Span/Fren/Germ/TESL 400-500

Study Guide: Chapter 8 Developing Oral and Written Interpersonal Communication

  1. How do we define “proficiency”? (p. 247)

2. Please fill in the assessment criteria for each major level of the ACTFL Rating Scale. (page 249)

Proficiency Level / Global Tasks and Functions / Context/Content / Accuracy / Text Type

Superior / Settings:
Topics:
______/ Settings:
Topics:
______/ Settings:
Topics:
______/ Settings:
Topics:

3. Discuss 3 main “implications” of the OPI for language teachers. (pages 253-254)

4. List 6 characteristics of interpersonal oral communication. (p. 254-255

5. Explain what WTC is, and the “implications” for language instruction. (p. 256-257)

Teacher-Student interpersonal communication:

6. In interpersonal communication in which there is interaction between the TEACHER and the STUDENTS, give 6 actions teachers should be performing to assist the performance of the students during “IC” (instructional conversations). Explain some of these. (p. 258)

7. What (7) kinds of teacher actions can you turn into “ICs”? (p. 259 lists 7 kinds)

8. List 8 characteristics of ICs. (p. 259-260 list 8)

Student-student (group) interaction:

9. Can we assume students know how to take turns speaking while interacting in their group tasks?_____. What must teachers do to teach students how to engage in turn-taking? (p. 260)

10. What are “routines” and “gambits”? (p. 260-261)

11. Explain HOW the students in the study described on p. 261 were taught to use gambits. What activities were they given to teach them?

12. What makes an activity “task-based”? (pages 266-267)

13. Discuss some other kinds of “cooperative learning activities”. (p. 267-275.

14. What should teachers remember when grouping students, and when designing group tasks? (p. 275-276)

Teaching interpersonal writing:

15. Discuss some ways interpersonal communication can be encouraged through written means. (p. 279-283)

Providing feedback:

16. What is “uptake”? What are “recasts”? Explain. (p. 283-285)

17. What are the implications for teachers regarding error correction and feedback? (p. 288) Explain how you plan to address students' errors while they are engaging in oral discourse in your classroom.

18. Be creative: Using the information from Chapter 8, (1) explain why the following activity is not an effective one for developing oral communication skills (be specific), and (2) describe a more effective activity.

Task: Working with a partner or in groups of 3, create and write a dialog using the vocabulary and structures from our unit on shopping. Each person should have at least 6 lines. When your dialog is finished, memorize your lines and practice with your group. You will present your dialog to the class tomorrow.

19. Complete Episode One (p. 288-289), Option 1 or 2, and submit in class.

20. Complete Episode Two (p. 289) and submit in class.

21. Complete Case Study One (p. 290-292), including accessing the online Appendix 8.10 to see the complete explanation of the rules and procedures for the Survivor game. Answer “Ask yourself” numbers 3, 4, 5; and “To prepare for class discussion” numbers 1 and 2. Keep in mind the following:

  • In answering “Ask yourself” number 3, discuss the idea of “strategy training” and give some suggestions for strategy training during the pre-game phase.See pages 265-266, where “strategy training” is discussed, and 4 strategies are suggested, but actual examples of activities one might use to carry out the training are not given.Choose one of the 4 strategies listed to provide an actual activity that we can have our students do to practice this strategy.
  • In answering “Ask yourself” number 4, refer to the “willingness to communicate” WTC discussion found on pages 255-257.If figure 8.6 seems confusing, just ignore it.

Other tasks:

Third Classroom Observation "Reflections" due Nov. 5. Comment on such activities as warm-ups, use of IC’s, student-to-student interaction, groups, communicative activities, task-based activities, feedback, etc. Use the “Effective Teacher” handout (see Orientation section of Blackboard) for other teacher actions to observe.

Draft of Unit Plan and first three lesson plans Nov. 5.