Fluency or Accuracy? Work on Both with Spoken Grammar RecordingsStephanie Hanson

Teaching Specialist

University of Minnesota English Language Program

Agenda

• Sentences per Minute technique

• Demo

• Logistics of assignment

• Student example and feedback

• Topic ideas

Sentences per Minute

• Assign topic and time limit

• Partners count sentences

• Calculate sentences per minute

• Repeat and try to increase sentences per minute

Soresi, S. (2005). SPM: A new approach to achieving fluency. Modern English Teacher, 14 (3), 39-43.

Demonstration

Partner A: talk for 1 minute - What did you do yesterday?

Partner B: count past tense verbs

Partner A: talk for 1 minute, same topic

Partner B: count past tense verbs

Partner B: talk for 1 minute – What are your plans for tomorrow?

Partner A: count future tense verbs

Partner B: talk for 1 minute, same topic

Partner A: count future tense verbs

Logistics

• Weekly assignment

• Record on phones or computers

• Submit recordings via course website (or email)

Logistics

• Submit paper for each pair of recordings

• Grading: completed or not

Student Sample

FutureRecording 1

FutureRecording 2

Student Feedback

What kinds of positive and negative comments do you think my students shared about grammar recordings?

Student Feedback

Fall 2015 Intermediate Grammar class

9 positive comments

• I think the grammar records help me because I can practice grammar and speaking too. (x 6)

• I think it is helping my grammar skill because when I record it, I know my mistake and Stephanie gives a little bit feedback. (when I had a wrong thing.)

• I like the grammar recoding because I can speak fluency and when I have mistakes in the first recording I didn't forget that.

• I like it, because it can help me organize my language.

Student Feedback

Fall 2015 Intermediate Grammar class

2 negative comments

• It helps me, but I think 2 minutes is too long

• Sometimes I don't have any word to say about the topic, because I didn't experience a lot about that. So I think it's helps a little.

Topic Ideas

In small groups, brainstorm some prompts you can assign students to target specific grammar structures.

Questions?

Stephanie Hanson

SLHANSON@umn.edu