Reading and tackling the role of responses: More than comprehension questions Classroom learning is often driven by questions or tasks given and the answer or product required. This is especially noticeable in learning cultures in which the teacher defines the ‘how’ of learning by the one correct answer sought or a closely defined outcome. With an examination dominant system driven by competitive school league tables, correctness may begin to dominate creativity and critical thinking. Yet this can be contested if facilitators of learning use varied responses to reading rather than rely on the one and only correct task type or response. This workshop will provide experience in varied task types which are responses to written text. Just two reading texts will be used to suggest a range of responses which could stimulate vocabulary understanding and use, while developing creativity in teaching and learning

1. Reading and tackling the
role of responses:
more than comprehension
questions
Professor Stephen J Hall
Centre for English Language Studies

2. Where are we going?
• Task, Text and Interaction
• Tasks and the power of response types
• Using varied responses

3. Reality 101 Beyond the report book
All learning depends on the interactional climate we create
within the powerful domain of our ‘four walls.’

4. Task
TextInteraction

5. Suggested text based strategies
• Set the context for the text
• Raise awareness of the text type and its purpose
• Pre-teach key specialised vocabulary
• Articulate the cognitive skill
• Foster self evaluation for learners and ourselves

6. Text and learning
• The form of the answer will drive the approach to the task
• Vocabulary levels – active or passive knowledge
• Sentence length and subordination in sentences
• Visual ease and support
• Text type – length, cultural familiarity, awareness of audience
• The evaluation feedback

7. Easing text transitions
• Teach the form and function of key productive
vocabulary
• Provide varied explanations
• Systematize recording use of the vocabulary
learning
• Correct strategies and model processes
• Spaced significant repetition

8. Suggested task based strategies
• Focus by making the task clear
• Make the steps transparent adding cognitive
challenges for expansion –examples, ordering,
hypothesizing
• Articulate the cognitive skill
• Foster self evaluation for learners and ourselves

9. Responses to Text
• Language form based
• Content based
• Transforming text types
• Question writing

10. Responses to form (code) in the
text:identifying
• Nouns
• Verbs
• Adjectives
Scan for
Transition markers and their purposes

11. Responses through different texts
Rewriting
• 156 characters (SMS) the key point
Facebook posting
Slogans for each paragraph
Diss the crud vs a critique
Physically recording ‘a quote’

13. • Wh questions link to grammar awareness
• Who to the actor
• When to specifying time specifics
• How to broad range reasoning
• Why to divergent evaluative higher reasoning

14. Retooling the mode –
’heavier’ cognitive task
• Headline
• Summarize for the busy boss
• Rewrite as an interview
• Sell the idea
• Shorter length is not always easier

15. Content change 1
• Gender
• Character
• Setting
• Time frame
• An element at a time links form and function

16. Content change 2
• Before
• After
• The aliens come
• The ending to oooh…
• No I woke up and it was a dream

17. Graphic Responses #1
• The Good
• And we are not so sure so
• The Bad
• Its in interesting

18. Graphic Responses @
• See Google • Use the net

19. Don’t forget the speakers and artists
the listeners the visualizers

20. Questions are key
• Write a question which you remember using
yesterday?
• What was the purpose of the question?
• What would you do with the response?
• How would you simplify the question?
• How would you extend the learning/knowledge
gained ?

21. A task with text
• Task
• Text
• Interaction
• Creative with a summative presentation

22. Tasks and learning
• The form of the answer will drive the approach to
the task
• Learning arrangements- individual, pair, group
• The opportunities to ask meaningful questions
• The links between modes of learning- aural, visual,
kinesics
• The stages for reinforcement, correction and
learning
• The high or low stakes in the product
• The evaluation feedback

23. Tasks and learning cultures
• Sell teamwork skills:individual versus
cooperation
• Limit critiques to the positive
• Foster the original
• Demonstrate Google translate limitations
• Learn from everyone’s story

24. How do we
• scaffold the learning
• provide for spaced significant repetition
• restate, provide visual or redefining support
• teach questioning skills
• learn from each other as educators?

25. Considerate and compatible reading
• Considerate text- language and text features
within students processing capacity
• Compatible text- aligned with learners’
background knowledge and cognitive maturity
• Grabbe,2o09 cited from Renandya,2015
• Tasks which are challenging a little ,engaging,
and fun

26. Teacher reflective questions
• Scribbled notes –in action
• Five minutes after note – individual, task text
• Noting down sucesses
• Using learner questions
• Demonstrating in follow up lesson

27. Learner reflection
to build a reflective classroom
• Today I
• Learnt….
• Felt…
• Enjoyed…
• Wanted to ask about…
• Planned…

29. Thank you for listening
Professor Stephen J Hall
Centre for English Language Studies
Sunway University Malaysia
www.stephenjhall.com