative
functions in authentic language situations that your learners face. That is
undoubtedly a motivational activity for them.

 

However, the dialogue activity that you describe seems to indicate that
learners have the educational background and literacy skills to read a great
deal of text – and to decode written juncture arrows and primary stress
symbols.

 

How would you scaffold instruction for this activity to meet the needs of
your learners who are not yet fully literate in English? 

 

-------------------------------------------------------

Betsy Wong

Lead Teacher

Alexandria Adult and Community Education

 

 

  _____  

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Ted Klein
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 9:48 AM
To: Adult English Language Learners List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2009] When Can My Students Read Out Loud??

 

                                                O.K.Colleagues, Friends and
Creditors,

                                                 

                                                Do my studentsneverget to
read aloud? Confession, NO! However, what we do is more holistic and
lesspassive and mechanical. We do dialogs! They are all infiltrated with
stress andjuncture.My students just don't get to read passages from
textbooks,great literature or how-to-do-it stuff. All of these dialogs
include culturalfeatures which contribute tothe students' survival.Subjects
aremostlysuggested by students, based on their wants and needs. Thestudents
tell me where and when they are at a loss for words or
situationalunderstanding and then I make dialogs mostly based on
localpossibilities.

                                                 

                                                They haveincluded:

                                                 

                                                1. At a Clinic2. Atthe
Bank3. When aPoliceman StopsYou4.Making a Contract5. Finding an Attorney

                                                 

                                                6.Emergencies
7. At a Restaurant8. New in Austin9. At aMechanic's Shop10.Americans

                                                 

                                                 

                                                All ofthe dialogs are
carefullymarked with juncture arrowsand primary stress asfollows:

                                                 

                                                 

                                                

DIALOG;NEW INAMERICA

 

 

Tom: Hi,'Ali*It's good to se'e youagain*

 

Ali: Hi,Tóm*How are youdóing?*

 

Tom: Justfíne*Wéll*after six monthshére*in theU.S.'A.*whatdo youthínk?*

 

Ali: I'm alwayssurprísed*Just when I think Iknów*what Americans
arelíke*somethingháppens*to make me change mymínd*

 

Tom: Can you give me anexámple?#

*

Ali: Yés*When I arrívedhere*from m'ycountry*I thought
thatAméricans*weren'tfríendly*In m'y country*people go out of theirwáy*to
helpstrángers*Atfírst*people seemedcóld*Now I feelquite wélcome*

 

Tom: So what do you thinkhas chánged*

 

Ali: The fúnnything*is that I think 'I'vechanged.*

 

Tom: In whatwáy?*

 

Ali: For ónething*perhaps I expéctedpeople*to come tomé*In m'ycountry*we
ápproachstrangers*If they look lóst*we offer tohélp*Hére*we have to ásk
forhelp*The go'od news*is that Americans are véryhelpful*once you ásk them
forhelp*

 

Tom: So what do youthínk*is thedífference*now that you knów usbetter*

 

Ali: What I réalizenow*is thatAméricans*are moreprívate*than wéare*I come
from tríbalpeople*where nobody is astránger*Americans seem to haveanother
wáy*of looking at thepéople*aro'undthem*There is morespáce*but we
arewélcome*in thatspáce*Américans*don't want toinváde*O'URprivacy*

 

Tom: That soundsríght*Each culture isdífferent*from every
ótherculture*Visitors into néwcultures*need to findo'ut*what the
dífferencesare*so that they willfe'el*morecómfortable.

 

Ali: I'mle'arning*I'm getting toknów*Americansbétter*everymónth*and my
respect isgrówing*all of thetíme*thanks to friends likeyo'u*I'll see you
laterTóm*

 

Tom: See youso'on*Cáll me*if you think of anythingélse*I love talking
aboutcúltures*

 

 

 

 

©2003-TedKlein

 

PROCEDURES

 

1.Teacher reads the dialog at normal speed andwith noexaggeration, to the
students. At the same time, studentsread their copiesof the dialogs, which
are copied and handedout.

 

2. Students ask questions aboutthe dialog concerning
vocabulary,pronunciationand situation. Explanations of words and situations
go on themarker board.

 

3. Teacher reads the dialog by thought groups for repetition. Studentscan
look at the dialog and repeat the thought groups. Students are again
invitedto ask questions. All of the issues on vocabulary, structure and
situation areexplained as needed.

 

4. Students turn over their dialogs and repeat the thought groups afterthe
teacher, without seeing them. Normally, they sound better than when they
aretrying to read them! As I've said before, the eyes are the enemy of
theears.

 

5. Students are assigned parts to play, such and "Ali and Tom" above.They
switch parts at the end and start over.

 

6. The pairs of students role-play thedialog. During this process, the
teacher is "sneaking around" and listeningcarefully to their output, but not
saying anything to individuals. Occasionally,the teacher runs up to the
marker board and puts mispronounced words orinaccurate utterances on the
board.Sometimes problems are with intonation,which is shown with the stress
and juncture (pitch + pause) arrows, which thestudents are familiar with.

7. Every fewminutes, the teacher stops the class and points out observed
problems on themarker board. Each problem is corrected and the entire class
repeats thecorrection. That way, nobody is embarassed, although in a class
that has a closeand trusting relationship with the instructor and each
other, embarassment israre.

8. Students take their dialogs home andare encouraged to practice with
family, friends and English speaking neighbors.The final goal is to attempt
to memorize the dialogs as examples of "reallanguage." Students are
encouraged to bring a cassette recorder and record theteacher version of the
dialog.

ADVANTAGES

1. This is an opportunity for thestudents to get acquainted with and
practice real English in the real world. Myclass has one dialog each week
and we spend as much time on it as necessary, sothat the students sound
good.

2. Students acquire better listening,speaking and reading skills and there
is impact on later writing lessons.Familiarity with suprasegmental features
of English is critical and this is agood way to introduce it. Students learn
to recognize and use the symbols, whichcan also be put onother
printedmaterials.

3. The introduction of LOCAL culturalfeatures and situations can accelerate
survival skills. Real telephone numbersare included when appropriate.

I have enjoyed thisexchange.

Ted

Theodore A. (Ted) Klein, Jr.
Independent Consultant inLanguage
and InterculturalTraining
Austin,TexasU.S.A.
taklein at austin.rr.com
www.tedklein-ESL.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

                                                

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