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TitleMaking Requests
SourceCASLS Activity of the Week
Body

by Kathryn Carpenter and Anna Torkkola, LTS Graduate Students

This activity was designed to help build the pragmatic awareness of intermediate-high English language learners with regards to making requests. It is part of a larger unit regarding jobs and education in which learners explore the vocabulary, grammar, and cultural norms relating to those arenas. The execution of this activity will take place over two days in class.

Objectives: Learners will be able to:

  • Identify and use appropriate requests
  • Modify request language based on assigned roles
  • Demonstrate understanding of ways to negotiate uncertain request interactions through a class brainstorm

Modes: Interpretive Reading, Interpersonal Communication, Presentational Writing (optional)

Materials needed: Guiding questions worksheet, whiteboard or flip charts, roles for role play

Procedure:

  1. The teacher gives learners two authentic examples of written requests to view in class. These should come from different types of sources such as a Facebook conversation and a written email. The class will engage in a preliminary mini-analysis in which they discuss possible markers of a request, when the markers are used and with whom, and potential responses to the request. Learners should find their own authentic examples in the target language as homework for the next class period. These examples can be markers embedded within a chat, email, blog post, social media, a television show or recorded interview, or a transcript of a conversation that they actually heard.
  2. The next day in class, learners discuss the examples that they found in small groups (Part 1 of worksheet). They should answer the following questions:
  1. Where did you find this example?
  2. How can you tell it’s a request?
  3. What happened in the interaction? How was it asked and answered?
  4. Is it direct or indirect? How can you tell?
  5. How would you describe the power dynamic?
  6. What made it a successful request or not?
  7. Are there any patterns you see across requests in your group?
  1. Learners should regroup as a class, and each group should share the characteristics of their requests. On the board, the teacher uses learner analysis to document the language was used to make requests. The teacher should write examples on the board based on some organizing principle--formality, certain word use, power dynamic, directness, etc. Then, the teacher should lead a discussion of when each request could be used, with whom, in what medium, etc.
  2. In groups, learners brainstorm ways of dealing with unclear situations involving requests or situations for which they aren’t sure how to act/respond. (Part 2 of worksheet).
  3. Learners regroup as a class and share their ideas about how deal with uncertainty in requests. The teacher should give feedback on the appropriateness of decision making.
  4. Learners receive role play scenarios and practice them in pairs. The teacher should rotate and give feedback as needed.
  5. Learners present their role plays in front of the class. They will be rated by their classmates on appropriateness of the interaction and give feedback on what part of the interaction should be handled differently.

Notes: As a possible extension, the teacher could provide three request scenarios in which students compose a written reflection detailing how they would respond to the requests made in a socially appropriate manner. Students will also provide a justification for their response that is based on the previous class discussions.

 

Publishdate2016-04-18 02:15:02