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9.3.2. Microstrategies
Microstrategies
are classroom procedures that are designed to realize the ob-
jectives of a particular macrostrategy. Each macrostrategy can have any
number of, and any type of, microstrategies, depending on the local learn-
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ing and teaching situation; the possibilities are endless. However, micro-
strategies are conditioned and constrained by the national, regional, or lo-
cal language policy and planning, curricular objectives, institutional re-
sources, and a host of other factors that shape the learning and teaching
enterprise in a given context. Most of all, they have to be designed keeping
in mind the learners’ needs, wants, and lacks, as well as their current level
of language knowledge/ability.
By way of illustration, I present below guidelines for designing a couple
of microstrategies for
Macrostrategy 5: Foster language awareness
. Recall that
language awareness
refers to the deliberate attempt to draw learners’ atten-
tion to the formal properties of their L2, and that there are two broad types
of language awareness—the general one, dealing with language as system
and discourse, and the critical one, dealing with language as ideology. The
two microstrategies suggested below relate to the two types, and are
adapted from Kumaravadivelu (2003a):
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209
FIG. 9.1.
The pedagoic wheel (from Kumaravadivelu, 2003a, p. 41).
Sample microstrategy 1: Language use and levels of formality
1. The specific objective of this microstrategy is to create in the learner
general language awareness about levels of formality involved in interper-
sonal communication. One simple example of formal–informal language
use pertains to the way in which we address people at home, or in school, or
at our workplace. Therefore, a useful microstrategy may be to ask L2 learn-
ers to explore how different cultural communities require different levels
of formality in addressing people. Here’s one way of doing it. The steps are
written in procedural style for convenience, but they are obviously advisory,
not prescriptive, in nature.
1.1. Write the following (or similar) forms of address on the board:
Madam President
Mr. Chairman
Your Honor
Sir
Hello Darling
Hey
Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to discuss in what
context(s) and with whom would it be appropriate to use these forms of ad-
dress. Also, ask them to discuss whether more than one of these forms can
be used to address the same person in different contexts, and if so, in what
contexts.
1.2. Have representatives from selected groups briefly share their discus-
sion with the entire class. Let them also talk about any disagreements within
their groups.
1.3. Have individual learners make a list of terms they use to address
family members (grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, elder brother,
younger brother, elder sister, younger sister, etc.,) in their cultural commu-
nities. Specifically, ask them to think about when and where they will use
the address forms they listed, and when and where (and if) they will use ac-
tual names to address family members. Allow them to use their L1 script if
they wish, but advise them to give English gloss as well. If they normally use
any honorific terms, ask them to write them too.
1.4. Divide the class into small groups (or form pairs, depending on
your convenience). Ask the learners to share their list with others and com-
pare how forms of address work within a family in different linguistic or cul-
tural communities.
1.5. Have them talk about how factors such as setting, age, and gender
of participants affect forms of address, and in what contexts boundaries
may be crossed.
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1.6. Again in small groups, ask them to compare how forms of address
are structured in their L1 (or in various L1s represented in class) and in L2.
Depending on the proficiency level and cultural knowledge of your stu-
dents, you may have to give them with different forms of address in L2.
1.7. Ask the students to share some of their salient points with the whole
class. Lead a detailed discussion on any selected issues that came up in
small groups.
1.8. Help them (if necessary, through leading questions) reflect on how
different forms of address may actually reveal cultural values and beliefs,
and how these are reflected in language use.
Sample microstrategy 2: Language use and doublespeak
2. The specific objective of this microstrategy is to foster critical lan-
guage awareness in the learners by drawing their attention to doublespeak,
that is, deceptive language that is widely used to mislead people—whether
in a democratic society or in a totalitarian regime. For illustrative purposes,
I am using the first paragraph from a book on doublespeak. It was written
by Lutz in 1989 with a long title,
Doublespeak: From “Revenue Enhancement” to
“Terminal Living.” How Government, Business, Advertisers, and Others Use Lan-
guage to Deceive you.
Here’s a possible classroom activity:
2.1. Write the full title of Lutz’s book on the board. Ask your students to
focus on the key words in the title and give them some time to think about
how (a) government, (b) business and (c) advertisers use language to de-
ceive the general public. Let them share their thoughts and examples with
the class.
2.2. Write the following paragraph on the board or if you have prepared
a transparency, project it on the OHP screen. Ask your students to read it
carefully.
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211
There are no potholes in the streets of Tucson, Arizona, just “pave-
ment deficiencies.” The Reagon Administration didn’t propose any
new taxes, just “revenue enhancement” through new “user’s fees.”
Those aren’t bums on the street, just “non-goal oriented members of
society.” There was no robbery of an automatic teller machine, just an
“unauthorized withdrawal.” The patient didn’t die of medical mal-
practice, it was just a “diagnostic misadventure of a high magnitude.”
The U.S. Army doesn’t kill the enemy anymore, it just “services the
target.”
(Lutz, 1989, p. 1)
2.3. If there are any difficult vocabulary items, deal with them first, so
that the students fully understand the text before proceeding further. If
necessary, make a two-column table highlighting only the juxtaposed lexi-
cal items (potholes
«
pavement deficiencies, etc.).
2.4. Form small groups and allot one or two sentences to each group for
a detailed analysis. Ask them to think about critical questions such as: What
is achieved by the use of such doublespeak? At what cost? At whose cost?
Who benefits from such doublespeak and how?
2.5. Ask a representative from each group to present a brief report, fol-
lowed by class discussion.
2.6. Help them (with leading questions, if necessary) to think why many
people fail to notice doublespeak even though it is so common in public
discourse and in private conversations.
2.7. Help them (again with leading questions, if necessary) to think of
ways in which a critical awareness of doublespeak and its function can help
them in their role as language learners, and in their role as educated citi-
zens.
2.8. Give them a suitable take-home assignment. For instance, have
them read a newspaper or a news magazine of their choice for 1 full week.
Ask them to make a list of what they consider to be instances of double-
speak, and bring it to class on a specified day.
2.9. In class, form pairs and have them exchange their list with their
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