Page 67 - Beyond Methods
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Maximizing learning opportunities 55
than not, a learner talk has much wider implications for classroom learning than most teachers seem to realize. Consider the following episode from a low proficiency level Reading class. The lesson in the prescribed textbook was titled Dangerous Growth of Deserts, and the teacher, as a prereading strategy, was helping the learners ana- lyze the key words in the title:
1 T:
2 S1:
3 T:
4 S:
5 T:
6 S2:
7 T:
8 S3:
9 T:
10 SS:
11 T:
12 SS:
13 T:
15 T:
16 S4:
17 T:
18 S1:
19 S:
20 T:
21 S:
22 T:
Episode 3.3
Who can tell me what this word . . . is (writes Deserts on the board) . . . Yes?
xx.
Hmm?
It’safruit...or—
No...that’s...
That’sa...
That’s . . . (writes Desserts next to Deserts on the board).
Deserts...ah...without...water...
Without what?
Water.
OK. Good.
Sand...
Whatisit?Drywithoutwater. . .sand. . .whatdowecallit? Dry what? xx.
Isitadryfruit...drywhat? Dry place.
OK. Good. Dry land or dry place . . . is a desert. What does the other one mean? Desserts? . . . S1?
uh...Idon’t... Sweet...icecream...
OK. It can mean fruit or ice cream or cake. When do we eat it?
After . . . dinner.
OK. After we’ve eaten dinner. We’ll have dessert. So the dif- ference between deserts and desserts is quite a bit, isn’t it?
(Data source: Kumaravadivelu, 1992)
