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Minimizing perceptual mismatches 85
certain specific language learning strategies that would generate discussions, disagreements, and negotiations thereby giving an opportunity for an extended conversational practice. However, consider the interaction between S1 and S2:
Episode 4.5
S1 First, one hundred ten dollars. This is costly.
S2 Yeah.
S1 Second,uh...size...five.
S2 Small.
S1 Thisone...sizebig.
S2 Whichone...(laughs)...oh...yeah,that’sright.No.
S1 This...shehasonlyseven...
S2 Seventy dollars.
S1 Seventy-seven.
S2 Oh . . . yeah . . . Seventy-seven dollars.
S1 It’s expensive.
S2 Yeah . . . number five.
S1 Yeah.
The learners used the simplest possible strategy of elimination and solved the problem within a few minutes and without much negotiation. The teacher’s expectation of an extended dialogue did not materialize. The mismatch here is between the strategies the teacher expected the learners to use and ones they actually used.
6. Cultural mismatch: This source refers to the prior knowledge of the cultural norms of the target language community minimally required for the learners to understand and solve a problem- oriented task. Consider this:
