| p>In order for our adult ESL students to use English | | | | This is the step that will begin to put the dialog |
| effectively when they leave our classrooms, they | | | | elements into longterm memory and make the |
| have to get lots of opportunities during class to | | | | application of the dialog to real life more obvious. |
| practice using English. Every ESL program recognizes | | | | Have students perform the tasks in the dialog - help |
| this critical need of refugee and immigrant students | | | | move a table, retrieve the yellow paper, pick up a |
| and encourages all ESL teachers to "minimize teacher | | | | box, address an envelope, find a stapler, answer the |
| talk" in their classroom so that student talk can be | | | | phone, bring me the scissors. Demonstrate various |
| encouraged. The more opportunities students have | | | | tasks that the students can do and provide them |
| to practice and get feedback on their use of English, | | | | with the wording they need to talk about them. |
| the better for them. | | | | Remember - in these dialogs, some students are |
| Easier said than done, however, many beginning ESL | | | | asking for help, and some are providing help, so |
| teachers would say. | | | | students need to be able to do both parts of the |
| In this article I will provide the first of many | | | | dialog. |
| strategies teachers can use to help minimize the | | | | Step 4 |
| amount of speaking THEY do, and maximize the | | | | Have students perform the dialogs with each other. |
| amount of speaking that their students do. | | | | Everyone has to listen closely now because they |
| Strategy #1: Use dialogs creatively. When students | | | | don't know what their partner is going to ask them |
| have learned a series of short, focused, dialogs | | | | to do. Thus, the clarification strategy is suddenly very |
| geared to everyday functions like "requesting," | | | | useful because students who fail to paraphrase and |
| "clarifying, and "giving directions," it can open the door | | | | clarify usually perform their tasks incorrectly, so the |
| to a wide variety of applications in the classroom. | | | | value of these strategies and the necessity of using |
| Since I have most often taught in work-readiness | | | | them becomes obvious to everyone. |
| ESL programs, I like to teach dialogs that can be | | | | Conclusion |
| used at work. These dialogs are usually short and | | | | This 4-step process allows ample opportunity for |
| sweet, no more than 9-10 short lines, which | | | | every student to listen, speak and practice English for |
| demonstrate a variety of language functions.: | | | | the duration of the class while the teacher has hardly |
| Here's an example of a common request made at | | | | had to say a word. The content of the dialogs, and |
| work: | | | | the context in which they are used, do all the |
| A. Hey, Joan! [function: get someone's attention] | | | | explanatory work. All the teacher has to do is guide |
| B. Yeah? | | | | the students by providing realistic and useful dialogs, |
| A. Can you help me? [function: make a request] | | | | and supplying vocabulary when needed. |
| B. Sure, what do you need? [function: get more | | | | Try it. You'll see the energy level in your classroom |
| information] | | | | zoom up as students become more physically |
| A. I need to move the table over there. | | | | involved in their language learning, and as they see |
| B. Okay. (student moves the table) | | | | how immediately applicable the lesson is to their |
| A. Thanks a lot. | | | | everyday lives. Having the opportunity to practice |
| B. You bet. | | | | and master a new language strategy in a safe, yet |
| The next dialog includes strategies for clarifying and | | | | not completely predictable environment, and being |
| paraphrasing, which will prove very useful for our | | | | actively involved instead of passive - all of these |
| students, especially at work: | | | | potential attributes of dialog learning can be brought |
| A. Hey, Ka! Can you bring me a piece of yellow | | | | to the fore in a well-structured lesson or series of |
| paper? [function: make a request] | | | | lessons. (Depending on class level, these steps might |
| B. Sure. Where is it? [function: accept a request/get | | | | be completed in one class session or they may take |
| more information] | | | | a week or more.) |
| A. In the paper cabinet, on the top shelf, in back. | | | | And don't forget - review review review! Spend 10 |
| [function; 3-step instruction] | | | | to 15 minutes during the next lesson reviewing and |
| B. In the paper cabinet, on the top shelf, in back? | | | | using the dialogs. As time goes on, you can stop the |
| [function: paraphrase and clarify] | | | | formal review, but continue to incorporate the dialogs |
| A. Right. | | | | and apply them in the classroom whenever a |
| B. Okay. (Student retrieves the yellow paper.) Here | | | | situation arises naturally. For example, ask students to |
| you go. | | | | bring you a pen when yours stops working, or to |
| A. Thanks! | | | | help you move the desks around before class starts, |
| B. No problem. | | | | or to retrieve a book off the bookshelf. And don't |
| Step 1 | | | | forget that they have to be able to ask for help too, |
| Teach the dialogs - the meaning and the vocabulary. | | | | so don't let them get away with pointing and |
| Teacher talk will be dominant at this point in the | | | | gesturing and shrugging their shoulders to get their |
| process, but it will be of short duration. | | | | point across. Instead, encourage them to use what |
| Step 2 | | | | they learned in the dialogs to ask for help when they |
| Students practice the dialogs in pairs. | | | | actually need it. Make it clear that the dialogs are not |
| Step 3 | | | | just a classroom exercise. Rather, they provide useful |
| Add physical action to the mix. It is critical to | | | | strategies for navigating the real world. |
| synchronize the action with the words in the dialog. | | | | |