MINISTRY
OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION, YOUTH AND SPORT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Report
Interactive
methods and activities in communicative language teaching
Teacher: Crucovscaia
M.V.
Beltsy
2017
Interactive
methods and activities in communicative language teaching
Teaching process is mainly based on two
activities. They are imparting knowledge and acquiring knowledge. In the first
case teacher sends information and the learners receive it. The innovative
methods also deal with this process and their aim is to evaluate the activities
of a teacher and learners using new ways and methods of teaching including
new technical means of teaching. As we know that methodological approach in
teaching foreign languages may be divided into three groups. They are Passive
methods, Active methods and also interactive methods. If we speak here in the
first place about the passive methods, it should be noted that in Passive
methods a teacher is in the center of teaching. He plays active role but
the learners are passive. Control can be carried out by the way of questions,
individual and control work, tests etc. It may be useful when it is used by an
experienced teacher. Secondly, in Active methods learners are also active.
Their role and activity is equal in the process of interaction. Learners may
ask questions; express their ideas with a teacher. The last but it is in
the first nowadays interactive method or approach is a modernized form of
active methods. The most of teachers usually understand or mean cooperative
action during the lesson. But here attention should be focused on inner action
too. The learners should have inner motivation which involves them into active
work or active participation at the lesson. In interactive method teacher’s role
is to direct learners activity to getting the aim of the lesson which include
interactive exercises and tasks.
Basic Principles of Teaching Conversation Classes
Focus on communication and fluency, not
correctness
I’m always surprised when in the first days of
class students turned to me or ask their classmates if they are holding the
conversation “correctly,” if it is “right.” Rarely even in our native languages
do we concern ourselves if the conversation is proceeding “correctly”; the
point is if our meaning is coming through. This is what should be emphasized to
students: it’s not a matter of “right” but whether or not your classmates
understand you and can respond to you!
Lay the groundwork
Before entering in academic conversations,
students have to agree on some basic “rules for engagement”: listening to each
other courteously; listening actively by clarifying meaning and asking for
examples; advancing one’s own opinions clearly and politely while considering
the audience, etc. Most students will really know these rules already from
their first languages—there are probably some cultural universals in
politeness—and can usually help in brainstorming five or so rules to be
displayed prominently in the class. More than five will likely be too many to focus
on and be useful.
Student directed: student choice of topics
There are few things more uncomfortable than
being in a conversation on a topic you either intensely dislike or have nothing
to say on. Most native speakers will excuse themselves from such conversations
as soon as possible. Teachers should be wary of assigning controversial topics
such as the legality of abortion or same sex marriage without gauging the
climate of the class and having an idea of how receptive students will be to
such topics. Some classes are perfectly capable of holding a mature
conversation on these topics, others not depending on their language and
cross-cultural and interpersonal skills. Teachers should ask themselves the
following: Are my students capable of listening to their peers on the topic
without erupting in anger? Can they advance their own opinions without undue
embarrassment? One way around this concern is allowing students to come up with
their own topics to use over the course of the term. Have them work in groups,
write agreed-upon topics on index cards, and collect them. They do not have to
be “academic” topics like the validity of global warming but almost anything
students are interested in and can discuss for an extended time, such as
favorite music. One class session or part of one in brainstorming topics will
likely yield enough topics for the term, and the instructor can just draw an
index card to use during discussion time.
Small group/pair work
Conversation occurs in small, not large groups.
Having students work in small groups or pairs is usually more productive for a
number of reasons: students are less self-conscious if they are “performing” in
front of a small group rather than large, and they have more chance to speak in
a smaller group. In addition, conversations generally occur in smaller groups,
as any party or meeting will demonstrate—people gather in small groups to talk
when given the opportunity. Setting aside regular time for students to get into
groups for discussion will help them develop their conversation skills.
Encourage students to rotate partners
Some teachers assign conversational partners or
groups for the term, and this has advantages, such as students get to know each
other better this way, and they can quickly get into their groups when asked
to, easing transitions. However, there also are advantages to occasionally
rotating partners or groups, perhaps every few weeks. In this way, students get
to know more of their peers and get exposed to more ideas while still having
the structure provided by having a stable group for a period of time.
Teach students strategies
Too often conversations even between native
speakers fall flat because the participants don’t know conversation strategies.
In addition, there is a difference between an everyday conversation and an
academic conversation. Many if not all of our students can carry on an everyday
conversation without much difficulty: “What would you like for dinner?” “I
dunno. Pizza? Chicken? What do you want?” Much of our day-to-day “conversation”
goes on in exchanges like this and requires few strategies. But to have a real
“conversation” on the topic of food choices, for example, the conversational
partners will have to know different strategies for introducing the topic,
drawing each other out, asking for opinions, advancing their own, using
examples, and so forth.
Teach vocabulary
It seems elementary, but it is often forgotten
that students may not be participating because they simply don’t have the
vocabulary to enter a specific conversation. Introducing some key phrases and
words related to the topic will help this. For example, on the topic of
different types of vacations today, students should learn words like “condo,”
“time share,” “hotel,” “motel,” “extended stay,” “business class,” and “coach.”
Teach both formal and informal conversation
skills
There are specific strategies for entering,
extending, and ending conversations both formally and informally. For example,
with “Hey, Diana! How was your vacation to Hawaii?” I am signaling to Diana
that I’d like to open an informal and probably brief conversation on the topic
of her vacation that might extend a little into my vacation and vacations in
general. However, with “What do you think about how we vacation today? Hasn’t
it changed quite a bit from even ten years ago?” I am signaling a different
kind of conversation—more in-depth and analytical as the conversation
participants consider different types of vacations, and more academic. Knowing
these strategies for different types of conversations will help students avoid
confusion and even annoyance and gain experience in different types of
conversations.
Grade on degree of participation and
understanding of conversation. Assess informally.
Because the focus of instruction, and of conversation
itself, is on communicating meaning rather than on correctness, students should
be assessed mostly informally. The instructor can walk around the class, sit in
on conversations, and get an idea this way on the degree of participation of
each student. Students can also be asked to hold a conversation in front of the
teacher or class and be assessed by a rubric on the degree of responding to and
advancing topics, on use of strategies and vocabulary, and so forth. Finally,
more formal quizzes and tests can also be given in the form of listening to
taped conversations and answering questions about topic, vocabulary, responses,
strategies, and so on.
Teaching conversation can seem challenging
because at first blush it seems as if there are few principles to guide the
instructor.
However, keeping in mind such strategies as
preteaching vocabulary, establishing small groups, and teaching conversational
strategies, there is plenty to teach and do in the conversation class!
References:
1. Fries Ch. C. Teaching and Learning English as
a Foreign Language. Ann Arbor, 1947
2. Littlewood. W. Communicative Language Teaching.
An Introduction. Cambridge. CUP. 1981.
3. Livingstone Card. Role play in Language Learning.
1988.
4. Palmer H. Scientific Study and Teaching of
Languages. London, 1922.
5. Richards G. C. and Rodgers Th. S.
Apporaches and Methods in Language teaching. USA, 1993.
6. Азамжонова Х. Н. Interactive methods of activities in teaching
foreign languages [Текст] // Актуальные проблемы филологии: материалы II Междунар. науч. конф. (г. Краснодар, февраль 2016 г.). — Краснодар: Новация, 2016. — С. 79-81.
