SL.11-12.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Yo, listen up! In this standard, students are expected to understand that, at times, formal language is important to the situation, task, purpose, and audience. While students will use a certain speaking style with their friends, students must learn to use academic language in the classroom especially within the context of a whole-class discussion.
Keeping your expectations high for the use of formal language during whole-class discussions will help your students learn to better code-switch; that is, to use language appropriate to the setting and circumstances. Opportunities to develop this skill abound. Students must understand the impact that their mastery of excellent speaking skills has on academic and life-long success. This is a real eye-opener!
The teacher reveals the first question. You’ll work with your elbow partner to confer about possible claims, or answers. You notice that the question could be answered with at least three claims. Those English teachers -- their questions are NEVER simple! In addition to the claim, you must also provide some textual evidence followed by analysis of that evidence. What does it all mean?
After four minutes, the question is opened up to the entire class. The teacher asks for one student to offer a claim that answers the question. Then, that student may call on another student, who will give evidence from the text to support the claim. Finally, the second student calls on a third student, who then analyzes the evidence given for the first claim. The cycle begins again when a new claim is presented. Claim, evidence, analysis. Claim, evidence, analysis. You get the picture. This continues until all claims answering that first question have been presented.
Moving on to question number two, then three, then….. You know that at this rate, the discussion will take two days, but, by golly, you’ll know your stuff for the test!
In addition to following this process, you understand that this is a formal discussion. The Pair/Share portion with your elbow partner might be informal, and as such offers you a chance to collect your thoughts. You might use informal, or conversational, language in that one-on-one situation. That’s appropriate. In the whole class discussion, however, formal language is expected and conventions of discussions must be followed. These rules include applying Standard English, using an academic tone, and choosing mature and formal words. Avoid slang. We know that when you’re talking with your friends, you use one type of language. We’re NOT going there. But in the classroom, academic language is the way to go!
Proper discussion etiquette is also required: Address and thank the speaker for calling on you. Listen actively. No side conversations. Electronics are put away. Summarize what you believe you’ve heard from the previous speaker before answering your portion of the question. Offer an alternative viewpoint in a respectful manner.
It might seem rather forced at first, but soon you’ll see that this discussion is interesting and mature. And, you’ve learned a great deal about the novel that you didn’t realize by yourself.
Create a graphic organizer that explains when formal and informal English language might be used.
|2. A speech before a group of physicians||Explain the results of a new study||Formal with specific vocabulary|
|3.Tutoring a peer||Explain the main ideas in a newspaper article||Informal with grade appropriate vocabulary|
|4. A classroom of hungry peers||Demonstrate how to make pancakes||Informal with simple vocabulary|
|5.Debate competition||Arguing why the death penalty should not be permitted||Formal language with mature vocabulary|
- Teaching Animal Farm: To Ban or Not to Ban; That is the Question
- Teaching Animal Farm: Corruption Makes the World Go Round
- Teaching Animal Farm: The Power of Words
- Teaching Antigone: On the Hunt for Civil Disobedience
- Teaching Antigone: Motif Slideshow
- Teaching Antigone: The First Three Letters of Funeral
- As I Lay Dying: Your Mother’s a Fish: Faulkner and Modernist Art
- As I Lay Dying: Dysfunction Junction: Somebody, Help These Bundrens!
- Teaching Beowulf: Shop Till You Drop
- Teaching Beowulf: Adapting Beowulf
- Black Boy: The Great Debate
- Teaching Brave New World: Huxley on Huxley
- Teaching Brave New World: Aldous Huxley: Oracle or Alarmist?
- Teaching Brave New World: Our Ford, Who art in ... Detroit?
- Catch-22: Waiting for Yossarian: Bureaucracy in Catch-22 and in Schools
- Catch-22: Oops, I Satirized It Again
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Book vs. Movie
- Teaching A Good Man is Hard to Find: Killer Short Stories: Flannery O'Connor and Southern Gothic Literature
- Teaching A Rose for Emily: Put Miss Emily On Trial
- A Separate Peace: Blitzball for All
- A Separate Peace: Lost in Translation? (Mapping a Community)
- Teaching A Tale of Two Cities: Serial Publishing
- Teaching A Tale of Two Cities: Mapping A Tale of Two Cities
- Teaching A Tale of Two Cities: Mix and Match Plot Arrangements
- Teaching A View from the Bridge: Talk Show
- Teaching A View from the Bridge: Fill in the Symbol
- Teaching The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: It Runs in the Family
- Teaching The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: The N-Word
- Teaching The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck Finn vs. Video Games
- All Quiet on the Western Front: Oh The Humanity!
- Teaching Animal Farm: Don't Wanna Be Your Beast of Burden: Animal Farm Music
- Teaching Animal Farm: To Preface or Not to Preface
- Teaching Animal Farm: You Say You Want A (R)evolution?
- Teaching 1984: From Doublethink to Doublespeak