Functional Language: Unlocking Deeper

Interaction

JALT 2014

Matthew Y. Schaefer Matthew W. Turner

Robert J. Lowe (Rikkyo University)

What are Functions?• Widdowson (1989) speculates that a large part of

communicative competence is merely a matter of knowing how to use conventionalized expressions.

• Direct teaching of conversational skills is advocated by Richards (1990). It involves planning and systematic teaching of conversationally useful, pre-packaged target language. This target language is essentially what Widdowson means by “conventionalized expressions”.

• Dörnyei and Thurrell (1994) argue that these conversational skills can be categorised in four different ways:

What are Functions?

• Openings What shall we discuss first? What does everyone think?

• Turn-taking Can I make a comment? What do you think?

• Interrupting Can I ask a question? Sorry, can I jump in here?

• Topic shift Does anyone want to comment? What shall we discuss next?

Skill 1 - Conversational rules and structure

What are Functions?

• Paraphrasing Do you mean…? What I’m saying is…

• Appeals for help Sorry, I don’t understand Can you explain?

• Interpretive summary So, what you’re saying is… So, you’re saying that…

Skill 2 - Conversational strategies

What are Functions?

• Agreeing/Disagreeing Sorry, but I disagree. I think so too.

• Asking for information What do you think? What does everyone think?

• Making suggestions Why don’t we…? Let’s…

• Reacting I see. Really?

Skill 3 - Language functions

Definition of “function”

A function is a directly-taught conversation skill, which facilitates communicative competence and depth of interaction by helping students to perform essential conversational acts through a limited set of pre-packaged functional language.

ReferencesDörnyei, Z. & Thurrell, S. (1994). Teaching conversational skills intensively: Course content and rationale. ELT Journal 48(1), 40-49.

Richards, J.C. (1990). ‘Conversationally speaking: approaches to the teaching of conversation’ in Richards (ed.) The Language Teaching Matrix. Cambridge: CUP.

Widdowson, H.G. (1989). Knowledge of language and ability for use. Applied Linguistics 10(2), 128-37.

What do Functions do?

1. Increase amount of content:

• If there are multiple functions included in what you say, it is likely that you are communicating more content.

What do Functions do?2. Increase depth of content:

• “Depth of content” is defined here as: A. the number of different perspectives brought to

a topic B. the amount of support and/or opposition given

to each perspective C. the degree of remoteness (e.g. of possibility)

applied to each perspective

What do Functions do?2. Increase depth of content:

• If there are a variety of functions on a single topic, it is likely that the topic is being discussed more deeply.

What do Functions do?3. Increase amount of interaction:

• Functions include both statement and question forms. The use of questions naturally leads to more interaction.

What do Functions do?4. Increase depth of interaction:

• “Depth of interaction” is defined here as: A. the amount of “deep” content created through

interaction (and that would probably not have occurred had there been no interaction)

B. the amount of negotiation for meaning that occurs among participants to aid successful communication

What do Functions do?4. Increase depth of interaction:

• Because the question Function phrases are used as either follow-up questions or negotiations for meaning, they lead to deeper interaction.

What do Function Phrases do?

1. Make Functions easier to learn and use

• They give specific forms to connect to abstract ideas.

• They allow for the possibility of automaticity, which can lead to more fluent use of Functions during interactions.

What do Function Phrases do?

2. Make Functions easier to understand

• A Function Phrase will make the Function of an utterance explicit.

• This can also help with comprehension of the utterance itself.

• This allows the listener to respond more appropriately.

Functions and Function Phrases• It is possible to perform a Function without using a Function

Phrase: e.g. “That film was terrible!”

• It is also possible to use a Function Phrase without performing a Function:

e.g. “In my opinion, Tokyo is the capital of Japan.”

• It is important to explain to students: 1. the meaning of the Function - i.e. why we use it 2. the form of the Function Phrases - i.e. how we use it

To Summarize

• Functions are skills which allow people to perform essential conversational acts.

• Function phrases are pre-packaged sets of language which explicitly express functions.

• The use of functions increases depth and amount of content and interaction.

Three Ways to Present Functions

A. Test-Teach-Test (TTT)B. Dialogue Comparison C. Guided Discovery

1.How did you choose the first topic?

2.How did you change topic?

A. TTT

!

!

Checking if

Everyone’s Finished Changing

Topic

• Does anyone want to comment?

• Does anyone want to ask a question?

• What shall we discuss first / next?

• Why don’t we discuss {topic}?

!

A. TTT

Three Ways to Present Functions

A. Test-Teach-Test (TTT) B. Dialogue ComparisonC. Guided Discovery

B. Dialogue Comparison

1. How could Eri make her ideas clearer?

2. What should Eri and Aki do?

B. Dialogue Comparison

1. How did Eri make her ideas clearer?

2. What did Eri and Aki do?

!!!! ! !

!!!!!

•Where did you hear that? !

•How do you know about that? !! !

!!

Listener

!!

Speaker

Reporting Information

!

• I heard / read / saw… !!

• ( ) said…

Three Ways to Present Functions

A. Test-Teach-Test (TTT) B. Dialogue Comparison C. Guided Discovery

IN my opinion, films are never as good as the books they are based on. It's mainly because books

tell you something and films show you something, so what is possible about how people do things can not

be explained.

???

i see.i think films

and books are both good.

I'm sorry but i don't understand.

what do you mean?

john

amy bob cat

who gives the best response? Why?

C. Guided Discovery

IN my opinion, films are never as good as the books they are based on. It's mainly because books

tell you something and films show you something, so what is possible about how people do things can not

be explained.

???

i see.i think films

and books are both good.

I'm sorry but i don't understand.

what do you mean?

john

amy bob cat

who gives the best response? Why?

C. Guided Discovery

IN my opinion, films are never as good as the books they are based on. It's mainly because books

tell you something and films show you something, so what is possible about how people do things can not

be explained.

???

i see.i think films

and books are both good.

I'm sorry but i don't understand.

what do you mean?

john

amy bob cat

who gives the best response? Why?

C. Guided Discovery

IN my opinion, films are never as good as the books they are based on. It's mainly because books

tell you something and films show you something, so what is possible about how people do things can not

be explained.

???

i see.i think films

and books are both good.

I'm sorry but i don't understand.

what do you mean?

john

amy bob cat

who gives the best response? Why?

C. Guided Discovery

IN my opinion, films are never as good as the books they are based on. It's mainly because books

tell you something and films show you something, so what is possible about how people do things can not

be explained.

???

i see.i think films

and books are both good.

I'm sorry but i don't understand.

what do you mean?

john

amy bob cat

who gives the best response? Why?

C. Guided Discovery

IN my opinion, films are never as good as the books they are based on. It's mainly because books

tell you something and films show you something, so what is possible about how people do things can not

be explained.

???

i see.i think films

and books are both good.

I'm sorry but i don't understand.

what do you mean?

john

amy bob cat

who gives the best response? Why?

C. Guided Discovery

IN my opinion, films are never as good as the books they are based on. It's mainly because books

tell you something and films show you something, so what is possible about how people do things can not

be explained.

???

i see.i think films

and books are both good.

I'm sorry but i don't understand.

what do you mean?

john

amy bob cat

who gives the best response? Why?

C. Guided Discovery

Show lack of understanding

Ask for clarification

• Sorry, but I don’t understand.

• What do you mean?!!• Can you explain?

1. Which is more important for success - talent or hard work?

2. Which do you prefer to watch - movies or TV shows?

3. Which is more important for happiness - a good job or a good romantic relationship?

4. Which is more important for a home - size or location?

5. Which would you prefer to have - a good short-term memory or a good long-term memory?

6. Which would you prefer to work for - a big company or a small company?

A: [QUESTION]

B: [ANSWER]

A: “Why?”

B: “Because…”

A: [ASK FOR CLARIFICATION]

B: …

–Norman Segalowitz (2003)

“An automatic car changes gear without deliberate intervention by the driver, in contrast to a standard shift car which requires the driver to perform a manual operation.”

Automaticity is…• the ability to “perform a task without conscious or

deliberate effort.” (Thornbury, 2006)

• when learners are “drawing on a set of memorised procedures in order to take part in real-time interaction” that they can “adapt to a whole range of situations.” (Thornbury, 2006)

• “knowing what to say, to whom and when” and “producing utterances rapidly and smoothly.” (Gatbonton and Segalowitz, 1988)

–Robert DeKeyser (1996)

“…knowledge starts out as explicit (declarative) information, which is turned into procedural rules for very specific behaviours through analogy with a series of examples and with the help of very general behavioural rules. It is then fine-tuned over time as a function of cost-effectiveness.

Automaticity is raised by…

• initially making a focus on a particular form overt and concise.

• making practice intensive and intentional, where all focus is directed continuously at one feature.

• repeating procedures communicatively before creatively transferring forms.

Automatizing activities are…• skill-learning situations that involve a degree of transfer-

appropriate processing

• highly form-focussed on a target function

• repetitive in nature

• formulaic

• communicative

• output-driven

• intensive and overt

!!!! ! !

!!!!!

•Where did you hear that? !

•How do you know about that? !! !

!!

Listener

!!

Speaker

Reporting Information

!

• I heard / read / saw… !!

• ( ) said…

A: In my opinion, ____ is/isn’t a kind happy celebrity.

B: How come?

A: Well, I heard ____

B: Really? Where did you hear that?

A: I _____ / (name) said that.

B: I see, that’s interesting.

Practice!!

Who do you think is the most hard-working celebrity?

!!

Who do you think is the most intelligent celebrity?

How to teach functions in the classroom

1. Teachers present the function (e.g. TTT, Dialogue Comparison, Guided Discovery).

2. Students complete a form-focused activity to begin automatisation of the function.

3. Students complete a meaning-focused activity to begin incorporating the function into their interlanguage.

• Three objects (not people or animals!) that you would save from your house if it was on fire.

• Three works of art (e.g. music, literature, painting, film) that have inspired you in your life.

• Three things, big or small, that you would like to accomplish in the next year.

Pre-Writing Task: Talk about three works of art (e.g. music, literature, painting, film) that have inspired you in your life.

Reminder! Please try to use these functions: • Changing Topic • Clarifying Ideas • Reporting Information

Writing Task: Write about a work of art (e.g. music, literature, painting, film) that have inspired you in your life.

How could you include the teaching of Functions in your teaching context?

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