ANSWER: Try this in-class collaborative writing activity. It takes very little class time to do and can result in an interesting Report Back discussion on register and appropriacy, on which our exam candidates are assessed.
Title of Activity: Phrasal Verb and Latin Equivalent Dialogue Writing
(NOTE: Most phrasal verbs in English have a synonymous verb derived from Latin, e.g. 'butt in' is synonymous to 'interrupt'. Phrasal verbs are used in informal contexts, while their Latin synonyms are used in somewhat formal context. To illustrate the informal use of a phrasal verb, a brother says to his sister, "Don't butt in while I'm talking on the phone to Grandma. I'll give you the phone in a minute." At a business meeting where formal language is more appropriate, the chairperson says," Mr Pappas, please wait until Ms Economou has finished presenting her arguments. Please do not interrupt again." )
Level: B1 level and above.
Skills: Vocabulary practice, Dialogue writing
Language Function: adapting dialogue to appropriate register.
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Materials needed: 1 set of phrasal verb cards (written in red) and 1 set of Latin verb cards (written in green), enough for half of the learners in your class, i.e. 6 cards for a class of 12. (See list of verbs below).
Prepare Model Dialogue to show learners.
If learners have tablets, choose two pairs who can type their dialogues to show on the Interactive While Board. Otherwise, give the two pairs, three Overhead transparencies and three pens or A3 papers where they write their dialogues.
Before class:
Check each set of cards and revise the phrasal verbs as well as the Latin equivalents. Check intonation, stress and pronunciation.
In Class:
1. Tell your learners that you will give each a card: either with a phrasal verb or a Latin equivalent.
2. Ask learners to mill around and find their partner, i.e. those with the phrasal verb cards pair up with those who have the corresponding Latin verb card.
3. Once they find their partners, learners sit together. Instruct them, in pairs, write a dialogue of three exchanges (A-B, A-B, A-B), using the phrasal verb on their card.
4. Show learners the Model Dialogue:
MODEL DIALOGUE:
( Sam and Joe are at a party. Sally, Joe’s girlfriend, is there, too.)
Sam: Hi, Joe. Are you here alone? Where’s Sally?
Joe: She’s over there. But she’s really angry at me.
Sam: Why?
Joe: Well, I was very late in picking her up from home.
Sam: Why don’t you go and talk to her?
Joe: I tried to, but she looked right through me!
5. Each pair reads their dialogue to the rest of the class.
6. ADDITIONAL STEP: While learners are writing, give two pairs overhead transparencies to write their dialogues on. Then, after Report back, show the transparencies to discuss with your learners and elicit suggestions as to the way(s) the dialogue would change if speakers were to use the Latin verb instead of the phrasal verb. Here you will elicit discussion on register, social situations and appropriacy.
For example: If you were to use the same characters above: Would it be the same situation? Relationship? What other language in the dialogue would have to change?
In other words, the discussion in class would revolve around the appropriacy of language and how more formal language indicates different relationships and modes of interaction, i.e. If Joe used “ignore” instead of “look through” the language of the dialogue would have to become more formal; he wouldn’t be dialoguing with his friend , Sam, but with a person of a higher social status. Also, notice the changes, indicated in blue, that make the register of the dialogue more formal.
MODEL DIALOGUE ADAPTED :
( Sam, Joe's office manager, and Joe are at a party. Sally, Joe’s girlfriend, is there, too.)
Sam: Hello, Joe. Are you here alone? Where’s Sally?
Joe: She’s over there. But she’s very angry at me.
Sam: Why?
Joe: Well, I was very late in picking her up from home.
Sam: Why don’t apologize to her?
Joe: I tried to, but she ignored me!
PHRASAL VERBS AND LATIN EQUIVALENTS
The sentences below can be used to present the phrasal verbs which are written in red on the flash cards. (Their Latin equivalents are written in green)
1. carry on - continue
Don't stop; carry on reading.
2. find out - discover
He wanted to find out what they had said about him.
3. answer back - contradict
The spoilt child answered back to his parents.
4. look into - investigate
The police are looking into the matter.
5. call off - cancel
The appointment was called off.
6. put off - postpone
The meeting was put off until next Monday.
7. bring up - mention
They brought his name up at the meeting.
8. look through - ignore
I smiled at her, but she looked through me.
9. blow up - inflate
Blow up this air mattress.
10. dish out - distribute
She dished out the stew to her four children.
11. look (me) up - contact
Look me up when you get to Athens.
12. look over - inspect
They looked over the new model before trying to sell it.
13. come at - attack
The angry player came at the referee with both fists.
14. come into - inherit
When her uncle died, she came into a large sum of money.
15. get (me) down - depress
Cloudy weather gets me down.
16. turn up - arrive
They turned up at our house at 6: 30 p.m.
17. hang on - depend
The future of the company hangs on the outcome of this meeting.
18. come by - obtain
Where did you come by that precious antique?
19. put out - extinguish
The young campers put out the fire immediately.
20. stand for - tolerate
Our teacher will not stand for silly behavior in class.
