Research on Teaching Conversation Comprehensible Input Monitoring Vocabulary Use

Prior 1980s Learning Components of the Target Language Example: ‘ Students will learn the 49 most common preposition in English ’ ‘ Students will be able to differentiate a regular past tense verb from an irregular past tense verb. ’

In the 1980s ‘ knowledge of language ’ Components ‘ use of knowledge for communication purposes ’ Development of Communicative Approach

Comprehensible Input Comprehensible Input was developed by Stephen Krashan Teachers must use words students know Input that is just a bit more difficult than they can easily understand

Comprehensible Input i+1

Comprehensible Input i+1 Input Greater than Input that is a little beyond learner ’ s proficiency

Comprehensible Input Without i+1 Learner maintains his/her current level of proficiency Not the goal of teaching conversation

Comprehensible Input Two Things Teachers Should Know Pronunciation Issue Grammatical Issue

Pronunciation Issue Be aware of when to assimilate adjacent sounds Example: What did you think of the movie? Do you want to hear this again?

Grammar Issue Be aware of grammatical structures that are confusing or unknown to learners. should have + past participle (action did not happen) (i.e.,)The house should have exploded

Comprehensible Input Grammar Issue Be aware of grammatical structures that are confusing or unknown to learners. should have + past participle (action did not happen) (i.e.,)The house should have exploded content words

Monitoring Vocabulary Use Monitoring Words are Vocabulary Comprehensible Ensures

Common Mistakes by Teachers Big Words (dictionary, dinosaur,) Small Words (hem, num, sin)

Late 1990s Corpus Linguistics Corpus Data Samples of frequent words from real-world

Monitoring Vocabulary Use How can Corpus Linguistics benefit conversation lessons? Frequent words Less frequent words Itchy, Dizzy v.s. Fossils,

Monitoring Vocabulary Use Corpus Linguistics is useful in identifying how words are used in different contexts. Example: Like (to show a favor to someone or something)

Monitoring Vocabulary Use I like apples So this bloke, he was drunk, came up to me and I ’ m like Go Away, I don ’ t want to dance The first thing that runs through your mind is like meningitis, isn ’ t it?

Monitoring Vocabulary Use Most Common Idioms from Two Different Corpus Studies Academic Discourse (Simpson and Mendis, 2003) Spoken English (Liu, 2003) The bottom lineKind of The big pictureSort of Come into playOf course What the hellIn terms of Down the lineIn fact What the heckDeal with Flip a coinAt all On (the right) trackAs well Knee-jerkMake sure Hand in handGo through

Monitoring Vocabulary Use Student didn ’ t catch what you said? Repeat it Paraphrase it using simple words