| Body | This activity was created to support learners studying Language for Specific Purposes (LSP). The activity entails noticing and applying typical communicative patterns in a workplace situation. It was created for learners of all levels, and it would be particularly useful for Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning contexts or other language self-study contexts. As such, the instructions are provided with the learner as the intended audience.
Learning outcomes:
Learners will be able to:
- Identify two or more instances of a communicative situation they want to observe
- Compare and contrast their identified instances
- Articulate and explain their own communicative preferences as they relate to the situation
Mode(s): Any (depending on learner’s choice of situation)
Materials: How Do I Decide What to Observe? video, Observation Journal handout
Procedure:
- Watch the How Do I Decide What to Observe? video.
- Then, think of a specific situation at work that you want to observe to learn more about. You may choose to learn about grammar and vocabulary, the way words and phrases are articulated, or other contextual factors at play. For example, you may look at how an email to your project team is worded, pay attention to how your colleagues handle or negotiate disagreements in meetings, or look at how supervisors give feedback. The situation that you choose should be one that is meaningful to you and your interactions with others at work, where examining the linguistic and social patterns used can help you when you encounter similar situations. This should be a situation that you can observe two or more times.
- On your Observation Journal handout, write down the situation you have chosen. Then, write down what you observe about the following:
- Context - include power (which communicator gets to make the decisions?), distance (how close is the relationship between the people communicating), and imposition (how large of a request for attention, time, or other resources is the communication?).
- Consider either the vocab/grammar required OR how people interact. What linguistic or interpersonal information is needed to communicate effectively in this situation? If you are observing written correspondence, you may copy and paste the correspondence on the handout. If you are observing spoken interactions, take notes on what you notice. Your notes might include information about who is interacting, what words and phrases they use, and what body language or gestures they use. Other interpersonal or cultural factors to note include who initiates and ends conversations, who asks questions, whether the speakers take turns or overlap when talking, how close they are to each other when speaking, and what marking of formality are used (honorifics, bowing, etc.).
- Record this information for at least two different instances of your chosen situation.
- After you have recorded multiple observations of your situation, compare your records. Use these questions to guide your comparison:
- Are there any patterns that emerge in the words and grammar used?
- Are there any patterns you notice in the length or detail of what is written or said? For example, are there grounders (explanations)?
- Are there patterns in how people write or speak based on their relationship(s) to each other? For example, do individuals disagree with a person in position of relative power?
- Finally, take some time to think about how you would handle a similar situation. Would you follow any of the patterns you noticed in your observations? Why or why not? Write down your thoughts on the handout.
Notes:
- In Step 5, the goal is simply to notice if there are consistent ways that people tend to communicate in your situation. If you do not see any specific patterns, that is okay too! Instead, think about why this may be the case. Is there a wide variation in how different individuals communicate in this situation? Are multiple ways of communication that are considered appropriate for the situation? Why do you think this is? Or, do you just need to observe more before you can draw conclusions?
- As an additional exercise, imagine what possible outcomes there might be if you choose not to follow any patterns or norms you observed. What might the impact be on workflow, or your relationships to coworkers or supervisors? Would you need to explain your communicative choices using metapragmatic language (ie. explicitly explaning what or how you were trying to communicate), or do repair if miscommunication happens?
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