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Using Forms as Springboards for Conversation in the Foreign Language Classroom
Author(s) -
Carton Dana
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.1983.tb01675.x
Subject(s) - conversation , vocabulary , pace , foreign language , class (philosophy) , context (archaeology) , curriculum , variety (cybernetics) , psychology , mathematics education , pedagogy , language assessment , computer science , linguistics , communication , paleontology , philosophy , geodesy , artificial intelligence , biology , geography
ABSTRACT Standardized target language forms that require the furnishing of biographical information can be used as springboards for personalized conversation in the foreign language classroom. They encourage the immediate and meaningful employment of language between two class members in a directly personalized context. A sampling of forms is accompanied by guidelines for their productive classroom employment. These activities are characterized by total student involvement, with all class members participating simultaneously. Such forms may be used in a variety of instructional settings: from high school through university or adult education. They may be employed at any level of language instruction, and with any target language, including ESL. These lessons can be used independently at any time to complement a textbook or curriculum, or to introduce or review some practical target language vocabulary, while providing a stimulating and motivational change of pace.