| |
In class
-
Ask a student to draw on the board a Japanese girl in a kimono questioning by the side of a lake.
-
In a speech bubble coming from her mouth, write:
"I wonder what I'll do if he doesn't come to see me by this strange
lake tonight".
-
Tell the students the aim of the exercise is to transform the sentence
completely. To do this they may take out either one word or
two words together, but each time they must replace them
with a phrase of three words.
When the first student suggests a deletion and addition, rub out the
word or two words, and add in the three words proposed. Ask the
volunteer student to read the new sentence to see whether it works
for him or her and the group. You don't need to speak at all - if
the students can't make up their minds about a substitution, and
if it is wrong, all you have to do is rub out the three words and
put back the original one or two. When a student proposes
something that is wrong, avoid commenting with you face and body -
you can be silent and still very neutral.
One intermediate class transformed the above sentence through the
following stages. Wrong sentences have been omitted.
-
I really don't know what I'll do if he doesn't come to see me by
this strange lake tonight.
-
I really don't know what I'll do if he doesn't some to see me by
this strange sea of tears tonight.
-
I really don't know what I'll do if he doesn't come to see me by
this strange sea of tears some enchanted evening.
|
teach english, tefl
