View Content #28502

by Miranda Burrows, UO Language Teaching Specialization Program Graduate Student

This activity is designed for explicit pragmatic instruction for learners that are unfamiliar with backchanneling as an indicator of active listening. It also allows learners to develop their subjectivity skills, or their ability to articulate their language and communication choices.

Learning outcomes:
Learners will be able to:

• Define backchanneling and give examples in learners' first language and in the target language.
• Observe a conversation and indicate when a backchannel has occurred.
• Explain their own choices of whether to engage in backchanneling or not.

Mode(s): Interperetive, Interpersonal

Materials: Backchanneling video

Procedure:

1. Ask learners to reflect on a time when they wanted to indicate they were listening without interrupting the flow of another person’s storytelling. 
2. Play the backchanneling video. At its close, ask learners to identify additional strategies they have used for backchanneling. Also, ask them to discuss (1) when they would use a backchannel and (2) when they feel that they would not like to engage in backchanneling. Support them in discussing the implications of those choices (e.g., not creating the appearance of active listening).
3. The teacher and a student volunteer will role play active listening in front of the group. The student will start telling a story and speak for about a minute, and then the teacher will model both nonverbal and verbal cues, or backchannels, to indicate they are actively engaged in listening. Before the role play conversation starts, ask learners to raise a finger when they notice the teacher using a backchannel.
4. Next, ask learners to pick a topic based on the content you have covered in class so far. Ask Partner A to share a story related to the topic for up to a minute. Ask Partner B to pick three different backchannels to try out while Partner A is speaking. Then, ask the partners to switch roles.
5. Ask learners to reflect on the conversation with their partners. They should discuss (1) why they chose particular backchannels and (2) what they found to be their favorite backchannel. 
6. As an exit ticket, have learners draw a picture or write out a definition of backchanneling and explain how they could use backchannels in the future and why.

Notes:

• It may be beneficial to create and post a list of backchannels as learners engage in Step 3. This step may also be supplemented with observation of target-language texts.