Spice up your

dialogues!
Adapting communicative activities
Stephanie Kasten and Nikki Rowley
Dialogues are important because they

model real-life situations

teach new grammar and vocab

allow students to use what they've

learned

give shy students a chance to step

outside boundaries

and provide fun informal language

practice!
"ene#ts of
dialogues
$rovide speaking and listening practice
%emphasi&ing how the listener reacts'
(reate a memorable learning e)perience
Are adaptable to multiple levels
*ncrease motivation and self-esteem
+ove from word to phrase to longer
units
,elp students use language in conte)t
"efore the dialogue!!!
Ask questions about the picture
,ow many people are there-
.ho are they-
.here are they-
.hat are they doing-
.hat are they talking about-
,ow do they feel-
+ost importantly/
+ake sure the dialogue has an
ob0ective/
a purpose!
.hat did he say---
utterances and useful
e)pressions in dialogues
Nothing
much.
Seriously?
No way.
Get out
of here!
1h um
hmm
eww
Are you
kidding?
Woah!
Cool.
What for?
*nformal conversations in 2nglish are
often chockful of utterances and useful
e)pressions whose meanings cannot
be found in the dictionary!
$ragmatics
is the the study of the aspects of
meaning and language use that are
dependent on the speaker3s intention
and the addressee3s interpretation of
the utterance in the conte)t of the
conversation!
4se voice intonation
facial e)pressions
body language
and repetition
to e)plain e)pressions and utterances
so students really understand the
dialogues they are reading and
speaking!
$lanning phase
5- Determine your ob0ective!
6- Select or create an appropriate te)t that is the
right level of di7culty and that will ful#ll your
ob0ective!
8- Decide the speci#cs of the activity and include
them in your lesson plan!
.arm up9 Reading and listening to
the dialogue

Review new vocabulary

Fill in the blanks

Suggest synonyms

*dentify speakers' emotions and

personalities
Speaking the dialogue

Team speaking

(heck
pronunciation

Act with emotion

:ry new roles

Bring props

Memorize and
perform
.hat else can * do with
dialogues-
;et creative<
Students can adapt the te)t using their ideas

+ake it an interview
=(hoose a character to interview
=.rite three >uestions for the character
=1ne student answers as the interviewee

.rite an alternative ending

=(ut o? the dialogue at a critical point
=Students write@brainstorm alternative solutions

.hat happens next-

=Students brainstorm and write a se>uel
=Draw a cartoon A B:he ne)t day!!!C@BDive minutes later!!!C
Activity 2)amples
.ho are these lovely people and
what on 2arth are they doing-
Activities for this unitEs grammar
focus learning goals and vocabulary

(lo&e activity %#ll in the

blank'

:eam speaking

Role play cards

.hat happens ne)t-

(lo&e Activity
Students identify vocabulary
words and prepositions of place
from the unit by listening to the
dialogue and #lling in the blanks
with the correct word! :he
activity sheet can be modi#ed to
focus on the grammar and
vocabulary you wish to teach!
Andy9 So where would you like to go today "rian-
"rian9 *'m not sure! (an * look at the map- Fenetian $ool!!! is that
0ust a %5' GGGGGGGGGG -
Andy9 Not really! :here are also waterfalls and %6' GGGGGGGGGG there!
"rian9 Het's go there< .here is it-
Andy9 *t's in (oral ;ables %8' GGGGGGGGGG (oral .ay and IJ
th
Street!
Hi&a9 And there's also the Sea>uarium!
Andy9 1h yeah! Kou can see sharks there!
"rian9 Awesome< (an we go there today-
Andy9 Sure! Kou can see dolphins there too! And then we can go to
the $lanetarium!
"rian9 ;reat< And what about (oconut ;rove- .hat's that-
Andy9 *t's Hi&a's favorite place! *t's %I' GGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGG (oral
;ables!
Hi&a9 *t's a shopping place! :here are really great restaurants there
too!
"rian9 4mm * think *'ll skip (oconut ;rove! * hate %L' GGGGGGGGGG!
Andy9 So where would you like to go today "rian-
"rian9 *'m not sure! (an * look at the map- Fenetian $ool!!! is that 0ust a
%5' pool-
Andy9 Not really! :here are also waterfalls and %6' restaurants there!
"rian9 Het's go there< .here is it-
Andy9 *t's in (oral ;ables %8' between (oral .ay and IJ
th
Street!
Hi&a9 And there's also the Sea>uarium!
Andy9 1h yeah! Kou can see sharks there!
"rian9 Awesome< (an we go there today-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy9 Sure! Kou can see dolphins there too! And then we can go to the
$lanetarium!
"rian9 ;reat< And what about (oconut ;rove- .hat's that-
Andy9 *t's Hi&a's favorite place! *t's %I' across from (oral ;ables!
Hi&a9 *t's a shopping place! :here are really great restaurants there too!
"rian9 4mm * think *'ll skip (oconut ;rove! * hate%L' malls!
:eam Speaking
Students practice
pronunciation by repeating
after the teacher as a class or
as parts of the class %e!g!
divide the class in sections
and assign dialogue parts to
each section'!
Role $lay (ards
Students practice asking and answering
>uestions via role play!
Role play ideas9
-
Hocal person and tourist
-
Mournalist and interviewee
-
$olice detective and witness
!
Role $lay 2)ample
$erson A9 Kou are visiting (uenca
from (anada and are lost! Kou are
trying to #nd $ar>ue (alderon! Kou
see a nice-looking person drinking
co?ee at an outdoor cafN!
$erson "9 Kou are a (uenca resident
drinking a co?ee at an outdoor cafN
somewhere in (uenca! A lost tourist
stops to ask you some >uestions!
.hat happens ne)t-
Students orally describe what
happens after the dialogue is #nished
using a comic strip presentation!
$rovide a rubric for the strip for
e)ample9

at least I prepositions

at least I vocabulary words from unit

one use of Bthere isC and one use of

Bthere areC

be creative