AREA OF PROFESORADO

FINAL PROJECT
The Design of Four Units of Work Based on a TBLT and FonF Approach to Develop
Students’ Speaking Skills

Thesis to qualify for:

Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Presented by:
Alejandra Viviana Romano
ARFPMTFL1406228

Director:
Claudia Álvarez

Cipolletti, Argentina

November 2017
 Area of profesorado

FINAL PROJECT
The Design of Four Units of Work Based on a TBLT and FonF Approach to Develop
Students’ Speaking Skills

Thesis to qualify for:

Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Presented by:

Alejandra Viviana Romano

ARFPMTFL1406228

Director:
Claudia Álvarez

Cipolletti, Río Negro, Argentina

November 2017
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1
2. JUSTIFYING ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL INTEREST OF THE TOPIC......................... 2
3. OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................ 2
3.1 Main objective ........................................................................................................................ 3
3.2 Specific objectives.................................................................................................................. 3
4. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ........................................................................................... 3
4.1. Common European Framework of Reference ........................................................................ 3
4.1.1. CEFR Levels ...................................................................................................................... 4
4.2. Spoken Language ................................................................................................................... 6
4.2.1. Importance of studying spoken language ........................................................................... 6
4.2.2. Theoretical frameworks for spoken interaction and language learning ............................. 7
4.2.3. Features of spoken interaction............................................................................................ 8
4.3. Communicative Approach...................................................................................................... 9
4.3.1. Communicative competence ............................................................................................ 10
4.3.1.1. Strategic competence.................................................................................................... 11
4.3.1.2. Discourse competence .................................................................................................. 12
4.3.1.3. Grammatical competence ............................................................................................. 13
4.3.1.4. Sociolinguistic competence .......................................................................................... 13
4.4. Assessing Speaking .............................................................................................................. 13
4.4.1. Validity and reliability ..................................................................................................... 14
4.4.2. Practicality........................................................................................................................ 14
4.4.3. Washback effect ............................................................................................................... 14
4.5. Approaches to Language Teaching ...................................................................................... 15
4.5.1. Task-based approach ........................................................................................................ 15
4.5.1.1. Methodological principles in TBLT ............................................................................. 16
4.5.1.2. Definition of a task ....................................................................................................... 17
4.5.1.3. Elements of a task ......................................................................................................... 17
4.5.1.4. Activities in TBLT ......................................................................................................... 18
4.5.2. Synthetic and analytic approaches ................................................................................... 19
4.5.2.1. Issues with synthetic approaches and focus on forms .................................................. 19
4.5.2.2. Issues with analytic approaches and focus on meaning ............................................... 19
4.5.2.3. Analytic approaches with a focus on form ................................................................... 20
5. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................... 22
5.1. Action Research ................................................................................................................... 22
5.1.1. Forms of action research .................................................................................................. 22
5.1.2. Steps in action research .................................................................................................... 23
5.1.3. Action research methodology........................................................................................... 24

I
5.1.3.1. Data collection ............................................................................................................. 24
5.1.3.2. Data collection methods ............................................................................................... 25
5.1.4. Trustworthiness ................................................................................................................ 26
5.2. Case Study ............................................................................................................................ 27
5.2.1. Components of case study ................................................................................................ 28
5.3. Research Methodology ......................................................................................................... 28
5.4. Teacher and Learner Roles ................................................................................................... 30
5.5. Research Tools ..................................................................................................................... 31
5.6. Approach Adopted for Material Design ............................................................................... 31
5.7. Structure where the Material will be Included ..................................................................... 32
5.8. Creative Process ................................................................................................................... 33
5.9. Material and/or Activities Typology .................................................................................... 33
6. STUDY .................................................................................................................................... 34
6.1. Corpus and Data Collection ................................................................................................. 34
6.1.1. Diagnostic assessment ...................................................................................................... 36
6.1.2. Self-assessment checklist ................................................................................................. 36
6.2. Speaking Assessment Criteria Scales ................................................................................... 37
6.3. Context ................................................................................................................................. 38
6.4. Research Tools ..................................................................................................................... 38
7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................................................. 40
8. CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................................................................... 58
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................... 61
APPENDICES.................................................................................................................................. 65
Appendix A ...................................................................................................................................... 65
Appendix B ...................................................................................................................................... 67
Appendix C ...................................................................................................................................... 67
Appendix D ...................................................................................................................................... 67
Appendix E..................................................................................................................................... 132
Appendix F ..................................................................................................................................... 142

II
 LIST OF FIGURES

4.1 CEFR Levels ......................................................................................................................... 4

5.1 Action Research Cycle .......................................................................................................... 23
5.2 Non-observation methods ..................................................................................................... 25
5.3 Observation methods ............................................................................................................ 26
6.1 Global Achievement Scale .................................................................................................... 37
6.2 Speaking Assessment Scale .................................................................................................. 38

III
 LIST OF TABLES

7.1 Diagnostic Test 1 .................................................................................................................. 40

7.2 Diagnostic Test 2 .................................................................................................................. 41
7.3 Diagnostic Test 3 .................................................................................................................. 42
7.4 Unit of work 1 – Day 1 ......................................................................................................... 43
7.5 Unit of work 1 – Day 2 ......................................................................................................... 43
7.6 Unit of work 1 – Day 3 ......................................................................................................... 44
7.7 Unit of work 1 – Day 4 ......................................................................................................... 45
7.8 Unit of work 1 – Day 5 ........................................................................................................ 46
7.9 Final task: Oral presentation animals .................................................................................... 46
7.10 Unit of work 2 – Day 1 ........................................................................................................ 47
7.11 Unit of work 2 – Day 2 ......................................................................................................... 48
7.12 Unit of work 2 – Day 3 ........................................................................................................ 49
7.13 Unit of work 2 – Day 4 ........................................................................................................ 49
7.14 Final task: Retelling of fable ................................................................................................. 50
7.15 Unit of work 3 – Day 1 ........................................................................................................ 51
7.16 Unit of work 3 – Day 2 ........................................................................................................ 51
7.17 Unit of work 3 – Day 3 ........................................................................................................ 52
7.18 Final task: Comparing town and countryside ...................................................................... 53
7.19 Unit of work 4 – Day 1 ........................................................................................................ 54
7.20 Unit of work 4 – Day 2 ........................................................................................................ 55
7.21 Unit of work 4 – Day 3 ........................................................................................................ 55
7.22 Unit of work 4 – Day 4 ........................................................................................................ 56
7.23 Unit of work 4 – Day 5 ........................................................................................................ 57
7.24 Final task: Interviewing an alien .......................................................................................... 57

IV
 1. INTRODUCTION

Learning a second language has gradually gained importance due to different factors such as
academic purposes, work requirements and communication among others (Graddol, 2006). Harmer
(2007) stresses the idea that English is now seen as a lingua franca given the fact that
communication takes place between people who do not normally share the same first language.
Graddol (2006) also adheres to this view on English language by stating that nowadays “fewer
interactions involve a native-speaker” (p.87).

Therefore, it appears to be of utmost importance to effectively promote the learning of English in

order to provide learners with the necessary tools that might allow them to interact both at an oral
and written level successfully.

The present project has been designed following this stress on English as a lingua franca and the
importance of learning a second language for communicative purposes within a constantly
changing context. In order to implement effective teaching interventions, four units of work were
designed based upon a task-based approach focusing on form as well. Authors such as Doughty and
Long (2013), Long (1981, 1985, 2015) Nunan (1989) and Prabhu (1987) have made a case for the
use of a task-based approach (TBLT) and a focus on form (FonF) as a way of fostering the learning
of a second language in a classroom context.

On account of communication as the main focus of this study, activities have been proposed in
accordance to the approaches previously mentioned which clearly emphasize communicative
outcomes. Moreover, assessment of each of the units of work has been undertaken within the
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) which explicitly states expected
communicative outcomes for the A1 linguistic level of the selected sample.

As regards methodology, a mixed approach will be followed bearing in mind that different
perspectives offer a wider range of data which can be further interpreted. This approach includes
action research done by the teacher in the form of narrative observation and by students through a
self-assessment sheet which will be completed at the end of every class. Besides these methods, the
teacher will record the final tasks students produce so that they can be later transcribed and
analyzed thoroughly. Finally, in order to increase reliability, another teacher will be asked to listen
to students and give them a global mark.

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After collecting all these data, the teacher will assess their ability to ask, describe and exchange
information and draw a comparison between these results and the results they yielded last year.
Furthermore, she will draw conclusions from the information gathered through the narrative
observation taking into consideration which changes should be introduced in order to enhance her
teaching practice.

2. JUSTIFYING ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL INTEREST OF THE TOPIC

Since I started learning English to become a teacher, the speaking skill has been one of my major
interests of work and study. I firmly believe, given the current state of English as a lingua franca,
that it should be taught alongside a communicative approach allowing learners the possibility of
experiencing it through meaningful activities.

This project has been chosen taking into consideration the monolingual context in which my
students are immersed. English is not spoken outside formal contexts such as a classroom and the
major source of input students have is through formal instruction. Therefore, students receive
barely any input besides the three-hour lessons they have per week. Moreover, having been
working at this private institution for six years, I came to the conclusion that students should be
engaged in more meaningful communicative activities from elementary courses and that I have to
revise my own teaching practice as well since students reach higher levels without properly
acquiring the expected communicative competence in accordance to their level.

I believe that students will benefit from the implementation of these activities both at a production
and motivational level. Finally, I expect their speaking skills will be enhanced and hope the results
will be of help to future colleagues who might be teaching at this institution.

3. OBJECTIVES

The present study is aimed at developing speaking skills with a group of 13 students whose ages
range from 10 to 11 and who attend Bells English Institute. They have been exposed to English for
four years. I intend to implement four units of work within a focus on form and task-based
approach in order to evaluate students’ communicative performance after implementing these tasks.
Moreover, I have resolved to reflect upon my personal teaching practice in order to implement
changes that might promote my students’ oral performance and their engagement in the learning
process.

2
3.1 Main objective

To evaluate students’ oral performance after implementing four units of work based on a task-
based and focus on form approach in comparison to results students yielded with the ordinary
didactic proposal carried out the previous year.

3.2 Specific objectives

 To assess students’ overall oral performance before and after the intervention.
 To design four units of work focusing on form and implementing a task-based approach.
 To analyze the results of students’ oral performance after the intervention and compare
results obtained by students previously
 To reflect upon my own teaching practice through action research.

4. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

4.1. Common European Framework of Reference

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) was established in 2001 by the Council
of Europe in order to set the parameters by which language learning is described taking into
consideration the different skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking (Cambridge, 2011). It
aims at providing general guidelines by being a ‘work in progress’ which means that it is subject to
future trends in language learning. Therefore, it should not be regarded as “an international
standard or seal of approval” (Cambridge, 2011: 2).

The CEFR has evolved alongside the changes in the different approaches to language teaching and
learning that have been present throughout time from a grammar-translation method to a
functional/notional approach to a communicative approach (Cambridge, 2011). Taking these
changes into consideration, it has set out to describe “in a comprehensive way what language
learners have to learn to do in order to use a language for communication and what knowledge and
skills they have to develop so as to be able to act effectively” (Council of Europe, 2001, p.1). Given
the social nature of language and how individuals are treated as ‘social agents’ in this document as
well, the CEFR has been regarded as ‘action-oriented’ inasmuch it deals with how these individuals
carry out tasks in “a given set of circumstances, in a specific environment and within a particular
field of action (Council of Europe, 2001: 9).

3
4.1.1. CEFR Levels

The CEFR does not intend to provide a “checklist of learning points” (Cambridge, 2011: 4);
however, it contributes to the teaching and learning of a language with a useful set of descriptors
which encompasses the skills and abilities needed to perform successfully at certain levels of
language competence. These levels are described as follows:

Figure 4.1 CEFR Levels

(Source: Using the CEFR: Principles of Good Practice, p.4)

Although there is no in-depth analysis of every aspect of language competence throughout the
scales in the CEFR since “they cannot cover every possible context of language use”, each level
gives essential details of the varied abilities which individuals should master (Cambridge, 2011: 4).
The level adopted for the purpose of the present study will be A2. The following global scale
representation of communicative competence best summarizes what the A2 level user can do:

Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most
immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local
geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple
and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple
terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of
immediate need. (Council of Europe, 2001, p.24)

As regards the specific can do statements related to the speaking skill, there are two aspects that are
taken into consideration: spoken interaction and spoken production (Council of Europe, 2011).
These two categories are described in terms of what individuals can do in a self-assessment form:

4
Spoken Interaction
I can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a
simple and direct exchange of information on familiar
topics and activities. I can handle very short social
exchanges, even though I can’t usually understand
enough to keep the conversation going myself.
Spoken Production
I can use a series of phrases and sentences to
describe in simple terms my family and other
people, living conditions, my educational
background and my present or most recent job.
(Source: Council of Europe, 2001, p.26)

The Council of Europe (2001) sets forth specific notions concerning “a fairly detailed scheme of
categories for the description of language use and the language user” (p.43). These descriptions are
as follows:

Overall Oral Production

Can give a simple description or presentation of people, living or working conditions, daily
routines, likes/dislikes, etc. as a short series of simple phrases and sentences into a list.
Sustained Monologue: Describing Experience
Can tell a story or describe something in a simple list of points. Can describe everyday aspects of
his/her environment e.g. people, places, a job or study experience.
Can give short, basic descriptions of events and activities.
Can describe plans and arrangements, habits and routines, past activities and personal
experiences.
Can use simple descriptive language to make brief statements about and compare objects and
possessions.
Can explain what he/she likes or dislikes about something.
Can describe his/her family, living conditions, educational background, present or most recent
job.
Can describe people, places and possessions in simple terms.
Public Announcements
Can deliver very short, rehearsed announcements of predictable, learnt content which are
intelligible to listeners who are prepared to concentrate.
Addressing Audiences
Can give a short, rehearsed, basic presentation on a topic pertinent to his/her everyday life, briefly
give reasons and explanations for opinions, plans and actions.
Can read a very short, rehearsed, basic presentation on a familiar subject.
Can answer straightforward follow up questions if he/she can ask for repetition and if some help
with the formulation of his/her reply is possible.
(Source: Council of Europe, 2001, pp. 58-60)

5
4.2. Spoken Language

Producing speech is an ability which requires social interaction in order to occur. Clark (2009) puts
forward the notion that it is inherently meaningful inasmuch it is produced “as a means of
communication” which is used on a daily basis (p.1).

It is widely known that before learning how to write a child acquires the skills necessary to produce
speech (Willis, 2015). Therefore, children start by making demands so that their basic needs are
satisfied. As a consequence, they start socializing while at the same time they learn the rules
needed to interact within the society around them (Willis, 2015).

The act of producing a first language (L1) itself can be sometimes regarded as a simple
phenomenon since it does not require formal instruction as writing does. Willis (2015, p.4) states
that it is “language that we learn naturally (…) and that begins with spoken interaction” which
seems to make this endeavor a straightforward one. On the contrary, it is not the case with a second
language (L2) given the fact that some people might encounter difficulties throughout this process.
Krashen (1985) exemplifies this dilemma by posing questions such as why learners finish differing
“in their level of attainment, some ultimately becoming bilingual, others remaining virtual
monoglots” (p.1).

Throughout history there has been a shift in the approach to the study of languages. Boxer (2004)
highlights how during the last 30 to 40 years the field known as Applied Linguistics has emerged
subsequently allowing the sub-field of Second Language Acquisition to appear. This interest in the
study of second languages and their consequent findings has allowed both scholars and teachers
alike to gain further insight on how language is used (Boxer, 2004). Although, there are opposing
and varied views on how language acquisition occurs. “most researchers in the field would not now
deny there are advantages in taking multiple perspectives” (Boxer, 2004, pp.5-6).

4.2.1. Importance of studying spoken language

As Krashen (1985) put forward, learners reach different levels of proficiency in a second language
which might imply its inherent difficulty. Therefore, it became pertinent to continue research on
this field of second language acquisition so as to shed light on why certain processes occur, how
learners acquire a second language and use it among other phenomena.

6
Since the 1970’s scholars have seen the need to change the focus of instruction, which was initially
aimed at acquiring reading skills, to a more communicative approach taking into consideration the
state of English as a lingua franca (Graddol, 2006).

By studying spoken discourse “students, teachers and scholars can create curriculum, materials and
assessment instruments based on something more substantive than intuitions of mother tongue
users” (Boxer, 2004, p.4). Results from these studies are therefore crucial given the fact that they
“can be applied to language learning contexts” in return (Boxer, 2004, p.4).

4.2.2. Theoretical frameworks for spoken interaction and language learning

Three major frameworks have been set which provide support for language learning. Boxer (2004)
identifies them as follows:

1. Language identity
2. Language socialization
3. Sociocultural theory

As Boxer (2004, p.8) emphasizes “there has been an increasing interest among applied linguistics
in the relationship between identity and second language development”. As a consequence, the first
framework deals with the study of the impact that “incorporating an additional language and
culture” can have on a person’s “sense of who [he or she] is in the world” (Boxer, 2004, p.8).

The second framework is based upon the notion that language is “the symbolic means by which
humans appropriate knowledge of norms and rules of verbal and non-verbal behaviour in particular
speech communities” (Boxer, 2004, p. 9-10). Richards and Schmidt (2002) add that “language
socialization is thought to be a key to the acquisition of both linguistic and sociocultural
knowledge” (p.293).

The third framework derives from Vigotsky’s work which highlights the connection between
cognitive development and social interaction (Richards & Schmidt, 2002). Its aim is to research
what ties “social interaction and the development of higher order mental processes” (Boxer, 2004,
p.11).

Central to this framework is the concept of zone of proximal development (ZPD) originated in
Vygotsky’s work. This notion proposes that for the process of language acquisition to occur

7
successfully, children will have to depend on a more knowledgeable person (Langford, 2005).
Concerning this process is the notion of scaffolding which is “the support provided to learners to
enable them to perform tasks which are beyond their capacity” (Richards & Schmidt, 2002, p.466).
This seems to be an essential component in any teaching and learning environment where children
rely upon an expert in order to gain knowledge (Langford, 2005).

4.2.3. Features of spoken interaction

Written and spoken languages are distinctive in nature. While writing “tends to be edited,
monologic and made up of complete units (i.e. sentences), speech tends to be unedited, to involve
more than one person and to have a high proportion of false starts, repetitions and elliptical
fragments” (Foster, 2013, p.654).

Willis (2015, p.8) provides a comprehensive list of features which are characteristic of spoken
interaction:

1. Conversation appears to be untidy.

2. It is made up of variable units – certainly not simply sentences.
3. It is additive – often with topic-comment structure.
4. It is often repetitive.
5. It is often vague.
6. It is overtly interactive.
7. It includes pauses and place holders.
8. It makes extensive use of discourse markers.
9. Exchanges are often formulaic.
10. Same speech acts are governed by routines.
11. Conversation is creative.

Taking into consideration that speech is produced “spontaneously in real time” repetition and
addition of grammar features is bound to occur (Willis, 2015, p.8). As Willis (2015) puts forward,
it also requires the speaker to take time to start conversation and to check whether the message has
been clearly conveyed.

Searle (1975, p. 354-361) classifies speech into different categories depending on their purpose
which he calls illocutionary acts. These are:

8
 1. Representatives
2. Directives
3. Commissives
4. Expressives
5. Declarations

The choice of act will be bound to the expected result the speaker wants to achieve or his or her
intention. Richards and Schmidt (2002) offer straightforward explanations of these concepts.
According to the authors, the first term relates to the description of events or states. The second
term has to do with what the speaker urges the listener to do. As for the third one, the speaker
commits him or herself “to doing something in the future” (p.499). The fourth concept pertains to
expressing feelings and attitudes. The last act is one “which changes the state of affairs in the
world” (p.499).

Bailey (2005) provides typical examples of functions or speech acts used in English which “include
thanking, requesting information, apologizing, refusing, warning, complimenting, directing,
complaining” among others (p.6).

4.3. Communicative Approach

This approach was influenced by a humanist view of learning where learner and teacher roles
underwent changes meaning a change of focus on what learners need (Richards & Rodgers, 2001).
Chomsky (1957) criticized the accepted explanations of structural theories on learning since they
were not able to account for certain aspects of language such as creativity and uniqueness. It is
currently acknowledged that learners need to be exposed to not only knowledge of the structures
but also to the functional and communicative aspects of language being them an important feature
of human interaction (Richards & Rogers, 2001). Focusing solely on the grammatical aspects of the
language has proven to be insufficient in itself to provide explanations on how language functions
as means of communication (Littlewood, 1981).

Nowadays, the ability to communicate effectively without placing importance on grammatical

accuracy has become paramount in foreign language teaching. Gor and Vatz (2009) state that since
approaches to second language teaching moved from grammar-translation to audiolingual methods
there has been an emphasis on “the development of learners’ ability to communicate, express
themselves, get their meaning across, and engage in social interactions” (p.245). Savignon (2005)

9
sets forth that the central idea behind the communicative approach is “the engagement of learners
in communication to allow them to develop their communicative competence” (p.635).

Shastri (2010, p.40) summarizes the core concepts of this approach:

 It focuses both on form and the meaning and structure and function.
 It follows the cognitive theory of learning with emphasis on learning by doing. The tasks
and the activities are problem solving in nature. Total participation of the learners in these
activities is ensured.
 Contextualization is a basic requirement for learning language items.
 The emphasis is on fluency than on accuracy. Errors are considered to be integral part of
learning.
 Procedures for teaching of the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are
developed. Integration of skills is emphasised.
 Inductive way of teaching grammar is practiced.
 It is a learner-centered approach. Lerner’s needs are of utmost importance.
 Language learning is not getting mastery over isolated sentences but to develop an ability
to participate in discourse or in writing.
 Individual work, pair work or group work, role-play, discussion are the classroom
techniques to learn a language.
 Teacher’s role is that of a guide and facilitator. The teacher should be extra resourceful to
develop her own material according to the needs of learners.

4.3.1. Communicative competence

Closely related to the communicative approach and a basic notion in it is the concept of
communicative competence (Savignon, 2005). Atkinson (2013) explains that “communicative
competence was an attempt to broaden the competence notion beyond Chomsky’s narrow vision”
(p. 588). Van Patten and Benati (2015) define it as an “underlying knowledge involved in language
use” which means that it affects the choices that the speaker makes (p.102). Other authors such as
Richards and Schmidt (2002) emphasize that this knowledge deals with different aspects of
language which range from knowing if it is “formally possible in a language” to “whether it is
feasible, appropriate or done in a particular speech community” (p.90). It becomes rather apparent
that a variety of factors intervene and that the social aspect of language plays an important role in
learning a second language as well.

10
The components of communicative competence include other competencies related to knowledge
of grammar, discourse, sociolinguistics and strategies (Richards & Schmidt, 2002). Van Patten and
Benati (2015) take into consideration pragmatic competence as well. Thus, being competent in a
foreign language means knowing the formal properties of language, how to connect sentences
coherently and cohesively, using language bearing in mind appropriateness and context and being
able to make use of strategies when encountering a new situation when “resources don’t provide
the means” (Van Patten & Benati, 2015, p.102). Ellis (1994) suggests that “individual learner
differences and situational factors” will have an influence upon the choice of strategy that
individuals make (p. 545).

4.3.1.1. Strategic competence

Bailey (2005) defines strategic competence as the steps learners take when they encounter “gaps in
skills and knowledge” (p.3). Oxford (2013) adds that a strategy is a conscious act which L2
learners perform when they want to attain a given goal. Tarone (1981) remarks that these goals are
directed towards achieving competence in both the linguistics and sociolinguistics aspects of the
foreign language.

Oxford (1990, p.3) concludes that there are key features in learning strategies since they:

1. contribute to the main goal, communicative competence.

2. allow learners to become more self-directed.
3. expand the role of teachers.
4. are problem-oriented.
5. are specific actions taken by the learner.
6. involve many aspects of the learner, not just the cognitive.
7. support learning both directly and indirectly.
8. are not always observable.
9. are often conscious.
10. can be taught.
11. are flexible.
12. are influenced by a variety of factors.

In respect of communicative competence, Tarone (1978 in Tarone, 1981) proposes strategies which
learners employ to communicative successfully and compensate for knowledge or skills which are
not available to them. Tarone (1981, pp.286-287) describes them as follows:

11
 1. Paraphrase
a. Approximation: the speaker makes use of a vocabulary item or structure that might not
be the expected one in the target language but which shares enough semantic features
to be understood.
b. Word coinage: the learner makes up a new word in favor of communication.
c. Circumlocution: the speaker resorts to describing instead of using the appropriate target
language.
2. Borrowing
a. Literal translation: the speaker translates word for word from the L1.
b. Language switch: the learner uses the L1 without worrying about translating.
3. Appeal for assistance: the learner relies on an external source for the correct terms.
4. Mime: the speaker uses nonverbal strategies to convey meaning.
5. Avoidance
a. Topic avoidance: the speaker decides not to talk about a topic he or she is not familiar
with.
b. Message abandonment: the learner begins talking about a topic but stops when he or
she cannot continue.

4.3.1.2. Discourse competence

This competence deals with how sentences are connected and which encompasses both cohesion
and coherence (Bailey, 2005). Under the definition of discourse, these notions are its basis
(Geluykens, 2013). The first term could be defined as “ways in which parts of a piece of discourse
are linked by the use of formal (i.e. lexical, grammatical, and, in the case of spoken discourse,
prosodic) devices. Cohesion, in other words, refers to observable properties of texts” (Geluykens,
2013, p.90).

On the other hand, the second term differs from the first one inasmuch as it is not an observable
phenomenon which can be analyzed straightforwardly (Geluykens, 2013). Richard and Schmidt
(2002, p. 85) stress that this term is “the relationships which link the meanings of utterances in a
discourse or of the sentences in a text”. If coherence is to be understood, how the message is
interpreted plays an important role (Geluykens, 2013). Therefore, interpretation and the knowledge
that speakers share will have an effect on the extent to how discourse is connected and understood
(Bailey, 2005).

12
4.3.1.3. Grammatical competence

Another major competence involved in communication is grammatical competence which relates to

the formal aspects of language. Richard and Schmidt (2002) describe it as “the knowledge of the
grammar, vocabulary, phonology, and semantics of a language” (p.90). It was this knowledge that
was regarded as the basic one that learners should master in order to be competent users of a
second language (Bailey, 2005). However, as it was mentioned before current ideas of how learners
should perform in a real life context or what it is expected of them have had an impact on language
learning and teaching thus placing importance on communication.

4.3.1.4. Sociolinguistic competence

As it was indicated before, the social aspect of language becomes relevant when examining second
language acquisition and the components involved. Authors such as Bayley and Tarone (2013),
Richard and Schmidt (2002) and Bailey (2005) among others agree that sociolinguist competence
addresses the relevance that various contexts and situations have during a speech act. For example,
Bayley and Tarone (2013, p.680) believe that speakers of a second language “need to be able to
shift from the relatively formal style characteristic of classroom discourse to the more informal
styles characteristic of everyday life”. Bailey (2005) acknowledges that appropriate use of language
is crucial in any given context as well.

4.4. Assessing Speaking

Fulcher (2003) explains how teaching and testing speaking has changed from before the First
World War when speaking tests per se did not require students to actually produce oral language to
the first speaking test which was designed for students who wanted to study at universities in the
United States. For instance, this test was practical in nature since it was intended to test whether
learners would be capable of communicating intelligibly at the college they had been admitted to
although “criteria for assessment were not articulated” and nothing was known “about the training
provided to examiners” (Fulcher, 2003, p.35). However, as the author remarks, these attempts to
provide a definition for speaking and what it entails showed the increasing importance placed upon
this skill.

Speaking tests played an important role during war years. They were designed after acknowledging
that the lack of language skills that soldiers had, prevented them from performing their functions
accordingly (Fulcher, 2003). As a consequence, these tests were developed to assess how soldiers

13
could perform in a real life situation (Fulcher, 2003). As this author mentions, these forms of
assessing speaking were also implemented in teaching contexts. It was eventually acknowledged
while testing speaking the importance of “holistic versus multiple trait rating, bands and their
descriptors, test bias, the difference between linguistic and communicative criteria for rating, and
reliability” (Fulcher, 2003, p.45). As Fulcher (2003) concludes “all of these areas are very high on
the agenda of language testers today” (p.45).

4.4.1. Validity and reliability

When referring to research and testing there are two concepts which should be addressed if
teachers and scholars are to conduct proper investigations. These are validity and reliability.
Shimahara (2005) affirms that these concepts “are crucial in all social research regardless of
disciplines and the methods employed” (p.84).

On the one hand, in testing validity refers to “the degree to which a test measures what it is
supposed to measure, or can be used successfully for the purposes for which it is intended”
(Richard & Schmidt, 2002, p.575). Therefore, educators must verify that they “are testing what
[they] are teaching and what the students want to be learning” (Bailey, 2004, p.21).

On the other hand, reliability measures “the degree to which a test gives consistent results”
(Richard & Schmidt, 2002, p.454). This means that a given test should produce the same results
regardless of when and who uses it, hence the need for consistency (Bailey, 2004).

4.4.2. Practicality

A further point that should be discussed is practicality in terms of assessing speaking. Bailey
(2005) asserts that “a test or other assessment procedure can only be useful if it does not make
unreasonable demands on resources, including time, money, and personnel” (p.22).

4.4.3. Washback effect

As Nation and Newton (2009) put forward the washback effect relates to “the influence of the form
and the content of the test on the classroom” (p.169). While a test is in progress, it can have a
positive or negative effect both in the teaching or learning context (Richards & Schmidt, 2002).
Bailey (2005) adds that “washback can be either positive or negative, depending on whether it

14
promotes the development of the skills or knowledge to be learned (positive washback) or hinders
that development (negative washback)” (p.22).

4.5. Approaches to Language Teaching

4.5.1. Task-based approach

As it was previously stated, with the advent of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) greater
emphasis has been placed on communicative competence. The ability to make use of grammar
solely was regarded as insufficient given the fact that isolated from its social component it does not
contribute to successful communicative competence (Friedrich, 2013). People soon realized the
importance of communicating effectively in a foreign language. This can be seen nowadays in the
age rate of individuals who start studying another language which has been lowering (Graddol,
2006). As Graddol (2006) indicates this “trend has gathered momentum only very recently and the
intention is often to create a bilingual population” (p.88). In 2015 Long asserted that “advanced
proficiency in a foreign or second language will remain a critical factor in determining the
educational and economic life chances” of individuals (p.19).

Following this communicative trend and current state of English as a lingua franca, task-based
approach seeks to shorten the gap between what individuals learn in a traditional formal context
and what they actually need to learn in order to communicate successfully in real life (Willis &
Willis, 1996). It was Prabhu (1987) with his Bangalore Project who set the foundations for task-
based language teaching (TBLT) by focusing instruction on the implementation of tasks through a
functional use. Van den Branden (2013) in consistency with this interpretation of TBLT states that
it “starts from the basic premise that most second and foreign language learners aim to acquire a
new language to use it for functional purposes” (p.628-629). This is present in the use of
meaningful communicative activities which can later serve outside the classroom (Willis & Willis,
1996). As Nunan (2004) explains this operational component should be targeted through an
analysis of individuals’ needs. Therefore, TBLT focuses on what learners need as opposed to what
it is imposed upon them.

Another key issue in TBLT is that communication needs to be achieved through the use of
language without it being the expected outcome (Richards, et.al., 1986 as cited in Nunan, 2004).
Thus the acquisition of grammar should be the result of meaningful interaction and use of authentic
language (Richards and Schmidt, 2002). In order to reach such a goal, TBLT is based upon the
design and provision of authentic material (Van den Branden, 2013).

15
Nevertheless, it is usually the case that in most classroom contexts there is a clear dominance on
the side of the teacher who usually “controls discourse and takes responsibility for it” (Willis,
2015, p.8). Therefore, it seems appropriate to state that learners should be given the opportunity to
construct meaning through tasks which involve “use of the language for a real purpose” (Willis,
2015, p.8).

Finally, Nunan (2004) proposes another principle derived from TBLT. He asserts that in TBLT
learners are greatly encouraged to focus on the learning process besides focusing on language. It is
crucial as well that teachers respect “learners’ social, psycholinguistic, and emotional/affective
needs [since] it is likely to promote L2 learning even if the immediate outcome may not be realized
as the learners’ target-like use of the form” (Izumi, 2013, pp.244-245). Samuda and Bygate (2008)
give further insight on TBLT acknowledging that:

The aim of second/foreign language teaching is to develop the ability to use the target
language . . . not only to practise [sic] or show mastery but also for information (personal
and professional), for social, political and artistic purposes as well as for aesthetic pleasure.
(p.7)

4.5.1.1. Methodological principles in TBLT

Long (2015, p.545) defines methodological principles (MPs) as “what should be done” in a TBLT
approach. He mentions criteria adapted from Doughty and Long (2013):

1. Use task, not text, as the unit of analysis.

2. Promote learning by doing.
3. Elaborate input (Do not simplify; do not rely solely on “authentic” texts).
4. Provide rich (not impoverished) input.
5. Encourage inductive (“chunk”) learning.
6. Focus on form.
7. Provide negative feedback.
8. Respect learner syllabi and developmental processes.
9. Promote cooperative/collaborative learning.
10. Individualize instruction (psycholinguistically and according to communicative needs).

These methodological principles will be present in the material designed.

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4.5.1.2. Definition of a task

From the onset, it should be noted that there exist different definitions proposed in the current
literature as regards to what a task is. For instance, Carroll (1993 as cited in Van den Branden,
2006) highlights its outcome-oriented nature by stating that individuals are expected to achieve
predetermined goals through tasks. Long (1985) believes that a task is “a piece of work undertaken
for one self or of others, freely or for some reward” (p.4). He gives examples such as painting a
fence, filling out a form or dressing a child. In 2015, Long further developed his ideas by
categorizing them into target and pedagogic tasks. The first one is “what [individuals] need to be
able to do in the new language” and the second one relates to “the activities and the materials that
teachers and/or students work on in the classroom or other instructional environment” (p.21).
Skehan (1998 as cited in Nunan, 2004, p.3) summarizes what a task is characterizing it as a piece
of work where:

1. meaning is primary,
2. learners are not given other people’s meaning to regurgitate,
3. there is some sort of relationship to comparable real-world activities,
4. task completion has some priority and
5. the assessment of the task is in terms of outcome

In addition to the previous definitions Van Patten and Benati (2015) identify tasks as activities
which trigger resolution trough conflict. This notion is connected to the term negotiation which
some authors such as Long (1981, 1983) believe to be fundamental in any given learning
environment because by negotiating meaning language acquisition can be effectively propelled
forward. Long (2015) reveals that “important brief opportunities for attention to linguistic code
features, and for explicit learning… to improve implicit input processing” occur during this stage
“which [are] of particular importance for acquisition” (p.105).

4.5.1.3. Elements of a task

Nunan (1989) mentions four characteristics which form a task. First he describes goals which are
what the teacher wants to attain through the implementation of the task. They can be general, for
example connected to communicative, affective or cognitive outcomes or direct, such as describing
“teacher or learner behaviour” (p.49). Another component present in a task is input. It “refers to the
data that form the point of departure for the task” (p.53). Hover (1986) provides a plethora of
source material which includes photographs, drawing, family tree, recipe, shopping lists among

17
others. Related to input is what Nunan described as activities derived from input which are the
things “learners will actually do with the input which forms the point of departure for the learning
task” (p.59). Finally, the last element explained by Nunan is the roles implied for teacher and
learner which will be further analyzed in the methodology section.

4.5.1.4. Activities in TBLT

Being able to make use of language for an essentially instrumental purpose is the ultimate aim of a
task (Estaire & Zanón, 1994). In order to reach such a purpose, there are several activities which
students can undertake.

Prabhu (1987) provided the starting point for developing a TBLT approach trough the
implementation of these activities:

1. Information-gap activity: this focuses on the exchange of information where usually one
participant has information that the other person does not have and vice versa allowing
them to negotiate meaning through interaction.
2. Reasoning-gap activity: in this type of activity learners are expected to make use of skills
such as deduction, inference or reasoning thus enabling them to obtain new information
from previously provided information.
3. Opinion-gap activity: as it is stated in its name, this activity involves providing answers in
a given circumstance by expressing opinions, attitudes or feelings.

Pattison (1987) expands the range of activities and introduces the following seven types:

1. Questions and answers

2. Dialogues and role-plays
3. Matching activities
4. Communication strategies
5. Pictures and pictures stories
6. Puzzles and problems
7. Discussions and decisions

The choice of activity will be bound to outcomes expected and objectives learners should fulfill. By
carefully choosing, adapting or designing activities and planning them within a communicative

18
approach, individuals might be capable of doing things in a classroom context which will be later
transferred to real life (Estaire and Zanón, 1994).

4.5.2. Synthetic and analytic approaches

Throughout the educational history of teaching there have been two major opposing approaches as
regards how individuals acquire a language. On the one hand “a synthetic approach begins by
focusing on the language to be taught” and organizing it taking into consideration certain criteria
such as frequency, saliency and difficulty among others which is then introduced to students “one
by one” implying that language is mastered after incorporating from less to more complex language
(Long, 2015, p.45). On the other hand, an analytic approach considers that a second language
should be learnt in the way a first language is acquired (Long, 2015). Given this natural process,
proponents of this approach assert that individuals must receive comprehensible and authentic input
allowing them to make inferences thus deducing language rules until they are finally able to
produce language for themselves (Long, 2015)

4.5.2.1. Issues with synthetic approaches and focus on forms

Although some authors have made a case for the use of a synthetic approach focusing on grammar
(e.g. Grammar Translation Method, Audio-Lingual Method, TPR, among others), it appears to fall
short in meeting learners’ needs (Long, 2015). Ellis, Basturkmen and Loewen (2002, p.420)
characterize Focus on Forms as involving a systematic treatment of language by pre-selecting
“specific features based on a linguistic syllabus” assuming that language is learnt after a process of
acquiring linguistic elements which are gradually arising in complexity. Unfortunately, this
approach to language learning contradicts human nature and its internal processes as Long (2015)
highlights how “L2 learners, both children and adults, are active, creative participants in the
acquisition process” as opposed to “pliant organisms being ready to be inculcated with new sets of
language habits” (p.50). He also adds that “learners, not teachers have most control over their
language development, and they do not move from ignorance to native-like command of new items
in one step” (p.53).

4.5.2.2. Issues with analytic approaches and focus on meaning

In this analytic dimension of language teaching and learning, the need to establish a correlation
between forms and meanings is primary (Littlewood, 2011). Notwithstanding the benefits of a

19
focus on meaning, for instance no longer “trying to meet a psycholinguistically unrealistic
timetable in the form of an externally imposed linguistic syllabus”, there exist certain flaws which
should be pointed out (Long, 2015, p.55). Long proceeds to provide a list of four possible problems
when following this approach:

1. a pure analytic approach and focus on meaning assume that the capacity for implicit
learning remains strong in adults,
2. implicit learning takes time, and LT needs to be efficient, not just minimally necessary and
sufficient,
3. as a result of possessing a L1, learning from positive evidence alone will no longer suffice,
and
4. a purely analytic approach ignores the substantial evidence that L2 instruction that also
includes one or more types of instruction works.

(Adapted from Long, 2015, pp.54-59)

4.5.2.3. Analytic approaches with a focus on form

Both approaches focusing on forms and on meaning “have been tried and failed in many places in
the world to produce balanced L2 users who are simultaneously fluent, accurate and versatile”
(Izumi, 2013, p.244). However, a third possible approach has been proposed by Long (2015). In his
view, an analytic approach and a Focus on Form (FonF) is a more viable option.

Before attempting to analyze such an approach, a brief description of FonF should be issued.
Williams (2005, p.672) mentions three characteristics present in a FonF approach. According to
her, it includes:

1. an overall emphasis on the communication of meaning,

2. a brief diversion from that emphasis on communication to focus on language as object, and
3. a problem-based trigger for the diversion

Following this line of thought, Loewen (2011) argues that the primary focus of language
instruction should not be isolated grammatical items since opting for a Focus on Forms (FonFS) is
“psycholinguistically untenable, given what is known about learners’ interlanguage and
developmental sequences” (Long, 2007 as cited in Loewen, 2011, p.579).

20
As mentioned before, Long (2015) acknowledges the advantages of implementing an analytic
approach with a FonF which as Izumi (2013) declares “attempts to capture the strengths of the
communicative approach while dealing with its limitations” (p.244). Long (2015) further states that
it allows students to notice “linguistic problems in context, as they arise during communication”
which in turn increases “the likelihood that attention to code features will be synchronized with the
learner’s internal syllabus, developmental stage, and processing ability” (pp.58-59). It is when
communication fails to be successful and individuals need to resort to strategies such as
negotiation, that they are given the “opportunity to acquire a particular form” (Han, 2008, p.49).

Another significant feature of FonF is that it is not based upon the assumption that individuals learn
without any external help or that they immediately acquire language after instruction (Izumi, 2013).
Therefore, teacher intervention becomes a key issue that has to be taken into consideration if FonF
is to be successfully implemented.

Wong and Simard (2016) categorized FonF pedagogical interventions as follows:

1. Textual enhancement
2. Structured input
3. Dictogloss/Text reconstruction
4. Explicit information

According to these authors, textual enhancement places importance on linguistic features of

language by making it salient. This means that, for example, by highlighting or using bold fonts for
the input which is to be targeted, learners will pay more attention to it. On the other hand,
structured input gives learners the opportunity to focus on the parts of language that they tend to
omit so as to infer meaning. Dictogloss or text reconstruction relies on reading and/or listening
skills in order to reconstruct a given text which contains examples of the target input.
Consequently, students are working with both input and output. Finally, explicit information means
giving learners clear-cut explanations on how language works “in the form of a rule to follow or a
strategy that can be applied in order to avoid making errors” (Wong & Simard, 2016, p.35).

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 5. METHODOLOGY

5.1. Action Research

Educators all over the world face different situations in their classrooms on a daily basis which
make them pose questions to themselves as regards their teaching practice. These questions are
usually of an informal nature even though teachers might adopt a systematic approach to them
(Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014; McNiff & Whitehead, 2006). In doing so, teachers are taking
part in what has been coined Action Research.

It is important to be noted that action research does not take place without the impact of social
interaction and that it is inherently practical in nature (Townsend, 2014). It is usually teacher-
initiated with the goal of understanding classroom teaching and learning while at the same time
implementing “improvements in classroom practices” (Richards & Schmidt, 2002, p.8).

Kalmbach Phillips and Carr (2014) further develop the previous notion by defining it as a type of
research “done by teachers in their own classrooms with the goal of improving pedagogy and
student learning” (p.5). This type of research presupposes that it will allow teachers to assess how
they are working as well (McNiff & Whitehead, 2006). In agreement with these definitions,
Ferrance (2000) adds that in doing action research the teacher is capable of reflecting upon his or
her own practice thus making the necessary changes to enhance students’ learning. With these
definitions at hand, it seems appropriate to state that the main goals of action research are to
investigate and improve both the teaching practice and learning experience.

5.1.1. Forms of action research

Action research can be conducted through two forms of research: qualitative and quantitative
(Burns, 2010; Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014; McNiff & Whitehead, 2006). The first one is
according to Leavy (2014: 2) “often used to explore, describe or explain social phenomenon” while
the second one is dependent upon “numerical measurement techniques and mathematical analysis”
(Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014, p.13).

On the one hand, quantitative research attempts “to reduce the many complex variables involved in
understanding teaching and learning to objective, numerical measurements” (Kalmbach Phillips &
Carr, 2014, p.14). It is a form of technical rational research which aims at finding existing cause
and effect relationships through the analysis of statistical data (McNiff & Whitehead, 2006). It

22
relies upon constructs such as validity and reliability (Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014). It usually
“begins with a research question or hypothesis that is quite specific” (Lee McKay, 2006, p.6).

On the other hand, qualitative research focuses on explanations and descriptions making it an
interpretative type of research (McNiff & Whitehead, 2006) and depends on trustworthiness
(Lincoln & Guba, 1985 in Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014) which can be accomplished by
following certain criteria proposed by Kalmbach Phillips and Carr (2014). The first one which is
triangulation takes into consideration different points of view by means of collecting data from
varied sources. The second criterion involves detailed situational and contextual data. The third is
concerned with “deliberate and systematic data collection and interpretation” (p.16). The fourth
notion takes into account the researcher’s personal opinions or positions which should be clearly
stated. The fifth and final criterion covers the reflective aspect of all the data which was gathered
and the experience gained through the research.

Besides following either of the former approaches, there exists the possibility of adopting a mixed-
method research (Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014). These authors propose employing both
qualitative and quantitative research thus combing its weaknesses and strengths acknowledging
their complementary nature.

5.1.2. Steps in action research

In order to carry out research oriented to action, there are certain steps that might be followed.
Burns (2010) offers an adaption from Kemmis and McTaggart (1998) which is concise and clear.
She states that the first step involves planning. During this stage the teacher determines the problem
to be investigated and he or she devices a plan of action. The second step consists of the educator
making “deliberate interventions into [his or her] teaching situation” (p.8). The third step involves
observing the effect of those interventions through the collection of varied data in a systematic
way. The fourth and final step deals with reflection meaning that the teacher evaluates and
describes “the effects of the action in order to make sense of what has happened and to understand
the issue [he or she has] explored more clearly” (p.8).

In 2000 Ferrance proposed the following illustration which shows the cyclic nature of action
research and its concatenated components which work towards the same goal:

23
Figure 5.1.
Action Research Cycle. Reprinted from Action Research (p.9) by E. Ferrance, 2000, RI: LAB.
Copyright 2009 by Brown University. Reprinted with permission.

5.1.3. Action research methodology

It has been of paramount importance in education the implementation of a type of research that
helps to “overcome the limitations of traditional methodologies when researching changing
situations” (Somekh, 2006, p.1). Notwithstanding the plan of action selected which will be
inevitable bound to the participants engaged in the research, there are aspects related to the
methodology that need consideration (Ferrance, 2000; Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014).

5.1.3.1. Data collection

One of the most important aspects of action research has to do with data collection which is
indispensable (Kalmbach Phillips & Carr, 2014). It is through this endeavor that teachers gain
valuable insight into their teaching practice and as Kalmbach and Carr (2014) point out it “becomes
the evidence of hunches, a confirmation of theory, and the source of paradigm shifts” (p.69). Burns
(2010) believes that collecting data must be done systematically and there are different ways to
achieve this.

24
5.1.3.2. Data collection methods

To begin with it is worth mentioning procedures established by Kalmbach Phillips and Carr (2014,
p.73) for data collection:

1. collect generously; organize diligently;

2. be deliberate, even ritualistic in data collection, but in your deliberateness, be willing to
alter the plan as the data informs you;
3. collect from multiple and complementary sources.

Lee McKay (2006) suggests four categories of research methods in which different ways of
collecting data fall. These are action research, survey research which includes questionnaires and
interviews, introspective research where verbal reports and diary studies can be found and
qualitative research in which case studies and ethnographies occur. Other authors such as
Kalmbach Phillips and Carr (2014) mention observations, interviews and artifacts as methods of
data collection.

However, Burns (2010) offers a more complete description which is summarized in the following
diagrams:

Figure 5.2 Non-observation methods

25
Figure 5.3 Observation methods

(Adapted from Burns, 2010, pp.54-102)

5.1.4. Trustworthiness

A central aspect of action research is trustworthiness which is a process by which research and its
results are validated. This can be achieved following certain parameters put forward in Kalmbach
Phillips and Carr’s (2014) work. According to these authors if action research is to be trustworthy,
it should rely upon multiple perspectives meaning that data gathered must come from different
sources. They add the notion of self-reflexivity which is the act of reflecting upon the teaching
practice and learning experience of students as well in order to take the correspondent measures to
introduce effective change. Another important factor is what they call evidence of becoming. These
authors state that through action research educators are able to verify if the data collected is
evidence of him or her “becoming a teacher” (p.74). Finally, they suggest two key ideas: strong
sense of connection and meaningful results. The first one has to do with connecting experience and
results to “the context and culture of the classroom …, the project design and lessons … and the
literature base or expertise of … colleagues” (p.75). The second idea deals with how all the data
collected allow educators “to seek to multiple perspectives, practice self-reflexivity and make
strong connections” which were previously outlined (p.75).

26
5.2. Case Study

Williams (2012) clearly explains how the context in a learning situation has been an interest to
researchers whose aim is to find further explanations on how processes involved in these situations
take place, especially for “practical reasons” (p.785). It is usually the case that in order to make
their practice more effective as well as efficient, teachers or researchers implement changes or
conduct formal and informal forms of research being its prime purpose educational (Williams,
2012).

Action Research has been defined as a means of research which can be done by the teacher in the
classroom. Nonetheless, it is not the only form of investigation that can take place in an educational
setting. Case study is closely related to this type of endeavor.

Yin (2003) views case study as an “empirical enquire that investigates a contemporary
phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and
context are not clearly evident” (p.13). Yin (2003) also stated that

the case study enquiry copes with the technically distinctive situation in which there will be
many more variables of interest than data points, and as one result relies on multiple
sources of evidence, with data needing to converge in a triangulating fashion, and as
another result benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions to guide data
collection and analysis (pp. 13-14)

Therefore, it appears important to highlight the necessity to resort to different sources of evidence,
as the former author mentioned, a concept which has been analyzed under the notion of
triangulation.

Van Lier (2005) adds that case study is a “form of qualitative and interpretive research” but points
out that it can also involve “quantitative analyses (…) if they are deemed relevant” (p. 195).
Following this line of thought he adds that when a case study is being conducted the focus is placed
upon three variables which are “context, change over time, and specific learners or groups” (p.196).

27
5.2.1. Components of case study

Yin (2003, p.21) distinguishes five essential components that should be taken into consideration
when carrying out a research design:

1. a study’s question;
2. its propositions, if any;
3. its unit(s) of analysis;
4. the logic linking the data to the propositions; and
5. the criteria for interpreting the findings.

The author suggests that the first component deals with “who”, “what”, “where”, “how” and “why”
questions which will inevitably determine the strategy that will be adopted in the research (pp. 21-
22). The second element has to do with directing “attention to something that should be examined
within the scope of study” (Yin, 2003, p.22). The third one implies offering a definition of “case”
which the aforementioned author refers to as a “fundamental problem” (p.22). However, he states
that if the initial research questions are clearly stated, the selection of a proper unit of analysis will
occur naturally. The following component is based upon Campbell’s (1975 as cited in Yin, 2003)
notion of “pattern matching” which means finding a relationship between a given theoretical
proposition and “pieces of information from the same case study” (Yin, 2003, p.26). As for the last
component, unfortunately, there is no straightforward criteria with which the findings can be
interpreted (Yin, 2003). Nonetheless, this author recommends interpreting findings “in terms of
comparing at least two rival propositions” (p, 27).

5.3. Research Methodology

As it has been noted before, speaking skills in the monolingual context where the sample selected
for the investigation is immersed cannot be fully exploited outside a formal environment.
Therefore, researching in which ways they can be enhanced becomes paramount.

It is hoped that implementing TBLT with a FonF activities as well as allowing students to self-
assess their own learning experience will have a positive effect not only on their communicative
ability but also on their overall learning. Research on this topic or any other topic has never been
carried out particularly in this private institution hence the relevance of the present study.

28
As a means of collecting data from different sources, thus obtaining deep insights about the
research, both qualitative and quantitative methods will be implemented. The importance of
triangulation has been previously highlighted given that fact that it will provide useful and varied
information about the research. Since the skill which will be investigated is subjective in nature,
methodological triangulation has been deemed necessary.

The initial step towards conducting this project will be to assess the sample’s current speaking
skills as regards their ability to describe themselves, family and friends; ask others about their
family, friends and interests; and exchange information and later retell it. The constructs describe,
ask, exchange and retell have been emphasized on purpose inasmuch as they are the basic speaking
skills they are expected to manage.

In order to assess their present speaking skills, diagnostic oral tests will be administered which will
be recorded on tape and later transcribed for further analysis. As Brown (2004, p.47) states “they
should elicit information on what students need to work on in the future”. These tests will adhere to
this model which is as follows:

1. Task orientation
 Open: outcomes depend upon speakers
 Guided: outcomes are guided by the rubrics, but there is a degree of flexibility in
how the test taker reacts to the input
 Closed: outcomes dictated by input or rubrics
2. Interactional relationship
 Non-interactional
 Interactional
 One-way
 Two-way
 Multi-way
3. Goal orientation
 None
 Convergent
 Divergent
4. Interlocutor status and familiarity
 No interlocutor
 Higher status
 Lower status

29
  Same status
 Degree of familiarity with interlocutor
5. Topic (s)
(Adapted from: Fulcher, 2003, p.122)

The instances for the diagnostic oral assessment are present and detailed in Appendix 10.1. Besides
taking these diagnostic tests, students will work with four units of work. Each of them will be
oriented towards reaching a communicative outcome. These units will be based on a TBLT with a
FonF approach and will be carried out during April and May. During this process, participants’
speaking skills (describe, ask, exchange and retell) will be assessed through varied formal tests and
recorded so as to compare them to their initial performance and evaluate them after having
implemented TBLT with a FonF communicative activities.

As well as gathering information from students’ journals and tests, the teacher will keep a record of
significant events during lessons, particularly speaking activities, in a personal journal by making
use of narrative observation.

5.4. Teacher and Learner Roles

In a TBLT approach with a focus on communication, teacher and learner roles are varied. Nunan
(1989) defines a role as “the part that learners and teachers are expected to play in carrying out
learning tasks as well as the social and interpersonal relationships between the participants” (p.79).
For the purpose of this project, the following views on learners will be adopted:

 The learner is an interactor and negotiator who is capable of giving as well as taking;
 The learner is involved in a process of personal growth;
 Learners must take responsibility for their own learning, developing autonomy and skills in
learning how-to-learn.
(Adapted from Nunan, 1989, p.80).

Therefore, students are expected to have an active role which is intended to foster their own
communicative skills as well as to enrich their social dimension. Moreover, ability to adapt, be
creative, inventive and independent will be the core competences students should demonstrate
throughout lessons (Nunan, 1989). Richards and Rogers (2001, p.235) add another role, group
participant, which seems to be a fundamental one given the fact that all communicative activities
will be done in pairs or groups.

30
There seems to be a direct relationship between teacher and learner roles in a TBLT approach
inasmuch as one defines the other and vice versa. Richards and Rogers (2001, p.236) specify three
roles a teacher has:

 Selector and sequencer of tasks

 Preparing learners for tasks
 Consciousness-raising

All of the above roles become of major importance if it is intended to target learners’ needs at a
psychological level by adapting and sequencing tasks, emotional level through “cuing” or help
during tasks and finally by making them aware of “critical features of the language they use and
hear” through FonF (Richards & Rogers, 2001, p.236).

5.5. Research Tools

In the interest of this project, three research tools will be put into action. The first one will be
journals with checklists and personal opinion in which learners will be able to self-assess their
performance as well as their attitudes towards the tasks implemented (See Appendix 10.1.1.). The
second one will revolve around the use of recordings so as to have written transcripts of their
speaking outcomes thus giving more detailed descriptions for further analysis. The third and last
one will be narrative observation done by the teacher in order to appraise students’ performance
during communicative activities.

5.6. Approach Adopted for Material Design

Learning to speak a second language, in the case of this project English, has become the main goal
in most educational environments. However, Ur (1991) points out the inherent difficulty in
fostering students’ ability to express themselves through speech considering that designing and
administering speaking activities is not a straightforward task to carry out. Consequently, this
endeavor might not be easily achieved without a sound theoretical background.

The two approaches selected for material design are TBLT and FonF. It is not the aim of this
project to find a cause-effect relationship between the tasks implemented and learners’
communicative performance rather to evaluate students’ speaking skills after implementing these
approaches without specifically attributing results to the activities.

31
Some authors (e.g. Ellis et.al, 2002; Long, 2015; Wong & Simard, 2016) make a convincing case
for the use of a TBLT with a FonF in formal instruction. The implications of these approaches on
learning a foreign language seem to be that as Harmer (2007, p.71) expresses “if students are
focused on the completion of a task, they are just as likely to learn language” while Long adds that
research shows that “more than pure implicit learning, specifically, what [he calls] focus on form,
makes … SLA more efficient, and is required if near-native proficiency is the goal” (Long, 2009,
p.373).

The activities proposed will be built around Estaire and Zanón’s (1994) framework for designing
units of work since it is consistent with what it is intended in the present study. All the units will be
related to social sciences from which all the topics will derive.

5.7. Structure where the Material will be Included

Bells English Institute is a private institution established in 2001. Since that time courses on
different levels ranging from a beginner to a B2 level according to the CEFR have been offered.
Students sometimes start learning English as a second language at the age of 5 or 6 in what has
been called a preparatory level. The students chosen for the project started learning English at the
age of 6. Therefore, they have been exposed to the language for four years.

Students attend lessons twice a week for one hour and a half at low levels and three times a week
for one hour and a half as well at higher levels such as B1 and B2. Once they reach these levels,
lessons are divided into skills (listening and speaking, reading and use of English and writing). One
lesson is specifically devoted to listening and speaking. However, although high importance is
placed upon communicative competence on higher levels, it does not seem to be the case in lower
levels.

The sample group which will be part of this project attends lessons twice a week for one hour and a
half each day. Students from this group started working with a course book called Story Central 2
last year. They still have to finish units 7 and 8. This year they will start working with Story
Central 3. The series focuses on developing literacy skills, critical thinking, learner autonomy and
communication. Given the fact that the teacher was their teacher last year, she knows what areas of
language need to be improved (i.e. accuracy, vocabulary and fluency).

Considering this overall situation, stressing importance on the ability to communicate in a second
language such as English becomes paramount.
32
5.8. Creative Process

The first step in developing this project was to consult the CEFR specifically focusing on the
speaking skill and its descriptors as well as spoken production and interaction. The aim was to seek
relevant criteria related to communicative production, interaction and its evaluation which would
ultimately affect the design of activities in the units of work.

Considering the importance of analyzing and investigating my teaching practice, material on action
research was thoroughly examined by consulting several authors and comparing them. From this
process, self-assessment for students and evaluation of my own teaching practice was derived.

The following step consisted of collecting reading material related to TBTL and FonF. From all of
this theoretical background, in addition to the existing material I already had, criteria for the
development and design of the units of work was applied. This implied making changes to my
initial proposal as regards material design and specific objectives.

After having read and analyzed all the theoretical background, I started to draw up the theoretical
framework thus stablishing the basis for the whole project. This was the point of departure for the
design of the four units of work.

In order to be consistent with what my students were learning, I decided to design these units of
work following the textbook they are using and relating the content of the units to the content in
their book. I also adapted material and disregarded some activities from their books as they did not
fulfill the aim of the project and did not correlate with its theoretical background.

Finally, I had a meeting with an experienced English teacher in order to gain a different perspective
on how to design the units of work. This brainstorming activity proved to be extremely useful
besides giving me the motivation I needed to continue with the project.

5.9. Material and/or Activities Typology

The activities proposed for the units of work are related to the topics presented in the textbook
students are currently using. As a way of organizing topics around the same category, which is
social sciences, units 8 and 9 from Story Central 2 and Unit 6 from Story Central 3 have been
adopted. As well as making use of activities from the textbook and adapting them, the fable The
Town Mouse and the Country Mouse published by Oxford University Press (1998) has been
adopted and tailored to meet students’ functional and linguistic needs.

33
The final tasks designed for each of the units of work embody what learners are expected to do in a
real context outside the classroom. Therefore, describe, make comparisons, give an opinion, ask
and answer questions about a given topic, interview and retell have been regarded as basic abilities
students should master in accordance to their linguistic level.

Besides focusing on a functional use of language, focus on linguistic forms has been taken into
consideration. By means of different interventions, such as textual enhancement in grammar
structures, dictogloss and explicit information, the teacher will deliberatively focus students’
attention on grammatical features of language.

6. STUDY

6.1. Corpus and Data Collection

During the first stage of this project, students were informed that they were going to work
differently in comparison to how they had been working in the previous years. They were curious
as well as excited. The teacher explained to them that during March they were going to be assessed
with three different diagnostic tests in order to draw conclusions from their oral skills which could
be later compared to their final performance after the implementation of the four units of work.
Therefore, it was clearly stated that all the activities had been designed in the interest of this aim
which was for them to develop their speaking skills.

In order to gather as much information as possible, three different forms of assessing students’ oral
performance and personal opinions were carried out. During the month of March, students were
evaluated with three diagnostic tests which were aimed at setting the basis for the final analysis.

The next step in collecting data was a personal diary in which students wrote their personal opinion
in a self-assessment sheet at the end of every class. This included their opinion on the activities and
also as to how difficult these activities were for them. In addition, the teacher kept a personal
journal where she wrote down comments related to their behaviour during the lessons, interaction
between students and the oral presentations they gave. Finally, all oral presentations were recorded
for later analysis by means of transcriptions.

The first unit of work was developed in April. Given the fact that it was the first time they worked
with this type of approach, the teacher clearly defined the development of the lesson. She explained
that at the beginning of each unit of work students were supposed to write its aims. This was

34
intended to give them the necessary information as regards why they were going to work in this
particular way and that the final task was a direct consequence of the development of the unit of
work as well. Moreover, the teacher explained how they were going to assess each class by
completing the self-assessment sheet and that they should be completely honest about their
opinions since it would allow them to have a better understanding of their learning process. From
the start, they regarded this endeavor to be a challenging one considering that they had never
assessed both the teacher and themselves. Despite the fact that they were occasionally inconsistent
in the completion of the form, they eventually became accustomed to this activity.

The second unit of work dealt with the retelling of a well-known fable called The Country Mouse
and the Town Mouse. Learners took part in activities connected to their personal interests such as
talking about what they do at the weekend. They also worked with an information gap activity for
the first time. Notwithstanding the enormous difficulty presented, participants intensified their
effort to reach the goal. In addition, the activities gave them the opportunity to express their
opinions on the fable. As opposed to how they performed during the final task, they expressed
themselves rather accurately and fluent. Finally, following the criteria outlined in the Common
European Framework of Reference (CEFR) the teacher assigned time during the previous lesson
before the final task so that students could rehearse their retellings. This let the teacher monitor and
help learners when needed.

The final task in unit of work 3 demanded students to compare town and countryside. The activities
carried out during the last week of April and the first weeks of May were related to building
vocabulary and the proper structures for making comparisons in order to fulfill the task
successfully. While saying sentences comparing town and countryside, students were not afraid of
making mistakes. On the contrary, the majority of students eagerly participated. The teacher made
sure to praise every contribution as well as to elicit corrections from peers. Photos and pictures for
the collage they were expected to make were taken from old National Geographical magazines
which provided a real-life context. Given the fact that these magazines were rather old, learners
were amused by the photos they encountered. This was also the starting point for later oral
comparisons between the past and the present.

During the course of unit of work 4 which was developed in May, participants undertook more
demanding tasks. For instance, they worked in pairs asking and answering questions in which they
had to complete missing gaps with information about places in Argentina. This second information
gap activity, likewise the first one, resulted to be troublesome. However, the teacher noticed that
for this task learners did not make an effort to exchange information. In fact, they decided to ask
direct questions to collect the missing information which did not require much cognitive effort on

35
their part. Another activity which derived in dissatisfaction was a listening one where the teacher
read a text aloud and students took notes. It proved to be extremely difficult as well as the
consequent retelling they had to do.

Despite these unpleasing situations, participants were presented to Google Earth for the first time
which they found thrilling. They were eager to “visit” places all over the world in addition to the
Moon and Mars since they could explore all the geographical features they had been working with
in class. Moreover, their creativity was stimulated in the use of language. They were free to invent
their own planet which meant considering the living beings, geographical features, fauna and flora
among other aspects.

6.1.1. Diagnostic assessment

Diagnostic tests were given during the course of the first month of class which was March as a way
of assessing students’ initial oral performance. The basic skills learners were supposed to possess
(describe, ask, exchange and retell) were separated in three different tests for the purpose of
accurately assessing them. Each speaking test was assessed in pairs and recorded.

The first diagnostic test required students to describe themselves, family and friends individually
both at the level of physical appearance and personality. As for the second test, students worked in
pairs asking and answering questions to find out information about their classmates, family, friends
and interests. They were given a photocopy with a form to complete by asking questions to their
classmates. They had to take notes which were used in the subsequent diagnostic test. Students
worked with a worksheet which was designed using a free web page called canva.com (see
Appendix 10.1.). Finally learners worked with the notes taken in the previous diagnostic instance
so as to retell the information gathered about their classmate. If needed, the teacher prompted
answers in order to guide students.

6.1.2. Self-assessment checklist

In order to gather information about students’ learning process and opinions about the activities
implemented, each participant had a journal where they were able to express themselves. It was
intended to collect qualitative information first with a checklist and second with a space for them to
write their personal opinions. This journal was completed at the end of every lesson during the
course of this project. This research tool was taken into consideration because of the usefulness of
providing “information about students’ expectations and needs, their problems and worries, how

36
they feel about their own progress, their reactions to the materials and methods being used, what
they think about the course in general” (Harris & McCann, 1994, p. 63).

This self-assessment sheet was designed using canva.com and based upon Harris and McCann’s
(1994, p.85) progress questionnaire for speaking activities (see Appendix 10.2).

6.2. Speaking Assessment Criteria Scales

Each of the diagnostic tests was recorded and transcribed. Each participant was assessed taking into
consideration a global achievement scale which was granted by an external source (i.e. another
teacher) and a specific assessment scale which took into account grammar and vocabulary,
pronunciation and interactive communication. Subsequent speaking activities which were the final
tasks of each of the units of work and their corresponding evaluations were assessed in accordance
to the following criteria:

Figure 6.1: Global Achievement Scale

(Source: Cambridge English Key for Schools – Handbook for teachers, p.47)

37
Figure 6.2: Speaking Assessment Scales

(Source: UCLES, 2011. Assessing Speaking Performance – Level A2)

6.3. Context

As mentioned before, Bells English Institute is a private institution which offers students courses
ranging from low levels to higher ones such as B2 according to the CEFR. This project was
conducted from March to mid-June. At the beginning it involved 13 students. Unfortunately, one
student had to be left out of the study considering that he arrived 45 minutes late because of his
school’s timetable and could not fully take part in the activities. In total, 9 girls and 3 boys
participated. In order to preserve students’ identities, their names and surnames have been changed.

6.4. Research Tools

The research tools used were daily self-assessment sheets for students, note taking through direct
observation for the teacher and recordings of the diagnostic tests and final tasks made with a
mobile phone.

Taking into consideration that students were going to be recorded, the teacher held a meeting with
parents in which she informed them about the project she was going to carry out as well as its aims.
She also explained how after each lessons students were expected to complete a self-assessment
sheet intended to gather information of the activities developed during the class and the learning
difficulties it implied to them. All parents who attended were pleased to have their children be part
of it and those who could not attend, were later informed.

38
The procedures adopted for the implementation of the research tools were consistent throughout the
four units of work. At the beginning of each unit of work the teacher wrote on the board the aims of
the unit and what it was expected from them during the final task. Students copied this on their
notebooks and had the opportunity to discuss the aims and final task with the teacher and
classmates as well.

At the end of every lesson, the teacher handed out the self-assessment sheets. She made a list of the
tasks performed during the lesson on the board. The teacher read the tasks with students in order to
test whether they had been understood or not. If any student had a doubt, the teacher asked a more
confident learner to provide an explanation that could be in English or in Spanish. Once they
completed the sheets, students glued them on their notebooks which the teacher took home to
guarantee students would not forget to bring them the next class or lose them.

Concerning the recordings of the final tasks, the teacher used her mobile phone. Before the class,
she took every precaution such as having space and battery in order to avoid unexpected problems.
While students were performing their final tasks, she placed her mobile phone near enough to
students for the recording to be intelligible but trying to make students unaware of its presence thus
preventing any negative washback effect. This was the case during the first recording of the first
diagnostic test in which students felt uneasy and uncomfortable by the fact that they were being
recorded. Notwithstanding, they eventually became used to this form of assessment. After every
final task, the teacher saved recordings in her notebook as well as on a well-known online cloud
service.

As a way of keeping written reports of important events during the lessons, the teacher kept a
personal journal. It was in this journal in which she noted down how students behaved, interacted
during the tasks and their attitudes towards the tasks implemented. She also wrote down any special
circumstances which could be useful for later analysis.

The conditions were in general those of a regular classroom context. Interruptions were bound to
happen as well as background noises that came from the street or from the other classrooms. The
majority of the time, these variables did not hinder students’ performance. However, noises
sometimes had a negative effect upon intelligibility during recordings of the final tasks.

39
 7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The initial hypothesis for the study related to whether a given approach to the teaching and learning
of English as a second language could have a positive impact on students’ oral performance. This
approach involved a Task-Based Approach (TBL) with a Focus on Form (FonF). Every activity
implemented during the lessons was aimed at enhancing students’ ability to ask, describe and
exchange information. All of them involved information, reasoning and opinion gap activities
(Prabhu, 1987). Furthermore, pedagogical interventions developed by Wong and Simard (2016)
such as textual enhancement, structured input, dictogloss or text reconstruction and explicit
information were put into practice.

The first diagnostic test which involved questions to students showed that they were able to
comprehend questions even though they could not provide accurate answers. On the one hand, half
of the sample demonstrated an average control over the use of grammatical structures and
vocabulary. On the other hand, six students still lacked control over them. Half of the students
proved to be intelligible. However, four students still lacked control over phonological and
linguistic features and two students showed very limited control over their pronunciation which
caused the recordings to be unintelligible. As regards their global achievement assessment on the
task, eight students performed accordingly while four barely met the needs of the task (See Table
7.1). During the recording students felt uncomfortable and nervous which inevitably affected their
performance and proved to be a clear instance of a negative washback effect. Since this diagnostic
test did not require interaction between students, interactive communication was not assessed.

Table 7.1
Diagnostic Test 1

9
8
7
6 5
Students

5 4
4
3
3
2 2
1
1
0
Grammar and Pronunciation Interactive Global
Vocabulary Communication Achievement

The second diagnostic test demanded students to exchange information as well as to take notes.
Seven pupils were capable of formulating questions despite being inaccurate. Five students had

40
problems with the structures for making some of the questions and could not perform the task
successfully. With regard to pronunciation, seven students met the basic criteria assessment for
intelligibility while only three people were unintelligible and required extra support and prompting.
Contrary to the first diagnostic test, this required interaction between students. Therefore,
interactive communication could be assessed. More than half of the sample showed basic skills for
communicating and interacting successfully. Nonetheless, three students were in need of prompting
and support. Although four students could not complete the task successfully, assessment of the
global achievement mark showed that more than half of the class could comply with the task (See
Table 7.2).

Table 7.2
Diagnostic test 2

10

8
5
Srudents

6
4
4 3

2 2
1
0
Grammar and Pronunciation Interactive Global Achievement
Vocabulary Communication

The third diagnostic test assessed their ability to retell the information they had previously
collected. This proved to be a challenging task since it appears to demand linguist skills which they
still needed to master. This was shown in the inaccuracies in the use of subjects and subject and
verb agreement. However, more than half of the sample showed sufficient control over
grammatical structures as well as appropriate use of vocabulary. Both pronunciation and global
achievement displayed satisfactory performance considering two out of twelve people were
unintelligible as well as unable to convey basic meaning by making use of short phrases or isolated
words (See Table 7.3). Interactive communication was not assessed given the fact that it was a one-
way test.

41
Table 7.3
Diagnostic test 3

10
9
8
7
5
6
Students

4
5
4 3
3 2
2 1
1
0
Grammar and Pronunciation Interactive Global Achievement
Vocabulary Communication

Taking into consideration that it was the first time they were recorded during oral work, some
students appeared to be nervous and not as fluent or relaxed as they might have been in a different
situation. Nonetheless, they eventually adapted to this form of assessment.

During the first unit of work students underwent tasks which would eventually allow them to give a
short rehearsed presentation on an animal of their choice as well as to answer questions from the
audience.

Table 7.4 shows students’ opinions on the tasks performed during the lesson. Five out of ten
students found guessing words from visual cues to be an easy task while four expressed having had
some difficulties. One learner performed the task even though he made quite a few mistakes. As
regards naming parts of the body, more than half of the class expressed being able to carry out the
task despite hesitation and mistakes. Three students succeeded in completing the task without
mistakes and hesitation. Only one student expressed making mistakes. Finally, more than half of
the sample declared performing the task without hesitation while three students showed signs of
hesitation and made mistakes (See Table 7.4).

42
Table 7.4
Unit of work 1 – Day 1

12
10
8
Students

1
6
2
4
3
2
4
0
Guess words from Name parts of the body Listen and number 5
drawings or pictures
Tasks

During the course of the second lesson, students worked with vocabulary activities which
demanded them to spell animals. Five students did not show signs of hesitation while the remaining
six did. Regarding the listening activity more than half of the sample carried out the task
successfully. Only two students demonstrated hesitation and made mistakes. Unfortunately, one
student expressed not being capable of carrying out the task. Reading riddles and guessing the
animals posed difficulties to one student. Six out of eleven students performed the task albeit
hesitation and only four students expressed having approached the task successfully with no
hesitation and mistakes. The final task involved students asking questions about animals. On the
one hand, five students presented no difficulties while undertaking this activity. On the other hand,
five students indicated that hesitation and mistakes where present during the task. Only one student
declared not being able to do it very well (See Table 7.5).

Table 7.5
Unit of work 1 – Day 2

12
10
8
Students

1
6
2
4
3
2
4
0
Spell wild animals Listen and match Read riddles and Ask about animals 5
guess the animals
Tasks

43
The third day of the first unit of work provided students with activities which they found appealing.
As for the first activity which involved naming geographical features only three people hesitated
and made mistakes while five people performed the task successfully. As for the activity of putting
together pictures to form a puzzle more than half of the class had no difficulties. However, one
student expressed having problems. The identification of countries and continents was done with
the help of a map. Only one student coped with the task without hesitation and mistakes. Four
learners fulfilled the task despite hesitation and mistakes and one person expressed having
difficulties. The last task demanded students to name the information needed for the oral
presentation. Half of the sample accomplished the task successfully. Nonetheless, the other half
completed it with hesitation and mistakes (See Table 7.6).

Table 7.6
Unit of work 1 – Day 3

8
7
6
Students

5
4 1
3
2
2
1 3
0
4
Name geographical Do a puzzle Identify countries Talk about
features and continents information needed 5
for the oral
presentation
Tasks

The last activities designed in order to fulfill the final task had to do with collaborative work and
reading skills. As for the first task students were given texts about the animals they have chosen so
that they could read and select important information. Eight out of ten students could perform it
well. Nonetheless, two learners expressed having difficulties with the task. As regards working in
groups to design a poster, six out of ten people acknowledged doing the task very well. However,
four learners considered they did it quite well. Through class observation the teacher noticed all
students were engaged in the activities proposed (See Table 7.7).

44
Table 7.7
Unit of work 1 – Day 4

12
10
Students

8 1
6
2
4
2 3
0 4
Read and select important Work in groups to design a poster
information 5
Tasks

Day five of unit of work 1 demanded students to make a short rehearsed presentation about an
animal they had chosen. Results from their daily self-assessment sheet show that only two students
considered performing the task very well while five presented difficulties due to hesitation and
mistakes. On the contrary, six students found asking questions an effortless task. However,
answering questions seemed to make students feel less confident thus producing hesitation. It is in
this task that two students expressed doing the task quite well (See Table 7.8).

Table 7.8
Unit of work 1 – Day 5

6 1
Students

4 2

2 3
4
0
Talk about an animal Ask about animals Answer questions 5
Tasks

Recordings of the final task were done while students were in front of the class talking about the
animal they had chosen. The transcripts of this task designed in the first unit of work display the
lack of linguistic resources they needed to give proper descriptions of animals. This becomes
evident in how they cannot provide complete and accurate utterances or transform notes into
connected and coherent discourse. The transcripts also show their inability to formulate questions
and to answer their classmates’ questions in return. Although they were generally intelligible, the
majority of learners needed prompting and support. As regards their participation in making

45
questions, few students demonstrated interest in participating and most of their questions were
inaccurately formulated. Unfortunately, results did not show much improvement neither in their use
of accurate structures nor in the control of phonological features. Some students resorted to Spanish
when they could not express themselves accordingly (See Table 7.9).

Table 7.9
Final task: Oral presentations animals

10
9
8
7
5
6
Students

4
5
4 3
3 2
2
1
1
0
Grammar and Pronunciation Interactive Global Achievement
Vocabulary Communication

The personal comments in their self-assessment sheet show that students enjoyed all of the
activities, except for two participants who found four out of five lessons not appealing enough for
them. This might be the result of tasks which compelled them to speak in front of the class or
topics which seemed to be less appealing to them than to the rest of the class.

Through the progress of this first unit of work, students seemed to be engaged in the activities
because they allowed them to actively participate in their learning process. By working out riddles,
identifying animals with visual cues, finding countries and continents in a map, putting puzzles
together and working in collaboration with classmates to design a poster, they exploited their
collaborative skills in addition to their linguistic ones. In the course of the lessons, the teacher
noticed how well they interacted with each other and how this interaction positively affected their
overall motivation. Students were able to help each other in direction of the proper achievement of
the final task even though in terms of linguistic skills they were not entirely successful.

The final task in the second unit or work related to the retelling of the well-known fable “The
Country Mouse and the Town Mouse”. In order to fulfill this task, activities such as talking about
hobbies and free time activities, asking about a text, putting a text together, information gap

46
activities in addition to making comparisons between different versions of the same fable were
introduced.

As shown in table 7.10 during the first day of the second unit of work half of the sample expressed
finding the task of talking about what they do at the weekend an easy one. Nonetheless, three
students encountered some difficulties by choosing four as a mark for the activity and one student
suggested making mistakes and speaking slowly thus grading it with a three. As for the second task
which required students to formulate questions six out of eight students graded it with a five hence
suggesting it was uncomplicated for them. However, two students graded it with a four implying
hesitation and the making of mistakes. Finally, the third activity had to do with a retelling based on
the answers from the previous task. Four out of six students gave it a score of five indicating lack
of difficulty while two people graded it with a four which means hesitation and mistakes were
present (See Table 7.10).

Table 7.10
Unit of work 2 – Day 1

9
8
7
6
Students

5 1
4
2
3
2 3
1 4
0
Talk about what I do at the Ask a classmate about what Retell what a classmate 5
weekend he/she likes to do on likes to do on Saturday
Saturday
Tasks

The second day of unit of work 2 included work with the fable The Country Mouse and The Town
Mouse. The first task was an information gap activity which demanded considerable effort on the
side of the students. Taking into consideration that it was the first type of gap activity they carried
out, the teacher noticed through observation that learners had to put in a great deal of effort.
Notwithstanding, four out of eleven students acknowledged having no difficulties. The second task
was designed to allow students to work with their reading skills through a text reconstruction
activity or dictogloss. It seems that students found this activity to be less difficult than the previous
one taking into consideration that half of the sample graded it with a five. Three students gave it a
four while the remaining three grade it with a three suggesting some level of difficulty. The last

47
task was intended to make the target vocabulary salient by asking students to highlight words,
using different colours that made reference to the two characters in the fable. With these visual
input students had to classify vocabulary depending on who it made reference to. Apparently, this
task proved to be a bit more challenging than the previous ones considering that only four students
expressed having had no difficulties while five students acknowledged making mistakes and three
admitted having made a few mistakes. In relation to their opinion on the activities, half of the
students clearly conveyed in their self-assessment sheet their dislike towards the activities
implemented during day two of this unit of work. This may be related to the amount of effort and
difficulty it required to ask and answer questions in pairs to complete a gapped text. Nonetheless,
the other half of the class regarded the activities to be fun and interesting (See Table 7.11).

Table 7.11
Unit of work 2 – Day 2

14
12
10 1
Students

8
2
6
4 3
2 4
0
5
Ask about a fable Put fable in order Classify words
Tasks

As for the third day in the second unit of work, students were expected to compare the first and
second fable they had worked with in order to find similarities and differences. Four out of nine
students had no apparent difficulty based on the answers their self-assessment sheet. However, the
same number of people conveyed having made mistakes. Only one student could not do the activity
very well and made quite a few mistakes according to his responses. The following activity asked
students to name important information about the fable: title, characters, plot and moral of the
story. Four individuals showed no apparent difficulty. Notwithstanding, four students presented
difficulty and only one could not fulfill the task’s demands. As for the final activity, seven out of
nine students who answered, completed the task quite well despite hesitation and mistakes. The rest
of the sample carried it out without great inconvenience (See Table 7.12).

48
Table 7.12
Unit of work 2 – Day 3

10
8
Students

6 1

4 2

2 3
0 4
Compare fables Complete information Retell fable in pairs 5
about the fable
Tasks

The results from the last day of the second unit of work are varied. For instance, answers for the
first activity which involved the retelling of the fable suggest that three individuals out of eleven
who answered could do the activity very well, without hesitating and making mistakes.
Nonetheless, three individuals said they could do the activity quite well, but sometimes hesitated
and made mistakes. Four students answered they could carry out the task, but speaking slowly and
making quite a few mistakes. Finally, only one student expressed his inability to carry out the
activity thus getting stuck and not being able to think of what to say. The second task had to do
with answering questions about the fable. Four individuals out of eleven could carry it very well,
without hesitating and making mistakes. The rest of the sample could do it quite well although
mistakes and hesitation were present. As for the final task, students had to express their opinion on
the fable. Eight students, which represent more than half of the sample, could do the activity
without hesitation or mistakes. Two students fulfilled the task despite hesitation and mistakes and
only one individual could not do it very well and got stuck and could not think of what to say (See
Table 7.13).

Table 7.13
Unit of work 2 – Day 4

15

1
Students

10
2
5 3

0 4
Retell a fable Answer questions Give opinion 5
Tasks

49
By analyzing the transcripts of this final task, it becomes rather apparent that students did not
master structures for retelling stories yet and that they still gave inaccurate answers in the form of
isolated words and phrases. There was a high proportion of learners, nine out of eleven, who did
not achieve a passing mark. Less than half of the sample was intelligible despite little control of
phonological features. Some students continued to resort to Spanish when they could not express
themselves which interfered with their overall mark. As for the global achievement mark only two
students were granted a passing mark. Six students performed alongside band two which means
they produced short utterances with frequent hesitation and pauses. Three individuals performed
below what was expected of them which shows they had difficulty in conveying basic meaning
thus providing short phrases or isolated words with frequent hesitation and pauses. Although the
majority of the class performed the task, one student could not carry it out considering she had
missed lessons (See Table 7.14).

As regards answers in their self-assessment sheet, only three students expressed that the activities
were boring while the rest were pleased with them. This might be due to the fact that not all of the
students found the story to be interesting.

Table 7.14
Final task: Retelling of fable

10

8
5
Students

6
4
4 3

2 2
1
0
Grammar and Pronunciation Interactive Global
Vocabulary Communication Achievement

The purpose of the third unit of work was to enable students to find similarities and differences
between town and countryside. During the first day students had to classify photos under the
categories of town and countryside. As for this first activity, seven out of nine students who
answered presented no difficulties while two hesitated and made mistakes. The following task
involved naming differences between the photos. None of the individuals expressed having
difficulties while performing the task. (See Table 7.15).

50
Table 7.15
Unit of work 3 – Day 1

15
1
Students

10
2
5
3
0 4
Name differences Classify photos
5
Tasks

During the course of the second day students were expected to compare town and countryside
using a collage they had started the previous class. This collage was made with National
Geographic magazines which provided real-life photos. Students worked in groups which proved to
be motivating as well as challenging since they had to work collaboratively to find appropriate
photos. As for the first task eight out of ten students presented no difficulties and could carry out
the task well. However, two students expressed in their self-assessment sheet that hesitation and
mistakes were present in this activity. The second task involved giving an opinion as to which
place they preferred most. In regard to this activity, seven out of nine individuals who answered
had no difficulties while two students suggested they hesitated and made mistakes. The teacher
realized that students liked activities which required group work and giving opinion (See Table
7.16).

Table 7.16
Unit of work 3 – Day 2

12
10
8 1
Students

6 2
4 3
2
4
0
Compare town and countryside Give opinion 5
Tasks

In order to continue working towards the development of the final task, the activities proposed for
the third day in unit of work 3 were designed accordingly. In the first part of the lesson students
had to compare town and countryside using the posters they had already made with the photos

51
taken from magazines. Two students regarded the activity effortless while five encountered
difficulties such as hesitation and mistakes while carrying this activity out. The second part of the
task had to do with answering questions from their classmates about their posters. Two students
presented no difficulties as regards this activity. However, four individuals expressed having made
mistakes and hesitated and one student could perform the activity despite speaking slowly and
making mistakes. The final task allowed students to give their opinion about whether they preferred
town or countryside. This task did not seem to cause trouble since six out of seven students who
answered said they could do the it very well without hesitation and mistakes (See Table 7.17).

Table 7.17
Unit of work 3 – Day 3

6
Students

1
4
2
2 3
0 4
Compare town and Answer questions Give opinion 5
countryside
Tasks

According to the answers in the self-assessment sheet it might be appropriate to state that students
liked all of the activities. However, this can be questioned given the fact most of the responses
were similar which suggest mechanization on the part of students thus making the results less
reliable.

Four students did not perform the final task since they had been absent and the teacher understood
they would not be able to successfully carry it out. As in the previous recordings, students were not
accurate in the formulation of complete utterances yet only few participants attempted to make use
of the structures for making comparisons dealt with in class. Some students did not have control
over phonological features making their speech unintelligible and some of them needed extra
support and prompting as well. Nevertheless, two students showed sufficient control of structures
for making comparisons (See Table 7.18).

52
Table 7.18
Final task: Comparing town and countryside

7
6
5 5
Students

4 4
3
3
2
1 2
0
1
Grammar and Pronunciation Interactive Global
Vocabulary Communication Achievement

The last unit of work had as a final task an interview to an alien. All of the activities proposed had
clear aims such as allowing students to identify geographical features working with visual cues,
using comparatives to talk about different places on Earth, writing descriptions, making questions,
among others which would consequently enable them to perform the final task.

During the first of this last unit of work students worked with a text which contained information
about famous landmarks in Argentina. It was intended to be an information gap activity in which
they had to work in pairs asking and answering questions in order to complete missing information.
According to their answers, six students had no apparent difficulty. Notwithstanding, four students
made mistakes and hesitated and could perform the activity quite well. As regards the second task
which asked students to identify geographical features, answers varied. Seven out of ten students
could carry out the activity without great effort. Two students encountered difficulties and one had
to put more effort. As for the last activity which involved placing geographical features on a map,
only one individual out of eight who answered expressed not being able to carry the activity
without hesitation and making mistakes (See Table 7.19).

The last unit of work was carried out during May. The final task involved having an interview with
a being from another planet or satellite such as the Moon. Students did different oral and written
exercises in order to reach the goals of the final task. These activities involved working with
reading exercises, explicit information, guessing tasks, visual cues to describe and compare places,
information gap activities, written descriptions, formulation of questions, among others.

As it was usual, during the first day of the last unit of work students were presented with the goals
of the unit and the final task. This allowed them to ask questions and give their opinion as well.
The first task was an information gap activity in which learners had to ask questions to a classmate

53
in the interest of completing missing information about famous landmarks in Argentina. The
teacher decided to explain the activity with the help of a confident student. Ten individuals
answered and only four expressed doing it very well but sometimes with hesitation and mistakes.
As for the second activity individuals were expected to identify geographical features by guessing.
For instance, the teacher said Aconcagua and students were required to say it was a mountain.
Seven out of ten people who answered carried out the activity very well, two did it albeit hesitation
and mistakes and one expressed having encountered more difficulties due to the fact that he made
mistakes and spoke slowly. The final task required to place well-known geographical features on a
map. Only one student out of eight who answered sometimes hesitated and made mistakes. The rest
of the sample could do the activity without complications (See Table 7.19).

Table 7.19
Unit of work 4 – Day 1

12
10
Students

8 1
6
2
4
2 3
0
Ask and answer Identify geographical Place geographical 4
about a text features features on a map 5
Tasks

Taking into consideration that students had dealt with geographical features in the previous lesson,
the teacher decided to misplace them on a map to assess whether they could place them again on
the correct location. According to what learners answered on their self-assessment sheet, eight out
of ten students did the activity very well whereas two made mistakes and hesitated. As for the
following task learners were required to identify photos and place them on a map as well. Eight out
of eleven individuals who answered carried the activity very well. However, three students made
mistakes and hesitated. The last task involved using grammatical structures which were explicitly
explained to compare geographical features. Seven out of nine people felt they could do the task
very well. Nonetheless, the rest of the sample expressed having made mistakes and hesitated (See
Table 7.20).

54
Table 7.20
Unit of work 4 – Day 2

12
10
Students

8 1
6
2
4
2 3
0 4
Place geographical Identify photos Use comparatives
5
features on a map
Tasks

The third day was devoted to vocabulary related to weather and information about the hottest and
coldest places in the world. The initial task was concerned with unscrambling letters to form words
related to the weather. Students’ answers show that five learners out of eight who answered coped
with the task very well without hesitating and making mistakes. Notwithstanding, three individuals
sometimes made mistakes and hesitated. As for the second exercise, the teacher read a text aloud
which was about the coldest and hottest places in the world and students had to take notes. Only
two out of eight students who answered did the activity without hesitating and making mistakes.
Unfortunately, although four students felt they could perform the task, hesitation and mistakes were
sometimes present and two did it yet speaking slowly and making quite a few mistakes. Using the
notes they had taken, students had to reconstruct the text they had heard. The teacher realized that
this last activity proved to be a challenging one. Answers display that two learners accomplished
the task without hesitating and making mistakes. Four students could do the activity quite well
despite hesitation and mistakes and only one individual felt that during the task he spoke slowly
and made quite a few mistakes (See Table 7.21).

Table 7.21
Unit of work 4 – Day 3

10

8
1
Students

6
2
4
3
2
4
0 5
Unscramble letters Listen and take notes Write texts
Tasks

55
The activities proposed for the fourth day continued to promote the use of language in a
communicative way. Students had to complete a chart which was about dry and wet places in the
world taking information from their textbook. Six out of eight participants who answered could
carry out the activity very well without hesitating and making mistakes. However, two students did
it quite well despite hesitation and mistakes. As for the second task the teacher introduced students
to Google Earth. This was the first time they worked with this software. Therefore, all of them were
engaged and excited to see how the Moon, Mars and planet Earth look like from space. Using these
visual cues, individuals had to provide comparative sentences and talk about what had been
projected with Google Earth. Even though students liked this activity, two out of ten people who
answered could do it but speaking slowly and making quite a few mistakes. Two other students
performed it quite well but sometimes making mistakes and hesitating. Finally, the majority of the
sample expressed having done it without hesitating or making mistakes (See Table 7.22).

Table 7.22
Unit of work 4 – Day 4

12
10
8
Students

1
6
2
4
3
2
4
0
Complete a chart Talk about the Earth, the Moon and 5
Mars
Tasks

In the course of the fifth day of the last unit of work classroom activities were designed in order to
fulfill the final task ahead. The first stage was to write a short description of a planet or satellite
which could be the ones students worked with using Google Earth or any other planet they might
have invented. The total number of students who answered was eight. Only two learners felt they
hesitated and made mistakes while carrying out the activity. The rest of the sample could do the
activity very well without hesitating and making mistakes. The next step was to formulate
questions that would be later asked in the interview. Five out of seven learners who answered could
do the activity very well without hesitating and making mistakes whereas two students hesitated
and made mistakes. The last task gave children the opportunity to practice asking and answering
questions. Four students out of seven who answered expressed having done the task quite well

56
despite hesitation and mistakes. The rest of the sample did the activity very well without hesitating
and making mistakes.

Table 7.23
Unit of work 4 – Day 5

10
8
Students

6 1

4 2
2 3
0 4
Write a description Write questions Ask and answers
5
questions
Tasks

Unfortunately, transcripts of this final task continued to display inaccuracies in the formulation of
questions and answers. Some students did not have control over phonological features resulting in
them being occasionally unintelligible. As regards interactive communication, six out of ten
students who performed the task were granted a passing mark meaning they could maintain simple
exchanges despite difficulty which also implies the need for support. Nonetheless, four subjects
had difficulty maintaining simple exchanges and needed extra prompting and support. Taking into
consideration their global achievement on the task, nine out of twelve individuals showed the
capacity to convey basic meaning though the utterances produced tended to be short and with
hesitation. Besides these drawbacks, the environment to carry out the project was not appropriate
enough given regular interruptions and noises which obscured understanding of students’ speech
(See Table 7.24).

Table 7.24
Final task: Interviewing an alien

12
10
5
8
Students

4
6
4 3

2 2

0 1
Grammar and Pronunciation Interactive Global
Vocabulary Communication Achievement

57
The teacher felt motivated concerning the action research she conducted. At the beginning of the
project, she made sure to follow the planning thoroughly and to be consistent in the collection of
data from students’ self-assessment sheet as well as her own notes which were done on a daily
basis. Nonetheless, she eventually became less motivated due to other variables such as work and
lack of time to properly execute activities. In spite of this loss of motivation, the teacher realized
how important it was to continue working with exercises which made students to actively
participate in their learning process. For instance, she found that self-assessment sheets proved to
be particularly helpful in determining students’ opinions of activities in addition to their own
understanding of difficulties in class. As regards the use of information gap activities, she felt
determined to start implementing them more often taking into consideration that different linguistic
skills are at stake and that students could definitely benefit from them.

8. CONCLUSIONS

The three diagnostic tests conducted before starting the units of work show how students still need
to master structures needed for giving personal information, formulating and answering questions,
exchanging information and retelling it. Given the fact that it was the first time they were recorded
during an oral activity, students felt uncomfortable though they eventually became used to it. This
factor might have had a negative influence upon their overall performance explaining inaccuracies
in speech and hesitation. However, this cannot be completely assured because the teacher was
aware of students’ performance during their previous academic year and results from the diagnostic
tests do not vary from the ones yielded before.

Students’ personal opinions on their self-assessment sheet of the tasks that were carried out in class
in addition to the teacher’s observation, have given her some insight as to how students felt about
the activities and the influence they might have had upon their performance.

Through direct observation during the first unit of work it became evident that students were
engaged in the all of the activities and actively participated in them. Moreover, they were curious
and excited as regards this new way of working and assessing their own learning experience with
the self-assessment sheet. Despite the fact that they were motivated to participate, their overall
linguistic performance had not improved as expected showing inaccuracies in the use of structures.

As regards the second unit of work almost all participants were pleased with the activities. It was
during this unit when they carried out an information gap activity for the first time. The teacher

58
noticed that the amount of effort that the task required might have had a negative effect on
students’ perception of the activity considering that some of them considered it boring. As for the
final task, some students did not have a positive attitude regarding the retelling of the fable. The
teacher discovered that a possible explanation was the story itself which was neither appealing nor
interesting.

Observation from the third unit of work shows that all of the participants were engaged and
enjoyed the activities proposed especially when they had to design posters using real photos from
magazines. This might have had an impact on their motivation to speak. Although this might have
made them eager to speak, it cannot account for their oral performance since inaccuracies in their
use of comparative structures were still present.

Opinions on the last unit of work reveal that learners enjoyed the tasks that were carried out and
were motivated as well. Working with software such as Google Earth seemed to have increased
their curiosity about planet Earth as well as the Moon and other planets meaning they were eager to
investigate and use the software themselves at home. However, despite their interest in the
activities and the lessons oral outcomes do not coincide with the expected level they should have
attained in accordance to the CEFR.

After having analyzed the data gathered from recordings and transcripts of final tasks, there
appears to be a consistency in students’ inaccuracies in their use of grammatical structures as well
their control over phonological features. Furthermore, some students could not properly fulfill tasks
without prompting and support from the teacher and peers. Although their motivation seemed to
have increased, their performance suggests they encountered difficulties in making simple
exchanges and that hesitation was still present. Few students continued to resort to Spanish to
express their ideas which seemed to be rather unnecessary in certain occasions.

Bearing in mind how students performed during their last academic year, there seems to have been
improvement in their overall performance. Despite being occasionally inaccurate, unintelligible and
in need of prompting and support, students have become more eager and motivated to participate in
class as well as to make use of English. This appears to have had a positive impact on their oral
performance in comparison to last year’s achievements. However, results of their present
performance are not entirely conclusive taking into account that a few students could not make
themselves understood in addition to their own lack of understanding of language during a
communicative exchange. Therefore, there cannot be a correspondence between the activities
implemented and students’ performance in final tasks. Nonetheless, students seem to have
benefited from these activities inasmuch as their motivation and eagerness to participate increased.

59
This type of project was the first one conducted at this institution. Therefore, it becomes evident
that further research should be carried out based on the results of this present study in order to gain
more insight as to how to help students to have a better learning experience, both linguistically and
motivationally, and as to how teachers could implement positive changes to their teaching practice.

Although linguistic results from final tasks cannot be directly attributed to the implementation of
TBLT and Focus on Form (FonF) activities, the teacher has thus resolved to continue along the
lines of a Focus on Form (FonF) and Communicative Approach as a long term plan of action in
addition to regular assessment on her teaching practice done by herself and students.

60
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Language. (pp. 3-18). Berlin: Springer.
Wong, W. & Simard, D. (2016). Focusing on Form in Language Instruction. New York:
Routledge.
Yin, R. (2003). Case Study Research: Designs and Methods 3rd Edition. California: Sage
Publications.

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 APPENDICES

Appendix A

Diagnostic Test 1

1. Task orientation
 Open: outcomes will depend upon speakers. Test takers are expected to give open
answers with use of appropriate structure and vocabulary.
2. Interactional relationship
 Interactional
 One-way: the student will be asked questions by the teacher and is expected
to respond to her. The teacher might ask clarification questions or make use
of back-channeling to aid learners.
3. Goal orientation
 Convergent
4. Interlocutor status and familiarity
 Higher status: the interlocutor will be the teacher hence the high status.
 Degree of familiarity with interlocutor: the teacher knows the participants since
they were their students last year so the degree is high.
5. Topics: family, friends, physical appearance and personality.

Diagnostic Test 2

65
 1. Task orientation
 Open: outcomes depend upon speakers.
2. Interactional relationship
 Interactional
 Two-way: learners are expected to ask and answer questions to each other in
order to find out information.
3. Goal orientation
 Convergent
4. Interlocutor status and familiarity
 Higher status: the interlocutor will be the teacher hence the high status.
 Degree of familiarity with interlocutor: the teacher knows the participants since
they were their students last year so the degree is high.
5. Topics: family, friends, physical appearance, personality and interests.

Diagnostic Test 3
1. Task orientation
 Open: outcomes will depend upon what the student wrote in the previous
diagnostic test.
2. Interactional relationship
 Interactional
 One-way: the student will be asked questions by the teacher and is expected
to respond to her. The teacher might ask clarification questions or make use
of back-channeling to aid learners.
3. Goal orientation
 Convergent
4. Interlocutor status and familiarity
 Higher status: the interlocutor will be the teacher hence the high status.
 Degree of familiarity with interlocutor: the teacher knows the participants since
they were their students last year so the degree is high.
5. Topics: family, friends, physical appearance, personality and interests.

66
Appendix B

Appendix C

Unit of Work 1

Level: Pre-4th Children

1. Theme: Giving a short oral presentation on animals and habitats
2. Final task: Through group work students make a poster of three animals and their habitats
and give a short oral presentation on what they found out
3. Objectives: during the unit students will develop, with a degree of communicative
competence in accordance with their level, the ability and knowledge necessary to:
a. Discriminate between relevant and irrelevant information
b. Ask and answer about animals and their habitats
c. Work collaboratively to make a poster
d. Give a short presentation on animals and their habitats

67
 4. Content:
a. Thematic aspects
New (N) / Recycle (R)

b. Linguistic content
Grammar: be, have, don’t have, questions (Yes/No and Wh-), present simple for facts
and descriptions
Vocabulary: wild animals, beak, feathers, fins, fur, pouch, scales, tail, teeth, wings,
caves, forest, jungle, ocean, river, sky, mammal, fish, bird, reptile, continents
5. The process: tasks for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5.
 Discussion of plans for the unit paying special attention to final task
 Students write objectives in their notebooks
 Presentation of new items through pictures from their textbook
 Reading, listening, speaking and writing tasks; form-focus tasks from textbook
6. Evaluation:
 Carried out by students: Self-assessment sheet
 Carried out by teacher: recordings of students’ oral presentation

Key: Ss=Students T=teacher WB= whiteboard IND=individually

Gr 4 or 6=groups of 4 or 6 WGr=whole group
L=listening R=reading S=speaking W=writing

68
Lesson Plan: Day 1

Lesson Plan: Day 2

69
Lesson Plan: Day 3

Lesson Plan: Day 4

70
Lesson Plan: Day 5

Unit of Work 2

Level: Pre-4th Children

1. Theme: Retelling a fable
2. Final task: Ss retell the fable “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”
3. Objectives: during the unit students will develop, with a degree of communicative
competence in accordance with their level, the ability and knowledge necessary to:
a. Give opinions
b. Infer information from visual cues
c. Ask questions about a text
d. Retell a fable
4. Content:
a. Thematic aspects
New (N) / Recycle (R)

b. Linguistic content
Grammar: Like/don’t like/Do you like?/What do you like?/Why?, because, present
simple
Vocabulary: Free time activities, nature, strange, quiet, dark, noisy, hungry

71
 5. The process: tasks for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5.
 Discussion of plans for the unit paying special attention to final task
 Students write objectives in their notebooks
 Presentation of new items through pictures from their textbook and other visual
 Reading, listening, speaking and writing tasks; form-focus tasks from textbook
6. Evaluation:
 Carried out by students: Self-assessment sheet
 Carried out by teacher: Narrative observation, recordings of students’ retelling

Lesson Plan: Day 1

72
Lesson Plan: Day 2

Lesson Plan: Day 3

73
Lesson Plan: Day 4

Unit of Work 3

Level: Pre-4th Children

1. Theme: Comparing town and countryside
2. Final task: Students design a poster in pairs and compare town and countryside
3. Objectives: during the unit students will develop, with a degree of communicative
competence in accordance with their level, the ability and knowledge necessary to:
a. Find differences between town and countryside
b. Give an opinion
c. Work collaboratively to make a poster
d. Give a short presentation comparing town and countryside
4. Content:
a. Thematic aspects
New (N) / Recycle (R)

b. Linguistic content
Grammar: Be, there is/there are/there isn’t/there aren’t, comparatives, Why…?,
because
Vocabulary: fields, cart, bee, flower, butterfly, star, grass, building, shopping center,
street, noisy, quiet, dark, and other vocabulary elicited from students
5. The process: tasks for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5.

74
  Discussion of plans for the unit paying special attention to final task
 Students write objectives in their notebooks
 Presentation of new items through pictures from their textbook and other visual
cues
 Reading, listening, speaking and writing tasks; form-focus tasks from textbook
6. Evaluation:
 Carried out by students: Self-assessment sheet
 Carried out by teacher: recordings of students’ oral presentation

Lesson Plan: Day 1

75
Lesson Plan: Day 2

Lesson Plan: Day 3

Unit of Work 4

Level: Pre-4th Children

1. Theme: Interviewing a person from planet Earth
2. Final task: Students interview a person from planet Earth pretending to be aliens from
another planet
3. Objectives: during the unit students will develop, with a degree of communicative
competence in accordance with their level, the ability and knowledge necessary to:
a. Describe Earth, specifically their own country, using appropriate vocabulary

76
 b. Exchange information
c. Interview a person from planet Earth
4. Content:
a. Thematic aspects
New (N) / Recycle (R)

b. Linguistic content
Grammar: Be, there is/there are, present simple, comparatives, superlatives
Vocabulary: Ocean, island, mountain, lake, desert, waterfall, volcano, bright, chilly,
damp, foggy, freezing, icy, stormy, warm
5. The process: tasks for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5.
 Discussion of plans for the unit paying special attention to final task
 Students write objectives in their notebooks
 Presentation of new items through pictures from their textbook and other visual
cues
 Reading, listening, speaking and writing tasks; form-focus tasks from textbook
6. Evaluation:
 Carried out by students: Self-assessment sheet
 Carried out by teacher: recordings of students’ interviews

77
Lesson Plan: Day 1

Lesson Plan: Day 2

78
Lesson Plan: Day 3

Lesson Plan: Day 4

79
Lesson Plan: Day 5

Appendix D

T: Teacher / / : Pronunciation Er: Hesitation

Diagnostic Test 1

Florencia Gómez
T: OK, let’s see Florencia. Can you describe yourself physically?
Florencia: I’m… I am long hair and small /eyes/ er… (long pause)
T: And what about your personality?
Florencia: er… I’m happy.
T: Can you describe a member of your family?
Florencia: Yes.
T: Who?
Florencia: My brother. Er… He is er… big and er big /eyes/ and short hair er (long pause)
T: What about his personality?
Florencia: Er… Fine. He’s fine.
T: Good. Can you describe your best friend?
Florencia: Yes. She is er long hair er (pause) she, she (long pause) she’s /mouth/, big /mouth/ and
brown /eyes/ and she is (pause) long.
T: OK. And what about his personality?
Florencia: Is crazy.
T: Ok, good. Can you describe your best friend?
Florencia: What?
T: Can you describe your best friend? or a friend?
Florencia: Yes.

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T: OK. Describe it.
Florencia: He is big and short hair and long (?) /eyes/ and (long pause) er (long pause) big /eyes/.
T: And what about his personality?
Florencia: Er… He’s happy.
T: Good. That’s OK.

Laura Fernández
T: OK: Can you describe yourself?
Laura: I have long /hair/, brown /eyes/, small nose (pause) er (unintelligible)… (pause)
T: What about your personality?
Laura: (unintelligible) happy
T: Can you describe a member of your family?
Laura: My mum. She have long /hair/, brown eyes, er small nose (pause)
T: And what about her personality?
Laura: (silence)
T: She’s…
Laura: (Silence)
T: OK. And what about your best friend?
Laura: She have long hair, er brown eyes, small nose and long legs (pause)
T: And what her personality?
Laura: Happy. She happy.
T: Good. Thank you Laura.

Andrea Pérez
T: OK, Andrea can you describe yourself?
Andrea: Oh, (laughs) er, er I’m, I’m have er short or long, so-so hair er, er small eyes, er (pause)
small or big nose (laughs). I don’t know (laughs). Er small (pause), small mouth er (laughs).
T: And what about your personality?
Andrea: Can you repeat?
T: Yes. Your personality.
Andrea: Er I’m crazy (laughs). I’m fine (long pause). (laughs) I don’t know.
T: It’s OK. Can you describe a member of your family?
Andrea: My brother.
T: OK. Describe him.
Andrea: He has got er short hair, er light blue or green eyes, big nose er it’s long or tall ¿cómo?
(laughs). Er (long pause) (unintelligible) (laughs).
T: I can’t help you.

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Andrea: (Silence)
T: OK. And what about your personality?
Andrea: It’s bad, for me (laughs).
T: OK. Can you describe your best friend?
Andrea: Er (unintelligible)
T: Or a friend?
Andrea: She has got er short hair, er is (laughs). It’s tall er (pause) she’s very crazy (laughs).
(silence) She’s er (pause) is fine. I don’t know.
T: Thank you. That’s OK.

Victoria Muñoz
T: OK, Victoria can you describe yourself physically?
Victoria: Yes er it’s brown hair, is straight hair, brown eyes and long legs and (pause) small nose,
nose.
T: And what about your personality?
Victoria: I’m happy.
T: Can you describe a member of your family?
Victoria: My brother. Er she has got short hair, brown eyes er she has tall and /small/ nose
T: OK. And what about his personality?
Victoria: He has got crazy.
T: OK. Thank you. And can you describe your best friend?
Victoria: My best friend is curly hair, is tall. She has er brown /hair/ and brown eyes.
T: And what about her personality?
Victoria: She has got happy.
T: OK. Now, yes. Thank you.

Julieta Espinoza
T: Ok, Julieta. Can you describe yourself? Can you describe yourself? Physical appearance
Julieta: Er… er… short… er… (unintelligible) er… (unintelligible)… (long pause)
T: What can you tell me about your personality?
Julieta: (Unintelligible)
T: Your personality
Julieta: Er…
T: Ok, don’t worry. Can you describe a member of your family?
Julieta: My sister. This is small er… She has er… small /eyes/ er … short, no sí, hair.
T: And what about her personality?
Julieta: Es que es recién nacida

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T: You don’t know.
Julieta: No.
T: OK. Can you describe your best friend?
Julieta: (Laughs)
T: Physically
Julieta: (Laughs). This is long hair er… small nose, big /eyes/, small mouth
T: Yes, and?
Julieta: (laughs) and long (pause)… no…
T: And what can you tell me about her personality?
Julieta: (Silence)
T: You don’t know? OK. Thank you.

Guillermo Rodríguez Conti

T: OK. Guillermo can you describe yourself? Physically and your personality?
Guillermo: OK.
T: Can you describe you?
Guillermo: I am happy because in vacaciones er
T: Your physical appearance.
Guillermo: Cómo visto?
T: Everything.
Guillermo: I am small er I am very er hair (unintelligible)
T: OK. Can you describe a member of your family? A person in your family? One.
Guillermo: My grandpa.
T: OK. Can you describe your grandpa?
Guillermo: Er it is very (unintelligible) trabajador.
T: OK. You have to talk in English. I can’t help you. No los puedo ayudar.
Guillermo: It’s er (pause) is very happy because my grandma.
T: Sorry, can you repeat?
Guillermo: Is very happy because my grandma.
T: Aha.
Guillermo: Nada más.
T: And his physical appearance?
Guillermo: Er he’s tall and er, er (pause) no, nada más.
T: OK. Can you describe your best friend?
Guillermo: Er, yes. She’s, her is er small, her er very er very hair and he’s small eyes. Er ¿cómo se
dice? Er no me acuerdo más.
T: You don’t remember? OK. That’s it. Thank you.

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Luciana López
T: Luciana, can you describe yourself? Can you describe YOU? Physical appearance, personality.
Luciana: OK. I have... have a long hair (pause) er... (pause) er... Cómo era... Small ears, small
nose er... I have short legs.
T: And your personality?
Luciana: I'm very... con, er... No... the contrar I'm very (unintelligible)
T: Thank you. Can you describe a member of your family? Physical appearance and personality.
Luciana: Er... My brother. My brother is tall. He have, has got er... short hair. He has got a brown
/eyes/. And he is very, very crazy.
T: OK. Now can you describe your best friend? Physical appearance and personality.
Luciana: Er... She has got short hair er... She has got er... long legs and she has got brown hair and
is /mad/.

Milagros Sosa
T: Milagros, can you describe yourself? Physical appearance and personality.
Milagros: Er... I'm... I am long hair er... blue /eyes/ er... /small/ nose, /small/ er... nose er... I'm
/tall/... I don't know...
T: And your personality?
Milagros: My personality is very happy... is very er... no sé cómo decirlo... extrovertido que sería
(unintelligible)
T: OK. Can you describe one member of your family? Physical appearance and personality.
Milagros: My brother. My brother is very small. She er... he have er... short er... a short
(unintelligible), a short hair, a big nose and (pause)... I don't know er... She's very happy.
T: Good. Can you describe your bestfriend?
Milagros: My best friend er... is (unintelligible) er... happy, happy... is your hair... Wow. She have
er... big mouth and straight hair and (unintelligible)
T: And her personality?
Milagros: What Miss?
T: Her personality.
Milagros: I'm (unintelligible). She's happy (unintelligible).

Francisco Romero
T: Francisco, can you describe yourself? Physical appearance and personality.
Francisco: Er... (pause) I'm short hair and I'm (pause) shorts legs and I'm big feets er... the fing...
and the fingers are shorts and my arms are short. My body er... big and my eyes big. My nose is
er... (pause) small and (pause) mouth er... are er... big.

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T: What about your personality?
Francisco: Er... I'm (pause) er... divertido... (pause)
T: OK. Can you describe a member of your family?
Francisco: (pause) My dad er... he has got er... a curly hair er... She's big. She's beard (pause).
She's a long, a long legs and the feets are big. The arms are long. Her bo... No. Yes, her bo... No,
no. His body are big.
T: And what about his personality?
Francisco: He's er... er... no lo veo todos los días. No sé tanto cómo es.
T: OK. Well, thank you. Can you describe your bestfriend?
Francisco: Er... tengo tres amigos.
T: No Spanish, please. OK. Just one.
Francisco: OK. My bestfriend is short hair. The eyes are small. The nose are small. The mouth are
big. Er... Her body, no his body is er... small. His legs are shorts. His feets are er... big. Er... the
arms are shorts and the fingers, the hands are bigs. The fingers are shorts and er...
T: OK. And what about his personality?
Francisco: (Pause) He is fine. He is good (pause).

Giuliana Sánchez
T: Giuliana, can you describe yourself? Physical appearance and personality.
Giuliana: Er... myself? Er... I have short hair er... I have big eyes, small ears and [pause], big
mouth and small nose
T: Your personality?
Giuliana: Er... I have long, long hair...
T: And what about your personality?
Giuliana: (Pause) Happy... is happy.
T: OK. Can you describe a member of your family?
Giuliana: My brother.
T: OK. Good.
Giuliana: He's tall. He have short hair, short and /straight/ hair. He have long legs and long arms.
He uses glasses. He have small /eyes/, a big nose and a big mouth and a big ears.
T: And what about his personality?
Giuliana: He's happy.
T: OK. Now, can you describe your best friend, please?
Giuliana: My best friend have er... curly and short hair. She have small eyes. She uses glasses.
She have small nose and small mouth. She have big ears. She's tall. She have er... tall, big arms and
legs.
T: And what about her personality?

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Giuliana: Happy.
T: She's happy. OK.

Paula Gutiérrez
T: OK, Paula. Can you describe yourself?
Paula: Er... I have long hair and er... big /eyes/. I'm, I'm not tall. I'm short. Er... I have er... big
/ears/. I have er... /small/ nose. I have big mouth, big mouth. I have big feet.
T: And what about your personality?
Paula: I'm happy, fine.
T: OK, good. Now, can you describe a member of your family?
Paula: Yes, er... My mother. My mother has long hair, big /eyes/. She has er... big mouth. Er... She
has big /ears/ and /small/ mouth and she is tall.
T: And what about her personality?
Paula: She's fine, she's fine.
T: Can you describe your best friend?
Paula: Yes. Er... my best friend er... she, she is, she has short er... hair. She has small, small /eyes/.
She has big /nose/, nose. She has small mouth and big, big /ears/ and she's tall.
T: And her personality?
Paula: She's happy. She's cool.

Esteban García
T: Esteban, can you describe yourself?
Esteban: Yourself?
T: You.
Esteban: Er... is wearing t-shirt white and black and jeans blue and /trainers/ white, black and
orange.
T: What about your physical appearance?
Esteban: Er... I (unintelligible) /hair/ is black and (pause) and /eyes/ and /eyes/ is brown and
(pause) nose big small.
T: Good. What about your personality?
Esteban: Personality? Can you repeat?
T: Yes. What about your personality? Personality.
Esteban: (pause) personality er... it's (long pause) er...
T: OK. Don't worry. Can you describe a member of your family? Physically.
Esteban: My brother is /hair/ is brown and /eyes/ is, is brown and big mouth and, and big (pause)
is /old/ thirty-six.

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T: And what about his personality?
Esteban: Su personalidad? Er... personality the my brother is no sé cómo decirlo.
T: Sorry, can you speak up?
Esteban: Ejercicio, pero no sé cómo se dice.
T: Well, it's OK. What about your best friend? Can you describe your best friend?
Esteban: Er... My best friend is (pause). Describe?
T: Physically.
Esteban: (unintelligible) is /old/ is er... twelve /old/. Small. His /eyes/ er... (unintelligible) /eyes/ is
brown and (unintelligible) is black.
T: And what about his personality?
Esteban: Er... personality is er... football, football.
T: OK.

Diagnostic Test 2

Francisco Romero and Álvaro Pinilla

Francisco: What’s er what is your name?
Álvaro: My name is Álvaro
T: Yes, speak up. Hablen más fuerte. Así yo puedo escuchar después en mi casa. My name is
Álvaro. OK.
Francisco: What is your surname?
T: No Spanish! Come on! He knows.
Álvaro: My /surname’s/ Pinilla.
Francisco: Eh?
Álvaro: Pinilla!
Francisco: (long pause) speaks Spanish (unintelligible)
T: I can’t help you. Sorry. Skip it.
Francisco: What is your birthday?
Álvaro: Can you repeat?
Francisco: What is your birthday?
Álvaro: My /birthday/ is (pause) December is 10.
Francisco: Ten?
Álvaro: Yes.
Francisco: Qué mes?
Álvaro: Diciembre.
Francisco: Miss, también en inglés esto?
T: Aha, everything in English. Please don’t talk in Spanish!

87
Francisco: (had to skip some questions) what is your best, best friend?
Álvaro: Qué? Can you repeat?
Francisco: What is your best friend?
Álvaro: My /best friend/ (unintelligible) ¿Tenemos que poner el nombre? His, his name is Adrián.
T: Make the question.
Francisco: Er what is her physical /appearance/?
Álvaro: Er Adrián… Er he wearing er ¿cómo se dice? Er blue t-shirt, blue, blue /shirt/ and er
/trainers/.
Francisco: (Unintelligible)
T: That is what he said. Es lo que te dijo él.
Francisco: OK. Er can you repeat? (laughs) Can you repeat?
Álvaro: His er wearing blue t-shirt, blue /shirt/ (pause) and black er zapatillas, sneakers.
Francisco: Ah, son shoes. Er /what/, no, yeah, what is her personality?
Álvaro: What is?
T: Adrián. He’s asking about Adrián.
Álvaro: Is funny y no me acuerdo nada más.
T: And now this. Ask him about his family.
Francisco: De Adrián o qué?
T: No, his family.
Francisco: (laughs) er I don’t know.
Álvaro: Cómo está vestida mi mamá o cómo está vistiendo…
T: No Spanish! Come on! No Spanish.
Francisco: What do you mum works?
Álvaro: Can you repeat?
Francisco: What do your mum er mum works? G
Álvaro: Er my mum’s, my mum work (unintelligible)
Francisco: Lo que tenés que decir.
T: No idea? Thank you. Let’s finish. Álvaro, can you ask him questions, please? Quickly.
Francisco: (laughs) OK, OK.
Álvaro: Er ah yo tengo preguntar.
T: Now you ask him.
Álvaro: Ahora tengo que preguntar.
T: Ask him questions.
Álvaro: Er (pause)
T: Like he asked. Como te preguntó él. You need this information, OK?
Francisco: What’s, what is your name? Tenés que decir.
T: Thank you. For example. OK, can you ask him?

88
Álvaro: What is your (unintelligible)
Francisco: My name is Francisco.
Álvaro: What is er you /surname/?
Francisco: My surname is Romero.
Álvaro: Cómo?
Francisco: Romero. Miss, ¿esto era año? Ah, genial.
T: Next question. Age. Now continue working.
Álvaro: Er what is your /bir/ /birthday/? Ay, no me salía.
Francisco: My /birthday/, my /birthday/ is in 29 September.
Álvaro: ¿Está bien?
Francisco: 29 September, 29 September.
Álvaro: Sep?
Francisco: September.
Álvaro: Er
T: City?
Álvaro: No sé sí…
T: No idea? Skip it. Interests?
Álvaro: No. What is /interests/? Son tus intereses.
T: No Spanish.
Francisco: My /interest/ is er
Álvaro: Deports (?)
Francisco: I go to swimming. The swimming er (pause) gymnastic, gymnastic
Álvaro: Gymnastic?
Francisco: Gymnastic er and no idea.
T: Now, best friend. Make the question.
Álvaro: (unintelligible)
T: No? OK, physical appearance and personality? Están relacionadas con best friend. ¿Cómo le
preguntarías para saber esa información del best friend? Physical appearance and personality.
Álvaro: What is best friend?
Francisco: En realidad I have four because, well. My best friend is Juan Valentín. Juan Valentín.
Álvaro: Juan Valentín.
Francisco: Con v corta. V er
Álvaro: What physical /appearance/?
Francisco: She’s black hair, er long eyes, long arms and he’s tall.
Álvaro: Can you repeat?
Francisco: He’s black hair, he has got a long arm. Bueno si no te alcanza así nomás.
T: Well, now personality.

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Francisco: His personality er is he’s fine, he’s funny, he’s good person and no idea. He’s fine.
He’s funny and he is good person.
Álvaro: Cómo se dice (unintelligible)?
T: Last question. Family, mum?
Álvaro: He work? Dad? Er
Francisco: My dad or
Álvaro: No, dad, dad.
Francisco: My dad she works in Ilolay. She, he perdón, sorry. He works in er Ilolay.
Álvaro: Ilo?
T: Ilolay. The company. Una empresa.
Francisco: La empresa. Hace lácteos y todo eso.
Álvaro: Cómo es?
Francisco: He works in Ilolay.
Álvaro: Como se escucha?
Francisco: He works in Ilolay. Ilolay se escribe como se escucha.
T: OK. That’s fine.

Andrea Pérez and Milagros Dalton

Milagros: What is your name?
Andrea: My name is Andrea (laughs)
T: Next question.
Milagros: Miss, no va ella con mi nombre?
T: You do everything.
Milagros: What is your surname?
Andrea: Mi apellido? Ah, my surname is Pérez.
Milagros: /What’s/?
Andrea: Pérez.
Milagros: Pere?
Andrea: Pérez (laughs)
Milagros: What /old/ are you?
Andrea: (laughs)
T: English
Milagros: What /are/ are (?) you?
Andrea: (laughs) I have eleven.
Milagros: Miss, ¿lo escribe con letra o?
T: Eh, eh. Don’t talk.
Milagros: What is your /birthday/?

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Andrea: My /birthday/ is er 28 er December (laughs)
Milagros: Er what does she work? ¿Cómo era? No. Miss, creo que era así.
T: City.
Milagros: What is your city?
Andrea: (laughs) cómo la respondo.
T: No Spanish. I can’t help you. Yo no los puedo ayudar en nada.
Milagros: Es pregunta no me acuerdo cómo era.
T: No idea? Skip it. La que no sepan, la saltan.
Milagros: What is your /interests/?
Andrea: (laughs) interesar o qué?
T: No Spanish. I can’t help you. No idea? Skip it.
Milagros: What is your /best friend/?
Andrea: Ah, my /best friend/ is Abril.
Milagros: What’s?
Andrea: No, Martina.
Milagros: Miss, er en esta. ¿Nosotros er la describimos o ella la describe? Ah, what is? Can you
(unintelligible) your physical /apperance/?
Andrea: ¿La mía? (laughs)
T: Yes, no sorry. Martina. Her friend.
Andrea: Ah, is tall er she have er eyes, light blue eyes (laughs). Miss, ¿cómo se decían pecas?
T: No Spanish. I can’t help you.
Andrea: Er (laughs)
Milagros: Miss, ¿esta de personalidad también es de (unintelligible)? What is the /personality/ of
Martina?
Andrea: She’s fine (laughs). Oh, I don’t know.
T: OK. Her family.
Milagros: Er you have er a mum? ¿Se dice así? ¿Tenés una mamá?
Andrea: ¿O el nombre?
T: Ask para sacar información de eso. What would you ask?
Milagros: (unintelligible) you have a mum?
Andrea: Yes (laughs)
Milagros: What is your name?
Andrea: María.
Milagros: Maia?
Andrea: María.
Milagros: You have a dad?
Andrea: Yes.

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Milagros: What is your name?
Andrea: (unintelligible) name is Antonio.
Milagros: Antonio?
Andrea: You have a brother?
Milagros: One brother.
Andrea: What is your name?
Milagros: Salvador.
Andrea: What’s your name?
Milagros: My name is Milagros.
Andrea: What (unintelligible) your surname?
Milagros: My surname is Dalton.
Andrea: (laughs) can you repeat?
Milagros: Dalton.
Andrea: Ah.
Milagros: With daltonismo, that.
Andrea: No sé si (unintelligible) (laughs)
T: English.
Andrea: How, how old are you?
Milagros: I’m ten /age/. Ay, no me acuerdo cómo se decía.
Andrea: Miss, ¿lo escribo en letra o en número, o en número? (laughs)
T: Continue.
Andrea: What is your /birthday/?
Milagros: My /birthday/ is del eleven er of August.
Andrea: Agosto?
Milagros: Yes.
Andrea: Cómo era el de city?
T: I don’t know. No idea? Skip it. Lo que no sepan, lo saltean.
Andrea: (laughs)
T: No? Continue.
Milagros: Interests? (laughs/unintelligible)
Andrea: My favourite /interests/ is the tae kwon do.
Milagros: Cómo se escribe? (laughs)
T: In English. Ask in English.
Milagros: Tae kwon do.
Andrea: Can you repeat? (laughs)
Milagros: Tae kwon do.
T: Next question.

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Andrea: Miss, tengo (unintelligible) (laughs). What is your best friend? (laughs)
Milagros: My /best/, my /best/ friend is Juanita.
Andrea: Can you repeat?
Milagros: Juanita.
Andrea: Er physical /appearance/?
Milagros: She is small, er she er she’s er a very beauty.
Andrea: Beautiful?
Milagros: Yes. Er your hair is long and brown. And your /eyes/ is brown and big.
Andrea: No me va a alcanzar (laughs)
T: Under, abajo si querés.
Andrea: /Personality/?
Milagros: He’s a very /good/ er she’s happy er la verdad que no sé muy bien cómo contestarlo.
Andrea: (laughs)
T: OK. You need that information. Cómo conseguís información sobre mum, dad, brothers or
sisters?
Andrea: Yes, creo que me preguntó (unintelligible). Have you got a mum?
Milagros: Yes, I have. Your name is Verónica.
Andrea: Dad? (laughs)
Milagros: Yes, I have a dad and er my dad is Marcelo.
Andrea: Can you repeat?
Milagros: Marcelo.
Andrea: Have you got a brothers or sisters?
Milagros: Yes, I have a brother and his name is Álvaro.

Victoria Muñoz and Laura Fernández

T: OK, Vicky. Can you start?
Victoria: What’s your name?
Laura: My name is Laura.
Victoria: What’s is surname?
Laura: My surname is Fernández.
Victoria: How old are you?
Laura: Eleven years old.
Victoria: ¿Cómo?
Laura: Eleven.
Victoria: What’s your /birthday/?
Laura: My birthday is in October.
Victoria: Er what’s your best friend?

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Laura: My best friend is Victoria.
Victoria: Physical /appearance/?
T: Of your best friend.
Laura: Ya lo dijo.
T: OK. Her physical appearance.
Laura: Er she has (laughs) er brown hair, er (laughs)
T: You need to write it. Todo lo que te diga tenés que anotarlo.
Laura: Brown /eyes/
T: Can you speak up, Lau?
Laura: Small nose and long leg.
Victoria: Personality?
Laura: Is happy.
Victoria: Er
T: About her family.
Victoria: What’s your family?
Laura: My family is my mum and my dad.
Victoria: Listo porque esas dos no
T: OK. Can you ask her?
Laura: What is your name?
Victoria: My name is Victoria.
Laura: What is your surname?
Victoria: My surname is Muñoz.
Laura: How old are you?
Victoria: I’m twelve.
Laura: What er is your /birthday/?
Victoria: My /birthday/ is January 7.
Laura: (pause) er (pause)
T: OK.
Laura: What is your city?
Victoria: My city is Cipolletti.
Laura: What is your /interest/?
Victoria: (unintelligible)
T: I cannot help you. No? Skip it.
Laura: What is your best friend?
Victoria: My best friend is Laura.
Laura: Physical /appearance/?
Victoria: She is er curly hair, brown hair. Er brown eyes and long legs.

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Laura: And?
Victoria: Long legs.
Laura: She personality?
Victoria: Er she’s crazy (laughs)
Laura: What is your family?
Victoria: My family is mum, brother, grandmother (unintelligible) grandpa.

Paula Gutiérrez and Florencia Gómez

Paula: What’s is your surname?
Florencia: My surname is Gómez?
Paula: How old are you?
Florencia: er I am 10, 10 /years/ old.
Paula: When is your /birthday/?
Florencia: Er my birthday is in March.
T: Skip it. If you don’t know, skip it.
Paula: OK.
T: OK. Skip it.
Paula: Er who is your best friend?
Florencia: My best friend is Suyai. Suyai.
Paula: No sé cómo se escribe.
Florencia: Suyai, con Y griega (laughs)
Paula: Physical /apperance/?
T: It’s about Suyai. No idea? OK. Skip it.
Paula: Personality?
Florencia: (laughs)
T: No idea?
Florencia: No (laughs)
T: Skip it. Now her family.
Paula: Er how many mum, dad, brother, sister (unintelligible)
T: About you.
Paula: Who is your mum? Your dad?
Florencia: Er (long pause)
Paula: Who is your mum?
T: No idea? No? OK.
Florencia: What’s your name?
Paula: My name is Paula.
Florencia: (laughs) no sé cómo se escribe.

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Paula: P-A-U-L-A (spells in Spanish)
Florencia: (laughs)
Paula: /p/ /a/ u - /l/ /a/
Florencia: What is your surname? (laughs)
Paula: (laughs) G – U –T – I – R – R – I – E – Z
Florencia: Can you repeat?
Paula: Gutiérrez.
Florencia: (laughs)
Paula: /g/ er (laughs)
T: Skip it. Next question.
Florencia: How old are you?
Paula: I’m ten years old.
Florencia: Er when is your /birthday/?
Paula: My birthday is in April.
Florencia: Er (laughs)
T: No? Skip it. Interests?
Florencia: What is your best friend?
Paula: My best friend is Eugenia.
Florencia: Er (unintelligible) (laughs)
Paula: She is, she has long hair, big /eyes/ and (unintelligible)
Florencia: Personality?
Paula: She’s happy. She’s fine. She’s cool.
Florencia: She?
Paula: Happy.
Florencia: Er how many mum, dad, brother, sister?
Paula: Er I have my mum, my dad and one /brother/, my brother. My mother is, she has long hair.
She has big /eyes/.
T: OK. Wait.
Paula: She has long hair. Er big eyes, er big /nose/.
Florencia: Big?
Paula: Nose. Er she has small mouth.
Florencia: Small?
Paula: /mouth/
Florencia: Small?
Paula: Yes.
Julieta Espinoza and Luciana López
Luciana: What is your name?

96
Julieta: My name is Julieta.
Luciana: What is your surname?
Julieta: My surname is er Espinoza.
Luciana: Er how, are, how are you? How are you?
Julieta: I’m eleven. I am eleven.
Luciana: Er where is your /birthday/?
Julieta: My /birthday/ is in er yes, er (laughs) no, er October er (laughs).
Luciana: Nine?
Julieta: Nine
T: Write October.
Julieta: Nineteen
Luciana: Er what do you like?
Julieta: Er (unintelligible)
Luciana: OK. Er (laughs) what’s is your favourite, your best friend?
Julieta: My best friend is Luciana.
Luciana: Er what is she physical /appearance/?
Julieta: Physical /appearance/? (unintelligible)
Luciana: And personality?
Julieta: Er
T: Skip.
Luciana: OK. Your family. How is she your mum? Your mum. Er how she, your mum!
Julieta: Ah, (pause) (laughs)
T: Ask another question. A different question.
Luciana: Er your dad is tall?
Julieta: Cómo, no entiendo.
Luciana: Your dad is crazy?
Julieta: No he, no he (unintelligible)
Luciana: Your, have you got a sister?
Julieta: Yes, no er yes.
T: OK. Julieta, can you ask her?
Julieta: What is your name?
Luciana: My name is Luciana.
Julieta: What is your surname?
Luciana: My surname is López.
Julieta: Er how no, er (laughs) how er (unintelligible)?
Luciana: I’m eleven.
Julieta: What is your, what is your /birthday/? (laughs)

97
Luciana: My birthday is in eighteen in July.
Julieta: Can you repeat? Eighteen?
Luciana: Eighteen in July. Eighteen.
Julieta: (Laughs)
Luciana: Eighteen
Julieta: Yes, yes.
Luciana: July.
Julieta: July?
Luciana: Yes.
Julieta: Er what er what your (unintelligible)
Luciana: What?
Julieta: Er (laughs) what (laughs)
Luciana: I like it the er volleyball and swimming.
Julieta: (laughs) what er is your best /friend/?
Luciana: My best friend is Julieta.
Julieta: Er what physical /appearance/?
Luciana: Er she’s tall and she has got er long hair.
Julieta: And long hair?
Luciana: Yes.
Julieta: Er (unintelligible) personality?
Luciana: Er she is er crazy and /responsibility/
Julieta: And responsabili? Er, er (laughs)
Luciana: Your
Julieta: Your mum is, how old are your mum?
Luciana: She have, she is /thirty/ seven age.
Julieta: Thirty seven?
Luciana: Yes.
Julieta: Treinta y ocho?
Luciana: Yes.
T: One more.
Julieta: Er your dad is er, er (unintelligible), er, er (laughs). No.
T: You don’t know? OK.

Guillermo Rodríguez Conti, Giuliana Sánchez and Esteban García

Giuliana: What is your name?
Guillermo: My name is Guillermo.
T: Aunque ya sepan las respuestas las preguntas hay que hacerlas igual.

98
Giuliana: What is your surname?
Guillermo: My surname is Rodríguez.
T: Can you speak up? Porque en mi casa esto después lo voy a escuchar.
Guillermo: I have eleven years old.
Giuliana: What is your birthday?
Guillermo: My birthday is in December.
Giuliana: Er where are your city?
Guillermo: I /live/ Cipolletti, in Cipolletti.
Giuliana: Who is your best friend?
Guillermo: My best friend is Ezequiel.
Giuliana: Er who is your physical /appearance/?
Guillermo: ¿Cómo es physical /appearance/?
T: Physical appearance. Physical appearance.
Guillermo: No, no sé (unintelligible)
T: OK. Skip it.
Giuliana: Who is your personality?
Guillermo: Er your personality is er angry a veces angry.
Guillermo: What is /your/name?
Esteban: Esteban.
T: Try to give complete answers.
Guillermo: What is your surname?
Esteban: My /surname/ is García.
Guillermo: García?
Esteban: Yes, García.
Guillermo: What is your age?
Esteban: I am eleven.
Guillermo: What is your /birthday/, birthday?
Esteban: My birthday is er eleven…
Guillermo: What?
Esteban: My birthday is eleven October.
Guillermo: What are your life?
Esteban: Cipolletti.
Guillermo: (Unintelligible)
T: Interests? OK. Skip it.
Guillermo: What is your best friend?
Esteban: My best friend Axel.
Guillermo: Physical /appearance/?

99
Esteban: Appearance is small.
Guillermo: Personality?
Esteban: Personality er (pause)
T: No? OK. Skip it.
Esteban: What /your/ name?
Giuliana: My name is Giuliana.
Esteban: What surname?
Giuliana: My surname is Sánchez.
Esteban: /Can you/ repeat?
Giuliana: Sánchez.
Esteban: (Silence) How are you?
Giuliana: I’m eleven years old.
T: Just enough. Next question.
Esteban: What /birthday/?
Giuliana: My /birthday/ is in /August/.
Esteban: Er (Uninteligible)
Giuliana: My city is Cipolletti.
Esteban: (silence) er what best friend?
Giuliana: (unintelligible)
T: Can you repeat?
Esteban: Can you repeat?
T: No, no. You. Can you repeat?
Esteban: What’s best /friend/?
Giuliana: My best friend is Selena.
Esteban: Physical /appearance/?
Giuliana: She’s tall. She’s tall.
Esteban: Personality?
Giuliana: She’s happy.
T: You don’t know? OK.

Diagnostic Test 3

Florencia Gómez

Florencia: Her name is Paula. She’s ten er. She’s birthday is in April er. She best friend is Eugenia.
She physical (laughs). She has long hair er and (unintelligible) /eyes/. Personality she is happy
(long pause).

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T: What can you tell me about her family?
Florencia: Er mum she has long hair, big /eyes/, big nose and small /mouth/.

Laura Fernández

Laura: Er (laughs)
T: Come on, speak up.
Laura: Her name is Victoria. Her surname is Muñoz. She have 12 years old. Her birthday is in
January. Her city is Cipolletti. Her best friend is Laura. She physical /appearance/ is curly hair,
brown eyes and long legs. Her personality is crazy. Your family is a mum, brother, grandmother
and grandfather.

Milagros Dalton

Milagros: Er your name is Andrea. Your surname is Pérez. She is /eleven/ years old. Er your
/birthday/ is er 28 of December. Your best friend is Martina. Er your physi, er the physical
/appearance/ of Martina er she, er she is /tall/ and light er, er and /eyes/ is light blue. Er your
/personal/, your /personality/is very fun. Er Andrea have a mum er and your name is María and er a
dad and your name is Antonio. And a brother and your name is Salvador.

Giuliana Sánchez

Giuliana: His name is Guillermo. His surname is Rodríguez Conti. He’s eleven years old. His
/birthday/ is in December. His city is in, is Cipolletti. His /best/, best friend is Ezequiel. The
/personality/ of Ezequiel is /hungry/.

Francisco Romero

Francisco: (laughs) He’s Álvaro and his Surname is Pinilla. Her birthday is in 10 December. Er her
best friend is Adriano. Her physical /appearance/ er blue /shirt/ and black shoes. The personality is
funny and that’s it.

Andrea Pérez

Andrea: (laughs) her name is Milagros. Er her name is, surname (laughs) is Dal, Dalton, Dalton?
(laughs) Er ay, me olvidé cómo se decía.
T: Relax.

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Andrea: Er she have, me olvidé cómo se decía.
T: OK. Continue.
Andrea: She has got, she has got? Bueno (laughs). Her birthday is er 11 August (laughs). Er
/interest/, cómo digo eso? Tae kwon, tae kwon do? Her best friend is er Juanita, Juanita (laughs),
Juanita (laughs). Er physical /appearance/ er it’s small, it’s beautiful (laughs) (unintelligible).
/Personality/ is good and happy. Oh, (unintelligible). Er grandma er your name Verónica, dad
Marcelo and er Lisandro, Lisandro se llama? The brother. (unintelligible).

Victoria Muñoz

Victoria: Her name is Laura. Her surname is Fernández. She is eleven years old. She is, she is
/birthday/ is 7 October. She’s /best/ friend is Victoria. She’s perso, personality is happy. Er she is
/family/ is mum and dad.

Luciana López

Luciana: Her name is Julieta. Her surname is Espinoza. She is 11 years old. Her /birthday/ is in 19
October. Er her /best/ friend is Maia. She have er a dad isn’t crazy.

Julieta Espinoza

Julieta: Her name is Luciana er and her surname is López. She is 11. Er her /birthday/ is 18 er
/July/, /July/ (laughs). Er, the er, /interests/, volleyball, volleyball, volleyball and swimming. Er her
best /friend/ is Julieta. Er (pause) the physical /appearance/ er (long pause) no me acuerdo. Ah, the
physical /appearance/ er is tall and don’t have er the personality, personality is crazy and
responsibility. Er her, her, her mum, her mum is er how, er /38/.

Guillermo Rodríguez Conti

Guillermo: His name is Esteban. His surname is García. Her 11 years old. Her /birthday/ is 11 on
October. The, his life in Cipolletti. The best friend is Axel. The physical /appearance/ is small.

Paula Gutiérrez

Paula: Her name, her name ay is Florencia. Her surname is Gómez. She has, she have 10 years old.
Her /birthday/ is in March and her best /friend/ is Suyai.

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Oral Presentation about Animals

Luciana, Victoria and Laura

Luciana: Er the physical /appearance/ is, they have fins, don’t have scales and the 7 (unintelligible)
feet long. Country it is the /all the world/. The habitat it is the /ocean/. Er it is /carnivore/ and the
class is fish.
T: Sorry, wait a second. Any questions for Luciana? Why do you like sharks?
Luciana: (laughs) er why the dolphin I don’t represent me.
T: But why sharks? What’s special about sharks?
Luciana: It is /carnivore/?
T: Carnivore? What else? Francisco?
Victoria: Ah, no le iba a decir (unintelligible)
T: Ah, very good Spanish. Julieta? No? No more questions? Sorry, you can continue.
Victoria: The dolphin physical appearance is 10 (unintelligible) long and big nose. The country is
all the /world/. The /habitat/ is Ocean er the food is carnivore/ and the class is mammal.
T: OK. Why dolphins? Why do you like dolphins? Why? I love owls because they are cute, they
have big eyes and they can fly and they are funny. Why do you like dolphins?
Victoria: Because (unintelligible)
T: Why do you like them?
Victoria: Beautiful.
T: Are they beautiful? Yes? OK. Questions? Can dolphins fly? No, what can dolphins do? What
can they do?
Victoria: They swim.
T: Good. They can swim. Ready? Perfect, Lau.
Laura: (Unintelligible) the physical appearance is (unintelligible) centimetres long. The country is
(unintelligible). The habitat is the ocean. It is carnivore and it (unintelligible).
T: So where does the fish live? Where does it live?
Laura: In the ocean.
T: Good. Is it a big fish or a small fish?
Laura: It’s small fish.
T: OK. What colour is it?
Laura: (Unintelligible) orange and white.
T: Good. Questions? About the fish? Do you like fish? Why?
Laura: It is small.
T: OK. Good. Any questions? No? Thank you girls. You can sit.

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Giuliana, Esteban and Francisco

Giuliana: This is the Blue Jay. Your physical appearance is intelligent, noisy and the Blue Jay say
“jay, jay”. Your country or continent is Atlantic Ocean. Your /habitat/ is /North/ America. Your
food is /acorn/, /nuts/ and seeds. Your class is a /bird/.
T: Questions for the Blue Jay? Yes? Andrea?
Andrea: Is the big or /small/?
Victoria: Es azul? Ah (laughs)
Giuliana: The Blue Jay is /small/.
T: Good. Yes?
Paula: Why do you like it?
Giuliana: Because the Blue Jay can fly.
T: What colour is the Blue Jay?
Giuliana: Blue.
T: Ah, blue. You said it. Good. Anything else? More questions? Has it got scales?
Giuliana: No, it hasn’t.
T: No, what has it got?
Giuliana: Er the Blue Jay have a wings, a wings, a beak and /feathers/.
T: And feathers. OK. Excellent. Who’s next? Esteban? You go? OK.
Esteban: It is a /sloth/ and /country/ or continent /South/ America. Habitat tropical /forests/,
/forests/ and /classification/ er mammal. The physical /appearance/ is small, big nose and
(unintelligible). Food fruits.
T: OK. Can you say that in a sentence? It’s a sloth. It lives in North America. What does the sloth
eat? What does it eat?
Esteban: Eat er
T: What does it eat?
Esteban: Eats er eats fruits.
T: OK. Can you describe the sloth? It is…
Esteban: The sloth it is small.
T: OK. It has got…
Esteban: It has got /eyes/ /small/ and big nose and (unintelligible), big /tails/.
T: OK. Questions for the sloth. Lau.
Francisco: Is big or small?
Esteban: Eh?
T: Can you repeat?
Francisco: It is big or small?
Esteban: It is the sloth is small.

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Victoria: Is it the scales?
Esteban: Is it scales? It is not.
T: Can it swim?
Esteban: Swim? No, I can’t.
Andrea: Can fly?
Esteban: No, I can’t.
Andrea: Estoy pensando en algún otra pregunta (laughs).
T: Are sloths dangerous?
Esteban: Dangerous?
T: What do you think? Are they dangerous? Dangerous like lions or sharks. Are they dangerous?
Francisco: Si es uno de esos?
T: No Spanish. Are they dangerous? What is dangerous? What is dangerous? What is dangerous?
Paula: Peligroso.
T: OK. Are sloths dangerous?
Esteban: No.
T: OK. One more question. No? OK. Who’s next? Francisco. You’re next.
Francisco: The name of the owl is (unintelligible). The physical appearance is big eyes and the
/fur/ er are brown. The country or continent is /North/ America and the /habitat/ is forest. The food
is /carnivore/ and the class is bird.
T: OK. It is a bird. What does it eat?
Francisco: Meat.
T: OK. It eats meat. Questions? For the owl? Questions for the owl?
Paula: What’s the classification?
Francisco: It’s bird.
T: Lau?
Laura: Why do you like?
Francisco: Because (pause)
T: OK. I don’t know. You like owls. They are awesome.
Francisco: Because for eyes.
T: Ah, for the eyes.
Giuliana: They can swimming?
Laura: No, they can’t.
Álvaro: Name is Lion. Physical /appearance/ is big /teeth/ and long /tail/. Country is Africa.
/Habitat/ is desert and grasslands. Er food is /carnivore/, /carnivore/ (unintelligible)
T: Mammal. OK. Again. Try to say things in a sentence. Describe. It is a mammal. It is a carnivore.
It eats meat. It lives in the desert. Are lions friendly? Are they friendly?
Whole class: No.

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T: Are they dangerous?
Whole class: Yes.
T: OK. Questions? For the lion?
Milagros: Miss, yo tengo una pero no sé cómo se diría en inglés.
T: OK. Try to say it.
Milagros: Hasta qué velocidad puede correr.
T: How fast can the lion run? No idea?
Álvaro: No.
T: Are they fast?
Álvaro: Yes!
T: They are fast.
Paula: Why do you like it?
Álvaro: Er (long pause) it’s (unintelligible).
T: Come on. Try. Because it is…
Álvaro: Big.
T: Good. Any other questions?
Victoria: Is fur?
T: Has it got fur?
Álvaro: Yes.
T: What colour is the fur?
Álvaro: Colour is brown.

Paula, Andrea and Guillermo

Paula: The frog. The frog is insect er your physical appearance er is orange, green and blue. It have
big /eyes/ er. It /lives/ in Central America, Mexico er. Your /habitat/ forest. /Classification/ er
amphibian.
T: What can the frog do? What can it do?
Paula: Er it can jump and swim.
T: Very good. Laura.
Laura: Why do you like the frog?
Paula: Yes er I like because/ it’s cute.
Francisco: She can climb very fast?
Paula: Climb? Climb. No, it can’ts.
T: Can you repeat, Mili?
Milagros: Can swim?

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Paula: Yes, it’s can.
Giuliana: They have a teeth?
Paula: I don’t know. Yes.
T: Sorry, is that specific frog dangerous? Is it dangerous?
Paula: No.
T: Sorry, but what about you? Do you like frogs?
Paula: No.
Francisco: So-So. Yo las aprendí a querer.
T: I’m scared of frogs.
Guillermo: The /nile crocodile/. The physical appearance he have got a long tail and long mouth.
He have got scales and he has got legs, short legs. The country or continent he /lives/ in Africa. The
habitat, her habitat is fresh /water/ er food he er, he can eat insects and small fish and the
classification he has a /reptile/.
T: Questions for the crocodile? The nile crocodile? Francisco?
Francisco: Er what she eat?
Guillermo: Insects and small fish.
Francisco: Ah, OK.
T: Giuli?
Giuliana: They have a /pouch/?
Guillermo: What?
Giuliana: They have a /pouch/?
T: A pouch.
Guillermo: Pouch?
Giuliana: Pouch.
T: Have they got a pouch?
Guillermo: No, no they haven’t.
Francisco: They have big teeth?
Guillermo: Yes, they have.
T: Sorry, are they dangerous?
Guillermo: It’s very dangerous.
Victoria: Have they got a feather?
Guillermo: Feathers?
T: Have they got feathers?
Francisco: Ah, er alas.
T: Feathers.
Guillermo: (unintelligible)
T: What are feathers? No. OK. Thank you. Lou, you go next. Let’s hear about your animal.

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Andrea: Pará, pará. Dejame pensar (laughs). Er her name is ladybug. Er physical /appearance/,
/appearance/ (laughs) er it’s red and black body er six short legs. It’s small and beautiful (laughs).
Er country or continent every, /everywhere/ except /poles/, /poles/, ay cómo se decía.
T: Poles.
Andrea: Food (unintelligible) no sé qué dice ahí.
T: OK.
Andrea: And all plants eating (unintelligible) er. /Habitat/ grass, /grasslands/ (laughs), forest,
cities, cities er.
T: Suburbs.
Andrea: /Suburbs/ and (unintelligible). /Classification/, /classification/ (laughs) er it’s insect.
T: It’s an insect. Questions for the ladybug?
Francisco: Er they can fly?
Andrea: Yes (laughs).
T: OK. Second.
Francisco: Yo sabía.
T: Vicky?
Victoria: Is the big or small?
Andrea: Is the small (laughs).
Milagros: How do you say er “guarda”?
T: Keeps?
Milagros: Who is your (unintelligible)?
Andrea: (laughs)
T: What is that question? Cómo? No.
Milagros: No, dónde.
T: Ah, where. Do you know? Maybe she doesn’t know. Por ahí no lo sabe. Where does it keep the
wings?
Milagros: (laughs).
T: Do you know? Mili?
Milagros: Er yo sabía que las guardaba abajo de su caparazón.
T: Under, under the shell. OK. Mili? Can you repeat?
Laura: What eat?
T: What does it eat?
Andrea: (laughs) er.
T: Polen, I think.
Andrea: Esa palabra (laughs). Plantas, plantas.
T: Plants. I think that information is wrong. Er Giuli? OK. Last question.
Francisco: Do you like ladybugs?

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Andrea: So-so.
Giuliana: Why do you like ladybugs?
Andrea: Qué?
T: Can you repeat?
Giualiana: Why do you like ladybugs?
Andrea: Porque sí (laughs).
T: Because…
Andrea: Yes (laughs)
T: OK. Lau?
Laura: They have teeth? Do they have teeth?
Andrea: (Unintelligible)
T: Very good Spanish.
Andrea: (Laughs).
T: Can you repeat?
Andrea: I don’t know.
T: You don’t know. OK. Vicky? Last question.
Victoria: Have you got a wings?
Andrea: Wings? (laughs) hace las señales.
T: Yes, they have.
Andrea: Yes, yes. Es que me confundo.

Julieta, Milagros and Florencia

Julieta: Panda. Your name is, your name /scientific/.

T: Scientific name.
Julieta: Is (unintelligible) (laughs) er your physical /appearance/ is round and white teeth, black
and white an fur. Er she, er he /live/ in China and continent Asia. Your habitat is mountain er he eat
bamboo, bamboo shoots leaves, fish and small animals. Your class is mammals.
T: OK. Very good.
Victoria: Have you got a fur?
Julieta: Yes.
T: It has fur. Good. Francisco?
Francisco: Do you like pandas?
Julieta: Yes.
Luciana: he is (unintelligible) the it is the extinción?
T: Extinct? Is it endangered?
Julieta: Er yes.

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T: Yes? Lau?
Laura: Why do you like pandas?
Julieta: Er because er (pause) (laughs) er your (unintelligible).
T: You like, I like the colour. OK. Good. Any other questions? No? OK. April, you continue.
Florencia: (laughs) it name is /kangaroo/ er (laughs).
T: Where does it live?
Florencia: Er it /live/ /Australia/.
T: Australia.
Florencia: The country no (laughs) er.
T: Continent is?
Florencia: /Oceania/
T: Oceania.
Florencia: The physical /appearance/ four legs, a long, long /tail/ and small /front/ legs er the
habitat is grass, grassland. And food it (unintelligible).
T: Sorry, what food does it eat? What food?
Florencia: /Grass/.
T: Grass. It eats grass. Good. Questions?
Florencia: And class mammal.
T: Good. Sorry. Vicky?
Victoria: Have you got a /pouch/?
Florencia: Er yes.
T: Lau?
Laura: They have /scales/?
T: Scales?
Florencia: No, it have.
Francisco: They have jump very tall?
T: High? Can they jump high?
Florencia: Yes.
T: Andre?
Andrea: Do you like this animal?
Florencia: Yes.
T: Paula?
Paula: Why do you like?
Florencia: Because it’s beautiful.
T: Has it got fur?
Florencia: Er yes. Yes (laughs).
T: Thank you. Mili. What is your animal?

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Milagros: Er my animal is the toucan. She /live/ in the er tropical er forest in Brazil, in America. Er
physical /appearance/ er she er is er she is er twenty nine er /centimetres/ er long. Er she have er
(unintelligible). No she have er big er wings er small /eyes/ er and a beak. Er he, she er eat er eggs,
er parrots, er how do you say? Er fruits and /lizards/ and your class is the bird.
T: It’s a bird. Questions? Francisco.
Francisco: Er they can fly?
Milagros: Yes!
Victoria: Have you got a fins?
Milagros: /What’s/?
Victoria: Have you got a fins?
Milagros: Feets?
Victoria: Fins.
T: Fins. Has it got fins?
Milagros: Fins? Ah, no. No, no.
Laura: Do you like a toucan?
Milagros: So-so.
Paula: Why you like?
Milagros: I don’t know er I like er your er when is small.
T: Guille?
Guillermo: You like this animal?
Milagros: O sea so-so.
T: Any other questions? Sorry, where does the toucan live? Can you repeat? Ah, no you said it in
America…
Milagros: Yes.
T: Does it live in Argentina?
Milagros: Er, yes! En pocas partes, pero sí.
T: Where? Maybe in the north of Argentina. Yes, Francisco?
Francisco: What /colour/ is the toucan?
Milagros: Black, white er green and orange.
T: And Victoria. Last question.
Victoria: Have you got a /teeth/?
T: Can you repeat?
Victoria: Have you got a /teeth/?
Milagros: Teeth? No.
T: OK. Last question. Luciana?
Luciana: Er the beak is long or short?
Milagros: Beak? Er is long.

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T: OK. Juli, last question.
Julieta: have you got a /fur/?
Milagros: /What’s/?
T: Can you repeat?
Julieta: /fur/ er cómo era? (laughs)
T: Has it got fur? And Andrea. Last question. No more questions.
Andrea: No paro de reírme porque la miss decía “the last question”.
T: Last question, last question. OK. Ready? Yes?

Retelling of the Fable the Country Mouse and the Town Mouse

Giuliana

Giuliana: The, the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. The Town Mouse is go to visit your
/cousin/ the Country Mouse in the country. The country is quiet, simple and the house of the
Country Mouse is /small/. The Town Mouse don’t like the country and he, and his go back and the
country, the city. The, the Country Mouse is go visit your /cousin/ the Town Mouse in the city. The
house of the, of the Town Mouse is very /big/. He’s scary in the city. Then he’s in, he’s in dinner.
They are dinner, but then the cat is attack the mice. And the Country Mouse is very /scared/ and,
and they are run. Then, then the Country Mouse is go back the country but is very /scare/.
T: Ready? What is the moral of the story? Do you remember? What can you learn from the story?
What you can learn from the story. No? Did you like the story?
Giuliana: Yes.
T: Why?
Giuliana: Because is the, is in the (unintelligible).

Victoria

Victoria: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. The Town Mouse visit his /cousin/, doesn’t
like country /because/ is noisy and simple. The Country Mouse (pause) the Country Mouse (pause).
T: OK. He doesn’t like the city. And what about the Town Mouse?
Victoria: Er the Town Mouse (pause) er
T: Country Mouse goes to the city and then the City Mouse, sorry Town Mouse.
Victoria: The Country Mouse doesn’t, doesn’t er Town Mouse.
T: Do you remember something about the city house? The house. What’s it like?
Victoria: Er because/
T: Is it big? Small? What animals live in the house?

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Victoria: Er /mice/ er.
T: What is the moral of the story?
Victoria: /Respect/ er
T: To respect.
Victoria: The people er the (unintelligible).
T: Preferences. Good. To respect people. Did you like the fable?
Victoria: Yes.
T: Why?
Victoria: Er is /because/ the mice (unintelligible).
T: OK. And do you prefer the city or the country?
Victoria: The city.
T: Why the city?
Victoria: /Because/ er.
T: Because it’s big, noisy, there’re people.
Victoria: Noisy.
T: Because it’s noisy. Good.

Florencia

Florencia: The Town Mouse er visit er (pause) /cousin/ (pause) er.

T: Where does his cousin live? In the country or in the town? Or in the city?
Florencia: In the (pause). In the country?
T: Country Mouse goes to the city and he visits his cousin. Good. What else? Then the Town
Mouse… Where does he go? He goes to the country.
Florencia: (Laughs)
T: Come on. You must remember something. Algo se tienen que acordar. Does Town Mouse like
the country?
Florencia: No.
T: Why not?
Florencia: Er because (pause)
T: What’s the problem with the country? The country is…
Florencia: Is noisy.
T: No, it’s not noisy. The opposite.
Florencia: Small?
T: OK. Good.
Florencia: Er (pause).

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T: Who is your favourite character in the story? Your favourite mouse. Country Mouse or Town
Mouse?
Florencia: Town Mouse.
T: Why do you like Town Mouse?
Florencia: (Pause) er because in (pause) er is living in the (pause) in the town.
T: Good. And do you like people, shops, noisy, noise?
Florencia: Yes.
T: OK. Good.

Guillermo

Guillermo: The Town Mouse visit the Country Mouse. He doesn’t like country because he’s, he’s
not big and (pause) big. (Pause) er.
T: Don’t worry. Continue.
Guillermo: (Pause).
T: What about the? The Town Mouse visits the Country Mouse and then the Country Mouse.
Guillermo: Ah, visit the Town Mouse. Er (pause).
T: He goes to the…
Guillermo: He goes to the /city/ and (unintelligible).
T: You know the story.
Guillermo: The, the, the grandma and cat he is running for catching the mouse and (pause) he er
(unintelligible).
T: Does he like the town?
Guillermo: Er
T: Country Mouse. The Country Mouse. Does he like the town?
Guillermo: The Town?
T: The city. Does he like the city?
Guillermo: Yes.
T: Are you sure?
Guillermo: Yes.
T: OK. What is the moral of the story? What do you learn from the story?
Guillermo: /Accept/ for opinions in the (pause) the more people.
T: Do you like the story?
Guillermo: Yes.
T: What’s your favourite character? Your favourite mouse?
Guillermo: I no have a favourite/ (unintelligible).
T: The two mice. Do you prefer the city or the country?

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Guillermo: The city.
T: Why?
Guillermo: I am acostumbra
T: Used to. I’m used to.
Guillermo: Er he can have in the city.

Laura

Laura: The Town Mouse in the country, er /cousin/. Er he don’t like because/ is small and
(unintelligible). (Unintelligible) the Country Mouse (unintelligible) Town Mouse and he don’t like
er /because/ is /scare/ and (unintelligible). Er /next/ the maid and the cat at the (pause).
T: They attack the mice.
Laura: The (unintelligible)
T: What is the moral of the story? What do you learn with the story? What’s the moral?
Laura: The people and the (unintelligible)
T: Did you like the story?
Laura: Yes.
T: What did you like about the story?
Laura: Er (pause).
T: The mice, the story, the moral.
Laura: The moral.
T: OK. Good.

Milagros

Milagros: Er the Country and the Town Mouse. Er the, the Country Mouse er /live/ in the country
and the Town Mouse /live/ in the city. Sorry, no is the city is the Town Mouse (laughs). The Town
Mouse visit er your cousin in the er how do you say? In the country and don’t like it for is simple
and small. Then the Country Mouse and the Town Mouse go to the city. Er in the city er in the
house of Town, of Towm Mouse er the Country Mouse er how do you er cómo sería er me quedé
medio trabada así que. Er and er she er how do you say encuentra.
T: Finds?
Milagros: Finds er one er woman and a cat and the Country Mouse and er and the City er. The
Country Mouse and Town Mouse er run. The City er the Country Mouse like, don’t like er the city
for is scary and er (unintelligible) (laughs). Then er the Town Mouse er the Country Mouse go out
the country.
T: OK. Good. Did you like the story?

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Milagros: No, I don’t like it.
T: Why not?
Milagros: For is the moral.
T: You don’t like the moral.
Milagros: No, I don’t like it.
T: Good.
Paula
Paula: The Town Mouse visits his /cousin/ the Country Mouse. The Town Mouse doesn’t like a
country because is scary (unintelligible) is small and simple. The (pause) the next /weekend/ the
Country Mouse visits the Town Mouse, visits him. The Country Mouse doesn’t like a city because
is scary and /noisy/. Er, er the mice are er /attacked/, /attacked/ by the cats and the maid, maid,
maid/. In the end er the Country Mouse er prefers the country and Town Mouse prefers the town.
T: Good. Did you like the story?
Paula: Yes.
T: Why?
Paula: Why because the moral.
T: And what is the moral of the story?
Paula: Er respecting the /other/ people, /other/ opinions.
T: Excellent.

Esteban

T: OK, Esteban. What do you remember about the story?

Esteban: (Unintelligible).
T: What do you remember about the story? De qué te acordás?
Esteban: De qué me acuerdo?
T: Yes, about the Country Mouse, the Town Mouse. What do you remember?
Esteban: The /Town/ Mouse visit a /cousin/ Country Mouse and the Town Mouse is go the
shopping and is /cousin/ the Town Mouse it’s very big. And the Country Mouse and the Town
Mouse /eat/ and the woman and cat it’s attack and the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse escape
is Country Mouse /scared/.
T: Scared.
Esteban: Is go and you /home/.
T: Good. Did you like the story?
Esteban: Yes.
T: Why?
Esteban: Er /because/ is interest the town.

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T: Interesting?
Esteban: Interesting and the (pause) er (unintelligible).
T: Sorry, can you repeat?
Esteban: Gracioso.
T: It’s funny. OK.
Luciana
Luciana: The Town Mouse visits the /cousin/ in the Country Mouse, in the country. And the
Freddy er /live/, live in the town Mouse and doesn’t like the country because it is small and simple.
Then (pause) (unintelligible).
T: Tell me what you remember.
Luciana: Bueno, the Country Mouse go to the Town Mouse, the town. The visit the /cousin/ and
doesn’t like the town because is noisy and is danger for the country Mouse.
T: OK. Thank you. Did you like the story?
Luciana: So-so.
T: Why?
Luciana: No, it is interes, /interesting/.
T: Do you remember the moral of the story?
Luciana: Yes.
T: What’s the moral?
Luciana: Er the /respect/
T: Respect.
Luciana: the other opinions and likes the er.

Andrea

T: Er Andrea, can you tell me the story? The Town Mouse, the Country Mouse?
Andrea: (Unintelligible).
T: I ask you questions. Don’t worry. What are the characters? Who are the characters? Who?
Quiénes son?
Andrea: Er Town Mouse and the Country.
T: Good. Are they friends?
Andrea: So-so.
T: OK. Can you explain what happens in the story. Lo que te acuerdes. What you remember.
Andrea: Miss (unintelligible).
T: No, come on. You can remember the story.
Andrea: Er (mutters in Spanish).
T: Please, no Spanish.

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Andrea: The Town Mouse (laughs).
T: Yes.
Andrea: Er visits er /cousin/. No me miren (laughs) (pause).
T: He visits his cousin. Where does the cousin live? The cousin. Where does he live?
Andrea: (Laughs)
T: In the city or in the country?
Andrea: In the country?
T: OK.
Andrea: Er (laughs). Miss, pará, pará.
T: Does?
Andrea: Ah, the Town Mouse don’t like er the country because it’s small and (pause) (laughs) and
simpler algo así.
T: Simple. No Spanish, please.
Andrea: Er no me acuerdo qué más va.
T: OK. Then? The Country Mouse visits Town Mouse. He goes to the city. Does he like the city?
Andrea: No.
T: OK. Why not? What’s the problem with the city?
Andrea: (Laughs) no me acuerdo cómo se dice (laughs). I don’t know.
T: I don’t remember.
Andrea: I don’t remember.
T: OK. What’s the problem? It’s.
Andrea: Big.
T: Big.
Andrea: Miss, cómo se dice que no está?
T: How do you say? Ah, no. I don’t know. I can’t help you.
Andrea: Er
T: Did you like the story? The fable?
Andrea: No (laughs).
T: No? OK. Why not?
Andrea: Ah, so-so.
T: OK. Why?
Andrea: Qué habías dicho? (laughs). Er (pause).
T: Is it boring? Is it fun? Is it short? Long?
Andrea: It’s short. Ay, no me acuerdo nada.

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Francisco

Francisco: Er
T: What you remember. Lo que te acuerdes.
Francisco: The Town Mouse have a cousin and the cousin is the Country Mouse. And the Country
Mouse visits or Town Mouse visits. Town Mouse? The Country Mouse visits the Town Mouse. Er
and he don’t like the town and the Town Mouse don’t like er the country. Er (pause).
T: Did you like the story?
Francisco: Yes, I like.
T: Why?
Francisco: Because it’s er cómo (laughs) interesante.
T: Interesting.
Francisco: /Interesting/ er.
T: That’s OK. Thank you.

Comparisons between Town and Countryside

Luciana

Luciana: There, the more people. Er and the countryside er, it is more green. Er the town er are, it
is more dangerous (laughs) and the countryside it is more green.
T: What do you prefer? The town or the countryside?
Luciana: The town.
T: Why?
Luciana: For me it is my, it more beautiful.
T: What can you find in the town? What things can you see in the town?
Luciana: Can you repeat?
T: What can you see in the town? In a town?
Luciana: Er the big
T: Can you help her?
Luciana: Buildings.
T: Building? What else?
Luciana: The cars, more cars and the plane and (pause). The town have a more internet.
T: Good. Thank you.

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Francisco

Francisco: I like the countryside because It’s a lot of stars in the dark and er. I like, I like
(unintelligible) because it’s in the town are a lot or cinemas, no er more cinemas than the
countryside. And in the countryside are er more, more trees than the town.

Guillermo

Guillermo: I like both, I like more the town because is er accostumate in town. I like cinemas and
they don’t like town because is very, very dangerous and I like the, the, the countryside because for
me is very beautiful for the stars in the dark (car noises in the background).
T: Sorry, you were saying that you like the countryside for the stars. Can you finish?
Guillermo: Countryside (unintelligible) I don’t like the countryside because (unintelligible),
because is very dark. Er and I like the town (unintelligible) wi-fi todo eso.

Esteban

T: And Esteban, can you compare the town and the countryside? Can you say the differences
between the town and the countryside?
Esteban: Er I like countryside /because/ is the town er like look the stars er (unintelligible) the
town like because/ is er (unintelligible) and (pause).
T: What things can you find in the town? What can you see in the town? What can you see in the
town?
Esteban: The car.
T: OK. Can you say complete sentences? There are a lot of cars.
Esteban: Is the (pause) the transport (pause).
T: Good. Francisco, what can you see in the countryside?
Francisco: Eh?
T: In the countryside. What can you see? What things can you see?
Francisco: Er the sheeps, the farm.
T: Complete sentences. There…
Francisco: There…
T: There are…
Francisco: There are sheeps, farms and stars.
T: Guillermo, what other things can you see in the town?
Guillermo: More, there are more people.
T: Good.

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Guillermo: More cars er (unintelligible).
T: More people and more cars. Good.
Guillermo: (Unintelligible).
T: Sorry, can you say that again?
Guillermo: (Unintelligible).
T: More technology. Good.

Florencia

Florencia: In the town er (laughs) there are er house and /building, /building/ and there are city
centre
T: Good.
Florencia: Er
T: Can you compare? Bigger than? Smaller than? More dangerous than? Describe it.
Florencia: In the town er there are car and the countryside are plant and mountain (laughs).

Andrea

Andrea: In the countryside (laughs) are more animals and more plants.
T: Excellent.
Andrea: Er (laughs) I have /mountain/, /mountain/.
T: Mountains, good.
Andrea: (Pause) cómo se decía (laughs).
T: I can’t help you.
Andrea: (Laughs).
T: What things?
Andrea: (Unintelligible) and have (unintelligible).
T: Parks.
Andrea: Yes (laughs) and (pause).
T: OK. Thank you. Questions? Francisco? You wanted to ask a question?
Andrea: No, no no.
T: No? OK.
Andrea: I like the town er because are, there are er shops.
T: Aha, good. What do you like?
Andrea: I like /buildings/.
T: Buildings? More. No, both.
Andrea: I like /boats/ (laughs).

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T: Can you repeat?
Andrea: I like /both/, /both/?
T: Why? Do you like the countryside and the town? Why?
Andrea: The town because er have more er /buildings/ and the countryside because have more
animals.
T: OK. Very good. Thank you. You can sit.

Paula

Paula: In the town are more people, more er is more dangerous. It’s more, is noisier. In the
countryside is quieter er are, there are more animals.
T: Good. There are more animals.
Paula: There are more animals. There are more trees and more plants. I like the countryside
/because/, /because/ are, is quieter and are, there are, are less people.
T: Good. What things can you see in the town?
Paula: In the town are er /plane/.
T: Planes.
Paula: Planes, motorbikes, cars and the countryside are trees, mans and animals.
T: Good. Thank you very much. You can sit.

Interview to an alien

Teacher – Laura

T: Why do you like your planet?

Laura: I like /because/ there are, er more er trees.
T: OK. Are there flying ponies in your planet?
Laura: (Laughs) no.
T: What animals are there?
Laura: Er elephants, er birds/ (pause), butterflies.
T: Nice. Can you describe butterflies? In my planet there aren’t any butterflies. Can you describe
butterflies?
Laura: Is small, er orange and black.
T: Can butterflies swim?
Laura: No.
T: What can they do?
Laura: Er fly.

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T: Can humans fly in your planet?
Laura: No.
T: What can they do?
Laura: They do er.
T: What do humans do?
Laura: Swim (pause).
T: They swim. Do they study?
Laura: Yes.
T: They study.
Laura: They (pause).
T: Well, thank you very much Lau.

Luciana – Victoria

Luciana: How many continents are there in, on the Earth?

Victoria: There are six.
Luciana: There are waterfalls?
Victoria: Yes.
Luciana: How many province has Argentina got?
Victoria: 23.
T: Can you name the provinces?
Luciana: Can you name the province?
Victoria: Córdoba, San Luis, Chubut, Tierra del Fuego, Formosa, San Juan.
Luciana: Are there lake in the /Earth/?
Victoria: Yes.
T: Can you name?
Luciana: Can you name six lakes?
Victoria: (Pause) (laughs)
Luciana: Two, two.
Victoria: Er Lake Nilo?
T: Lake Nile? Nile is not a lake. It’s a river.
Victoria: Ah, er.
T: From this place.
Victoria: Lake er Pellegrini and Lago Marimenuco.
T: Good.
Luciana: Do /meteorite/ fall on the /Earth/?
Victoria: (Pause) no (laughs) no.

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Luciana: Er are there chick fish on the /Earth/?
Victoria: (Laughs) no.
Luciana: (Laughs) what animal are there?
Victoria: Er dog, cat, /bird/.
T: Can you give complete
Victoria: Butterfly
T: sentences? There are.
Victoria: Ah, there are butterflies, /birds/, cats, dogs.
T: A lot of animals. OK.

Francisco and Andrea

Francisco: Hello, I am an /alien/. The Mars live in the world?

Andrea: Es una pregunta? (laughs)
T: Can you repeat?
Andrea: (Laughs) can you repeat?
Francisco: The Mars live in the world?
T: Martians?
Francisco: Martians.
T: Aliens. Do aliens live on your planet?
Andrea: No entendí la pregunta.
T: Do aliens live on your planet?
Andrea: No (laughs).
T: OK. Sorry, continue.
Francisco: In your planet are /monkeys/, /monkeys/?
Andrea: Yes (laughs).
Francisco: Er what’s the Earth like?
T: What’s your planet? She’s an alien. What’s your planet like? Ah, no you are a human. What’s
the Earth like?
Andrea: (laughs).
T: Sorry, sorry. My mistake.
Andrea: O sea, cómo es mi planeta?
T: What’s the Earth like?
Andrea: Ah, er it’s beauti, beautiful (laughs) ay no me sale (laughs) er (pause) it’s big er (pause). I
don’t know. I don’t know (laughs).
T: Continue.
Francisco: In your planet have /meteo/ how

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T: Meteorites?
Francisco: Meteorites?
Andrea: Cómo?
T: Meteorites in your planet?
Andrea: Er miss cómo dice que
T: No, no. Very good Spanish!
Andrea: (Laughs)
T: I’m a reporter. Yo acá soy entrevistador.
Andrea: Er
T: I’m the journalist. Soy periodista.
Andrea: (Laughs) er ay me olvidé miss cómo se respondía (laughs).
T: Yes or no? Are there meteorites on planet Earth?
Andrea: Es que tenia (laughs) er I don’t know (laughs).
Francisco: Er the humans live in the moon?
Andrea: No (laughs), no.
T: Where do humans live?
Andrea: Que rara pregunta.
T: Where do humans live?
Andrea: In the, in the /Earth/ (laughs).
Francisco: /Austronauts/. In your planet are /techno/, /tech/ ay.
T: Technology?
Francisco: Technology?
Andrea: Yes, yes, yes.
T: What technology?
Andrea: Qué?
T: What technology?
Andrea: Miss cómo se decía “por ejemplo”? (laughs).
T: For example.
Fracisco: For example.
Andrea: The phone (laughs) er the
Francisco: Apple (laughs).
Andrea: (Laughs) the er, the TV (laughs).
T: Good. Come on. You have to talk.
Andrea: (laughs) the com, com.
T: Computer?
Andrea: Computer (laughs) er qué más? Qué más respondo? (laughs).
T: That’s it? OK. Thank you.

125
Guillermo, Esteban and Paula

Guillermo: The /Earth/ what’s countries are /there/? The /Earth/ what’s countries are /there/?
Esteban: Are there?
T: Aha, what countries? On your planet.
Esteban: (Unintelligible) house.
T: House? What are countries? Argentina, Chile.
Esteban: Ah, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela.
T: Paula? What countries? .
Paula: Er (pause).
T: Do you remember other countries?
Paula: Estados
T: USA.
Paula: USA, er /Italy/, Italy, Francia.
T: France.
Paula: France.
T: Good, Guille? Next question.
Guillermo: There are er how, how many province in Argentina?
Paula: /23/ province. There are /23/ province.
T: Good.
Guillermo: Can I speak?
T: Aha, continue.
Guillermo: What’s the /Earth/ like?
Esteban: What the /Earth/ like? In the (unintelligible) in the wa, waterfalls er /oceans/.
T: Oceans.
Esteban: /Mountains/ and the womans.
T: There are.
Esteban: There are womans.
T: OK. Good.
Guillermo: What the /Earth/ like?
Paula: The /Earth/ like er it’s, is big, is, it’s big, is beautiful er. There are a lot of animals. It’s
beautiful.
T: Good. Next question.
Guillermo: Do /meteorites/ /fall/ in the /Earth/?
T: Earth?
Guillermo: The /Earth/?

126
Paula: No. No (laughs).
T: Do meteorites fall on Earth?
Esteban: Er (unintelligible).
T: Yes or no? He wants to know because he’s not from your planet.
Esteban: (Pause).
T: OK. Don’t worry. Next question.
Guillermo: Er what is the /Earth/, what’s (unintelligible).
T: Sorry. What’s your question?
Guillermo: Miss, no sé si lo escribí bien. The /Earth/ like.
T: I don’t know. What the Earth? What’s the question? It’s not clear. OK. Don’t worry. Anything
else you want to know? Algo más que quieras saber? No? OK. Thank you, Guille.

Laura – Teacher

Laura: There are animals in your planet?

T: Yes, there are a lot of animals. There are domestic animals. For example cats, dogs, birds,
hamsters, rabbits and there are wild animals like lions, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, meerkats, owls.
Well, there are a lot of animals and all the animals are beautiful.
Laura: Er there are humans in your planet?
T: Of course! Our planet is full of humans! Some humans are good and other humans are bad. Yes,
there are a lot of humans. Billions, billions of humans.
Laura: Er how many province in Argentina?
T: Good question. I don’t remember. I’m going to ask another person from my planet. Luciana,
how many provinces are in Argentina?
Luciana: Er
T: Can you help me? I don’t remember.
Luciana: 23.
T: 23. Can you help me name the provinces?
Luciana: Er Tierra del Fuego, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Río Negro, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa,
Buenos Aires, Córdoba, San Luis, San Juan, Formosa, Corrientes, Jujuy, Salta, Chaco y La Rioja.
T: Good. Very good memory. Any other question?
Laura: There are volcanoes in your planet?
T: Yes, there are volcanoes. There is one volcano in Argentina, er in Neuquén called Lanín. It’s a
very beautiful volcano and then there are other volcanoes in Chile. Also in Europe, in Italy. There
is one volcano called Etna. Yes, there are many volcanoes and some volcanoes are active and they
erupt. Anything else? That’s it? Good. Thank you.

127
Victoria – Luciana

Victoria: What is the biggest continent?

Luciana: Can you repeat?
Victoria: What is the biggest continent?
Luciana: It’s the Asia?
T: You are the human. She’s an alien. She has no idea.
Victoria: Asia.
T: There are /unicorns/ in the Argentina?
Luciana: No, there are. No, there aren’t.
Victoria: There are /zebras/ in Argentina?
Luciana: Yes, there are.
Victoria: How many ocean in /Earth/?
Luciana: Are there five ocean.
Victoria: What is the biggest country?
Luciana: Is country er the fe la Federación Rusa.
Victoria: There are /aliens/ in the country?
Luciana: No, are there, aren’t.
T: Thank you.

Andrea – Francisco
Andrea: What’s the /Earth/, /Earth/ like? (laughs)
Francisco: Er the Earth like it’s (pause) big er ay cómo era, are big. No sé.
T: Can you describe the planet?
Francisco: Er it’s a lot of people and have er more technology and it’s beautiful.
Andrea: Your planet have /monkeys/? (laughs).
Francisco: Yes, are /monkeys/ in my planet.
Andrea: How many countries have your planet?
Francisco: 23 creo que eran.
T: Can you repeat? Countries!
Francisco: Ah, a lot of province.
Andrea: What colour is your planet? (laughs)
Francisco: It’s white, green and blue.
Andrea: Ah, er miss how do you say?
T: Satellite?
Andrea: Satellite (laughs) your planet have a satellite natural?
T: Natural satellite?

128
Francisco: Yes, ah yes, yes. Ah, no.
T: Yes! But what satellite? The…
Francisco: Ah, the. I don’t…
T: Humans? Can you help him?
Paula: The Moon.
T: Thank you. The moon. Good. Questions? OK.

Paula , Guillermo and Francisco

Paula: In your planet, the cats fly?

Guillermo: No, can’t. No, they cats fly.
T: What do cats do? What do they do? What can they do?
Guillermo: /Walk/ (pause).
T: Good. Esteban?
Francisco: What animal are the /Earth/?
Guillermo: Er
T: Animals.
Guillermo: Geography er lions, cats, er.
Paula: What the /Earth/ like?
Guillermo: Nothing (laughs).
T: What’s the Earth like?
Guillermo: The technology. Er she’s beautiful.
T: Aha, one more.
Francisco: The /Earth/ are the mountain?
Guillermo: What?
Francisco: The /Earth/ are the mountain?
Guillermo: Er have mountain? Yes, there have mountain.
T: Can you name some mountains?
Guillermo: No. Thank you (laughs). Er Cordillera.
T: Good. The Mountain Ranges. The Andes. And? Mount Everest?
Guillermo: Ah, Mount Everest.
T: OK. Good. Thank you.

Giuliana – Álvaro

Giuliana: Why does the /Earth/ have oceans?

T: Tell her. Sorry, I don’t know. I don’t know.

129
Giuliana: Do cats live on the /Earth/?
Álvaro: No
T: Can you repeat, Giuli?
Giuliana: Do cats live on the /Earth/?
T: On your planet.
Álvaro: Yes, yes I can.
Giuliana: Er are the intelligent live on the /Earth/?
T: Intelligent people?
Álvaro: Er yes.
Giuliana: Why are animals on /Earth/?
Álvaro: Er
T: Horrible questions!
(Everybody laughs)
T: Why are animals on Earth? Why?
Álvaro: Cat, dog.
T: But why? Because
Álvaro: (Pause).
T: I don’t know.
Álvaro: I don’t know.
Giuliana: Why does the /Earth/ have day and night?
T: Day and night. Why?
Álvaro: Can you repeat?
Giuliana: Why does the /Earth/ have day and night?
Álvaro: (Pause) no lo sé.
T: OK. Tell her. I don’t know.
Álvaro: I don’t (unintelligible).
T: I don’t know.
Giuliana: Are the superheroes on /Earth/?
Álvaro: I don’t know.
T: OK. Now can you ask her some questions?
Álvaro: Can you fly in your planet?
Giuliana: Er the /bird/, yes. The humans, no.
Álvaro: What /sport/ have you got in your planet?
Giuliana: Er volleyball, er football and (pause) and basket.
Álvaro: What do you, do you in the day?
Giuliana: Can you repeat?
Álvaro: Er what do you do (unintelligible)

130
T: What do you do
Álvaro: What do you (unintelligible) in the day?
T: During the day. What do you do?
Giuliana: I go to the school, go to the school. I, I play a video games. I, I’m watching TV.
Álvaro: In your, is your planet big?
Giuliana: Yes is very big.
T: One more and that’s it.
Álvaro: Is it /cold/ or hot?
Giuliana: Can you repeat?
Álvaro: Is it /cold/ or hot?
Giuliana: Er it’s cold and hot.

Julieta – Florencia

Julieta: There are fish in the /Earth/?

Florencia: What? (laughs) qué dijo?
Julieta: There are fish in the /Earth/?
Florencia: Er no.
T: In your planet. You’re a human.
Florencia: Ah, yes (laughs). Yes, there are.
Julieta: Are there waterfalls in the /Earth/?
Florencia: What?
T: Can you repeat?
Florencia: Can you repeat?
Julieta: Are there waterfall in the /Earth/?
Florencia: Yes, (laughs) yes.
Julieta: Are there elephants in the /Earth/?
Florencia: Elephants? Er yes, it is.
T: OK. Now, can you ask her the questions?
Florencia: (Laughs) what’s the /Earth/ (laughs) like?
Julieta: What?
Florencia: What’s the /Earth/ like?
T: What’s the Earth like?
Julieta: (Pause)
T: Can you describe your planet? Can you repeat the question?
Florencia: What’s the Earth like?
T: Can you describe your planet? Planet Earth?

131
Julieta: Er (laughs) er bueno, it is big er (pause) er in the /Earth/ er, in the /Earth/ there are er
(pause) er in the /Earth/ there are animals, er (pause).
T: OK. Next question?
Florencia: Are there aliens in your planet?
Julieta: Er, no there aren’t.
T: OK.

Appendix E

Unit of Work 1

132
133
134
Unit of Work 2

135
136
Unit of Work 3

137
138
Unit of Work 4

139
140
141
 Appendix F
Name Diagnostic Test 1 Diagnostic Test 2 Diagnostic Test 3 Oral Presentations Retelling of Fable Comparing Town Interviewing an
Answer questions Ask and take notes Retell Animals and Countryside alien

Florencia  Hesitates  Hesitates  Hesitates  Hesitates  Makes pauses  Hesitates  Asks for
 Makes long pauses  Laughs when is  Requires  Shows only  Hesitates  Provides short repetition
 Uses appropriate under stress prompting limited control of  Shows only answers  Seems to lack
vocabulary to talk  Shows only limited and support a few grammatical limited control  Uses a understanding
about everyday control of a few  Does not use forms of a few vocabulary of  Shows only
situations although grammatical forms articles  Uses a vocabulary grammatical isolated words limited control of
structures are not  Uses a vocabulary  Shows only of isolated words forms and phrases a few
accurate of isolated words limited and phrases  Uses a  Shows only grammatical
 Is mostly intelligible, and phrases control of a  Is mostly vocabulary of limited control forms
despite limited occasionally few intelligible, isolated words of a few  Uses a
control of  Is mostly grammatical despite limited and phrases grammatical vocabulary of
phonological features intelligible, despite forms control of  Requires forms isolated words
 Subject and verb limited control of  Uses phonological additional  Does not make and phrases
agreement is phonological appropriate features prompting and use of structures  Is mostly
appropriate features vocabulary to  Provides short support for making intelligible,
 Omitted one personal  Requires prompting talk about answers to  Has very comparisons despite limited
pronoun and support everyday questions made by limited control  Is mostly control of
 Shows only limited  Has considerable situations classmates of phonological intelligible, phonological
control of a few difficulty  Is mostly  Does not attempt features and is despite limited features
simple grammatical maintaining simple intelligible, to ask questions often control of  Has considerable
forms exchanges despite unintelligible phonological difficulty
 Uses a vocabulary of  Structures for limited features maintaining
isolated words and questions are control of simple exchanges
phrases occasionally appropriate phonological  Requires
although they are features prompting and
occasionally support
inaccurate  Cannot make
 Resorts to Spanish appropriate
when she has descriptions
difficulties

142
Laura  Speaks in a low  Subject and verb  Uses  Shows only  Hesitates  Did not do it  Provides short
voice agreement is appropriate limited control of  Makes pauses answers
 Hesitates appropriate vocabulary to a few grammatical  Has very  Shows only
 Makes pauses  Questions are talk about forms limited control limited control of
 Subject and verb usually properly everyday  Uses a vocabulary of phonological a few
agreement is formulated situations of isolated words features and is grammatical
occasionally  Shows sufficient  Shows only and phrases often forms
inaccurate control of simple limited  Has very limited unintelligible  Uses a
 Uses appropriate grammatical forms control of a control of  Shows only vocabulary of
vocabulary to talk  Uses appropriate few phonological limited control isolated words
about everyday vocabulary to talk grammatical features and is of a few and phrases
situations about everyday forms often grammatical  Is mostly
 Produces extended situations  Is mostly unintelligible forms intelligible,
stretches of discourse  Is mostly intelligible,  Provides  Uses a despite limited
 Is mostly intelligible, intelligible, despite despite appropriate vocabulary of control of
and has some control limited control of limited answers to isolated words phonological
of phonological phonological control of questions made by and phrases features
features at both features phonological classmates  Requires  Questions are
utterance and word  Maintains simple features  Attempts to ask prompting and inaccurate
levels exchanges, despite questions but they support  Maintains simple
 Does not make use of some difficulty are inaccurate exchanges,
articles despite some
difficulty
 Requires
prompting and
support

143
Milagros  Is mostly intelligible,  Shows only limited  Shows only  Hesitates  Hesitates  Did not do it  Did not do it
despite limited control of a few limited  Resorts to Spanish  Shows only
control of grammatical forms control of a when she cannot limited control
phonological features  Uses a vocabulary few express herself of a few
 Resorts to Spanish of isolated words grammatical  Uses a vocabulary grammatical
when she does not and phrases forms of isolated words forms
know a word  Has very limited  Confuses and phrases  Has very
 Uses appropriate control of possessive  Shows only limited control
vocabulary to talk phonological adjectives limited control of of phonological
about everyday features and is often  Hesitates a few grammatical features and is
situations although unintelligible  Is mostly forms often
structures are not  Maintains simple intelligible,  Has very limited unintelligible
accurate exchanges, despite despite control of  Uses a
 Subject and verb some difficulty limited phonological vocabulary of
agreement is not  Requires prompting control of features and is isolated words
appropriate and support phonological often and phrases
 Interchanges  Resorts to Spanish features. unintelligible  Shows only
pronouns when she is in  Does not use  Requires limited control
 Shows only limited difficulty articles prompting and of a few
control of a few  Subject and verb support grammatical
grammatical forms agreement is  Seems to lack forms
inappropriate understanding  Confuses
 Possessive  Attempts to ask possessive
adjectives are questions but they adjectives
interchanged are inaccurate  Subject and
verb agreement
is inaccurate
Giuliana  Hesitates  Structures for  Shows  Confuses  Subject and  Did not do it  Questions are
 Subject and verb making questions sufficient possessive verb agreement generally
agreement is are appropriate but control of adjectives is occasionally accurate
occasionally not accurate simple  Is mostly inaccurate  Can answer
inaccurate  Cannot produce grammatical intelligible,  Is mostly questions with
 Uses appropriate certain questions forms despite limited intelligible, little hesitation
vocabulary to talk  Produces extended  Uses control of despite limited  Shows sufficient
about everyday stretches of appropriate phonological control of control of simple
situations discourse vocabulary to features phonological grammatical

144
  Is mostly intelligible,  Shows sufficient talk about  Shows sufficient features forms
and has some control control of simple everyday control of simple  Shows  Uses appropriate
of phonological grammatical forms situations grammatical sufficient vocabulary to
features at both although  Is mostly forms control of talk about
utterance and word inaccuracies may intelligible,  Subject and verb simple everyday
levels occur despite agreement is grammatical situations
 Does not make use of  Is mostly limited occasionally forms  Is mostly
articles intelligible, and has control of inaccurate  Uses intelligible,
 Omits pronouns some control of phonological  Uses appropriate appropriate despite limited
occasionally phonological features vocabulary to talk vocabulary to control of
features at both about everyday talk about phonological
utterance and word situations everyday features
levels  Articles are situations  Maintains simple
 Maintains simple inaccurately  Occasionally exchanges,
exchanges, despite placed repeats phrases despite some
some difficulty  Attempts to ask  Requires very difficulty
 Requires very little questions but they little prompting
prompting and are inaccurate and support
support
Guillermo  Shows lack of  Produces extended  Confuses  Subject and verb  Hesitates  Hesitates  Questions are
understanding stretches of possessive agreement is  Shows only  Shows only occasionally
 Resorts to Spanish discourse adjectives occasionally limited control limited control inaccurate
when he does not  Shows sufficient  Shows only inaccurate of a few of a few  Shows only
know how to say control of simple limited  Confuses grammatical grammatical limited control of
something grammatical forms control of a possessive forms forms a few
 Shows only limited although few adjectives  Uses a  Uses a grammatical
control of a few inaccuracies may grammatical  Seems to lack vocabulary of vocabulary of forms
grammatical forms occur forms understanding isolated words isolated words  Is mostly
 Uses a vocabulary of  Seems to lack  Is mostly  Shows only and phrases and phrases intelligible,
isolated words and understanding intelligible, limited control of  Has very  Has very limited despite limited
phrases occasionally despite a few grammatical limited control control of control of
 Is mostly intelligible,  Structures for limited forms of phonological phonological phonological
despite limited making questions control of  Uses appropriate features and is features and is features
control of are appropriate but phonological vocabulary to talk often often  Maintains simple
phonological features not accurate features about everyday unintelligible unintelligible exchanges,
 Cannot not produce situations  Requires  Requires despite some
certain questions  Has very limited additional prompting and difficulty

145
  Is mostly control of prompting and support  Requires little
intelligible, and has phonological support prompting and
some control of features and is support
phonological often  Uses a
features at both unintelligible vocabulary of
utterance and word  Does not attempt isolated words
levels to make questions and phrases
 Maintains simple
exchanges, despite
some difficulty
 Requires prompting
and support

Francisco  Hesitates  Shows only limited  Confuses  Shows only  Hesitates  Structures for  Questions are
 Makes pauses control of a few possessive limited control of occasionally making occasionally
 Uses appropriate grammatical forms adjectives a few grammatical  Subject and comparisons are inaccurate
vocabulary to talk  Uses appropriate  Shows forms verb agreement occasionally  Shows sufficient
about everyday vocabulary to talk sufficient  Uses a vocabulary is occasionally accurate control of simple
situations about everyday control of of isolated words inaccurate  Is mostly grammatical
 Subject and verb situations simple and phrases  Shows only intelligible, forms
agreement is  Is mostly grammatical  Is mostly limited control despite limited  Uses a
occasionally intelligible, despite forms. intelligible, of a few control of vocabulary of
inaccurate limited control of  Uses despite limited grammatical phonological isolated words
 Articles are not phonological appropriate control of forms features. and phrases to
properly placed features vocabulary to phonological  Uses  Requires little answer questions
 Is mostly intelligible,  Maintains simple talk about features appropriate prompting and  Is mostly
and has some control exchanges, despite everyday  Requires very vocabulary to support intelligible,
of phonological some difficulty situations little prompting talk about  Uses appropriate despite limited
features at both  Questions are  Is mostly and support everyday vocabulary to control of
utterance and word occasionally intelligible,  Attempts to ask situations talk about phonological
levels properly formulated despite questions but they  Is mostly everyday features
 Resorts to Spanish  Subject and verb limited are inaccurate intelligible, situations  Maintains simple
control of

146
 when he does not agreement is phonological despite limited exchanges,
know how to say appropriate features control of despite some
something  Resorts to Spanish phonological difficulty
when he does not features  Requires
know how to say  Requires little prompting and
something prompting and support
support  Subject and verb
agreement is
occasionally
inaccurate

Esteban  Needs repetition  Seems to lack  Did not do  Seems to lack  Resorts to  Hesitates  Did not do it
 Omits personal understanding this test understanding Spanish when  Uses a
pronouns  Cannot produce  Shows only he cannot vocabulary of
 Hesitates certain questions limited control of express himself isolated words
 Makes pauses  Uses a vocabulary a few grammatical  Uses a and phrases
 Has very limited of isolated words forms vocabulary of  Structures for
control of and phrases  Uses a vocabulary isolated words making
phonological features  Shows only limited of isolated words and phrases comparisons are
and is often control of a few and phrases  Shows only not accurate
unintelligible grammatical forms  Has very limited limited control  Shows only
 Shows only limited  Structures for control of of a few limited control
control of a few making questions phonological grammatical of a few
grammatical forms are neither features and is forms grammatical
 Uses a vocabulary of appropriate nor often  Has very forms
isolated words and accurate unintelligible limited control  Has very limited
phrases  Has very limited  Requires of phonological control of
 Lacks understanding control of prompting and features and is phonological
often

147
  Resorts to Spanish phonological support unintelligible features and is
when he does not features and is often  Does not attempt  Requires often
know how to say a unintelligible to ask questions additional unintelligible
word  Has considerable prompting and  Requires
difficulty support additional
maintaining simple  Shows lack of prompting and
exchanges understanding support
 Requires prompting  Subjects are
and support placed
inaccurately
Andrea  Hesitates  Hesitates  Gets nervous  Resorts to Spanish  Hesitates  Hesitates  Questions are
 Makes pauses  Laughs under stress under stress when she cannot  Makes pauses  Laughs under occasionally
 Uses appropriate  Shows only limited and laughs express herself  Resorts to stress inaccurate
vocabulary to talk control of a few  Resorts to  Laughs under Spanish when  Uses a  Subject and verb
about everyday grammatical forms Spanish when stress she cannot vocabulary of agreement is
situations  Subject and verb she does not  Has very limited express herself isolated words occasionally
 Shows sufficient agreement are know how to control of  Laughs under and phrases inaccurate
control of simple appropriate express phonological stress  Shows only  Laughs under
grammatical forms although herself features and is  Uses a limited control stress
although inaccuracies inaccuracies may  Does not use often vocabulary of of a few  Shows sufficient
may occur occur appropriate unintelligible isolated words grammatical control of simple
 Is mostly intelligible,  Resorts to Spanish pronouns  Shows only and phrases. forms grammatical
and has some control when she is in  Shows only limited control of  Shows only  Has very limited forms
of phonological difficulty limited a few grammatical limited control control of  Uses a
features at both  Is mostly control of a forms of a few phonological vocabulary of
utterance and word intelligible, despite few  Uses a vocabulary grammatical features and is isolated words
levels limited control of grammatical of isolated words forms. often and phrases to
 Does not make use of phonological forms. and phrases  Has very unintelligible provide answers
articles features  Uses a  Seems to lack limited control  Requires  Is mostly
 Subject and verb  Requires prompting vocabulary of understanding of phonological additional intelligible,
agreement is and support isolated  Requires features and is prompting and despite limited
appropriate  Requires prompting words and prompting and often support control of
 Laughs under stress and support phrases support unintelligible. phonological
 Has very  Attempts to ask  Requires features
limited questions but they additional  Maintains simple
control of are inaccurate prompting and exchanges,
phonological support despite some

148
 features and difficulty
is often  Requires
unintelligible prompting and
support

Victoria  Shows only limited  Questions are  Shows only  Shows only  Makes pauses  Did not do it  Questions are
control of a few usually properly limited limited control of  Hesitates generally
grammatical forms formulated control of a a few grammatical  Shows only accurate
 Although subject and  Subject and verb few forms limited control  Shows sufficient
verb agreement is agreement is grammatical  Uses a vocabulary of a few control of simple
appropriate, she does appropriate forms of isolated words grammatical grammatical
not use accurate  Shows sufficient  Uses and phrases forms forms
structures control of simple appropriate  Provides short  Uses a  Uses appropriate
 Uses appropriate grammatical forms vocabulary to answers to vocabulary of vocabulary to
vocabulary to talk  Uses appropriate talk about questions made by isolated words talk about
about everyday vocabulary to talk everyday classmates and phrases everyday
situations although about everyday situations  Is mostly  Has very situations
inaccuracies occur situations  Is mostly intelligible, limited control  Is mostly
 Is mostly intelligible,  Is mostly intelligible, despite limited of phonological intelligible,
and has some control intelligible, despite despite control of features and is despite limited
of phonological limited control of limited phonological often control of
features at both phonological control of features unintelligible phonological
utterance and word features phonological  Attempts to ask  Requires features
levels  Maintains simple features questions but they additional  Maintains simple
 Does not make use of exchanges, despite are inaccurate prompting and exchanges,
articles some difficulty support despite some
 Occasionally makes difficulty
uses of inappropriate  Requires little
personal pronouns prompting and
support
Luciana  Inappropriate use of  Hesitates  Subject and  Shows only  Shows only  Structures for  Answers are
articles  Questions are verb limited control of limited control making occasionally
 Hesitates occasionally agreement is a few grammatical of a few comparisons are accurate
 Makes pauses formulated occasionally forms grammatical occasionally  Questions are
 Subject and verb accordingly inaccurate  Subject and verb forms accurate occasionally
agreement is  Word order is  Shows agreement is  Uses a  Needs prompting accurate
occasionally occasionally sufficient occasionally vocabulary of and support  Uses a

149
 inaccurate inappropriate control of inaccurate isolated words  Hesitates vocabulary of
 Resorts to Spanish  Shows only limited simple  Uses a vocabulary and phrases  Is mostly isolated words
when she does not control of a few grammatical of isolated words  Has very intelligible, and phrases to
know how to say a grammatical forms forms and phrases limited control despite limited provide answers
word  Uses appropriate  Uses  Is mostly of phonological control of  Shows sufficient
 Shows only limited vocabulary to talk appropriate intelligible, features and is phonological control of simple
control of a few about everyday vocabulary to despite limited often features grammatical
grammatical forms situations talk about control of unintelligible  Shows only forms
 Uses appropriate  Is mostly everyday phonological  Requires limited control  Is mostly
vocabulary to talk intelligible, despite situations features prompting and of a few intelligible,
about everyday limited control of  Is mostly  Does not attempt support grammatical despite limited
situations phonological intelligible, to make questions  Hesitates forms control of
 Is mostly intelligible, features despite phonological
and has some control  Maintains simple limited features
of phonological exchanges, despite control of  Maintains simple
features at both some difficulty phonological exchanges,
utterance and word  Shows inaccuracies features despite some
levels in vocabulary difficulty
 Requires
prompting and
support

150
Julieta  Shows only limited  Hesitates  Shows only  Confuses  Did not do it  Did not do it  Questions are
control of a few  Shows only limited limited possessive occasionally
grammatical forms control of a few control of a adjectives accurate
 Uses a vocabulary of grammatical forms few  Hesitates  Shows only
isolated words and  Cannot formulate grammatical  Shows only limited control of
phrases certain questions forms limited control of a few
 Has very limited  Uses a vocabulary  Uses a a few grammatical grammatical
control of of isolated words vocabulary of forms forms
phonological features and phrases isolated  Requires  Uses a
and is often  Has very limited words and prompting and vocabulary of
unintelligible control of phrases support isolated words
 Personal pronouns phonological  Has very  Has very limited and phrases to
are not properly used features and is often limited control of provide answers
 Does not make use of unintelligible control of phonological  Is mostly
articles  Has considerable phonological features and is intelligible,
 Seems to lack difficulty features and often despite limited
understanding maintaining simple is often unintelligible control of
 Cannot produce exchanges unintelligible.  Uses a vocabulary phonological
extended stretches of  Requires prompting  Resorts to of isolated words features
discourse and support Spanish when and phrases  Maintains simple
she cannot exchanges,
express despite some
herself difficulty
 Requires
prompting and
support

151
Paula  Hesitates  Hesitates  Shows  Confuses  Is mostly  Structures for  Questions are
 Makes pauses  Subject and verb sufficient possessive intelligible, making occasionally
 Does not make use of agreement is control of adjectives despite limited comparisons are accurate
articles appropriate simple  Does not use control of usually accurate  Is mostly
 Subject and verb  Shows sufficient grammatical articles phonological  Shows sufficient intelligible,
agreement is control of simple forms  Is mostly features control of simple despite limited
appropriate grammatical forms  Uses intelligible,  Shows grammatical control of
 Shows sufficient although appropriate despite limited sufficient forms phonological
control of simple inaccuracies may vocabulary to control of control of  Uses appropriate features
grammatical forms occur talk about phonological simple vocabulary to  Shows sufficient
 Uses appropriate  Is mostly everyday features grammatical talk about control of simple
vocabulary to talk intelligible, despite situations  Shows sufficient forms everyday grammatical
about everyday limited control of  Is mostly control of simple  Uses situations forms
situations phonological intelligible, grammatical appropriate  Is mostly  Uses appropriate
 Is mostly intelligible, features despite forms vocabulary to intelligible, vocabulary to
despite limited  Maintains simple limited  Uses appropriate talk about despite limited talk about
control of exchanges, despite control of vocabulary to talk everyday control of everyday
phonological features some difficulty phonological about everyday situations phonological situations
 Requires very little features situations  Requires very features  Maintains simple
prompting and  Subject and little prompting exchanges,
support verb and support despite some
agreement is difficulty
occasionally  Requires
inaccurate prompting and
support

152
153