IT WORKS IN PRACTICE

More tested lessons, suggestions, tips and she and her colleagues at Lanser Language
techniques which have all worked for ETp Services in Bilbao, Spain, have tried and
readers. Try them out for yourself – and tested. Alison will receive copies of Skillful
then send us your own contribution. Don’t Reading and Writing and Skillful Listening
forget to include your postal address. and Speaking, published by Macmillan in
All the contributions to It Works in their Academic Skills series. Macmillan
Practice in this issue of ETp come from have kindly agreed to be sponsors of It
Alison Elflett, and they are activities that Works in Practice for this year.

Interview time
Students often have difficulty forming questions correctly. Here are three activities for the one-to-one classroom which practise
question-forming in ways which students find interesting and engaging. Although the activities probably work best with one-to-
one students, they could be adapted for groups.
1 Formal interview grammar and vocabulary). Select some of these to go over
(over two lessons) with your student, encouraging self-correction in the case of
1 Tell your student to imagine they are leaving their present basic errors. For very advanced students who make few errors,
job and moving to a new department in the company. The boss focus on any language used which, although it would be
has asked them to help interview candidates for the position understood by native speakers, could be expressed more
they are leaving. For homework, ask the student to reflect on precisely or in a more natural way. Help the student to
what qualities and abilities (apart from academic qualifications) reformulate it.
a person would need to do their present job successfully, and 6 Give your student a copy of the recording so that they can
to write ten questions that they would ask interviewees. listen to the whole interview if they wish, and ask them to go
2 In the next class, go through your student’s questions, over the corrections discussed in that class. In the following
correcting errors in grammar and vocabulary or helping them lesson, interview the student a second time (using the same
to self-correct. questions), asking them to focus on correcting the errors you
3 Go through the questions again, this time asking the pointed out previously.
student to explain a) exactly why they chose each question 3 Interview the teacher
(what would the answer tell them about the candidate’s
1 Tell your student that they are going to interview you about
suitability?) and b) what would be a good/poor answer.
your career to date, or a hobby, an interest, a holiday, etc.
2 Informal interview For homework, ask them to write ten questions about the
(over three to four lessons) topic you have chosen.
1 Tell your student that you are going to interview them about 2 Make sure you have the necessary equipment to record the
one of their hobbies or interests, but that they are going to interview, preferably as an MP3 file.
write the questions for the interview. For homework, ask them 3 In the next class, go through the student’s questions,
to write ten questions on the topic chosen. correcting errors in grammar and vocabulary or assisting with
2 Make sure you have the necessary equipment to record the self-correction. When the questions are correct, proceed with
interview, preferably as an MP3 file. the interview, answering your student’s ten questions and any
3 In the next class, go through the student’s questions, follow-up questions they may ask you. Keep your answers
correcting errors in grammar and vocabulary or assisting with reasonably short! Record the complete interview.
self-correction. When the questions are correct, proceed with 4 Before the next lesson, listen to the recording and analyse
the interview, asking your student the ten questions. You may the student’s performance with respect to pronunciation,
also want to ask unscripted follow-up questions in addition to especially intonation in question forms. Also pay attention to
the planned ones. how your student reacts to your answers – is backchannelling
4 Don’t correct the student while they are speaking, but used to show that they are following what you are saying and
record the interview for later analysis and correction. to encourage you to continue? Go over these points with your
student in class and choose suitable follow-up activities to
5 Before the next lesson, listen to the recording and note provide further practice or consolidation.
down both good points and errors (in aspects of pronunciation,

32 • Issue 83 November 2012 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Dialogues from news stories
Adult students who use English in their board, on your laptop or on a piece the one-to-one classroom allows the
jobs can find it challenging when they of paper). Insist on a less formal teacher to work very closely with the
have to socialise in English with register (your student may try to student to produce a natural dialogue.
colleagues or clients. This activity use vocabulary from the article In the case of a large group, it may be
started out as a way of ‘activating’ a which is too formal), correcting and better for the teacher to collect the
news article (which has a grammar and re-formulating as you go along. dialogues after Stage 3 and correct
vocabulary focus) with a one-to-one 4 If this is the first time you have
them. Stage 5 could then be done in a
student, but it actually allows you to second lesson, with the teacher putting
focused on discourse markers,
help your student create an informal just one of the dialogues produced on
introduce them once you have the
dialogue of the type they may have the board for the whole class to work
completed dialogue on the board.
when socialising with foreign with.
If your student is familiar with
colleagues. This is a good way to
them, elicit as you go along. Here’s an example of a dialogue from
introduce or encourage backchannelling
one class:
and discourse markers (eg well, so, 5 When the dialogue is complete,
join your student in reading it A: Have you read the paper today?
anyway, etc) which ‘oil’ a conversation
and help it to flow, as well as exit aloud, helping with pronunciation B: No, not yet. Any interesting news?
strategies (eg Anyway, I need to make and intonation where necessary. A: Well, I read an article this morning
a call before we start, so I’ll see you in Read it a few times, then gradually about people and their pets. You’ve
a minute). start to rub parts of it out, so that got a dog, haven’t you?
eventually both you and your
1 You will need a short news article B: Yes, a German Shepherd. So what
student memorise the dialogue
(text or audio) from a coursebook, was the article about?
(approximately – it doesn’t have to
the internet or a magazine. The A: Well, it was about the similarities
be word for word). This can help
Week magazine is an excellent between pets and their owners.
your student to memorise useful
source. Apparently, they get more and more
chunks of language, eg (from the
2 After working on vocabulary, alike over time.
dialogue below) What was …
grammar, etc and discussing the about? They get more and more … B: Oh, I’ve heard that before, but it
student’s reactions to the article, It sounds a bit … . sounds a bit far-fetched if you ask
ask them to imagine they are me. Or are you saying I’m like my
6 If you get into the habit of doing
having a coffee with some foreign dog?
this regularly with reading and
colleagues while waiting for a A: Not exactly! But it did sound like a
listening texts, your student may
meeting to start. Elicit how they serious study. It was done by a
start to feel more confident about
could start a conversation about British university.
socialising in English.
the article, eg Have you seen the B: Really? Don’t they have anything
news today? or Have you read more important to study?
Note: This activity could be adapted
today’s paper?
for a class by asking the students to A: I suppose not. Anyway, the
3 Now proceed to prompt and elicit create the dialogue in pairs or groups. meeting’s starting in a minute. Have
language from your student to Monitor the students, correcting, you got the agenda with you? I
create a short dialogue (on the helping and encouraging. Obviously, haven’t printed it off ...

IT WORKS IN PRACTICE
Do you have an idea which you would like to contribute to All the contributors to It Works in Practice get a prize! We
our It Works in Practice section? It might be anything from especially welcome joint entries from teachers working at
an activity which you use in class to a teaching technique the same institution. Why not get together with your
that has worked for you. Send us your contribution, by colleagues to provide a whole It Works in Practice section
post or by email to helena.gomm@pavpub.com. of your ideas? We will publish a photo of you all.

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 83 November 2012 • 33