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Community Language Learning

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 Community Language Learning

11

İsmail Çakır, Erciyes University

A Historical Perspective on Community Language Learning

Principles of Community Language Learning

Instructional Practices in Community Language Learning

Learner Outcomes in CLL – What the Research Says

Considerations in Implementing CLL in an EFL Context

Suggestions for Practice and Further Study

Sample Lesson Plans

References & Image Credits

Author Bio
 Learning Goals
This chapter will focus on the method of Community Language Learning (CLL) with its implication in foreign
language learning. Throughout the chapter students will be provided with the historical background of CLL and
some practical aspects. At the end of this chapter, students will be able to:
1. Understand the humanistic approach to teaching;
2. Identify common teaching and learning terms linked to CLL;
3. Discuss the role of Community Language Learning in foreign language teaching;
4. Evaluate the practical considerations in teaching languages within the framework of CLL;
5. Consider how CLT may be adapted to meet the needs of students in an English as a foreign language (EFL)
context;
6. Design an EFL lesson plan in line with the principles and techniques of Community Language Learning.

A Historical Perspective on Community Language Learning

As discussed in previous chapters, until the 1960s,

language education was based primarily on
theoretiies bases derived from behavioral psychology TIME TO REFLECT
and structuralism; these genereally entailed a process In your opinion, which of the following
of repetition and habit formation. The purpose of objectives are essential for teaching a foreign
language learning was to be able to produce the language?
language correctly, rather than maintaining  The use of L1 in the classroom.
meaningful communication. However, the era of  Deciding what to teach along with
Audio-lingualism began to give way to five important learners.
 Involving learners’ feelings.
innovative methods, such as Community Language
 Creating a non-defensive learning
Learning, Desuggestopedia, The Silent Way, Total environment.
Physical Response and the Natural Approach (Brown,  Reflecting on the learning experience
2000). These humanistic methods emphasize the  Audio-recording during teaching.
development of human values; growth in self-  Stress-free learning environment.
awareness and in the understanding of others’  Reducing anxiety towards language
sensitivity to human feelings and emotions; and active learning.
student involvement in learning and the way human
learning takes place (Kumaravadivelu, 2006). In the
humanistic approaches, the learner is regarded as a whole person, which means that teachers consider not
only their students’ feelings, but also their physical reactions, their instinctive protective reactions and their
desire to learn (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011).

The Community Language Learning (CLL) method was developed by Charles Curran and his associates.
Curran was a specialist in counseling and a professor of psychology at Loyola University, Chicago
(Richards & Rodgers, 2002). His application of psychological counseling techniques to learning is known
as Counseling-Learning and was largely inspired by Carl Roger’s humanistic psychology; Community
Language Learning represents the use of Counseling-Learning theory to teach languages. While studying
with adults, Curran found out that older learners often feel threatened in a new and unfamiliar learning
situation and fear to appear foolish. Richards (1984) describes this phenomenon as follows:

Curran saw the problems of adult foreign language learning as

TIME TO REMEMBER resulting from emotional or affective barriers created by
learners, and his method is designed to counter anxiety and
Try to remember the activities you negative emotions of defense which he believed impede foreign
have carried out in your foreign
language learning in adults. For him, learning is a social
language learning in ELT classes
phenomenon that takes place within the supportive
so far. Have you ever recorded
environment of a “community” of one’s fellow learner (p. 12).
your voice in any English lesson?
Have you ever decided to learn
whatever you wished? If so, how In this respect, teachers, as counselors, are in charge of
did those activities affect your overcoming the negative feelings that learners, as clients
views of language learning? (Richards & Rodgers, 2002), experience towards learning a
new language. Therefore, the teacher is not only the one
transmitting the knowledge, but also an expert who can handle
the problems learners face while learning something new.

According to Curran (1972), learning is a unified, personal and

social experience, and the learner is not someone learning in
isolation and in competition with others. La Forge (1983)
emphasizes the importance of interaction as "Language is people; TIME TO EXPLORE
language is persons in contact; language is persons in response" (p. Write a short paper on the
9). In CLL, successful learning occurs when a mutual understanding psychological basis of the
between the learner and the teacher is established to foster humanistic approaches to
nondefensive learning, which can be explained by six elements of foreign language learning.
SAARRD concerning the psychological requirements: Security, Explain the contributions of
Aggression, Attention, Reflection, Retention, and Discrimination these approaches to foreign
(Curran, 1976, p. 6). Richards and Rodgers (2002) note that these language education and
aspects of Curran's learning philosophy address not the discuss how to become an
effective “counselor” and a
psycholinguistic and cognitive processes involved in second
language teacher at the same
language acquisition, but rather the personal commitments that
time. Your arguments
learners need to make before language acquisition processes can should be based on research.
operate. One of the most salient features of this method is the
reduction of anxiety and overcoming of learning barriers that
learners might have at the initial stages of the learning process.
It is deemed that in doing so, the learners can more easily learn
the target language.

Principles of Community Language Learning

CLL is primarily based on the principles of teaching English for communication. To this end, learners’
needs and feelings are addressed with due regard in every aspect of the teaching process. It is obvious that
CLL differs from traditional language teaching methods with the techniques it employs to reduce learner’s
anxiety and help them produce sense of security (Koba, Ogawa & Wilkinson, 2000). Some of the significant
CLL principles can be outlined as follows:

 It is important to establish a mutual relationship between the learner and the teacher in order to create
a safe learning environment; students tend to learn more effectively when they feel secure.
 Language is for communication. Therefore, students should be encouraged to communicate as
frequently as possible during the lesson.
 The teacher stands behind the students in order to facilitate the learning process.
 The teacher should respect the learners’ level of confidence and transmit to them what needs to be
done to be successful.
 Learners need to know the limits of a teaching activity so that they feel more secure.
 As the teacher and the learners are whole persons, they can share learning experiences, thus getting
to know one another and building a sense of community.
 Considering that each learner is unique, the teacher, as a counselor, values the learners and their ideas;
s/he and always listens to them without giving any advice in order to understand how they feel about
the learning process.
 A learner as a client uses his native language to make the meaning clear and to build a bridge from
the known to the unknown, since understanding classroom interaction facilitates learning.
 Learners are required to attend to one task at a time and are offered a quiet reflection period in order
to learn.
 Learners have a choice in what they want to practice, as they have an inner wisdom about where they
need to improve.
 Students work in groups to feel a sense of community; thus, they can learn from each other as well as
the teacher. Cooperation, rather than competition, is encouraged.
 The teacher should correct the errors that learners have produced in a nonthreatening way.
 By reading their sentences to the other members of the class, learners develop a sense of community
and build trust, which helps to reduce the threat of the new learning situation.
 When material is new or too familiar, learning tends not to take place. Retention will best take place
somewhere in between novelty and familiarity.
 Apart from the language, learners also reflect on what they have experienced. Thus, they have an
opportunity to learn about the language, about their own learning, and about how to learn from one
another in a community.
 The syllabus is generated primarily by students in the beginning stages. Students are more willing to
learn when they have created the material themselves (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011, pp. 91-
93).

In CLL, students learn not only how to use the target language communicatively, but also how to take
responsibility for their own learning. Such learning takes place in a communicative situation where teachers
and learners are both involved in an interaction in which both experience a sense of their own wholeness
(Curran, 1972, as cited in Richards & Rodgers, 2002, p. 90). The stages of learning in CLL identified by
Charles Curran are listed by Marshall and Baker (2000) as follows: (1) Students don’t know the target
language and are completely dependent on the teacher. (2) With the aid of the teacher, students begin to
use the new language. (3) Students use language independently and confidently, understand better, and may
even begin to resist intervention by the teacher. (4) Students are able to express themselves more
 elaborately, although they may be aware of gaps in their knowledge. (5) Students are able to continue their
learning without assistance (p. 37).

Instructional Practices in Community Language Learning

As mentioned earlier, this method, more than

TIME TO CHECK YOUR any other contemporary methods, reflects a
UNDERSTANDING
concern for the development of positive
Which features are representative of Community
Language Learning? human relationships that aims to contribute to
 Sitting in a semicircle in front of the board. more effective teaching and improved learning
 Asking students to translate sentences into English. (Bowen, Madsen, & Hilferty, 1985).
 Recording the sentences students have said. Communication in language classes is
 Having students transcribe what they have said.
generally promoted through learners’ efforts
 Asking their feelings about the course of the lesson.
 Reflecting on the teacher’s performance. and materials. That is to say, there is no visible
 Pairing students and asking them to write a dialogue. textbook, prepared lesson plan, or even
 Getting feedback from learners regarding their sometimes defined objectives. Rather, there is
experience. a group of learners, sitting in a circle, who
 Standing behind learners to reduce anxiety.
themselves initiate oral communication mostly
in the native or the target language. What
needs to be noted here is that when the
communication occurs, it is usually thanks to someone who is
more fluent outside the circle (Blair, 1991). Most of the teaching activities in
this method result in dialogue transcription to analyze and internalize the language which is being taught.
Larsen-Freeman (2003) emphasizes the importance of the dialogue transcription in terms of foreign
language learning as follows:

I have found this (dialogue transcription) to be a particularly good way in which to raise consciousness
because, since learners generated the dialogue, they are invested in it. Furthermore, they know the
meaning of what they have said in the L2. What is left for them to focus on is how the target language
forms are mapped onto the meaning in an appropriate manner (p. 96).

Community Language Learning Techniques

Figure 4. Techniques Employed in CLL (Adapted from Richards & Rodgers, 2002)

In the CLL classroom, students and teachers collaborate to conduct various instructional tasks and activities,
as there is not a ready-made syllabus and teaching material to follow. A group of learners sitting in a circle,
not more than 12 (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011), initiate the conversation in the native language and
the teacher translates it into the target language. These student-generated chunks are recorded so that
learners can hear and discriminate their voices in the target language during the reflective listening stage.
Later on, the recorded chunks in the target language are transcribed by the teacher on the board, thereby
providing linguistic and lexical forms to practice and analyze. One of the fundamental activities peculiar to
this method is students’ presumably sincere reflections on their learning experience. Reflections are
gathered through either individual or group representation which, it is assusmed, eventually helps students
to become independent learners.

Following the analysis of the transcribed chunks with the native language equivalents, the students are
provided with opportunity to practice pronunciation. This time, the students take the responsibility of
learning and control the teacher, who becomes a human computer and repeats students’ utterances without
any correction. Additionally, learning activities such as discussion, dialogue preparation, summarizing,
presentation, writing a story, etc., are carried out as group work. In doing so, it is deemed that they can learn
from each other, building sense of community which is secure and peaceful. With regard to oral activities,
students engage in free conversations with the teacher or with each other. This might include discussion of
what they have already learned, as well as feelings they have regarding the process of how they learned
what they learned (Richards & Rodgers, 2002).

Learning Goals
The main goal of learning is to be able to use the target language communicatively in an environment where
students are provided with stress-free, non-dependent, value-respecting teaching circumstances (Cook,
1991). Besides, students learn from one another in a learning community and the teacher encourages them
to take the responsibility for their own learning.
Linguistic Input
As the CLL method is predominantly nurtured by humanistic views (Stewick, 1980), and humanistic
techniques engage the whole person (Roger, 1951), learning is expected to occur through oral
communications, dialogues and mini-dramas generated by the learners, either individually or in groups,
with the help of the teacher. Generally, the transcribed and distributed teaching materials obtained from the
knower who has an advanced level of linguistic knowledge are exploited to offer linguistic input to learners.

Role of the Teacher

The teacher in CLL is regarded as a “counselor” or “knower” whose role is to respond to the “client”
(learner) calmly and non-judgmentally in a supportive manner, and help him/her understand his or her
problems better by providing opportunities to sort out , order and analyze problems (Richards &Rodgers,
2002). Unlike an average teacher, the CLL teacher possesses different traits in order to overcome and handle
the problems which handicap the learning process. As noted by Harmer
(2007), teachers in the CLL classroom facilitate learning and help
students with what they want to say. Depending on the stages of
learning, most of the roles defined by Harmer can be attributed to the
CLL teacher, including counselor, supportive, input provider
(translator), imitator, prompter, mentor, human computer, controller,
creator of safe environment, motivator, friend, expert, facilitator,
organizer, conductor, orchestra leader, actor, and so on. Of these roles,
being a counselor has great importance, as the teacher should be able
to understand and support the learners and to overcome negative
feelings that might hinder learning. In this respect, Bowen et al. (1985) contend that teachers are to
recognize each learner’s need for personal fulfillment, and therefore, communication in language classes
should stem from joint efforts towards completing a given task.

The other significant responsibility of the CLL teacher is to create and maintain a safe and non-threatening
learning environment by becoming supportive and encouraging them to take part in the learning activities,
so that learners can feel secure and free to actively participate throughout the learning process.

Role of the Students

In CLL, students are not viewed as learners who are required to produce communication from the
beginning, but as clients who become members of a community where they can interact with other members
and learn by working collaboratively. The students’ feelings are key to success, and this issue should be
emphasized by the teacher. At the beginning of the learning process, the students are very dependent upon
the teacher; however, they have the right to decide what they want to learn. Parallel to the development of
aa sense of security and readiness for speaking, they become independent and start to take responsibility
for their own learning (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011). According to Richards and Rodgers (2002),
students undergo five stages during the interaction with the teacher; in each stage, students have different
roles and responsibilities. In the first stage, students, like infants, are totally dependent on the teacher, who
is recognized as the knower of linguistic content. In the second stage, they begin to establish their own self-
affirmation and independence by using simple expressions and phrases they have previously heard. They
begin to understand others directly in the target language in the third stage. In the fourth stage, students
begin to function independently with limited knowledge of the foreign language. The last stage, the
independent stage, is one in which they refine their understanding of register, as well as grammatically
correct language use. They may become counselors to less advanced students while profiting from contact
with their original knower.

Setting
The classroom design in CLL is different from the traditional language classrooms
in that students are seated in a circle around a table that has a sound recorder on it.
The teacher, as a counselor, stands behind the students so as to lower anxiety that
learners might have; to assist learners during learning; and to foster interaction
among students. One important aspect of this method is that there is not a set
syllabus for the course. Instead, students decide on the content of the lesson and
select their own vocabulary with the help of the counselor (Rivers, 1981). When
the student tells what s/he wishes to say in L1, the teacher translates it into L2
while standing outside the circle. Then the student repeats this chunk after the
teacher in the target language; thus, communication begins to occur. The chunks
are recorded before the transcription stage.

Role of the Target Language

As the goal is to teach communicative use of the target language in a stress-free environment, the primary
concern of the teacher is to reduce learners’ anxiety towards learning a foreign language by translating the
utterances they produce. In this sense, the target language is used as a means of overcoming psychological
barriers which most of the learners initially feel. Therefore, in the beginning stages, as the learners are
highly dependent on the teacher and his/her knowledge of the target language, the native language is used
much more than target language. However, in the later stages, after they have become independent and built
mutual relationships with the teacher, the students begin to use target language more freely.

Role of the Native Language

The use of native language has almost an equal importance with that of the target language in CLL, since
it is used as a facilitator for learners. As Larsen-Freeman and Anderson (2011) note, students’ security is
initially enhanced by using their native language. Furthermore, to motivate learners towards target language
learning, their native language plays a significant role, both during learning and in reflection sessions where
learners express their feelings about the course. The amount of the native language use decreases following
the first and second stages.

Where do Grammar, Fluency and Accuracy Fit In?

It is significant in CLL that there is no visible textbook, prepared lesson plan, predetermined syllabus, or
even defined objectives, since students select their own vocabulary and initiate the content themselves,
mostly as a dialogue or conversation; and they are aided in production by the teacher (Blair, 1991; Richards,
1984; Rivers, 1981). For this reason, it is not possible to observe a class dealing with intentional or explicit
grammar teaching. Instead, in consideration of the importance of understanding and speaking the target
language, the focus is on vocabulary, pronunciation patterns and some grammar points that are derived
from the student-generated language. As language is for communication, the materials need to be authentic
and should allow students to express their desires, wants, beliefs, opinions and ideas easily.
 Feedback, Evaluation and Assessment
With regard to feedback, the teacher does not directly correct learners’ errors. Instead, when
students work on the correct pronunciation of the utterances they wish to learn, the teacher
becomes a human computer, recasting errors in a non-threatening way. Thus, the teacher
helps students to become independent learners who can evaluate and follow the progress in
learning a foreign language without having too much guidance from the teacher.

It can be said that in CLL, there is no place for a formal evaluation of a written or oral exam, unless the
school requires a formative evaluation at the end of the course; however, learners are encouraged to evaluate
themselves through alternative assessment techniques such as writing a paragraph, oral interviews,
presentations, role plays and so on. As CLL is mainly concerned with the humanistic aspects of language
learning, linguistic aspects of the target language are generally overlooked (Richards & Rodgers, 2002). In
other words, learning takes place when learners interact with teacher and their classmates, not competitively
but collaboratively.

Considerations in Implementing CLL in an EFL Context

Since CLL aims to remove the anxiety from learning by

changing the relationship between the teacher and student, it can
be applied to some extent in an EFL context to overcome these
barriers. Particularly at the beginning of the foreign language
learning process, learners can be motivated to learn English by
adopting some of the CLL techniques, such as translation,
reflection, reflective listening, recording, being in supportive
community and so on.

In most schools where English is taught as a foreign language, learners are not treated as whole persons
but as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge by the teacher. However, learning can be facilitated by
taking humanistic conceptualizations into consideration and involving learners in the learning process
through collaborative efforts. Apart from using counseling as a tool to lower anxiety and eliminate negative
attitudes towards the target language learning, CLL allows learners to use the mother tongue. It is assumed
that learners would initially feel secure when expressing themselves in their native language in EFL
contexts.

Although the method possesses various advantages, it also has a number of drawbacks in terms of classroom
implications. First of all, it should be noted that the success of CLL is highly dependent upon the expertise
of the teacher-counselor at all stages (Brown, 1977). The teacher must be both culturally and linguistically
fluent in both the target language and students’ mother tongue in order to translate the requested chunks
and understand the learners during reflection sessions. The other issue which needs to be mentioned is that
it is not possible to apply this method effectively in large classes. It may also raise problems in classes with
young learners, who are usually textbook-oriented. Other practical problems that can be attributed to this
method are lack of grammatical and lexical sequence; heavy reliance on an inductive strategy of learning,
and lack of syllabus.
Despite the fact that the CLL method has some drawbacks, it can be beneficial for foreign language learners
if applied properly. It is widely admitted that regardless of the type of method used, a professionally
competent foreign language teacher should be able to adapt and analyze it in accordance with the materials
and options available to meet the learners’ and the institution’s needs. To conclude, it is the responsibility
of the teacher to discern what is best for students (Ariza, 2002).

Learner Outcomes in CLL – What the Research Says

According to the related literature, it seems that CLL method, as a classroom implementation, is not
particularly appreciated by foreign language teachers due to the practical issues mentioned in the previous
lines. However, some foreign language teachers tend to utilize the specific techniques peculiar to the CLL
in the EFL classrooms. One of the most frequently used techniques within CLL is recording of the lesson
and the learning experience with an aim to reflect on the process of learning and teaching activities and
materials. In view of teaching methods and approaches it is a widely accepted fact that there is no best
method (Prabhu, 1990) but there is best teacher who is knowledgeable and expert in exploiting the sources
at hand in accordance with the emerging circumstances. The other technique that is implemented by the
foreign language teachers who employ CLL is correcting the mispronunciation of learners using the
recasting technique. Although the method has not been completely favored and opted for by the language
teachers there is a considerable body of research pointing out the potential of the method if used properly.
In the following studies, the researchers, using the CLL method tried to motivate learners to learn the target
language; to overcome learning barriers such as anxiety, reluctance and resistance. In addition, the
researchers cited below, by comparing two methods in terms learning strategies with an emphasis on the
stages of experience and reflection, conducted empirical studies to identify the underlying facts as to how
to encourage students to be more active in oral performance. Some of the studies given below clearly reveal
the outcomes of the research in which the CLL is used either entirely or in part depending on the needs and
circumstances.
 Akai (2011). In an action research study conducted with low- intermediate students learning Japanese
as a foreign language, Akai implemented the CLL method with analytic and synthetic learners during
two periods of experience and reflection. The research indicated that keeping the balance between the
learner-centered environment and a teacher-centered environment provides learning opportunities by
addressing diverse learning style modalities.
 Ariza (2002). In her study, Ariza used CLL techniques with students who were plagued by social and
psycholinguistic hindrances, as a means to create feelings of comfort and thereby lower their anxiety
toward foreign language learning. Although the learners were initially unapproachable, reluctant and
resistant toward learning Spanish, the teacher, as an understanding and empathetic counselor, was able
to break the impenetrable barriers that threatened students’ capability of learning a foreign language.
 Koba, Ogawa and Wilkinson (2000). In a comparative study, three Japanese college students were
interviewed with an aim to elicit the diverse opinions which might be present between a traditional
class and CLL. Two of the participants expressed that they felt no anxiety when they belonged to the
learning community, while one student commented that she felt uneasy among others when she could
not discriminate the sounds and produce unfamiliar utterances.
 Oguro (2011). In a qualitative study, Oguro investigated
teachers’ perceptions of the extent of learners’ unease or
anxiety towards the use of target language in the classroom.
According to the results, teachers teaching six different
foreign languages at the beginner level agree that using the
target language constantly increases learners’ stress and
anxiety. The researcher suggests that a judiciously blended
form of native and the target language use of the learners’
first language is crucial until learners understand the
pedagogical value of exposure to and interaction in the
target language.
 Swift (2007). The researcher used CLL as a component of a course in a mixed-ability class with a
group of six adult learners. The learners enjoyed specifically the reflection stages in which they were
given the opportunity to express their overall feelings regarding the learning experience.
 Samimy (1989). In a comparative study, Samimy compared the Counseling-Learning and the Audio-
Lingual Method at a Japanese University with 29 subjects. The results revealed that there were no
significant differences between the variables of anxiety, motivation, linguistic competence, and desire
to learn among students who were instructed through the mentioned methods.
The research findings documented above indicate that CLL can be implemented in EFL classes, either as a
single method or through selection of some of its techniques, such as audio or video recording and
transcription. In this method, the proportional use of native language can be used in combination with other
methods. Needless to say, in countries where English is taught as a foreign language, it is often the case
that foreign language learners are demotivated and usually reticent due to anxiety. Therefore, it is
conceivable that the CLL techniques would fit well in EFL classes when they are used at the right time and
in the right proportions.

Suggestions for Practice and Further Study

I. Research the concept of “whole person learning” from reliable sources on the Internet. Write a
short response paper (2-3 pages) involving the following issues.
a) The theoretical background of whole person learning.
b) Key points of whole person learning
c) Your personal ideas about whole person learning and its relation to CLL.

II. If you were to implement CLL in an intermediate EFL class to teach a tense that is hard to
comprehend, how would you incorporate human computer and corrective feedback techniques?
Design a sample lesson plan, taking the following questions into
consideration:
a) What is the objective of the lesson?
b) What are the instructional materials to be included?
c) What are the roles assigned to you as a teacher for preparation?
d) What are the instructions for students?
e) How would you introduce and evaluate the lesson?
III. Now that you are more familiar with various CLL techniques and their implications in foreign
language teaching, which of these do you think you would incorporate in your EFL teaching?
Please support your ideas in consideration of your educational and cultural context.

SAMPLE LESSON PLANS FOR CLL

LESSON 1

Difficulty Level: Beginner

Age of Students: 9-10
Aim of the lesson: To introduce the parts and objects in the house.
Lesson Topic: My Sweet Home
Duration: 40 Minutes
Language Skills: Vocabulary, listening
Materials: A voice recorder/tape recorder, colored board marker,
Classroom design: 10 students sit in a circle. (Devote just one lesson for CLL
in crowded classes, and let one group participate each week while others observe)
Objectives: Students will be able to
 name the parts of a house and some household objects;
 pronounce the newly learned words correctly;
 identify the objects in their bedroom/living room/kitchen etc.

Introduction (5 minutes):
The teacher explains to the students that in this lesson, they will speak about their houses and the objects
they have in their houses in correct English into a tape recorder. The students are reminded that the teacher
will help them with their English and translate from Turkish.

Experience (15 minutes)

Step 1. The students keep silent until they feel ready to speak. If the silence keeps up for too long, the
teacher encourages them to start speaking.
Step 2. When a student volunteers to speak, the teacher stands behind him or her.
Step 3. The teacher listens to the student’s statement, and then repeats the statement slowly, in correct
English.
Step 4. The student repeats after the teacher until his or her pronunciation and intonation is clear.
Step 5. When the student is able to say the statement clearly, the teacher allows him or her to record it.
The student touches the “pause” key on the mobile phone/voice recorder. The next student then
follows the same procedure.

Reflection Period (5 minutes)

After the conversation, the teacher asks the students how they felt during the conversation and taping. The
teacher then plays the tape for the students, and they hear their own voices recorded in English.
Transcription and Small Group Task (15 minutes)
The teacher plays the tape again and writes each sentence produced by the students on the board. The
students repeat the conversation and read from the board, either individually or chorally. Pointing to the
words on the board, the teacher asks students to read. If the student mispronounces, the teacher corrects it
gently. Then, students, in pairs, are asked to write their own dialogue using the statements on the board.
The dialogues they have produced are presented to the class.

LESSON 2

Difficulty Level: Pre-intermediate

Age of Students: 13-14
Lesson Topic: In Unity There is Strength (Negotiated Topic)
Duration of Class Period: 40 x 2 Minutes
Number of students: Six students in each group.
Language Skills: Writing, speaking, vocabulary practice
Materials: Video camera, various costumes, music player.
Learning Objectives:
 Students will be able to write a play in groups about the formerly negotiated topic and practice the
vocabulary and the proverb that have previously been learned.
 Students will be able to perform the sketches they have created in groups.
Introduction (10 minutes): The teacher introduces the task to the class. The class decides on the topic to
be written out of the alternatives the teacher provides. Then the glossary, along with the proverb, is given
to the groups.
Experience (20 minutes):
Students are divided into groups of six. Each group is required to write a sketch using the glossary and the
proverb. While students are working in groups, the teacher assists them with the translation and the chunks
of expressions required.
Presentation 1. (10 minutes)
One student from each group reads their sketch to the class.
Presentation 2. (15 minutes)
In the next lesson, one group from the class acts out their sketch they have created with music and
appropriate costumes. The presentation is video recorded.
Reflection 1. (10 minutes)
After the presentation, students reflect on their feelings about their performance. Then the rest of the class
gives feedback on the play while watching the video.
Human Computer and Group Task. (15 minutes)
One student from each group writes one sentence from their sketch on the board. The selected sentences
from different sketches are written on the board and translated by the volunteering students. When a student
wants to read any new word or chunk copied on the board, the teacher goes behind him and provides
corrective feedback. Then the students work in pairs/groups and produce new sentences or dialogues out of
the ones on the board. Finally, at the end of the lesson, they are once more asked to express their feelings
about the learning experience.
References

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 Image Credits

1. Microphone. Image No. MP900433836. Courtesy of [Link]. Retrieved from

[Link]
us/images/[Link]?qu=microphon&ext=JPG&c=0#ai:MC900433836
2. Teacher and students in class: Image No. MP900439484 Courtesy of
[Link]://[Link]/en
us/images/[Link]?qu=teacher+in+groups&ex=1#ai:MP900439484
3. Teacher explaining something to the students. Image No. MP900439522. Courtesy of
[Link]. Retrieved from
[Link]
4. Checklist and Pencil: Image No. MC900432663. Courtesy of [Link]/en-us. Retrieved
from
[Link]
5. Teacher standing in front of the class: Image No. MP900401966. Courtesy of [Link].
Retrieved from [Link]
us/images/[Link]?qu=teacher&ex=1&AxInstalled=copy&Download=MP900401966&ext=JPG&
c=0#ai:MP900401966
6. Woman in library holding books: Image No. MP900439465 Courtesy of [Link].
Retrieved from
[Link] mt:2
7. Emoticon on Laptop Computer: Image No. MC900442038. Courtesy of [Link].
Retrieved from
[Link]
8. Presentation: Image No. MC900056937. Courtesy of [Link]. Retrieved from
[Link] images/results. aspx?qu=presentation&ex=1#ai:MC900056937
9. Mp3 Player and Headphone: Image No. MC900441342 Courtesy of [Link]. Retrieved
from [Link]

Author Bio

İsmail ÇAKIR is an associate professor in the Department of Foreign Language Education at Erciyes
University, Turkey. Dr. Ҫakır holds a bachelor’s degree in ELT from Gazi University, Turkey; a master’s
of education degree in ELT from Gazi University, Turkey, and a doctoral degree in English Language
Teaching from Hacettepe University, Turkey. Some of Dr. Ҫakır’s professional interests include teaching
language skills, teaching methods and approaches to English language, teaching of culture, teaching
vocabulary, and materials development and evaluation in foreign language teaching.

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