This is the second of two articles that deal with the topic of intercultural awareness and learning. The first article - Intercultural learning 1 - sets out the methodological background to this topic, and this, the second article, offers practical suggestions for the classroom.
Writing, like all other aspects of language, is communicative. Think about what we write in real life. We write e-mails, lists, notes, covering letters, reports, curriculums, assignments, essays perhaps if we study.
This article is written for teachers with large classes of students who have encountered some of the following or similar problems during speaking activities in their classroom.
Non-verbal communication (body language, paralinguistics) has been a focus of attention for some time in areas such as the refinement of presentation skills, developing social skills, and even as a realistic alternative to the lie-detector test.
If telling my students "And now we're going to practise listening," elicits looks of dread and fear, announcing reading practice can often elicit yawns, heads descending to desks, or eyes ascending heavenwards.