THE TEST

Hello everyone!

As the end of the course has come, you will have to take a test in order to assess your learning, once you have finished tasks 16,17 and 18. You will have to record yourself introducing yourself again using some of the strategies you have learnt. 

Before recording yourself, here you have a piece of advice: have a look at the entry SPOKEN DISCOURSE. It will help you to improve your performance.

Send your test recordings to me by e-mail.
Deadline: 5th August.

Regards,

Sara 

NOTE

Hello everyone!

I have seen that nobody has done tasks 16,17 and 18, then, I will give you an extra week to finish all tasks you have not submitted yet (including previous ones).

Now, the deadline is on 5th August.

Regards,

Sara

TASK 18

Hello everyone!

Now, watch the 4th episode again and try to find examples of the strategies you have learnt during this course. Post your answers here.

Regards,

Sara

TASK 17

Hello everyone!

In this task, you have to review the information related to the communicative strategies. Then, if you have got any doubt, feel free to ask it here.
Once you have finished, answer the following questions: (* Post your answers in the blog)

1. When we want to show the speaker that we are listening and understanding him/her without interrupting his/her speech we use_______________.
2. When we need extra time to think about what we want to say and how to say it, we can use ________________ and _______________.
3. We can use _____________ to draw listeners' attention and check if we have understood the message correctly.
4. We use __________ to avoid getting straight to the point.
5. If we want to change the topic in a conversation or in a monologue, we can use ____________________.

Regards,

Sara

TASK 16

Hello everyone!

As this is the last week of the course, we will review every strategy that you have learnt. But first of all you have to watch the 4th episode and write here if you liked or not and why. You also have to do the listening comprehension tasks that have to be sent to my e-mail by 27th July.

Regards,

Sara

TASK 15

Hello everyone!

Once you have finished task 14, check your answers at:

http://www.friendscafe.org/scripts/s1/103.php

Then record yourself saying at least 5 sentences from the script that include repetition  and/or ellipsis. Try to say them as chatacters do.

Send me the recording by e-mail by 25th July.

Regards,

Sara

TASK 14

Hello everybody!

In this task you have to watch the third episode again and try to identify examples of the strategies explained used by the characters. Post your answers here.


Regards,


Sara

COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGY VII: ELLIPSIS

Native speakers usually omit words or phrase or sentence elements, that are already known by the listener or are unnecessary to mention again in a certain situation, to convey their message faster and help the listener to recall the important information. 
Speakers usually omit subject pronouns and auxiliary verbs, though they can omit main verbs if they are understood by the context.


Examples:

You all right? instead of Are you allright?
Drink?/want a drink? instead of Do you want a drink?
What next? instead of what's next?
Think so instead of I think so
I got... instead of I've got
I just instead of I've just....

COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGY VI: REPETITION

Hello everybody!

This week strategies are repetition and ellipsis.

When a listener does not understand or hear what the speaker has just said, s/he normally asks the speaker to repeat the missing information questioning:
Pardon? Pardon me? Sorry? Eh? What? (in an informal context) or can you repeat that again, please?...
However, speakers also repeat words, phrases or sentences  to solve misunderstandings in communication. This kind of repetition is used:

• as a backchannel, that is, to show the speaker you are listening to him/her and understanding what is being said. 

E.g.:  
A: I lost my glasses in the swimming pool, so I went to lost and found. I did't find the glasses but there was...
B: There was...

• to reduce hesitation time in a natural way using false starts.

E.g.: 
A: Do you like the house?
B: Yeah...it's.....it's -it's different

• to check if you have understood correctly:

E.g.:
A: I was driving through the tunnel over the speed limit when the policed appeared,so...
B: You were driving through a tunnel? or You were driving through a.../what? or ..a tunnel?

• to show irony or humour:

E.g.:
Tim: Mary won't tell her the secret, but John will do...
John: No I won't. I'm not that kind of person...
Ben: Yeah.... "you're not that kind of person"

• to draw listeners' attention to your speech or to change the topic:

E.g.:
A: We have to decide what to buy Ben for his birthday
B: (says nothing)
A: We have to decide what to buy Ben for his birthday ( louder)
B: oh, yes..
----------
B: I'll play tennis with you tomorrow.
C: Great!
A: We have to decide what to buy Ben for his birthday...
B: what about 11 am?
C: OK
A: we have to decide what to buy Ben for his birthday (louder)
B and C:  Oh, yeah..
A: I've thought of buying him a t-shirt...
 

TASK 13

Now, watch the episode again and do the comprehension tasks that I'll send you by e-mail in a couple of minutes.

Send me your answers by e-mail by 20th July.

Regards,

Sara

TASK 12

Hello everyone!

This week we will work with episode 3, so watch it and comment here if you liked or not and why.

You can download the episode at

http://www.megaupload.com/?s=seriesyonkis&d=01OVJ7WS&confirmed=1

(click on "descarga normal")

P.S.: Sorry for the delay in publishing the tasks.

TASK 11

Hello everyone!

Now you can check your answers at 

http://www.friendscafe.org/scripts/s1/102.php

Then, record yourself saying at least 5 sentences from the script that contain false starts, discourse markers and hedges.

Deadline: 18th July 

TASK 10

Hello everyone!

In this tasks you have to watch the second episode and try to identify the false starts, discourse markers and hedges used by the characters.
Write here your answers.
 

COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGY V: HEDGES

Hedges

Hedges are vague words that are used to avoid getting straight to the point. They express uncertainty and can be used as a hesitation strategy.

Examples:

Well, like, sort of = sorta, kind of = kinda, and stuff, or something/anything, or whatever...

COMUNICATIVE STRATEGY IV: DISCOURSE MARKERS

Discourse markers

A discourse marker is a word or a phrase used for showing boundaries in conversation and monologues, for indicating turn taking in a conversation and for changing the topic. They tell the listener what comes next.

Examples:

Right,....-> used for changing the topic in conversation or draw listener's attention before telling a story.
Anyway,...-> used to get back to a topic or to indicate that the conversation is about to end.
Like...->  used to list examples.
You know/ you know what I mean-> used to look for agreement.
You see-> used to explain something to the listener you think s/he may not know.
Mind you-> used to indicate that something is important to say or to remember.


 



 

COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGY III: FALSE STARTS

Hello everyone!

This week strategies are false starts, discourse markers and hedges.

False starts

A false start is a repetition of one or more words that allows us to restructure our speech, that is, it gives us extra time to think how to say something.

Example:

"yeah well he always...he's always saying that!

TASK 9

Hello everyone!

Now, watch the episode again and do the comprehension tasks that I've jut sent you by e-mail.

Deadline: 13th July

Regards,

Sara

TASK 8

Hello everyone!

In this task you have to watch episode 2 and comment here if you liked or not, and why. 

Regards,

Sara

TASK 7

Now, read the script while watching the episode. Pay attention to how fillers and backchannels are used and pronounced, as well as actors' gestures and reactions to them.
Every time you find a filler or a backchannel, stop the video and repeat the sentence as the actor did.

Once you have finished, record yourself saying at least five sentences from the script that contain fillers and/or backchannels. Send the recording to me by e-mail.

Deadline: 11th July

TASK 6

Once you have done task 5, visit the website:

http://www.friendscafe.org/scripts/s1/101.php.

You will find the script of the episode there. Read it and check your answers.

TASK 5

Hello everyone!

In this task you have to watch the episode again and try to identify the fillers and backchannels used by the characters. Post here the sentences where they appear and comment why they are used.

Example: 
"Well, I'm living in this, er, attic at the moment,.."-> er is a filler and it shows that the speaker is thinking what to say or how to say it.

Reagards,

Sara

STRATEGY FOR SHOWING UNDERSTANDING: BACKCHANNELS

Backchannels are noises or non-verbal answers that listeners used to show understanding and encourage the speaker to go on talking without interrupting the conversation or to express interest in what it is being said, surprise, etc.


Some backchannels are:

• Alternatives to yes: um, mm, uh, uh-huh, mhm, ah, yeah...
• To express a reaction: oh, oh!, oh?, really?, sure, quite, good, wow, oh God, oh my God...

Example:
 (From http://www.speech-therapy-information-and-resources.com/transcribing-conversation.html)


1     M:    okay what do you want to talk about
2     K:    I don’t know...pick a conversation
3     M:    what do you fancy doing on Saturday
4     K:    Saturday...I thought we were going to get the presents
5     M:    yeah well we talked about Saturday or Sunday but Bede and
6             Sinners are playing on Sunday so wouldn’t give us much time to
7             get back for four o'clock especially if we wanted to go to
8             Browton
9     K:    m
10   M:   so probably Saturday
11    K    okay
12   M:   but we’ve got the...Paul Norton and his wife coming round on
13          the evening time for a meal
14   K:   oh but the only problem is I need to get dad’s present
15          ((1 syllable))
16    M:   mhm
17    K:   and we...so I can either do that on the Saturday and Sunday
18           but I think one of the shops might not be open
19    M:   on Sunday...you, you’re home all week...all...
20    K:    oh yeah
21    M:    from Monday
22    K:    oh, will do, yeah
23    M:    have you got any plans
25    K:    Friday, at home

*I have underlined the backchannels used. 

HESITATION STRATEGY: FILLERS

As spoken discourse is spontaneous and unplanned, speakers sometimes need extra time to think what they are going to say, so they buy extra seconds using fillers, which are noises like ... er..., ...erm..., ..uh/a/.....,...ah......, ... mm/m/..., ...um/am/...., to show that they are thinking and looking for the appropriate words. (/a/, -> pronunciation)


Fillers can be used severel times in the same sentence but do not overuse them.

Example:
"Well, I'm living in this, er, attic at the moment, it's large, old Victoria house. It's, it's very nice actually, it's self-contained, you go up this staircase right to the top and it's got, er, a sloping roof [...]"
(From At the Chalkface: Practical Techniques in Language Teaching. (1985) ed. Alan Matthews, Mary Spratt y Les Dangerfield).


Note: I'll send you the recording of the example by e-mail.

COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES...

...are tactics that we use when speaking (both monologues and conversations) to develop the content of the speech, show understanding, signal turn taking and overcome hurdles in communication (interruptions, misunderstandings, digressions...) to convey our message effectively.
By learning and using these strategies you will acquire fluency.

SPOKEN DISCOURSE

Hello everyone!

Before explaining the first group of communicative strategies, I would like to highlight the features of spoken discourse, that you must bear in mind during the course. 

• Spoken discourse is interactive and spontaneous, that is, it is produced in real time and cannot be planned.
• The message (what we say) is more important than the structure (how we say it) in spoken discourse.
• Spoken dicourse is not produced under the same conditions as written discourse so, it has its own rules.
• As spoken discourse is unplanned, making mistakes, self-correcting them, repeating words, restarting sentences, using simpler vocabulary and hesitating is normal.

Hence, you must forget the idea that spoken discourse is as accurate as written discourse because it is not, especially in informal communicative contexts where such accuracy would sound unnatural to native speakers.


Then, the communicative strategies that you are about to learn will help you to overcome fluently and naturally the hurdles in communication.

Regards,


Sara

TASK 4

Hello everyone!

In this task you have to watch the episode again and do the comprehension activities that I have just sent you by e-mail.

Please send me the answers back by e-mail and remember: deadline is on Wednesday 6th.

Regards,

Sara

TASK 3

Hello everyone!

In this task, you have to watch the first episode of Friends (pilot) and comment here your opinion about it (if you liked or not, your favourite scene and why).

Note: you must watch the episode in ENGLISH without subtitles.

Regards,

Sara 

USING THE TV SERIES FRIENDS FOR LEARNING COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES

Hello everyone!

You may be wondering why we are using the TV series Friends for learning communicative strategies:

First, watching the episodes you will not only improve your pronunciation and listening skills but also you will learn body language and some cultural aspects of the American culture.

Second, Friends is a funny and short TV series full of real and authentic communicative situations that are common in any group of friends.Then, you can appreciate real uses of the communicative strategies that you will learn in this course.

Regards,

Sara

BLOGGER

Hello everyone,

For those who have never used a blog or blogger, you just need  to click on the entry's comments to post your own comment. To publish a comment you must be logged in your gmail account.

Regards,


Sara