Which type of dialogues are happening in the ESL classroom?

[Molly]

ESL teachers and students, do you ever get close to creating, or even working on, this kind of native-speaker dialogue in your classrooms?

Math study group members complaining about their homework assignment

Nick: Male senior undergrad
Jane: Female senior undergrad
Amy: Female senior undergrad
Setting: Nesbitt Lounge, East Hall

1 Jane: Alright…Why did she give multiple parts for every single problem we have?
2 Amy: She wanted to torture us.
3 Nick: I think it’s cuz like, that last time I don’t think we did a lot on the homework, if I remember right.
4 Jane: I really like how she says this problem set contains a total of four problems. It’s like no, four times two plus one problems.
5 Nick: Yeah why does she tell us it contains four problems?
6 Jane: Oh I can’t see ‘em. Oh the printer chewed off, just cut off number four. So, maybe that’s why she puts it at the top just in case.
7 Nick: Yeah that is a little quirk. She’s trying to trick us into thinking like oh…
8 Jane: Yeah she’s like “Oh that’s not bad this problem set only has four problems in it.” Yeah, whatever.
9 Amy: And there’s like two parts for three of ‘em.
10 Nick: Alright, so, oh my gosh so this has three parts.
11 Jane: For all of ‘em?
12 Amy: Two parts for all of ‘em?
13 Jane: Yeah. And number two has three parts.
14 Nick: This has three parts.
15 Amy: Oh you’ve got to be kidding.
16 Nick: Well at least we only have to do two of the five parts on fourteen. No, this won’t necessarily be that hard.
17 Jane: Did you say two of the five parts on fourteen?
18 Nick: Yeah we only have to do one and two out of five.
19 Jane: Oh, alright.
20 Nick: And on fifteen we only have to do two of, well one out of four but its number two. Why don’t we…Fourteen’s gonna be easy let’s start there. It really is gonna be easy.
21 Jane: Oh yeah alright <Reading: Find the image of the point…>

http://lw.lsa.umich.edu/eli/micase/MIcomplaints2.pdf

[Molly]

Do you get a feeling that there are not many ESL teachers here - if any?

[Stew.t.]

Hi Molly

It is interesting to observe that you make this presumption when you do not get a quick response to your posts, any reason for this?

fyi; I have taught ESL and EFL, and still do (my best); )

The use of authentic as opposed to edited or scripted text is an ongoing debate.

There is the argument that a lot of material is very forced and sounds artificial, without either errors or variants. And if this is far removed from being authentic?
Then there is the counter-argument that a student may pick up the traits of an authentic text, and should a teacher impose that on their students.
Some ESL/EFL teachers may not be aware of this debate.

But books are often demanded by the client, as it gives an obvious structure to a course, lesson and a security net.

We also have to consider the needs, aims of the student.
It may be acceptable to a teenager to pick up the use of "like" if they are going on an exchange visit to the States (or even regions of the UK), as they want to fit in.
However should we teach or expose a businessperson to this text, if his aim is to sound very professional at a formal conference?

btw there is a lot of recording of genuine conversations that goes into the development of material, and lesson plans at the moment.

But as in any profession, especially teaching, it is always down to whether the person can be bothered to keep up to date with modern theory/ practice.

cheers stew.t.
_________________
Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[Molly]

[Stew.t.]

[quote="Molly"]

[Molly]

[Molly]

[Stew.t.]

Hi Molly

I think you maybe misunderstood my question (?) concerning the concept of "teach" and "expose". I asked the question which you choose to maybe answer indirectly by;

[Molly]

[Stew.t.]

[quote="Molly"]

[Molly]

[Torsten]

I think it doesn't matter what kind of dialogs happen in ESL classrooms since an ESL classroom is not the place where people learn English.

TOEIC listening, photographs: A van in an African street

[Molly]

[Molly]