I did some kick-ass PQA this week with grades 7 and 8! I couldn’t believe the engagement I got! So many laughs. And it felt much more like real communication, more so than steps 2 and 3. I wish I had had a camera running. It was magical. And this has never happened with my PQA sessions in the past, which is one reason I was turned off to PQA.
In order to keep it fresh for myself, I do different structures for each grade. I prefaced it for the kids by saying we were going to just hang out, relax, and have a conversation that worked in the phrases on the board. And for the first time I did PQA with the kids (and me) all in comfy chairs in a semi-circle. I could totally do this outside while it’s still warm if I use a small portable whiteboard for any words that may have to be brought in bounds. The less it looks and feels like school, the better!
One thing that did happen occasionally is that there was a lot of energy behind one mini-scene and the students wanted to extend it into story, once a kid even directly asked if we could turn it into a story, but it would have led me out-of-bounds, so I would move on. In order to continue to get reps, I was creating OWI’s and 1-scene mini-stories. That advice to have structures that create conflict is one of the gems I’ve gotten from this blog. I was using Matava’s “Lazy” (works, boss yells at him, lazy) and “A Day in Court” (had to pay, went to court, believed him) and the structures were perfect. One naturally led to the other.
I’ve been doing 10 minute bursts of no-English with a Student Timer and the clock goes back to 0 if anyone speaks English, me included. At the end of the L2 burst, we just hang out or do a new short children’s song (La Cucaracha anybody?!). I’m loving songs, btw, and starting classes with them like I think Laurie recommended. Excellent way to start class, especially since I get kids trailing in over a 3 minute period. Those present are gesturing and singing. 10 minute timed L2 is awesome. I can turn my back to the group and no one talks. And I’m not afraid of silence. My kids have played the game a while and we’ve used the 2 words in English rule, but during these timed L2 bursts, there is no English. Maybe the 2-words are only really necessary to get them playing the game and should then be taken away. Because 2 words in English often led to much more English.
It’s clear how much my kids have progressed in comprehension (and output fluency), since the new kids are totally lost if I teach to the kids who have had me before, rather than teach slowly to the newbies.