Towards Autonomy 22 October 2012 Thornbury CH 6
Towards Autonomy 22 October 2012 Thornbury CH. 6 Eugene, Kathrine, Krystyna SLS 313
Introduction • • Autonomy, is the third stage in the three stages of skills development. We will review the ways learners can experience and achieve greater autonomy in speaking, including the capacity for selfdevelopment, self-monitoring , and unassisted performance.
Agenda • • • Autonomy and Automaticity Criteria for Speaking Tasks Feedback and Correction Presentation and Talks Stories, Jokes, and Anecdotes Drama, Role-playing and Simulation Discussion and Debates Conversation and Chat Outside Class Speaking Conclusion
Autonomy and Automaticity • • • Autonomy is the capacity to self-regulate Automaticity is the ability to process information in response to stimuli in a way that is automatic and involuntary Other Characteristics of skilled performers: o Speed o Economy o Accuracy o Anticipation o Reliability o Real Operating Conditions
Criteria for Speaking Tasks • Productivity • Purposefulness • Interactivity • Challenge • Safety • Authenticity
Feedback and Correction o Providing feedback is often a delicate decision that should o o focus on the errors of what they are saying and not how they are saying it. Interrupting learners “in full flight” to correct them seems to run counter to the need to let them experience autonomy. Constant intervention, using unknown words or correcting errors might be counterproductive by inhibiting fluency. Focus on form or the formal accuracy is good for learners, and should be done at minimal cost to the speakers sense of control. If the learners message is unintelligible the teacher should provide an intrusive repair, which is less likely to inhibit fluency than one perceived as a correction.
Presentations and Talks • Show-and-Tell • Did you read about. . . ? • Academic Presentations • Business Presentations
Stories, Jokes, and Anecdotes • • Storytelling is universal function of language o Main ingredient for casual conversation o Practice essential skill of speaking o Used to get to know each other § Example: Kedgeree Story in Chapter 1 Narration encourages learners to tell their own stories. o “We are our own stories”
"We are our own stories" • Narration mainly used in the classroom to recount folk tales, or dramatic incidents based on a series of pictures. • Value of telling personal stories are recognized
Storytelling-based activities (page 96) • Guess the lie – learners tell each other three anecdotes. One of the three is false. Listeners guess the lie and give reasons for their guesses. • Chain story – learners take turns to tell a story. Another Ss takes over and builds on it.
Drama, Role-playing, and Simulation • • Imaginative approach of expression by involving a drama element for real-life language use. Advantages: exposes Ss to a greater range of registers and allows Ss to see real world simulated language outside of the classroom o Benefits Ss who feel uncomfortable "being themselves" in a second language o • Disadvantage: o Some Ss may feel self-conscious performing a "different persona"
Role-Playing Vs Simulations • Role-Playing involves adoption of another 'persona' when Ss pretend to be in a situation. Father Ex-hippie Mother Middle man between father and son Son applied for the military and is about to tell his parents about his choice. • Simulation involves Ss 'playing' as themselves in a situation. o What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator?
Drama (pages 98 -101) • a more general term encompassing both roleplay and simulation: Alibi - Two students are accused. An alibi is made between the two while the rest of the class creates questions that they will have to answer separately. o The Soap - learners plan, rehearse, and perform an episode of a soap opera. § Learners can draw on shared stock of melodramatic situations and can invent their own endings. o
Discussion and Debates • • The best discussions in class are ones that are spontaneous. o Prefer a debate from a topic of interest If discussions run dry, teachers can facilitate the following using formal ways of creating discussion formats. Discussion cards o Panel Discussion o Pyramid o Balloon Debate o
Conversation and chat • • Difficult to plan conversations since true conversations are spontaneous Realistic practice of the target language
Communicative activities • • • Sentence star True/False sentences One of us/ some of us *These activities can invoke further conversation practice if the teacher is willing to ask questions.
Self-evaluation and outside practice • • Important for real world application of the language Autonomy is only achievable if learners can cope on their own in the real world.
Activities for transitioning • Tape diaries • Audio and video conferencing • Human-computer interaction • Portfolios and diaries *Facilitates the learner’s involvement in planning, reflecting upon and assessing his or her learning process and progress.
Conclusion • • Autonomy is the capacity to self-regulate. Communication is encouraged even if mistakes are made. The classroom provides assistance to the students so they can transition the target language into the outside world. The main goal is communication.
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