Curtain and Dahlberg: Ch 4, p. 97-130

Curtain and Dahlberg: Ch. 4, p. 97-130

Meaningful interaction is key to student success. The traditional classroom has a teacher to student flow if information. However, partner and small group interactions are key for students to acquire a language (98). Group work is also an important avenue for developing social skills and the social uses of language. Roles can be assigned within groups such as "encourager, manager, recorder, and reporter" (100). It would be fun and encourage agency to have these role assignments translated into the target language so that the reporter is actually "un periodista." 

Cooperative learning activities will complicate the classroom and add to the noise, but if they are well-managed they are well worth it. I can see how it would be difficult to manage this variety of partner activities. If the partners were all doing what they were told then that is one thing, but it might be tricky to make sure all of the partners were staying on task. I'm wondering if some of these partner activities, such as the "What is my Backpack?" are truly authentic.