3. The challenge of oral interaction in
the classroom.
• Carefully planned and
not improvised.
• A commitment that
English be the sole
language used.
• Access to resources
for students.
4. Teacher Commitment.
• The role of the
teacher is demanding.
• Teachers have to
create a comfortable
climate.
• The teacher is:
– the language
model
– guide
– helper
– ally…
5. Common Language Teacher Styles
• The Director.
• The Questioner.
• The Passive Teacher.
• The Negative
Teacher.
• The Entertainer.
• The Responsive
Teacher.
6. The Responsive Teacher
• Child´s interests, needs and abilities.
• Builds up and Breaks Down Language.
• Pauses.
• Active language learners and users all day long.
7. Careful Preparation
• Inclusion of previously learned language.
• Anticipate students´gaps in knowledge.
• Provide explicit examples and demonstrations.
8. Careful Preparation
• Focus of the task.
• Short,concise explanations.
• How to present,supervise and participate.
• Take advantage of the “present moment”.
• Resources for the activity.
• Other material.
9. Acquiring Functional Language
• Students need “a bit of everything” to interact
orally.
• Language related to daily life in the class:
– expressing needs.
– asking for help, permission.
– agreeing or disagreeing.
– giving opinion.
– inviting and suggesting.
– offering assistance.
10. Acquiring Functional Language
• Natural language use.
• Establishing language
routines:
– greetings
– pleasantries
– praising
11. Adjusting Input
• The content of teacher-talk can be adjusted by:
– focussing on functional language.
– short statements.
– brief and concrete explanations.
– repeating learned words and expressions.
– repeating key words and expressions.
– reformulating.
– giving instructions step by step.
– presenting information logically.
12. Adjusting Input
• Teacher-talk can be adjusted by:
– pronouncing clearly
– not repeating in students´ L1
– pausing
– varying intonation
– using gestures
– referring to pictures, posters…
– writing essential information
– using realia
13. What are Build-Ups and Break –
Downs?
• Build-up language:
use complex language to help children grow their
language skills.
• Break-down language:
simplify language to help children enter into
converstations and understand.
19. Four Square Vocabulary
Example:
Compulsory Going to school
My Definition: Non- example:
You have to do it. Spa Visit
20. Let´s do a new one together
Example:
It´s not rocket science
My Definition Non- example
21. Let´s do a new one together
Example:
It´s not rocket science Come on, it's only a crossword, it's
not rocket science.
My Definition Non- example
It´s very easy It´s nothing to do with exploring
Easy-peasy Mars.
It´s a piece of cake
22. Practice makes perfect
Our aim is to develop functional language in meaningful
contexts by providing students with opportunities to use
English again and again.
Editor's Notes
Authentic communication is a constant back and forth – from listening to speaking and from speaking to listening – between people who have something to share. Listening or speaking cannot be one-way in a communicative setting. For real communication to take palce, there must be interaction betwen people.Given this premise, we should work on the dynamics of oral interaction rather than on the static nature of oral production.
The goal of oral interaction competency is to help students become functional in English or, in other words, to use spontaneous, natural and effective English in day to day class life. How is oral interaction fostered for beginner-level students? How can teachers and students communicate in English at all times? Developing oral interaction in English represents a considerable challenge; it has to be carefully planned and not improvised. To ensure that a high degree of oral interaction takes palces in the classroom, certain conditions are necessary: -a commitment on the part of the teacher that English be the sole language used in class. -careful preparation -access to resources for students(especially visuals)
We, teachers, have the commitment that our classes take place in English from day one. The role of the teacher in an interactive classroom is demanding.The teacher is the driving force behind students´interaction,especially in the early stages of learning. Teachers have to create a climate in which students feel at ease. The class becomes a comfortable and stimulating environment where teacher-student and student-student interaction happens spontaneously and naturally. The role of the teacher is: the language model, guide and helper. The teacher provides support by filling in gaps in knowledge as needs arise, by helping create links with previous learning and by supplying the appropiate voacbulary and expressions.The role od the teacher is indeed paramount. The teacher enables students to take control of their own learning and interact in English.
There are different teacher language styles. We may recognise ourselves in one or in some of the following. But do we know what each style stands for? Types of teachers THE DIRECTOR teacher is very tough on students. Students have to be extra cautious under such a teacher. He/she is like a disciplinarian, always keeping students on their toes. THE QUESTIONER Why didn’t you, why, why? Discouraging and frustrating THE PASSIVE teacher never minds. THE NEGATIVE Always from bad to not so good. Very motivating for students. THE ENTERTEINER teacher is like a God-sent to the students. THE RESPONSIVE TEACHER Such a perfect motivates them and boosts their morale. He/she tries to encourage the students and refrains from criticizing them.
Responsive = sensitive, positive. He/she is tuned into the child´s interests, needs and abilities. He/she builds up and breaks down Language all day long, across curricular topics in response to the children´s needs. He/she pauses to allow children to think and to speak. He/she encourages children to be active language learners and users all day long.
Careful class preparation is a determinant factor in the develpment of oral interaction. If teachers want students to experience interaction in English during class, we must pay close attention to the ppreparation of the activities. Preparation should always make provision for the inclusion of previously learned language. It is important to anticipate how to compensatee for students´gaps in knowledge so that classroom activities are possible in the second language.Insuficient preparation can lead to a proliferation of explanations in L1. Restricting explanations to a few statements and following up with an interactive demonstration have the effect of clarifying the activity and stimulating students´imaginations. During the presentation phase of activities, teachers should limit explanations and provide explicit examples and demonstrations.
So thorough preparation should include: -the focus of the task: key features, characteristics, and subject content. -short, concise explanations. -Preparation should include how to present, supervise and participate in learning activities. -While being specific, preparation should also be sufficiently flexible so as to take advantage of the “present moment” , as it becomes an opportunity to use authentic language.There is nothing more significant, more authentic than the “ present moment”. -we should be careful in the selection of the resources for the activity: posters in clear view and expressions banks.that students can refer to when needed. To express themselves in English right from the start, students must have access to a variety of resources, such as word and expression banks,posters,computer programs, the teacher and peers. By having access to and managing resources students take control of their own learning and become more autonomous. If it´s posible an environment equipped with the proper resources facilitates everyday classroom intearction in English.
Students do not need an enormous amount of language to begin interacting, but they do need “a bit of everything”. Since beginner students require “a bit of everything” to interact orally, it is important to allow students to acquire early on and in context the useful expressions they will need most often. Expressions related to the following areas: -expressing needs: e.g.: I´m not finished., I forgot my ppencil.,I don´t have an eraser.,I need a paper. -asking for help: e.g. : Wait a minute.,I have a problem.,Can you repeat,please?, I don´t understand.,Can you help me, please?, How do you say…?... -asking for permission: e.g.: May I sharpen my pencil?, Can I go to the toilet?... -agreeing/disagreeing/giving an opinion: e.g. I agree/disagree.,I want/don´t want, That´s correct/incorrect,… -inviting and suggesting: Do you want to work with me?, Please, come here.,let´s…….. Once developed, functional language stays with students and provides language store which will be the basis of future learning.
Students base their understanding to a great extent on elements that accompany natural language use: general context, intonation, gestures… Establishing simple routines is another excellent means of providing a sense of security to students.
The English that teachers use has to be comprehensible. Students already have the challenge of learning a new language.What students hear and understand has to be adjusted to facilitate learning.Just as parents adjust their input for young children, so we teachers should adjust the content and the means of transmission. The content of teacher-talk can be adjusted by: -focussing on functional language. - making short statements. -keeping explanations brief and concrete explanations. -using cognates. -repeating learned words and expressions. -repeating key words and expressions. -reformulating in order to simplify information -giving instructions step by step. -presenting information logically.
Teacher-talk can be adjusted emplying the following means: pronouncing clearly, using a natural delivery. not repeating in L1 Pausing to let students process information and gather their thoughts in ordeer to respond. varying intonation for specific words or expressions using gestures and body language, using mime and dramatic demonstrations referring to pictures,posters, checklists,posted rules. writing essential information on the board using realia
Builds-ups and break-downs allow the teacher to modify a classroom activity to address different levels of language learners.
Synonyms: huge, enormous, gigantic. Related words: hobby, plants, lawn Words in the same group: run, leap, dance, crawl… WHOLE BODY ACTIONS. Categorical Relations: vehicle, car, Ford, Chevy
Word origin: When you speak English, you are speaking words that have been derived from other languages. For example, pretzel is from the German language, patio is from the Spanish language, and tomato is from the Native American language. However, about 60% of all English words come from Latin or Greek origins so knowledge of these languages would be most helpful in understanding many new words and phrases. COGNATE: Pleasurable comes from the french PLAISIR WORD ORIGIN: To buy a farm. In the second World War the family of soldiers who were killed in a battle were given what they needed to buy a farm . Derivation: Words are formed from existing words or bases by adding affixes, as singer from sing, by changing the shape of the word or base, as song from sing, or by adding an affix and changing the pronunciation of the word or base, as electricity from electric. The noun pleasure with the suffix able is changed to an adverb Synonyms and Antonyms: Because there are so many words in the English language, some words mean the same things as or the opposite of other words. Synonyms are words that have the same meanings. Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. To help your child remember which is which, point out that s ynonym and s ame both begin with the letter s . Synonym for pleasurable: ENJOYABLE, SATISFYING,DELIGHTFUL Antonyms: UNPLEASANT, ANNOYING,BOTHERSOME Idioms: An expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up, such as, The apple of my eye or Cool as a cucumber .
Students need multiple opportuniites to manipulate and use the language in a creative manner.We should provide students with opportunities to use English again and again. Coclusion: Setting up a classroom where oral interaction is omnipresent takes time.This is time well-spent and necessary.It is paramount to give oral interaction the chance to manifest itself whenever possible.So, when time is taken to “live” in English, it may seem that less “material” is being covered. However, teachers must not feel that time is being wasted.
