Page 275 - Beyond Methods

Ensuring social relevance 263
the difference between management of talk at home and management of talk at school. It is often suggested that L2 learners from certain lin- guistic or cultural backgrounds hesitate to actively participate in class discussion. As Heath (1983) suggested, the reason may have to do with the disjunction between the nature of talk at home and the nature of talk at school. This exploratory project aims at connecting the two. It is based on ideas from Bean, Kumaravadivelu, and Lowenberg (1995).
11.1.1 First you need to find out about the interactive styles and pref- erences that learners bring with them to class. Even a roughly tuned survey questionnaire with open-ended questions will serve the purpose. It is true that open-ended questions yield less precise responses, but they are capable of bringing out more holistic insights into the students’ take on interactional patterns. Think about possible areas of differences between home and classroom modes of interaction.
11.1.2 Make a list of probable questions that you might wish to ask your learners about interactive styles at home. Questions such as:
• Who initiates talk at home?
• Are turns allotted or taken?
• Are there any rules of conversation?
• Are there any restrictions about what to talk about and when?
• Arethereanyrestrictionsaboutwhatnottotalkaboutandwhen?
• What variations do they notice in talking to parents, siblings, and friends?
• Any other?
11.1.3 Make a list of probable questions that you might wish to ask your learners about what they prefer in classroom interaction. Ques-
tions
such as:
• What kind of interactional style makes them feel comfortable in class?
• Do they prefer teachers calling on students individually?
• Do they prefer questions addressed to the class as a whole?
• Do they prefer teachers correcting their errors?
• Do they like to help their friends with homework?
• Any other?
11.1.4 Add as many questions as you deem fit, and conduct the sur- vey in class. Ask your students to do it anonymously. If necessary, allow them to complete the first part of the survey at home with the help of other members of the family. Collect and consolidate their responses.