Language Functions + Chunks

Get students learning through the use of powerful, purposeful sets of expressions.

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Years, years ago - I was teaching in the Czech Republic. No photocopier, no textbooks, just a chalkboard, and my own creativity. I had in my possession a small book called, “Conversation Gambits” and it was a lifesaver.

For a lesson, I’d write all the “gambits” - short expressions that are used for a purpose, a language function on one side of the board. On the other side, I’d list some options for using those language functions. For example … Making suggestions.

Gambits Choices

Why don’t we … grab a bit to eat
What if we … go see …
Just a suggestion, how about we … just chill and …

Making Suggestions

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I’d initiate conversation and we’d continue using the expressions and roleplaying with the much longer list.

The students would then have a long list of “chunks” - words that go together and are used for a purpose - in their repertoire. Sentence starters for set situations. We’d even brainstorm other ways to fulfill the function.

That book stuck with me. Chunks are powerful sets of words for students to learn. Humans are creatures that learn through patterns, metaphors, similarity and chunks truly help learners quickly acquire a strong set of “language in use”, functional expressions. Read more about chunks in this NYTs article. Or this comprehensive review on “chunking” based on Lewis’ - Lexical Approach to teaching language.

By ‘chunks’, experts refer to:

• collocations (wrong way, give way, the way forward)

• fixed expressions (by the way, in the way)

• formulaic utterances (I’m on my way; no way!)

• sentence starters (I like the way…)

• verb patterns (to make/fight/elbow one’s way…)

• idioms and catchphrases (the third way; way to go!)
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… everything, in fact, that doesn’t fit neatly into the categories of either grammar (as traditionally conceived) or single-word vocabulary.

Recently, I needed to teach a group of students who were of mixed levels. My thoughts went back to that practical book and how I might use chunks as a way to focus on speaking. So, what does a clever materials developer do? Borrow - create one’s own resource based on the original book. I came up with Get Talking.

Download the PDF and PPTx version below as a paid subscriber. Also, find the full activity book on TpTs.

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