Portfolio 1: Speaking

     I really like the drawing activity for my students learning English. At the age of 8-9 years old, drawing is very fun and this particular activity incorporates language and speaking as well. To make this project possible, I will make two dissimilar, simple drawings using shapes like circles, squares and triangles, along with different colors. The students will be partnered up and given one of the two drawings. The first partner must describe what his/her picture looks like and the second partner must draw the picture according to how his/her partner describes it. The roles will then switch and partner 2 will do the describing and partner 1 will do the drawing. However, before the activity begins, we will go over key terms like the shapes, and directional terms like “above,” “to the side,” “under,” “inside,” and “outside.” To make sure they remember these terms, I will prepare a word bank via the white board or on a worksheet.

     This activity is goal directed because the speaker and listener have to communicate in order to draw the picture. The listener may ask questions to clarify what the speaker has said. The drawing activity also includes extended discourse because the speaker controls the floor and can negotiate aspects of the interaction, which requires multiple turns-at-talk and may last for up to ten minutes. This drawing activity is also very structured because it provides the partners with easy to follow directions; all they have to do is describe the drawing one step at a time. The completion point is also very obvious; when the speaker is done describing the drawing, the activity is done, and the partners switch roles. Lastly, the drawing activity is in itself a mandatory verbally descriptive activity about shapes and location, which cannot change.

     I think this activity is very useful is becoming familiar with shapes, locations, and colors. Personally for my students, this activity may be a bit of a challenge because it deals with working in partners. I think if the teacher said how to draw the pictures and all the students drew the picture, it would be easier to control the classroom. However, after the students witness how the activity works, I think they may be able to do it on their own with in partners.