Teaching Colloquial Language
to Achieve Higher Levels
Steve Koppany
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Principles
• Prepares for life beyond the classroom
• Colloquial language is not “incorrect;” it is real language in the right circumstances
• Must teach when using it is/isn’t appropriate
• Must teach social parameters, conversational strategies: When, what, cultural rules
• Don’t overdo
• Don’t sanitize. If too “raw,” don’t use
• Focus on common, most frequently used features
• Experimentation is helpful, but can become annoying
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Definitions, Features
• Registers (In English: Static, Formal, Consultative, Casual, Intimate)*
• Pronunciation (reductions, contractions, accents, speech impediments, etc.)
• Delivery (halting/confident, slow/fast, etc.)
• Ellipsis (shortcuts, surface ungrammaticality, etc.)
• Hesitation markers
• Euphamisms
• Acronyms
• Idioms, clichés
• Colloquialism, Slang
* Source: Montano-Harmon, M. R. “Developing English for Academic Purposes” California State University, Fullerton
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Resource Selection
Considerations
• Author’s Intent
• Level Appropriateness
• Super‐Authenticity
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Author’s Intent*
Text Mode
Enumerative Orientational Orientational 0+
1
1+
Orientational Simple, (Lists, with a "twist" loosely isolated words and connected discourse to phrases, cognates, communicate main ideas; numbers, names, street simple short signs, etc.) or compact sentences, everyday vocab
Instructive 2 Instructive 2+
Evaluative 3
Evaluative Projective 4
3+
Factual, simple Instructive Increasingly Evaluative Unpredictable discourse; familiar with a "twist" complex discourse, with a turns of thought, context, predicatable unfamiliar topics; "twist"
read beyond the both factual and lines, all styles sequence, topic‐
abstract content, and forms; specific, simple present and support author shows general vocabulary, hyoptheses and virtuosity with complex sentences, opinions; read the language. cultural details; between the lines, Authour's information packing, infer; suasion. presence and ascription tags. Author Author is present individualistic is still anonymous but style is highly begins to appear through personal pronounced. through shaping.
views.
NOTE: Mixed Text Mode
If the higher than base level of the text/cut is "core" to the author's intent, do not select for use at the base level!
Select One
* Lowe, P. (2000). James Child's text modes & their derivatives: A compilation of descriptions.
Washington, DC: National Cryptologic School.
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Level Appropriateness
Vocabulary
0+
1
1+
Everyday Basic Survival Everyday, Level Survival Level Survival Level (plus (Concrete, simple generic often more descriptors, usage of adjectives, vocabulary, mostly nouns, adverbs)
adjectives and simple verbs
2
Topic‐Specific Vocabulary (broad range across FLO topics, "liberal" use of adjectives and adverbs)
2+
3
Topic‐
Vocabulary in All Specific Speech (concrete Vocabulary and abstract, incl. (plus a few technical less frequent discussions in the and/or listener's abstract professional field)
items)
3+
Vocabulary in All Speech (including occasional low‐
frequency abstract items and concepts)
No, or minimal grammar to deal with. Occasional oblique forms treated as "closed repertoire"
More Sentence‐
complex level sentences, grammar, occasional basic constructions; temporal present tense; shifts, basic subject, verb, cohesive features object (e.g., pronouns, verb inflections)
All tenses, common endings (noun, verbal, adjectival where they apply); possessive constructions, verbal moods (e.g., imperative), etc.
Some complex construction
s related to expressing opinions and hypotheses
All usually occuring Some unusually grammar forms, including complex complex structures ones; incl. constructions related to expressing hypotheses and supporting opinions (e.g., conditional, subjunctive)
No shared culture assumed
No shared culture assumed
Some shared target language culture is assumed
Moderated shared target culture is assumed
Much target language culture background is shared
4
Vocabulary in All Speech (social, professional, technical, tailored discourse; synonym level)
Select One
Grammar
High level/low frequency grammar forms used to express with individual style and sophistication
Select One
Culture
Rare cultural references that are similar to own culture
Nearly all target language cultural references are assumed shared
Target language culture is assumed shared
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Super-Authenticity
LC: Garbled/ Flawed Clea r, not fla wed Pa rtia lly
Recording? RC: Smudged/Faded /Poor photo copy?
Modera tely
Hea vily
Incomprehens ible
Extremely fa s t Mos t of the text illegible
Exa ggera ted/ Unna tura l Entire text is illegible
Select One
LC: Fast Delivery? R: Below a vera ge Illegible?
or a vera ge s peed Legibly printed, ha nd‐written
Select One
Long?
Slightly fa s ter Modera tely tha n a vera ge fa s ter tha n Some pa rts a vera ge illegible
Ha lf illegible
Les s tha n 120 120 s econds or s econds more Les s tha n 500 500 words or words more Select One
Elaborate/ Technical?
Not ela bora te or Pa rtia lly
technica l
Modera tely Hea vily
Level‐
ina ppropria te
Not unfa milia r
Pa rtia lly
Modera tely
Hea vily
Level‐
ina ppropria te
Not illogica l/ incoherent/ uneduca ted/ illitera te
Pa rtia lly
Modera tely
Hea vily
Incomprehens ible
Not intima te/ informa l/ vulga r
Pa rtia lly
Modera tely
Hea vily
Exa ggera ted/ Unna tura l Pa rtia lly
Modera tely
Hea vily
Level‐
ina ppropria te
Pa rtia lly
Modera tely
Hea vily
Exa ggera ted/ Unna tura l
Select One
Unfamiliar?
Select One
Illogical/ Incoherent/ Uneducated/ Illiterate?
Select One
Intimate/ Informal/ Vulgar?
Select One
Non‐Standard ? Sta nda rd
(Dia lects , Regiona lis ms , Street La ngua ge, etc.)
Select One
Emotional/ Agitated?
Select One
No detecta ble emotions
DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Sample Lessons
•
•
•
•
“Presidential Speech” – Level 1
“Hacker” – Level 2
“Interview With a Protester” – Level 2+
“Modern Day Warfare” – Level 3