Chunks of Language - BRAZ-TESOL.pdf

CCHUNKSHUNKS OFOF LLANGUAGEANGUAGE

DDENILSOENILSO DEDE LLIMAIMAhttp://[email protected]

CHUNKS OF LANGUAGE19 - 22 DE JULHO, 2010

São Paulo - SP


WhatWhat are Chunks are Chunks ofof LanguageLanguage??

A sequence of words which native speakersrecognize as the natural and better way ofexpressing a particular idea.


expressing a particular idea.


Are Are therethere chunkschunks in in PortuguesePortuguese??



Chunks in Chunks in PortuguesePortuguese::

01. É bom a gente ficar de olhos b........................ abertos para saber o que ele vai fazer.

02. Eu perdi o ônibus! Por isto cheguei a........................ ao trabalho.

03. Eu não quero falar c........................ ela novamente.

04. Acho bom você fazer isto amanhã de m........................ bem cedinho.

05. O que vocês estão p........................ em fazer agora?

em

trasado

om

anhã

ensando


06. Já está mais do que na hora de você a........................ um emprego?

07. Não faço a menor i........................ de como ele conseguiu fazer isto?

08. Para quem não está conseguindo e........................ no site, segue o link corrigido.

09. Não cheguei a ler tudo não, só dei uma olhada r........................ e pronto.

10. Esta conversa sobre comida abriu meu a......................... Vamos comer?

rrumar

deia

ntrar

ápida

petite


Chunks in Chunks in PortuguesePortuguese::

01. Ela vive pegando no meu ...................... por causa desta história.

02. Já está mais do que na hora de você começar a fazer seu ...................... de meia.

03. O irmão dela é um tremendo ...................... no saco.

04. O filho dela é um ...................... frio e tanto. Tudo dá errado para ele!

05. Não podemos traduzir estas expressões ao ...................... da letra.


06. Quando ele ouviu a voz do pai dele, ele deu no ......................

07. Quando o rio é fundo demais algumas pessoas dizem que ele não dá ......................

08. Rodrigo levou um ...................... na bunda da namorada dele.

09. Mas que história mais sem ...................... nem cabeça.

10. Pode ir! Mas vá num ...................... e volte no outro!


WhyWhy learnlearn andand teachteach chunks?chunks?The brain stores more sequences of wordsthan isolated words.

Because of chunks we’re able to speak and


Because of chunks we’re able to speak andwrite fluently.

Knowing lots of chunks also makes listeningand reading easier as well.


KindsKinds ofof ChunksChunksofof LanguageLanguage

institutionalised institutionalised expressionsexpressions

prepositionalprepositional phrasesphrases

idiomsidioms


ofof LanguageLanguage collocationscollocations

sentencesentence headsheads

phrasesphrases oror polywordspolywords


HowHow cancan wewe teachteach chunks?chunks?

Before teaching chunks we’d better learnhow to find them. Or... As we prefer to say:NOTICENOTICE them.


NOTICENOTICE them.


HowHow to to noticenotice chunkschunks??

Reading is by far the best way to noticechunks of language. So, we have to helplearners to improve their skill of NOTICINGNOTICING.


learners to improve their skill of NOTICINGNOTICING.


NoticingNoticing chunkschunks in in dialogsdialogs::Dad Hi, Carl. It’s me. How’s it going?

Carl Oh, hi, Dad. Everything’s great.

Dad So, are you studying for your exams?

Carl Oh, yeah. I’m working very hard this semester.

Dad Good. So what are you doing right now? Are you studying?

Carl Uh, Dad, right now I’m watching a baseball game.



Dad Baseball? ... Uh, who’s playing?

Carl The Yankess and the Red Sox.

Dad Really? Uh, Carl,... Let’s talk again in two hours.

Carl Ok, Dad. Enjoy the game!

Dad You too. But please try and study for your exams!


NoticingNoticing chunkschunks in in dialogsdialogs::Dad Hi, Carl. It’s me. How’s it going?

Carl Oh, hi, Dad. Everything’s great.

Dad So, are you studying for your exams?

Carl Oh, yeah. I’m working very hard this semester.

Dad Good. So what are you doing right now? Are you studying?




Dad Baseball? ... Uh, who’s playing?

Carl The Yankess and the Red Sox.

Dad Really? Uh, Carl,... Let’s talk again in two hours.

Carl Ok, Dad. Enjoy the game!

Dad You too. But please try and study for your exams!


NoticingNoticing chunkschunks in in textstexts::

I started my new job at the design company. I like it a

lot. I met Brad after work. He wants to go out for dinner

on Wednesday, but I already made dinner plans with



some people from work, and I really want to go. Anyway,

Brad never pays.


NoticingNoticing chunkschunks in in textstexts::

I started my new job at the design company. I like it a

lot. I met Brad after work. He wants to go out for dinner




some people from work, and I really want to go. Anyway,

Brad never pays.


HowHow cancan learnerslearners rememberremember chunkschunks??

LLEXICALEXICAL NNOTEBOOKOTEBOOKLLEXICALEXICAL NNOTEBOOKOTEBOOK

AlphabeticalAlphabeticalOrderOrder

PortuguesePortugueseintointo EnglishEnglish

FullFull ofofExamplesExamples


CCHUNKSHUNKS OFOF LLANGUAGEANGUAGERecordingRecording chunkschunks::

E aí, o que E aí, o que você está fazendovocê está fazendo [...]?[...]?

SoSo, , whatwhat are are youyou doingdoing

nownow??

rightright nownow??

atat thisthis momentmoment??


E aí, o que E aí, o que você vai fazervocê vai fazer [...]?[...]?

SoSo, , whatwhat are are youyou doingdoing

tonighttonight??

tomorrowtomorrow??

onon thethe weekend?weekend?

CCHUNKSHUNKS OFOF LLANGUAGEANGUAGERecordingRecording chunkschunks::

Chunks Chunks withwith FootFoot::

put your foot down =

bater o pé

put your best

foot forward =

have a foot

in the door

= estar com


put your foot in your

mouth = meter os pés

pelas mãosgo on foot = ir à

pé

foot forward =

esforçar-se ao

máximo

= estar com

o pé na

porta


TheThe ImportanceImportance ofof RevisitingRevisiting

Encourage your learners to look backat the language they’ve recorded anddo something – perhaps anything –


do something – perhaps anything –with it.


HelpfulHelpful ActivitiesActivities

� Memorizing short dialogs

1. Choose a very short dialog from the coursebook. If you have it on CD, letstudents listen to it;

2. Have a little conversation about the dialog. Hand out the transcript ;


2. Have a little conversation about the dialog. Hand out the transcript ;

3. Tell them they’ll have to memorize the whole dialog as homework;

4. In the next class, have students in pairs and they’ll have to recite thewhole dialog to their partner. Partners may give each other hints asnecessary



� What are those initials for?

1. Motivate students to record chunks of language during a period of time.These chunks are chosen by the teacher;

2. Discuss them with students whenever possible. Ask them for examples


2. Discuss them with students whenever possible. Ask them for examplesusing that specific chunk.

3. After a couple of classes, say, 5 classes. Hand out copies of a worksheetyou prepared and ask students to complete the blanks. In the blanks youhave the initials of the chunks you want to revisit with them



� Teach your Chunk

Ask students to teach the class a chunk from time to time. Doing so, you’ll bemotivating them to record, revisit and reactivate chunks. This helps them to


motivating them to record, revisit and reactivate chunks. This helps them tokeep chunks alive in the brain.



� Review Posters

Poster A – Chunks Being Learned:

Write only the initials of a chunk which students are having problems to


Write only the initials of a chunk which students are having problems toremember – b. t. w. / n. m. / w. a. y. g. t. d. t.? / t. y. v. m. / c. I a. y. a q.? / etc.

From time to time use this poster to reactivate a chunk. Give students somehints so that they can remember what chunk is that. You can even use thePortuguese equivalence to that chunk so as to help them remembering.



� Review Posters

Poster B – Pretty Well Learned:

When most of the students can remember a chunk represented by initial on


When most of the students can remember a chunk represented by initial onPoster A, cross the initials out and write them on Poster B. Review the chunkson Poster B once a week.

When Posters A or B are full, cover it with a blank one.



� Lexical Bag or Lexical Box

Ask students to write a chunk they noticed in the lesson on a small piece ofpaper.


Students place the paper in a bag or box. In the beginning of each lesson,teacher picks 2 or 3 papers and asks students for example with the chunks. Ifone student do not know what that chunk means, other will have the chanceto teach the chunk.


ThankThank youyou! ! KeepKeep in in touchtouch::

email: [email protected]

blog: http://denilsodelima.blogspot.com

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Chunks of Language - BRAZ-TESOL.pdf