Page 245 - Beyond Methods

Integrating language skills 233
10.1.10 Finally, alert your learners (if they do not already know) about advice columns in local newspapers, and ask them to read them regularly and bring a story or two to class if they find them interesting and would like to discuss them in class.
Microstrategy 10.2: A Matter of Reality and Falsehood
10.2.0 A recent source of entertainment is what is called reality TV. It has been a phenomenal success in North America and Europe, and is fast spreading to other parts of the world as well. Some successful re- ality shows include Survivor, Big Brother, Temptation Island, and Loft Story—the first three are North American and the last one French. Episodes of Survivor and Loft Story, for instance, have both been the most-watched TV shows in their respective countries.
In reality TV shows, participants are not professional actors and ac- tresses but people selected from various walks of life. A small group of adventurous people is selected and taken to exotic places like Aus- tralian coasts or Kenyan villages and are given very few amenities. They have to survive and “outwit, outplay, outlast” each other in order to win a million dollars, as in the case of Survivor. Or, in the case of Loft Story, eleven young couples are housed in a small loft for seventy days, and one loft-dweller is kicked out after each episode. The couple re- maining after everyone else is evicted wins a $400,000 house. In both shows, the cameras are turned on the participants almost twenty-four hours a day, and their every move is recorded and broadcast.
Reality TV with its exotic appeal can provide an extraordinary source of materials for L2 teachers if they wish to promote meaningful inter- action in class and integrate language skills. Here’s a suggestion; adapt as necessary:
10.2.1 To set the stage, write “Reality TV” on the board and ask your learners what it means and what they know about it. Ask them if they have seen or heard/read about any such shows. Let them share what they know with the class, including their opinions about why they ap- peal to people of different generations and interests.
10.2.2 Select an episode from any of these shows, videotape it, and play it in your class. You may also pause at crucial moments and ask the students to guess what they expect the participants to do next. If you teach in an area where these shows are not shown or are not avail- able on video, you may give your learners a minilecture on the subject by collecting relevant information from newspapers and the Internet. If you are surfing the Internet, search for “reality TV” on any of the search engines (e.g., Yahoo.com or Google.com), and you will find hun- dreds of Web sites. Or, you may also go to specific shows; for instance,