AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

PART ONE:

1. Socialising, Module 7.
Cunningham, S. & Moor, P. 2005. New Cutting Edge Intermediate Student’s Book. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education.

2. Language Focus 1, page 72. ‘Polite Requests’. 
The grammar point here is introduced using a deductive approach as the presentation tasks (1-4) mention the grammar point, in this case being polite and making polite requests, followed by four examples for task 1 and pictures for task 2. The grammar point is practised using a PPP approach.Tasks 1-4 (pg 72) are presentation stages designed to arouse students’ interest in the topic and assess their prior knowledge. The focus is on form because students have to listen for specific words which are used in asking requests and the presentation tasks give examples and rules of usage. The presentation tasks are controlled as students have to use the options given to them (including the pictures and examples). However, they do get to talk about what is true for them and their culture, and this offers a little more freedom. The practice stage is on page 73, and has a certain degree of control to it as the dialogues are already provided for the students. This stage focuses on form and meaning because students have to rewrite a dialogue using correct grammar forms that they were introduced to in the presentation stages, but then they act these out which is more meaning-focused as they focus on communication and intonation using polite requests. The production stage begins on page 73 also, during the Practice section number 2. Production tasks 2a and 2b are communicative and less controlled as the students are only given the verbs to use. 2 a. is more focused on form and meaning as students have to use the verbs provided, and 2 b. is a meaning-focused activity because students are focusing on communication and production of the grammar point rather than the form and verbs involved. Overall this language focus goes from controlled to less controlled, and the focus is on both meaning and form as it begins by focusing on form then later activities focus more on the meaning (the communicative tasks on page 73).

3. The production task on page 73, Practice task number 2b. It is communicative because students have to take turns in pairs using the L2, allowing them to communicate and focus on their fluency and new grammar use in the L2.  They are asked to act out the requests and answers which encourages communicative interaction and they also have to think of the requests and responses themselves so it is less controlled as they were only provided with some verbs. This could allow a chance for pair work and discussion upon which requests to make out of the given verbs.

4. Listening activity, page 74, ‘Social Customs in Thailand.’

The aspect of listening being developed in this task is scan listening, where students are required to listen out for special information; the correct alternatives to the guide on the following page. During the pre-task stage, (#1-2) students are given the chance to express what they already know and new vocabulary may be introduced during this stage as the students discuss the topic. This is communicative as it allows student to share their outside the classroom experiences and knowledge. The pre-task also arouses the students’ interest in the topic and prepares them for the upcoming tasks. During the task stage (#3) the students are listening for specific information. This puts their prior knowledge to use and allows them to compare whether their previous guesses were correct or not. During the post-task stage, (#3a) students are again able to incorporate their own understandings and outside the classroom experiences into the task. This is communicative and less controlled.

5. ‘Reading and vocabulary’ activity, page 70.
  The aspect of reading being developed is scan reading, where students are required to look for specific information in the text to complete the task. During the pre-task stage (#1-2), students are given the opportunity to show their prior knowledge about the topic of socialising, and also their personal experiences. It is used to prepare students for the topic and following tasks and introduces possible vocabulary that might be in the text they are required to read. It also arouses interest. During the task stages (#3-4) students are asked to read the remainder of the text and scan read to complete the activities. By working in pairs during this task, students are able to communicate in the L2 together, and also use their prior knowledge and knowledge from the pre-task to guess word meanings. There is also possible intensive reading here, as an option is given for students to look words up in a dictionary. During the post-task stage (#5) students are given the chance to communicate using the L2 in groups, and talk about personal experiences outside of the classroom. It also allows them to express their opinion during the third section of the post-task and this can help encourage interaction and confidence in students. This post-task is less-controlled and very communicative.                                                                         

6. Page 76-77, ‘Give tips on how to behave’.
Even though the preparation task for this is listening, the main task on page 77 is speaking so it is applicable. The aspect of speaking being developed is non-interactive speaking as the students are asked to prepare speeches for imaginary radio programmes, and present their radio talks which don’t require a response from the ‘audience’. During the pre-task stages (pg 76 #1-2) there are listening activities to warm students up to the topic of ‘giving tips on how to behave.’ By providing pre-tasks and preparations of listening for the new grammar form, students are able to hear how it should sound and when and why it is used. This not only arouses interest in the topic but prepares them for when they have to speak it themselves during the task stages. During the task stage (speaking, #1 pg 77), students work in groups which is communicative, and are given options to make a list from. While this is a moderately free task, there is still some control as they have to choose between the two options provided for them instead of thinking up their own ideas completely. Students are required to write notes about the topics in the preparation section (listening, pg 76) so it is important that they understood the listening pre-task in order to complete the speaking task well. During the post-task (speaking, #2, Pg 77), students get to share and compare their work with other students, providing a chance to converse in the L2 and compare ideas and opinions, and also speak the language and grammar form they prepared in the task activity with their partner. This is a less-controlled activity but is still controlled because students are again only given two options to choose from and both involve following the instructions, with little freedom.

7. ‘Useful language’, page 77.

A useful communication strategy is provided in a small box to help learners use common language to do with the topic. In this case it is useful language around the topic of making generalisations and how to behave in different countries. The box provides sentence starters for how to begin common generalisations, both positive and negative ones, and different ways to give tips on how to behave in certain countries, in English. Another is on page 78 in the Study section. This is a learning strategy and is used to show learners how they can effectively learn and revise material. It includes a list of revision techniques to help students retain information they learn and this can help improve their memory and give them ideas to start their own personal way of studying and revising that works for them.

8. The kind of learners who would enjoy using this unit would be young people or teenagers who are sociable and outgoing as they would benefit most from this socialising module, learning how they can communicate and socialise in English. This would be a helpful and fun module for them to use. There are groups of learners for whom this unit would not be appropriate such as Asians or Middle Easterners because their culture and customs don’t necessarily agree with that of the modules, which appears rather westernized. For instance, the ‘great international night out’ reading extract on page 70 has photos of people partying and socialising, which might not be suitable for these cultures, nor for adults.

9. The situations in this unit are reasonably authentic as they use real photos and situations that would definitely occur in real life such as on pages 70-71 with ‘The great international night out’ reading extract which includes real photos of people out socialising which is authentic. Page 74 also shows real, authentic photos of people and places in Thailand which helps learners understand the country truthfully. Page76 has many photos too, although some appear like they could be set-up photos which might not be as authentic as they could be for learners. However the ‘real life’ section on page 77 provides authentic situations and language for making a social arrangement. The language used throughout the module is authentic. However there are a few drawings on pages 72 and 73 that take away from the authenticity of the module.

PART TWO: 

1. Polite customs in different countries.

2. On next page.

3. The task would fit into the unit right after Language Focus 3 on page 75. It would continue on with the topic of politeness, and also introduce countries and how different all cultures are. It is communicative because it involves students sharing information in the L2 during the post-task stage (3) and because there is an information gap, students have to converse in the L2 and use the new grammar point that was introduced in order to complete the activity. The pre-task (1) lets them bring in their prior knowledge and opinions about those countries and the task (2b) allows personal experience and outside the classroom experiences to be used, as they have to describe polite customs in their own culture. This is fun for students and communicative because other students do not know which country each person is from and need to try guess using the polite customs provided by students themselves. Post-task (3) is also communicative because it involves students speaking and working in groups.

1. Choose three countries that you are familiar with already from the options below. What polite customs do you know the three countries have? Do you know whether they are considered polite countries or not so polite?

2. 
   a). Try to match each polite custom on the left with a country on the right which you think has that polite custom. Some customs may apply to more than one country and this is ok.

It is polite to….

1. Take your shoes off when entering one’s house
2. Eat everything that’s put on your plate
3. Greet people by bowing
4. Greet people by pressing noses together and closing eyes

1. Japan
2. New Zealand
3. France
4. Switzerland

2. b) Imagine you have a foreigner friend that will be visiting you in your country. Prepare a list of ways to be polite and how to avoid being impolite in your country to give to them. You can use the previous customs from a) to help you but make sure they are true for your own country and culture! Try to come up with five. Example: ‘It is polite to let elderly sit down first on a train.’

3. In groups with people you do not know, share your list of polite customs. Read them out loud and try to get the group to guess which country you are from.