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1.Spot the difference: Information-gap activity
Speech and conversational activities are learner-centered and they demand from the speakers the need to focus on the social pressures of face-to-face interaction. A conversation is truly communicative event where dynamic exchanges of information take place.
An important aspect of communication in CLT is the notion of information gap. This refers to the fact that in real communication, people normally communicate in order to get information they do not possess. This is known as information gap. In this activity the students should use their linguistic and communicative resources in order to obtain information, In doing so, they will draw available vocabulary, grammar, and communication strategies to complete the given task.
The following exercise makes use of the information-gap principle:
The students are in pairs and each member of the pair has a different picture.
Without showing each other their pictures they have to find out what is the differences are between them.
This activity is very amusing for the learners and all participated very enthusiastically. Since this activity does not elicit much speech from the students, they are able to show their full participation actively. It has made students to ask questions and give answers, agree and disagree with the answers. Here the conversations of the students are very little but this can be considered as a starter task for conversation. But we were able to succeed in making our students to do everything in collaboration with each other.
2. Group Discussion:
Usually discussion skills are not much encouraged in ESL classrooms, as a result of negative experiences. But guided discussions are always preferable, as they provide a frame work within which learners are constrained to operate. Here the students receive content just before the discussion and they are guided by the teachers with certain language prompts and appropriate words. This guided discussion provides security for the learners and help them improve communication. Yet, this approach may not be carried out forever, because it controls the learners’ knowledge of oral practice and curtails their freedom of choice.
The success of the discussions depends on the willingness of all the participants to make substantial contributions to the process. Their active contribution depends on the knowledge of the topic under discussion. So the topic chosen must be familiar and interesting for the students’ community. Next step is the formation of partner groups or observer-evaluators. These formations ensure that students have reasonably frequent opportunities not just to participate in discussions, but also to observe, describe and evaluate the process as a whole.
This activity is substantially learner-centered. Examples:
1. Women Empowerment
2. Education in India
3. International terrorism
4. Balance between professionalism and family
5. Is globalization really necessary? 6. Go Green
Discussions take place effectively in small groups, where the students feel less nervous about speaking and making mistakes. Informal conversation and colloquial language use is more difficult to practice in a language classroom, because it is very spontaneous. This can be avoided by encouraging the students to involve in everyday exchanges in order to build a classroom community. Such exchanges can help them to develop their communicative skill.
In group discussion activity, the students are made to speak a dialogue, by looking at the person they are addressing, and speak their lines meaningfully. In other words, they should speak, not read the dialogues. It is important to make sure that all students participate in discussion. The teacher can act only as a monitor to monitor over the language use. This could help them share their ideas and thoughts in a comfortable atmosphere.
Sometimes general topics can be given to discuss, chat, and to debate.
For example:
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