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All those bits and pieces and odds and ends that are
sometimes overlooked
Introduction
- Punctuation
- Linking words and conjunctions
- The alphabet
- Numbers
- Abbreviations
- Classroom language
- Paralanguage
- Word order
- Metalanguage
In my experience, basic (and not so basic) errors are made in almost all of
these areas at any level of proficiency. It is often the case that such errors are
remedial and should be dealt with only as they arise. However, sometimes a
case can be made for looking at them more closely, and that is exactly what
we’re going to do…
Punctuation
Dear Jack I want a man who knows what love is all about you are
generous kind and thoughtful people who are not like you admit to
being useless and inferior you have ruined me for other men I yearn for
you I have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart I can be forever
happy will you let me be yours Jill.
2. Proceduralising/Personalising Activities
hi my names john I like cricket bob Dylan and beer this weekend im
going to… etc.
Do this with your text as a model, get students to write their own, then
report it to a partner who must write it down and punctuate accordingly.
Usually works very nicely.
This obviously moves things up a level, but the principles remain the
same. Adding punctuation is one thing, adding a linker or conjunction
‘colours’ the punctuation in a way that roots the linker or conjunction
firmly in context rather than having to deal with it in the abstract.
Both in the classroom and outside it, learners will find themselves in positions
in which they need to communicate not in words or sentences but in letters
and numbers. ‘How do you spell X?’, ‘What’s your email address?’, etc. These
questions often prompt confusing responses in which phonemes and letters
get confused (especially because of L1 slippage). The one catch-all remedy
I’ve found for this is the (only very slightly adapted) activity from English File.
(see appendix)
Numbers are more commonly explicitly addressed by coursebooks. They also
often crop up incidentally in other activities which reveal gaps in student
production, especially if the number in question is over 100. Whenever this is
the case, I find any activity that, again, connects English as it is spoken to the
numerical equivalent will be of benefit. Some obvious solutions:
The example I have given you is my tube quiz. The main aim of this lesson is
reading skills, but the sub-aim is lexical – numbers. It works nicely because,
again, it focuses on meaning and allows space for learners to self-correct,
discuss and negotiate that meaning before ‘perfecting’ an answer for
feedback. Often with this style of task, no correction is necessary; the other
students do the work for you. This is possible because the focus is firmly on
meaning.
Abbreviations
Classroom Language
Paralanguage
Though it’s pedagogic value may be debatable, there are few lessons more
fun that paralanguage lessons. By paralanguage, we mean the ‘words’ that
we say that aren’t really words; eg ‘ouch’, ‘hmmm’, ‘phew’.
Conclusion
We all pay attention to all these things and we all correct them daily. More
often than not, I believe that they are best addressed as they arise and not as
the aim or sub-aim of a lesson. However, I also think that these things do
cause real communicative problems and sometimes should be directly
addressed. Hopefully I’ve given you a few ideas as to how you can go about
this. Even if you think that’s rubbish, you have to agree that it’s amazing what
a difference all these small things can make to a learner’s communicative
competence and what a hindrance they can be if this solid foundation is not
there.