Page 229 - Beyond Methods

Contextualizing linguistic input 217
9.1.3 Form three groups. One group plays the role of the supervisor, another the role of passengers willing to accept the offer, and a third the role of those not willing to accept the offer. Ask each group to dis- cuss and prepare a script for arguing its case. They should be able to anticipate the case of the other two groups and be prepared for a counter- argument. Ask each group to designate one member to represent the group in a later role-play.
9.1.4 As the group discussion proceeds, move from group to group, monitoring any communicative or linguistic difficulty the participants may encounter. Look for any pattern of difficulty (in terms of vocabulary or grammar) that may emerge, and take notes. If possible, tape (audio or video) the conversation in one group for later analysis.
9.1.5 At the end of the group discussion, ask the designated mem- bers (one from each group) to role-play their parts for the class. Let the role-play lead where it may.
9.1.6 After the performance, lead a class discussion on how well the decisions were made, how well they were articulated, and how the decision-making process and the presentation could be improved.
9.1.7 At this point, you might wish to offer your comments, both pos- itive and negative. You might highlight some of the communicative and linguistic difficulties you may have noted during the group discussion.
9.1.8 Based on your notes (and on an analysis of the conversation you may have taped), you might decide to treat in detail any grammat- ical and lexical features by designing focused exercises to be done in class later.
9.1.9 Finally, reflect on the usefulness of this kind of an activity for your group of learners, and your readiness to design such micro- strategies.
Microstrategy 9.2: Time Traveling
9.2.0 This microstrategy aims at providing an opportunity for L2 learners to combine form and function within a coherent, communica- tive context that puts a premium on their personal life history. More specifically, it deals with the use of time expressions in its past, pres- ent, and future tenses. A time-tested instructional strategy that several teachers and textbook writers have effectively exploited for this pur- pose is the timeline. Here’s one possibility; you may wish to modify it to suit your learning and teaching situation.