Create a Communicative Language Classroom: Designing Reading and Writing Activities

Transparent Language Education Webinar Series Create a Communicative Language Classroom:

Designing Activities that Teach All 4 Skills Part II: Reading and Writing

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Agenda

• Teaching Reading and Writing

• What is it?

• Can it be communicative?

• Strategies that work!

• Managing Communicative Groups

• Q&A

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Reading

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Image by Paul Bence via Flickr

"Reading does not draw on one kind of cognitive skill and most texts are understood in

different ways by different readers."

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Can reading be communicative?

Image by World Bank Leted via flickr

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Reading Instruction vs. Communicative Reading

Image by World Bank Photo Collection via flickr

Reading Instruction Communicative Reading

Recognizing words Purpose

Understanding grammar patterns Comprehension

Remembering facts Analysis

Teaching Communicative Reading & Writing

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Designing Reading & Writing Tasks: Process

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• Set the stage

• Understand what readers already know

Pre-Reading/Writing

• Strive for collaboration

• Task-based

Reading/Writing • Reach for target

language production

• Synthesis

Post-Reading/Writing

Reading Tasks Strategy #1: Read Aloud

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Image by San Jose Library via Flickr

Read Aloud Example

• Partner A’s First Paragraph: The Olympic Games were started by the

Greeks more than 3,500 years ago when Greece was an important world

power. In those days, women were not allowed to watch or to compete in the

Olympics. Men competed without wearing clothes. Some of the early Olympic

Games included running, skiing, and boxing. The Olympic Games stopped

when Greece lost its great power.

• Partner B’s First Paragraph: The Olympic Games were started by the

Greeks less than 3,500 years ago when Greece was an unimportant world

power. In those days, women were not allowed to listen or to compete in the

Olympics. Men competed without wearing tennis shoes. Some of the early

Olympic Games included running, wrestling, and boxing. The Olympic Games

stopped when Greece lost its great language.

http://www.apu.ac.jp/rcaps/uploads/fckeditor/publications/polyglossia/Polyglossia_V18_Greg_Kajiura.pdf

Reading Tasks Strategy #2: Compare/Contrast

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Reading Tasks Strategy #3: Read & Run

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Image by Dell Inc. on Flickr.com

Reading Tasks Strategy #4: Slashed Text

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Image by U.S. Embassy Tokyo on Flickr.com

Reading Tasks Strategy #5: Class Text Bank

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Photo by David Amsler via Flickr

Writing

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Image by Urbanworkbench via Flickr

Writing Task Strategy #1: Group Brainstorming

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Photo by Kevin Dooley via Flickr

Writing Task Strategy #2: Visuals

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Image by Yves Tennevin on Flickr.com

Writing Task Strategy #3: Story Starter

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"It was a dark and stormy night…" Image by Middle Island Fire Department via Flickr

Writing Task Strategy #4: Whole Class Editing

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Image by woodleywonderworks on Flickr.com

Writing Task Strategy #5: Whole Class

Newspaper or Blog

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Image by Hiroyuki Takeda via Flickr

Group Work Challenges

Mixed proficiency

• Differentiate

• Assign roles

• Scaffold the lesson

Off task behavior

• Peer review sheet

• Collect work in chunks

• Increase pressure in environment

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