Designing Form-focused

Activities

TBLT Workshop

Davis, California

August 2011

Janet’s friend begins a conversation by saying:

Janet, I hear you’re planning a trip to Africa.

Work in groups and think of five questions you might ask Janet to find out more about her holiday. Try to think of one question which none of the other groups will ask.

B: Janet, I hear you’re planning a trip to Africa.J: Yes it’s very exciting. Going in September to see my son who’s doing volunteer work in Zambia. So I’m going to fly to Lusaka and he’ll meet me there and we’ll do a bit of travelling round. I think we’re going to be staying most of the time in Monze, where he’s working. It’s about a hundred miles south of Lusaka. But we’re planning all sorts of exciting things. We’re going to go on safari…B: How long are you actually going for? J: Oh, six weeks. Quite a long time so we can do quite a lot. I think we’re going to one of the big game parks – Luangwa – a game park – for a few days.B: Right.J: Probably going on down to see the Victoria Falls. And we’re actually going to Zimbabwe as well.B: Matter of interest. What airline are you planning to fly by?J: Sorry? Er, Air Zambia.B: Air Zambia.J: I’ve had to do it as cheaply as I could and I looked online and got this flight. I mean it’s a regular flight. It’s not a charter or anything. But it’s er … I think it’ll be okay… I don’t know.

TIME

• in September

• most of the time

• How long

• (for) six weeks.

• (for) Quite a long time

• for a few days

Grammar

Structure:

Janet is going to Africa

* To Africa is going Janet

Quite a long time

* A time long quite

How long are you going for?

* How long you are going for?

… my son who’s doing volunteer work

* … my son who he’s doing volunteer work

Orientation

a bit of travelling round

most of the time

all sorts of exciting things

one of the big game parks

Quite a long time

do quite a lot.

Going in September to see my son

Quite a long time so we can do quite a lot.

Probably going on down to see the Victoria Falls.

Matter of interest. What airline are you planning to fly by?

… my son who’s doing volunteer work in Zambia

How long are you actually going for?

What airline are you planning to fly by?

Grammar

Orientation:

Lana daddy horseyMan upHorsey pooDaddy poo bagLana daddy home

Daddy and I saw a horse. There was a man on the horse, but it did a poo. Daddy picked up the poo and put it in his bag. Then we came home.

B: Janet, I hear you’re planning a trip to Africa.J: Yes it’s very exciting. Going in September to see my son who’s doing volunteer work in Zambia. So I’m going to fly to Lusaka and he’ll meet me there and we’ll do a bit of travelling round. I think we’re going to be staying most of the time in Monze, where he’s working. It’s about a hundred miles south of Lusaka. But we’re planning all sorts of exciting things. We’re going to go on safari…B: How long are you actually going for? J: Oh, six weeks. Quite a long time so we can do quite a lot. I think we’re going to one of the big game parks – Luangwa – a game park – for a few days.B: Right.J: Probably going on down to see the Victoria Falls. And we’re actually going to Zimbabwe as well.B: Matter of interest. What airline are you planning to fly by?J: Sorry? Er, Air Zambia.B: Air Zambia.J: I’ve had to do it as cheaply as I could and I looked online and got this flight. I mean it’s a regular flight. It’s not a charter or anything. But it’s er … I think it’ll be okay… I don’t know.

1. I hear you’re planning a trip to Africa. (??)2. Going in September3. I’m going to fly to Lusaka 4. he’ll meet me there and we’ll do a bit of travelling round

5. we’re going to be staying most of the time in Monze …6. we’re planning all sorts of exciting things (??)7. We’re going to go on safari…11. How long are you actually going for?12. we can do quite a lot13. we’re going to one of the big game parks 14. Probably going on down to see the Victoria Falls15. we’re actually going to Zimbabwe as well.16. What airline are you planning to fly by?17. it’ll be okay

RECOGNITION:

structure

specific lexical meanings ( e.g. menu items, basic prepositional uses, basic

phrases and patterns.)

use of particular form (e.g. present continuous for here and now)

L1 correspondence (e.g. complex words and forms)

True or False?

1. Janet is flying to Africa in September

2. She’s flying by Air Zambia

3. She’s visiting her son in Zimbabwe

4. She’s going to fly to Lusaka

5. Her son is going to meet her at the airport

6. She’s going for two months

7. They are going to the Victoria Falls

Memory Game

Think of something you are going to do next week. Try to think of something no one else will be doing.

SYSTEM-BUILDING.

The relationship between grammatical elements like the tense system (All present tenses in English can refer to the future)

How forms are manipulated to make, for example, questions and negatives (not comes after modals/auxiliaries; interrogatives shift modals/auxiliaries in front of subject)

The use of in and at in time phrases

We use (be) going to:

To talk about plans and intentions: I’m going to drive to work today.They are going to move to Manchester.

When we can see that something is likely to happen:

Be careful! You are going to fall. Look at those black clouds. I think it’s going to rain.

We often use verbs like would like, plan, want, mean, hope, expect to talk about the future:

What are you going to do next year? I’d like to go to University.

We plan to go to France for our holidays.

George wants to buy a new car.

EXPLORATION:

Refining systems which defy explanation.

Formulating hypotheses for system building

EXPLORATION:

Refining systems which defy explanation:

I hear you’re going to Africa?? I hear you’ll go to Africa

How long are you going for??? How long will you go for

My son will meet meMy son is going to meet meMy son is meeting meMy son is going to be meeting me

J: Yes it’s very exciting. ***** in September to see my son who’* **** volunteer work in Zambia. So I’* ***** ** *** to Lusaka and he’** **** me there and we’** ** a bit of travelling round. I think we’** ***** ** ** ******* most of the time in Monze, where

he’* *******. It’s about a hundred miles south of Lusaka. But we’** ******** all sorts of exciting things. We’re ***** ** ** on safari…B: How long *** you actually ***** for? J: Oh, six weeks. Quite a long time so we *** **

quite a lot. I think we’** ***** to one of the big game parks – Luangwa – a game park – for a few days.

I’m going to fly to Lusaka and he’ll meet me there and we’ll do a bit of travelling around.

I’m ***** to *** to Lusaka and **’** meet me there and we’ll ** a *** of travelling ******.

I’m ***** ** *** to Lusaka and **’** **** me there *** we’ll ** a *** of ********** ******.

I’m ***** ** *** to ****** and **’** **** me ***** *** we’ll ** a *** ** ********** ******.

*’* ***** ** *** ** ****** *** **’** **** ** ***** *** **’** ** * *** ** ********** ******.

I’m going to fly to Lusaka and he’ll meet me there and we’ll do a bit of travelling around.

Word/phrase/pattern

Structure

Orientation

Recognition

System building

Exploration