Abstract
The difficulty that Japanese learners of English have in spoken interaction is widely documented (E.g. Cutrone, 2009). Similarly, the tendency for English language education in Japan to focus on formal testing and assessment of declarative linguistic knowledge has been noted. (E.g. Green, 2016).
This written language bias in linguistics (Linnel, 2005) may manifest itself in classroom activities that focus on differentiating ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ learner output, usually with a single ‘correct’ answer being the explicit goal of the exercise. However, during mundane spoken interaction participants frequently use language in a creative and novel manner. This presentation will outline several classroom activities that are designed to challenge the learners to utilize their extant language knowledge to produce pragmatically appropriate utterances that are individuated, novel and creative. The presentation will outline reported speech to report topic (rather than content), use of sense verbs (look, sound, etc.) in simile constructions and backchannel utterances, use of upgrade adjectives to demonstrate rather than merely claim understanding, and self-paraphrase to structure narrative. Classroom materials and handouts will be provided to support the points made. The audience will come away with concrete examples of language activities that are seldom addressed in textbooks and that help learners move past a mechanistic view of language, facilitating a transition from language learners to language users.
Short summary
This presentation will outline several classroom activities that move away from traditional notions of ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ outcomes and focus instead on encouraging students to use all of their extant knowledge to create utterances that are pragmatically appropriate but not merely pro forma. Classroom activities regarding reported speech, use of sense verbs, self-paraphrase, and backchannel utterances will be showcased along with classroom materials for promoting creativity, which is a key component of interactional competence.
References
Cutrone, P. (2009). Overcoming Japanese EFL learners' fear of speaking. Language studies working papers, 1, 55-63.
Green, A. (2016). Testing four skills in Japan. British Council New Directions in Language
Assessment: JASELE Journal Special Edition, 135-144
Linnell, P. (2005). The Written Language Bias in Linguistics: Its nature, origins and
transformations. Routledge.
Keywords
Speaking
Pragmatics
Creativity
Interaction
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|
| Title | No correct answers: Fostering autonomy and creativity in the L2 classroom |