Page 271 - Beyond Methods

Ensuring social relevance 259
11.1.1 The following humorous story was contributed by Dominick Egan to ESL Magazine, January/February 1998, p. 26. Copy it onto a transparency and project it on an OHP screen. Ask your learners to read this silently.
Linguistic Laughs!
Every ESL teacher has his or her favorite class story; these stories usually concern comical linguistic/cultural misunderstandings. My own favorite story occurred many years ago in a small ESL school in Washington, DC. On the first day of school a young Hispanic student joined our beginners’ English class; he had just arrived in the U.S.
During break he went to buy a Coke from the soda vending ma- chine. This machine contained a little window with a digital dis- play. The display indicated how much to insert for a soda, e.g., 60¢. The thirsty student inserted a quarter and the machine promptly displayed 35¢. After he inserted another quarter, the machine dis- played the digital letters “d-i-m-e.” To you and me this means ten cents. But he misread it as two separate words “di” “me” which means “tell me” in Spanish. He leaned closer to the vending machine and whispered: “una Coca Cola por favour.” Needless to say, the other students died laughing and the story of the bilingual vending machine spread like wildfire!
11.1.2 First use this text as you normally would for teaching reading comprehension. Help your learners understand the text. In settings where vending machines are not a familiar concept, explain what they are and how they are used. If your class does not consist of Spanish- speaking students, ask them to guess the meaning of “una Coca Cola por favour” from the context. Focus also on phrases like “died laugh- ing” and “spread like wildfire.”
11.1.3 Form groups of three to five students. If yours is a multilingual class, put those who speak the same L1 in the same group(s). Ask each group to come up with at least one story or a joke based on linguistic or cultural misunderstanding. Let them know that the focus is on “lin- guistic jokes,” not on “ethnic jokes,” which could be embarrassing for some members of the class.
11.1.4 Select a few groups that have something to report and ask a representative from each group to share their story with the class. Let them, with your help, explain the linguistic nuances associated with the joke or story. Encourage others to ask questions and seek clarifica- tions. Explain the punch line, if necessary.