Exercises of group 4

Exercises of the fourth group are aimed at teaching pupils to make up their own dialogues in accordance with a communicatively simulated situation at the level of syllabus requirements for a given grade. These are receptive-productive communicative exercises of creative character. Cues are not advisable. However, at a definite stage of teaching there can be an exception for pupils with poor progress. These pupils may be given such cues as a dialogue-scheme or a dialogue-model.

The teacher provides his pupils with various communicatively simulated situations, which, as the students’ dialogic skills and habits are being developed, become less detailed. As well as at the previous stage, the students are given a model for performing the activity. With this goal in mind, the teacher having formulated the communicative simulated situation makes up a dialogue on its basis. He does this together with one of the best pupils, showing the class the way to fulfil the task. Then a slightly changed situation is suggested to the class and the dialogue is performed in the way of a P-P activity (simultaneous pair work). It is of paramount importance that every student could perform the activity with the person he is willing to speak to. That is why the pupils should sit next to the partner on their own wish. It is even more important at the stage of creating detailed dialogues by students themselves. Here are some examples of exercises of the fourth group:

Ex.1 Instruction for the 1^st partner: You’re going to a scout camp soon. You need (the teacher names the things) to wear there. Your parents have given you some money and sent you to a department store by yourself to buy them.

Instruction for the 2^nd partner: You’re a shop assistant. Help the young customer to buy the right things.

Taking into account the language input of the 7^th form textbook we think it possible to expect as one of the variants the following dialogue between pupils (11 phrases for each partner) to be produced:

A: What can I do for you?

B: I need a blouse. Can you help me choose one?

A: Certainly. What kind of blouse do you want?
B: A white blouse made of cotton.

A: Here you are.

B: Oh, it’s too large. Can you give me a smaller blouse?

A: But of course. Try on this one. I hope it will be better.

B: Thank you. How much does it cost?

A: 12 dollars.

B: Here is a 20-dollar bill.

A: And here is your 8 dollar change.
B: Thank you.

A: You’re welcome.

Ex.2. Instruction for partner A: Some of your classmates and you are going to a sporting camp for winter holidays. They asked you to buy some necessary things for the group.

Instruction for partner B: You’re a shop man of a sportswear store. Help the boy (girl) choose the things he (she) wants to buy.

Ex.3. Instruction for partner A: You’re invited to your friend’s birthday party. You have 5 dollars. Go to a department store and buy some small present for your friend.

Instruction for partner B: You are a shop girl. Help the boy choose the best possible present for his friend.

Ex.4. Instruction for partner A: You are a student. Tomorrow is your mother’s birthday. Discuss with your younger sister what present to give to your mother.

Instruction for partner B: You are a schoolgirl. Discuss with your elder brother what present to give to your mother on her birthday.

It is advisable to present individual communicative tasks for performing exercises of the fourth group to pupils on cardboards. Firstly, it saves time – the pupils can start performing their exercises simultaneously. Secondly, it allows for ‘keeping secret’ the task of every partner, which makes the dialogue more natural. Thirdly, it allows for individualisation of assignments as well as pupils’ interests and wishes.

Here are some more examples of simulated communicative situations, which can be used in exercises of the fourth group on different topics.

Ex.5. (Topic ‘Family’, 5^th form):

A: You are at the Artek international children camp. Ask a new friend of yours, a girl from Canada, about her family.

B: You’re a girl from Canada. Ask your new Ukrainian friend about himself and his family. (Making inquiries)

Ex.6. (Topic ‘Flat’, 5^th form). Instruction: Both of you live in a new block of flats. Tell each other about your flat. (Exchange of impressions)

Ex.7. (Topic ‘At the English Lesson’, 6^th form):

A: You’re ill. Phone a classmate of yours. Ask him what they did at the English lesson yesterday and what your homework for tomorrow is.

B: Tell your sick classmate what you did at the English lesson and what your homework for tomorrow is. Ask about his health. (Mutual inquiring)

Ex.8 (Topic ‘At the Summer Camp’, 6^th form). Instruction:

It’s the first of September. Your schoolmates and you meet in the schoolyard. Tell each other what you did at the summer camp in the summer and what you liked there best of all. (Exchanging impressions)

Ex.9. (Topic ‘Town’, 6^th form). Instruction:

A: You’re a Kievite. You meet a group of English tourists at the Metro station Khreschatik. They ask how to get to some places of interest. Tell them the way there.

B, C: You’re English tourists. Ask the young Kievite you meet at the Metro station how to get to the places you want to see in Kiev. (Inquiring – informing)

Ex.10. (Topic ‘At the Library’, 7^th form):

A: You’re a librarian of the district library. A new reader has come. Speak to him and recommend a book to read.

B: You have come to your district library for the first time. Speak to the librarian. Tell her about the book you’d like to read. Ask her to give you an interesting book. (Mutual inquiring – arrangement)

Ex.11. (Topic ‘Sport’, 7^th form). Instruction:

Yesterday you watched a football match (a skating competition). Your favourite team (sportsman) lost the game. Discuss the event with each other. (Discussion)

Ex.12. (Topic ‘Cinema’, 8^th form). Instruction:

Tomorrow is the first day of your spring holidays. Your friend and you want to go to the cinema. Discuss what film to see and what cinema to go to. (Discussion)

Ex.13. (Topic ‘Cinema’, 8^th form). Instruction:

A: You’re a film critic. Exchange opinions on the new film with its producer.

B: You’re a film producer. Exchange opinions on your new film with a film critic. (Exchanging opinions and impressions)

Ex.14. (Topic ‘Travelling’, 7^th form). This exercise is performed after reading the text about James Cook. Instructions:

A: You are James Cook, a great English sailor. You’re looking for young people to take part in your voyage from Europe to the Pacific Ocean. Speak to the young people who want to join you.

Other participants: You’re young English people of the 18^th century. Ask the famous traveller about the aim of his voyage, tell him about yourselves, ask James Cook questions about himself and ask him to take you with him. (Group inquiry with elements of arrangement)

Thus, making up their own dialogues by students in accordance with communicative tasks requires thorough preparatory work at each stage aimed at mastering various kinds of DU and MDs. Starting a new series of exercises developing dialogical speech habits and skills the teacher should bear in mind the final goal – the ability of his students to build up a dialogue of a definite functional type on their own. Its volume and content should correspond to the syllabus requirements of a definite level (form).