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This activity is designed to facilitate the learning of pragmatic behaviors associated with greetings.

Outcome:  Learners will be able to interpret and produce greetings appropriately in varied contexts.

Resources:     

• Greetings video clips in the target language
• Sample greeting scenarios
• Greetings Resource Sheet

Procedure:    

1. Begin by having learners think of all of the ways they greet people in their own language. The list should be made in a place all learners can see it. Once the list is made, have learners sort the greetings based on different social dimensions and contextual features.  For example, formal/informal, friend/stranger, night/day, power/no power.
2. Observation: Have learners observe 2-3 video clips in the target language and complete Activity 1 on the resource sheet.
3. Interpretation: Create 5 greetings which demonstrate both proper greetings and examples where miscommunication might occur.  Have learners complete Activity 2 on the resource sheet in order to interpret the meaning of each.
4. Production: Give learners a variety of greeting scenarios and have them greet one another in appropriate ways.