Running head: DESIGNING ACTIVITIES

Designing School/Home Activities

Roxana Shirazi
American College of Education

Designing School/Home Activities

Designing School/Home Activities

Introduction
The field of language acquisition is always buzzing with critical chatter,
vibrating with new developments, and shifting colors as novel perspectives
arise. These changes in the pedagogical realm reflects the fluidity of our
global society and the vast realization, and subsequent strength, of
globalization. The English language embodies the aforementioned realities.
Indeed, English remains the lingua franca of our time. But, as the group that
speaks English grows and becomes diversified, educators must adopt a
pedagogical approach that is culturally-inclusive and culturally-responsive.
Moreover, English language instruction must feature intercultural
communicative competence in order to navigate and function amongst the
aforementioned culturally diverse group.
Following this frame of thought, two lessons have been designed for
adult language learners who: 1) are Turkish L1; 2) are training to become
professional flight attendants; and 3) possess a beginner level English
language proficiency. The aim of these lessons is to acquire English
language skills alongside intercultural communicative skills. The latter
component is a novel branch of advocacy as it encourages empathy and
flexibility when interacting with people from different cultural and linguistic
backgrounds.
Part 1: Class-to-Home Connection

Grade level Beginner Adult

Objectives To practice intercultural

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3
communicative competence by
displaying an empathetic demeanor,
a flexible approach to interaction,
and cultural sensitivity.

Standards Students are expected to actively

participate during class, use correct
grammar, appropriate tone stress,
and intelligible pronunciation.
Describe where this activity fits into This lesson falls in line with the
the lesson/curriculum. overall aim: incorporation of
intercultural communicative
competence into English language
lessons. The intercultural
communication branch requires the
participation of a non-English
speaking family member and the
English language lesson component
revolves around the correct usage of
verb tenses and fluency by the
student.
Describe the activity. Include a The lesson begins by showing a
student self-advocacy component, picture of a passenger sitting in an
and integrate technology. airline seat with a few items next to
them. Elicit background knowledge
by asking students to name the
items in the picture. Ask students to
imagine the fictional characters
destination, nationality, and food
and drink preferences.
Pre-teach the vocabulary specific to
the lessons using pertinent images
and engage the class in oral drills.
The list is composed of nouns and
words that passengers use to
communicate with flight attendants.
The list includes: blanket, ear plugs,

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4
take-off, landing, destination, arrival,
chicken, beef, vegetarian, etc.
Have students write one question
using one of the new vocabulary
words. You may call on students to
write their question on the board or
simply provide oral feedback. Collect
the sentence from each student.
Assign students to groups and have
them play Charades with the new
vocabulary. During this time, place
one sentence in a sealed envelope.
Continue until every sentence is in a
sealed envelope. Distribute the
envelopes to the students taking
special care not to hand a student
their own sentence.
Explain the scenario of the activity
as follows: the student is a flight
attendant and the relative is a
passenger who is not fluent in
English.
Students will go home and give the
sealed envelope to a relative who
does not speak English. Each
student must record a video of their
relative opening the sealed letter
and reading the question inside (as
an airline passenger) and the
student responding to their question
(as a flight attendant). The Turkish
language does share a few linguistic
attributes with the English language
which affords the relative the ability
to read the question. However, the
relative will stumble over the English
pronunciation. The student must
respond empathetically,
appropriately and professionally

Designing School/Home Activities

5
displaying intercultural
communicative competency.
Videos will be shown to the class.
They may be uploaded to YouTube or
emailed to the instructor. Allow
students to clarify any aspect of the
video and/or share their comments
and thoughts afterwards.

Describe how you will assess the Each students video will be
effectiveness of the activity. assessed using a rubric. The rubric
contains four criteria: correct
grammar usage, intelligible
pronunciation, appropriate tone
stress, and intercultural
communicative competence. Each
criterion is rated on a scale of 1-3
with one being the lowest and three
as the highest.
Aside from the grammatical portion,
the intercultural communicative
component will also be scrutinized.
The goal is to assess whether or not
students have grasped the message
of empathy by treating their
relatives, who are not proficient in
English, much like passengers who
struggle with English. This activity
mimics a real-life scenario where
students, as flight attendants, must
be able to communicate in English
with cultural awareness in mind.
Due to the students limited
proficiency, the feedback will be
shared with my counterpart, a
Turkish English language instructor,
and we will revise our lessons
accordingly.

Designing School/Home Activities

Part 2: Home-to-Class Connection

Design an activity in which a parent/guardian or family member(s)
participates in the classroom.

Grade level Beginner Adult

Objectives Demonstrate an understanding of
the simple present tense through
cooking vocabulary as part of a
culturally-inclusive lesson.
Standards A cumulative presentation must
contain grammatically sound
structures, appropriate visuals, and
cooking instructions in correct order.
Describe where this activity fits into Food is a wonderful thematic vessel
the lesson/curriculum. to share culture and discourages
students from viewing a countrys
culture as a monolith. This activity
employs an interactive approach to
teaching cooking verbs and nouns
as part within the context of the
simple present tense. It also builds a
foundation of intercultural
communicative competence by
establishing interest and respect for
foreign practices and traditions.
Describe the activity. Include a
student self-advocacy component, In this activity, students will share a
and integrate technology. traditional dish of their choosing
with the class. It requires the
presence of a relative demonstrating
how to cook the dish while the
student narrates the instructions in

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7
English. Presentation may take on
two forms:
1. The non-English speaking relative
comes to class and demonstrates
how to cook their dish of choice
while the student narrates in
English. Due to the absence of
cooking appliances a PowerPoint of
the appliances used will be
presented.
2. A video recording of the students
and a non-English speaking relative
demonstrating how to cook the dish
if the relative is unable to attend
class. The student narrates aloud to
the class in sync with what is
occurring in the video.
Everyone will be encouraged to cook
and bring their chosen dish to class
so that everyone may partake in a
class party after everyone presents.

Describe how you will assess the A pop quiz will be administered the
effectiveness of the activity. class following the presentations.
Students will be asked to write the
cooking method of their chosen
dish. In order to sustain a relaxed
environment, students will exchange
papers with a partner. Although the
instructor must monitor corrections,
the focus of this assessment is on
the students reaction to the
diversity within their own classroom.
They should be able to relate those
learning and restructure their
attitudes and opinions towards
culturally and linguistically diverse
groups.

Designing School/Home Activities

Part 3: Reflection
Advocacy and English language instruction are inseparable. I am a
passionate advocate of the incorporation of intercultural communicative
competence into English language lessons. It is vital to the professional
success of our students who are training to become pilots and flights
attendants in the near future. They must be able to demonstrate English
language proficiency and intercultural communicative competences as they
will interact with culturally and linguistically diverse groups of people.
These activities are excellent avenues for advocacy for the instructor,
the students, and the parents and family. The first activity explicitly
simulates real-life experiences of a flight attendants encounter with people
who have a limited knowledge of English. It implicitly communicates the fact
that our family will always be viewed as the other to different groups of
people. As such, we should approach every situation with cultural sensitivity,
empathy, and respect. The second activity provides a warm atmosphere that
celebrates diversity. All of the aforementioned are within the vein of
language acquisition.
Conclusion
By framing students relatives as the other, these activities serve as
stepping stones towards intercultural communicative competence.
Furthermore, it seamlessly incorporates cultural awareness into English
language lessons thus rendering language acquisition and intercultural
communicative competence as inseparable. I hope to render language skills
and cultural skills as a single, synergistic entity.