A significant component of any Languages Syllabus is communicating. Students learn to exchange personal information in conversation. Questions progress from: “What’s your name?” and “How are you?” to “Tell me about your family” and “Do you get along with your sister?” Although these ‘conversations’ may be presented as role play situations, in my experience students see them as mimicking genuine personal communication. If this is so, what then may they reveal and teach about personal integrity? At an HSC* preparation workshop day attended by students and teachers from a number of schools a top-scoring graduate gave this advice:
“So relax, enjoy! When else do you get to talk about yourself for 5 minutes? And remember, if you get stuck, just make it up. Who’s going to know?" One student I was tutoring confided she had a problem. She said she didn't want to lie but she felt uncomfortable responding to examiner’s questions she considered 'awkward'. She wanted to be genuine but feared being judged. She realised it made her appear nervous. Did I think she should take that advice on board and just invent some answers? How would you respond? I’m currently reading The Bible and the task of teaching by David I. Smith and John Shortt (it’s available as a free download linked here). In it David Smith explains how his personal conviction to be honest as a Christian led to a new approach to teaching this aspect of the Syllabus: “...I began to make changes in the way I taught in order to make the distinction between truth and simulation more distinct while still protecting students’ privacy. I began, for instance, to present certain writing activities in terms of a choice between personal communication or fiction. If I asked students to describe their family I would tell them that they could choose to describe their own family, in which case they should use all the resources available to find out how to do so accurately in French. Alternatively, they could write a fictional piece about an invented family, being as creative as possible. I also began to teach them linguistic strategies for politely deflecting unwelcome questions, an item which had not been on our Syllabus. The point here is that what began as reflection on personal integrity, in particular on the importance of honesty, ended in adjustments to my syllabus and teaching methods. A basic conviction that it is important to tell the truth even when it is inconvenient to do so turned out, when thought through over a year or so of teaching, to have implications for how I taught French. I became convinced that to value honesty for myself while teaching in a manner which undermined it was inconsistent.” p.42 So how did I respond to my student? First, I commended her for her desire to be honest. Then together we worked through how she could answer those potentially tricky questions in a whimsical but truthful way that would demonstrate her competence in the language, while protecting her privacy. This student later shared that she was hoping to study and live for awhile in Italy in the future. Even ‘just a role play' can be preparation for the real thing. Communicating with integrity. Libby Colla Reference: David I. Smith and John Shortt, The Bible and the shape of teaching, The Stapleford Centre, UK, 2002 Download this book for free at http://www.forthosewhoteach.org/the-bible-and-the-task-of-teaching/ Image source: personal collection. *Higher School Certificate (NSW)
2 Comments
Allison
11/2/2018 08:53:25 pm
Wow, Libby! I had this conversation with an HSC Japanese student this week. I should talk to my class about the tension between being honest and being inventive. Thanks.
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Libby
11/2/2018 10:56:56 pm
Sounds like a good idea, Allison. I’m sure your students will find it helpful to think through how they will work with this tension as they prepare and practise their conversations this year.
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