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Department for Continuing Education
Exploiting Texts
• Text as the Key Unit of Language
• TAVI, TALO and TASP
A worldwide survey reveals that the
world’s most popular colour is _____
TEXT PAGE NUMBERED
This page will manage your text using the
standard PPT text functions on your tool bar.
The minimum size for presentations that will be
projected to an audience should be 18.
The minimum size for slide decks that will be
read should be 10
https://yougov.co.uk/news/
TEXT PAGE NUMBERED
This page will manage your text using the
standard PPT text functions on your tool bar.
The minimum size for presentations that will be
projected to an audience should be 18.
The minimum size for slide decks that will be
read should be 10
1 fun / entertaining 5 enthusiastic / ambitious
2 deep / spiritual 6 dull / boring
3 creative / artistic 7 calm / level-headed
4 superficial / submissive 8 dependable / rational
Language is realised first and foremost not as isolated
sounds, words or sentences, but as text. It is text which
is the significant unit of language. As teachers, it is a
priority to help learners engage with texts.
Scott Thornbury
How many different kinds of texts have you engaged with in
the last 24 hours?
In the absence of interesting texts, very little is possible.
Ray Williams
The truth of the matter is that 99% of teaching is making
the student feel interested in the material. The other 1%
has to do with your methods. Noam Chomsky
Texts in the EFL classroom: a very potted history
100 years ago
- usually literary text
- translate word for word
- attention drawn to similarities and differences between English and L1
- eg of grammar translation approach
50 years ago
- texts written specifically to highlight a language point eg ‘Is this a pen?’ ‘Yes,
iii this is a pen.’
- students read silently, repeat after the teacher, practise in pairs
- eg of audiolingual method
25 years ago
- authentic texts preferred
- focus on meaning of text as a whole, students urged ‘not to try and understand
iii every word’
- eg of communicative approach
• use authentic genres
Key points for using texts in the EFL classroom?
• enable skim, scan, intensive reading
• enable the interactive nature of real-world reading
• provide exercises that reflect real-world responses
• TAVI, TALO, TASP, TASE Johns + Davis 1983, Beaumont 1985
Text As a Vehicle for Information
• information within the text is seen as more important than the language
Text As a Linguistic Object
• used for language work, specifically grammar or vocabulary
Text As a Source of Production
• using text as springboard for another task, usually speaking or writing
TAVI, TALO, TASP, TASE
Johns + Davis 1983, Beaumont 1985
Text As a Source of Enjoyment
• using text to enhance motivation
TAVI
• information within the text is seen as more important than the language
• focus on overall meaning instead of (or before) the finer points of detail
Example tasks:
Example tasks:
• predicting the content of the text
• answering comprehension questions
• identifying what you’ve learnt from the text
• giving paragraph or section headings
• summarising the main points of the text
TALO
• used for language work, specifically grammar or vocabulary
• texts often specifically chosen due to linguistic content
Example tasks:
• find examples of certain grammar form or function
• find words topically / lexically linked
• decide why certain forms are chosen
• springboard to focus on specific grammar form or lexical area
TASP
• using text as springboard for a production task - speaking or writing
Example tasks:
• discussing issues raised by the text
• debating points of view presented in the text
• role-play / real-play based on the text
• using text as a model to write
• writing response / follow-up to the text
TAVI? TALO? TASP? TASE?
1 In the text, find ten interesting and useful adjectives or nouns for
describing personality. Add them to the table below. (TALO)
adjective noun
assertive assertiveness
ambitious ambition
enthusiastic enthusiasm
2 Is the main word stress the same in the adjective and the noun? (TALO)
3 Which of the words best and least describe you? Why? (TASP)
1 Find three examples of ‘a lack of ...? (TAVI/TALO)
a lack of depth
a lack of personality
a lack of conviction
2 What are other useful/common collocations with ‘a lack of’?
3 What other forms of ‘lack’ are there?
Complete the definitions with words and expressions from the text. (TALO)
1 ‘A go-getter is someone who is determined to succeed and
works hard to achieve this.
2 ‘A _____-_____’ is a person who works well with other people as
part of a group.
3 ‘A bit of a __________ describes a person who likes to entertain
people by doing or saying funny things.
4 ‘A bit of a __________ describes someone who prefers to be
independent and to do things on their own.
Do you know any people who fit the descriptions? (TASP)
BBC News
Work in pairs and discuss the questions. (TASP / TAVI / TALO)
1 Do you tend to wear the same-coloured clothes or a variety of
oocolours? Which colours and why?
2 What does your appearance say about you? Think about
clothes, colours, hair, accessories etc.
Look at the texts and decide how each can be exploited:
TAVI what is the useful / interesting information?
TALO identify language area(s)
TASP think of discussion points / questions /
writing task
