Activity II–3: Line Dialogue

Activity II–3: Line Dialogue
Highlights: This activity is good for a change of pace and gets learners out of their chairs interacting
with everyone in the class. A great deal of peer teaching and friendly conversation can happen
throughout this activity.
Objectives: Learners get intensive (repeated many times) practice using the targeted language in
short dialogues. Learners may get to know one another in an atmosphere where peer teaching is
naturally supported.
Context: This activity can be used in all levels or multilevel classes. It is suitable for general ESL
classes as well as specific classes such as workplace or family literacy classes. This activity works
best for classes with at least 10-12 learners.
Estimated Time: The first time this activity is used, the explanation may require several repetitions
and demonstrations. Afterwards, line dialogues should take no more than 15 minutes. After 15
minutes, the activity may become a little tedious.
Materials: Learners in one line have Cue Cards that are used to elicit responses from learners in the
other line. Cue cards can contain word or picture clues for responses to questions. Realia (authentic
items) are also effective for beginning level classes. If learners are using familiar questions such as
“What is your name?” or “How are you?” no cue card prompts may be necessary. For higher level
students, cue cards will probably not be needed. Questions for higher level students come from the
targeted language. “What would you do if you won one million dollars?” or “What would you like
to be doing 10 years from now?” might be questions asked and answered in a line dialogue with
intermediate or advanced learners.
Procedure:
1. Pre-teach dialogue.
2. Learners form two lines facing each other. Hand out cue cards to learners in LINE A. These cue
cards are used to elicit responses from learners in LINE B.
3. LINE A remains stationary, repeating the same questions to every learner in Line B. Learners in
LINE B listen to the question, look at the cue cards, respond to the question, and then move to
the right and face another learner in Line A. All pairs talk at once. The last person in Line B
moves to the beginning of the line. The activity continues until everyone in Line A has asked a
question to everyone in Line B. Example: Task: Learners will identify body parts from visuals.
Dialogue: A: What’s wrong? B: My back hurts.
Note: There are a variety of ways to set up a line dialogue. There may be only one line asking
questions, or both lines can ask questions. As discussed above, cue cards may or may not be used.
In classes where learners have some comfort and familiarity with everyday language, learners decide
on their own what questions to ask. In all cases, one line remains stationary and the other moves.
Evaluation: This activity provides the teacher with an excellent opportunity to unobtrusively
evaluate learners; once learners understand how to conduct a line dialogue, they usually have so
much fun that they don’t pay attention to the teacher at all. During this activity, the teacher can
observe learners’ speaking and listening skills, vocabulary knowledge, question formation or
clarification skills, and even comfort level using English.
Extension activities: To give learners an opportunity to speak English with others, two small classes
could participate in the line dialogue. These classes could be at approximately the same level or the
less advanced class could comprise the stationary line and practice the questions in advance.
(Adapted from the REEP Adult ESL Curriculum. Available from www.apsva.us/reep. Adapted with
permission.)