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Introduction
Communicative Language Teaching has always sought legitimacy in its
attempt to bridge the enduring gap between linguistic competence and
communicative incompetence built up through overemphasis of linguistic
manipulations and sheer neglect of actual use that integrates all the
skills, micro and macro as in real life situations.
In this paper, this malfunction will be reviewed metaphorically in a
pedagogical allegory inspired by the values that pervades American
political history, from the Declaration of Independence to the election of
an African American to the highest office in the world.
The Constitution
The groundswell of support that ushered Barack Obama into the White
House reflects a culture of republican idealism and law abiding
citizenship. By electing him, the American people have lived up to the
promises of equality entrenched in the Declaration of Independence and
the Constitution of the USA. This second Revolution after the War of
Independence would not have come about, had the laws of the land not
been upheld by people who believe that the ideals and the values of the
Republic cannot accommodate second class citizenship advocated by the
“Separate but equal” doctrine of segregation until 1954 (Brown Vs.
School Board of Topeka), that the law of the land is integration.
1
Hutchinson & Waters compare ELT alternatively to a tree and a City. Here it is identified with a republic.
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2
The segregation/integration dichotomy, first introduced by HG Widdowson, is
metaphorically reviewed by Rebecca Oxford as a tapestry of interweaving strands, integrating
all the skills.
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He wished ..................________________________________________
He will never let you bring cleaning sticks into our country.
Never.................. ___________________________________________
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3
A reading passage is summarized by the tester and then gaps are left for completion by the
reader. (Hughes, 1997)
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PROPOSAL ONE
SITUATION: Read the text on Cleaning Sticks and complete this argument between an
American and a Senegalese who is chewing a cleaning stick enthusiastically. They are at a
New York bus stop4.
American: Stop spitting all over the place, ______________?
Senegalese: You never clean your teeth, _______________?
American: You know, in America, _______________________________
__________________________________________________________
Senegalese: _________________________________________________
PROPOSAL TWO
TASK: The Senegalese Oral Care Association (SOCA) has asked your
school to design a brochure for oral hygiene5.
Fill in the outline below with information from the text. Do NOT write
beyond the space provided.
4
This mild clash exemplifies the type of communication breakdown that can arise from the lack of Intercultural
Communicative Competence (Aptekin).
5
Tasks are defined as activities that can stand alone as fundamental units and that require
comprehending, producing, manipulating, or interacting in authentic language while attention
is paid to meaning rather than form.
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1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
Whether you use a chewing stick or a toothbrush, have your teeth ________________
________________
regularly by __________________: they will give you proper advice.
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Conclusion
In this pedagogical allegory, I have tried to show that a professional
body needs a code of conduct similar to a constitution that “draws its
just powers” from the knowledgeable compliance of the citizens with the
rule of law. In the case of ELT in Senegal, the law of the land is
embodied by the National Syllabus greatly inspired by the concepts of
integration and interaction. Isolating grammar from a context of
situation or separating reading from writing is closer to pedagogical
expediency than to principled teaching practices. The former is a
shortcut to anarchy; the latter is the path to the rule of law in the
Republic of ELT.
Mathiam Thiam
Faculté des Sciences et Technologies de l’Education et de la Formation
(Fastef), Inspecteur Général de l’Education Nationale
mathiamthiam@yahoo.fr
December 2008
References:
1. Nunan, D. (1989). Designing Tasks for the Communicative
Classroom. Cambridge: CUP
2. Hughes, A. (1997). Testing for Language Teachers. CUP
3. Integrated Skills in the ESL/EFL Classroom. (ERIC Digest#EDO-FL-
01-05). Author: Rebecca Oxford, University of Maryland
http://www.cal.org./ericcll/digest/0105oxford.html
Appendix
Cleaning Sticks
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"There are several documented studies which suggest that the cleaning sticks are at
least as effective as normal toothbrushes and paste in maintaining routine oral
health," Christine D. Wu, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University
of Illinois College of Dentistry, told Reuters. She said some laboratory studies
indicated plants from which some of the sticks in Africa are cut contain protective
anti-microbial compounds that act against the bacteria in the mouth which cause
tooth decay and gum disease. "And if these sticks do contain fluoride, as plants do,
then this would be beneficial for caries prevention," Wu said, although she stressed
much more research needed to be done on the sticks and their use by humans.
The World Health Organization bas encouraged the use of chewing sticks as an
alternative source of oral hygiene in poor countries where many cannot afford
commercial dental products. ln mostly Muslim Senegal, people say there is religious
precedent for the use of the chewing sticks. ln holy Islamic writings known as the
Hadiths, the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) recommends its use as part of cleaning
rituals that are an essential element of daily prayer. "For prayers, you have to get
really clean, and that includes the teeth," said Diop, an invalid whose left leg is
deformed _ a childhood injury sustained when a sharp twig pierced his bare foot in
the bush and the wound became infected. Although commercially made toothbrushes
from leading international brands are available in Dakar supermarkets and
pharmacies, many people say they prefer the chew -sticks. "It's better because it's
natural. I used to use a brush, but it made my gums bleed," said Alassane Sy, an off-
duty police officer, stopping to buy a stick from Diop. Price helps too. While a
manufactured toothbrush can cost upwards of 300 CFA francs (60 cents), a chew-
stick costs only 25 or 50 CFA, Diop said each type of stick had different stories and
origins associated with them. For example, the one named Matou-kel was believed to
bring luck. It is named after the tree it is cut from where bush deer _prized in
Senegal for their tender tasty venison -like to feed and rest. Another wood variety,
Soumpou, was traditionally used to provide a liquid used to cook a fortifying dish,
Laakh, which is made with millet. "lt gives energy," Diop said. But Wu had a word of
warning for stick chewers: don't overdo it, as too vigorous scrubbing can push back
the gums, causing gum recession exposing teeth roots to damage and decay.
htm :// www .seneweb.com/news/article/10848.php .PBUH stands for: Peace Be Upon Him
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