Guided Conversation Practice
I. Rationale
This activity is designed for students that can read in the L2 learning setting. Students work on understanding basic conversational questions by working through the questions on the VIVA program. They then write their personalized answers to the same questions on cards, which they keep in their own zippered bag. They practice these questions by having a partner ask them the questions randomly.
This activity supports language development by a) using output as a way of noticing form, and b) developing a community of learners.
A) Using verbal output as a way to focus on form.
Schmidt (1990, 2001) proposed the hypothesis that nothing is learned until it is noticed. Lightbown and Spada (1990, 1994) observed that students had more problems with linguistic accuracy and complexity when their instruction lacked focus on form. Swain’s (1985) comprehensible output theory claims that it is while trying to communicate that the learner realizes the limitations of the L2 ability. This can lead to noticing and depending on the communicative activity could also include a focus on form.
B) Developing a community of learners.
One of the standards for foreign language learning is that students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. According to Phillips and Draper (1999) “A community can be a community of learners of different ages or in different locations. The idea here is that the classroom provides the means so that students can interact beyond their classroom walls.” “The intent of the ‘lifelong learning’ standard is that students from the beginning develop the tools, the habits of mind, and the motivations that allow them to independently pursue activities using language throughout their lifetime.” (p. 68).
Lave (1991) studied apprenticeship communities of practice and discussed how the development of knowledge within that community also went hand in hand with a change in identity. I am working to help my students to identify themselves as learners of the language with important roles to play within a community of other learners.
Description
Students complete conversational units on the VIVA program. This involves the student being able to select the correct translation for auditory input. Due to the nature of the VIVA program the student must pass eight different levels of play giving ample opportunity to hear the questions or answers with accurate pronunciation and learn to understand what they are hearing.
This activity is designed for students that can read in the L2 learning setting. Students work on understanding basic conversational questions by working through the questions on the VIVA program. They then write their personalized answers to the same questions on cards, which they keep in their own zippered bag. They practice these questions by having a partner ask them the questions randomly.
This activity supports language development by a) using output as a way of noticing form, and b) developing a community of learners.
A) Using verbal output as a way to focus on form.
Schmidt (1990, 2001) proposed the hypothesis that nothing is learned until it is noticed. Lightbown and Spada (1990, 1994) observed that students had more problems with linguistic accuracy and complexity when their instruction lacked focus on form. Swain’s (1985) comprehensible output theory claims that it is while trying to communicate that the learner realizes the limitations of the L2 ability. This can lead to noticing and depending on the communicative activity could also include a focus on form.
B) Developing a community of learners.
One of the standards for foreign language learning is that students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. According to Phillips and Draper (1999) “A community can be a community of learners of different ages or in different locations. The idea here is that the classroom provides the means so that students can interact beyond their classroom walls.” “The intent of the ‘lifelong learning’ standard is that students from the beginning develop the tools, the habits of mind, and the motivations that allow them to independently pursue activities using language throughout their lifetime.” (p. 68).
Lave (1991) studied apprenticeship communities of practice and discussed how the development of knowledge within that community also went hand in hand with a change in identity. I am working to help my students to identify themselves as learners of the language with important roles to play within a community of other learners.
Description
Students complete conversational units on the VIVA program. This involves the student being able to select the correct translation for auditory input. Due to the nature of the VIVA program the student must pass eight different levels of play giving ample opportunity to hear the questions or answers with accurate pronunciation and learn to understand what they are hearing.
Once the student has completed the unit on VIVA they are given cards on which to put their own answers to the questions. The teacher helps them with this activity. Students are then given a zippered pencil bag in which to keep their cards.
I label each student’s bag by writing on duct tape and keep each classes’ bags of cards in a separate bin, color-coded by class.
During conversation practice time students are put in pairs and exchange bags. Students pick random cards from their partners bag and ask the question. The partner can check for understanding based on the answer given. So for instance if you asked, “What is your last name?” but your partner gave an unrelated answer you could show your partner the card and help them see their mistake. For example Iñupiaq language learners often confuses the questions “What is your last name?” with “Who are your parents?” so this practice helps with differentiating between these questions.
Students should practice asking and answering at least some of the questions each day. Once students have grown comfortable and confident in answering most of the questions the activity can be done as a “race” to see how many questions can be answered correctly in a specific amount of time. I keep track of students' scores during the race in order to evaluate progress.
Students should practice asking and answering at least some of the questions each day. Once students have grown comfortable and confident in answering most of the questions the activity can be done as a “race” to see how many questions can be answered correctly in a specific amount of time. I keep track of students' scores during the race in order to evaluate progress.
Once students are comfortable asking and answering the questions they can be taken out into a community setting and asked to gather information by asking the questions to fluent speakers. I've attached the form they use to write down the answers that they get from the community members they ask.
conversation_questions_activity.pdf | |
File Size: | 26 kb |
File Type: |
Reflection
I developed this activity to give my students a way to practice asking and answering questions that they might encounter in the community. It is very common for community members to ask whom a student’s parents or grandparents are as that is the way they can connect to the child.
I have done this activity with both my Spanish and Iñupiaq students. My Spanish students used the practice with their cards to communicate basic information with the group that they did the online activity with. My Iñupiaq students have practiced their conversation questions when we have adult visitors to our classroom that naturally ask them the questions. Both of these are instances where my students have been able to connect to the larger language community. I plan to take my high school Iñupiaq students to the senior center and have them each do a survey with the seniors where they have to ask some of the basic questions to several different seniors. It will naturally follow that the seniors will also ask the questions of my students.
I developed this activity to give my students a way to practice asking and answering questions that they might encounter in the community. It is very common for community members to ask whom a student’s parents or grandparents are as that is the way they can connect to the child.
I have done this activity with both my Spanish and Iñupiaq students. My Spanish students used the practice with their cards to communicate basic information with the group that they did the online activity with. My Iñupiaq students have practiced their conversation questions when we have adult visitors to our classroom that naturally ask them the questions. Both of these are instances where my students have been able to connect to the larger language community. I plan to take my high school Iñupiaq students to the senior center and have them each do a survey with the seniors where they have to ask some of the basic questions to several different seniors. It will naturally follow that the seniors will also ask the questions of my students.