A cline is a scale of language items that goes from one extreme to another, for example, from positive to negative.

four people with different emoticons over their faces

A cline could also include items that go from weak to strong, or frequent to rare for example.

Example
The teacher asks learners to map modal verbs of probability such as ‘must', ‘might not' and ‘may' on a cline of probability from 100% sure to 100% not sure.

In the classroom
Clines can be a useful tool for learners to record information, and they can help teachers as a concept check. However, a learner's ability to use a cline does not mean that they can use the target language in context.

Further links:

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/conveying-meaning

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/checking-understanding

Comments

Submitted by BigMerv on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 13:53

I like this because it is just such a worldwide phenomenon. Don't underestimate the value of an activity which students immediately understand.

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