The Language Teacher
October 2001
The Adjustment Task
Yoshida Kensaku
Sophia University
QUICK GUIDE
Key Words: Conflict, persuade, adjust
Learner English Level: Intermediate to advanced
Learner Maturity Level: High school and up
Preparation Time: Negligible if a good scenario already exists
Activity Time: 1 hour
We so often hear complaints about Japanese students not speaking out in class. One major reason is that students have not been taught to do so even in their Japanese language classes. The report on Promoting Revision in English Education (2001) released by the Ministry of Education and Science mentions this point on the very first page. At the same time, however, as English teachers, we cannot just sit still and wait until the teaching of Japanese changes. What I want to do in this My Share is introduce a technique based on the Adjustment Model of communication (Yoshida, 1996; Suzuki, Yoshida, Shimozaki, & Tanaka, 1997; Di Pietro, 1987) and to illustrate this technique by offering a sample lesson. The Adjustment Task is similar to a debate in that it forces the participants to take sides on a certain issue. However, adjustment is not a win-or-lose activity. It assumes the use of moves used to alleviate the tension that exists in conflict situations, without necessarily having to beat or give in to the opposing standpoint.
The Adjustment Task
Procedure
We first divide the class into groups of about five students each. Two groups participate in each task. Although the task itself is conducted by two people -- each representing their own group -- it is a group effort in that the other members of the group can help out whenever there is a need to do so (see Vygotsky, 1978; Nunn, 2001, for notions related to what Vygotsky calls the Zone of Proximal Development, where solutions which an individual cannot attain by him/herself can be attained through the help of others). Each group is given a situation scenario, which shows some point of conflict with the other group. The groups discuss their scenarios separately (in Japanese if necessary). After all the members have understood the scenario, each group selects a representative to conduct the actual interaction.
During the interaction, contrary to traditional debate methods, the representatives are free to go back to their groups for advice, and it is also possible for the representatives to change during the task. The first half of the task consists of each representative expressing their opinion in as clear and persuasive a manner as possible, and the second half is spent in trying to come to a common solution both groups can agree on.
Preparation stage
Prior to having the discussion, awareness of the topic must be raised by getting students to think, talk, and exchange ideas about the topic. This can be done in various ways such as discussion, group polls, or surveys.
Preparing to talk about the topic
To conduct the preparatory activity, the following should be taken into consideration:
initial discussion of the topic in Japanese should be allowed; and
teachers should NOT lead the students to think in a prescribed direction (i.e., repeating the teacher's opinion).
Scaffolding students' linguistic tools to talk about the topic
To enhance the learning of the linguistic tools needed to successfully conduct this task, the teacher must point out and build up the students' ability to:
use essential vocabulary items (if initially given in Japanese, then an English translation must be given) related to the topic; and
use argumentative and functional expressions (e.g., cause/effect, contrast/comparison) needed to express opinions clearly and persuasively (e.g., T: How many students like fast food better than obento? Why? S: Because I like beef. T: Why not? S: Because fast food isn't good for our health.); and
use communication strategies (e.g., confirmation, clarification) to confirm and negotiate meaning (e.g., T: Okay, here's my phone number[said quickly] 044-398-7327. S: Could you say that again?).
Of course, if your students are lower than intermediate, learning to use the functions and the communicative strategies needed to conduct the task may take time (sometimes weeks before the actual Adjustment Task is conducted in class). The same functional expressions will have to be practiced many times using different topics. But as long as you keep the expressions authentic and contentious, where the students are given the freedom to respond in their own way, it does not get repetitive. Moreover, as students begin to acquire the linguistic tools, it takes less and less time.
Sample lesson
For this sample lesson, I chose the topic of Friendship or Club Activities, because I thought it would interest students in high school. It might also interest college students. This particular activity was done after a preparatory discussion in a high school class about the value of club activities and the value of friendship.
Scenarios
Group 1, who represents student A, gets a call from a childhood friend (of the opposite sex) s/he likes very much. The friend wants to meet A because s/he is moving out of town. The friend has something very important to tell A before s/he leaves. The friend has very little time to see A so s/he specifies a certain time.
Group 2 represents student B, who is the captain of the club A belongs to. A is the best player on the team. The coach of the club has called B to gather the members for a special practice, and now B is calling A to come to the practice at the same time that A has promised to meet his/her friend.
Adjustment Task
The conflict here is that the practice falls on the same time that A has promised to meet his/her childhood friend. The task, then, is: How will the two come to a solution that both can agree on? The first half of the activity will see the representatives trying to persuade the other side of the strength of their position (e.g., A: I'm sorry, but I must meet a very special friend. B: Unless we win next week's game, the principal told us our club is going to be discontinued next year. A: She/He's my best friend and I have to meet her/him. What else can I do? B: But aren't we your friends, too?). Although possible sample dialogues are provided, the best thing about activities such as this is that you cannot predict what will happen. Teachers cannot, and should not predict what will happen in these adjustment tasks. Adjustment tasks are never predictable, hence, the importance of the Debriefing section at the end.
The second half of the activity, which is the adjustment phase, is usually shorter if the participants have understood the other side's situation. Many times the groups will come to suitable solutions by themselves (e.g., A: I'll meet my friend in the restaurant right next to our school. I'll have to change into my uniform before I meet her/him. I'll join the practice as soon as I finish talking with her/him. B: We'll begin the preliminary exercises and wait for you to join us for the real practice.), but sometimes the teacher will have to help to adjust their positions in order to come to some sort of agreement.
Debriefing
After each Adjustment Task, the teacher and class get together to discuss language usage as well as effectiveness of argumentation (e.g., What was difficult to express in English? How could something have been said better? What would you have said in that situation?).
Conclusion
This task is different from debate in several ways. First, it does not require prior research on the part of the students. The scenarios are all based on potential everyday events and the personalized topics allow students to use natural language to express their opinions and feelings. Students can also suggest scenarios. Second, by working in groups to scaffold their use of functional expressions, the participants begin to self-regulate their ability to compromise. In other words, if the students get a sense of success from the communication process itself, then that is where the merit in language learning can be said to reside.
References
Di Pietro. (1987). Strategic interaction. New York: Cambridge.
Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture. (2001). Eigo shido-ho to no kaizen suisin ni kansuru kondankai hokokusho (The report on promoting revision in English education). Retrieved from <www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/houdou/13/01/010110.htm>.
Nunn, B. (2001). Task-based methodology and sociocultural theory. The Language Teacher 25(8).
Suzuki, Y., Yoshida, K., Shimozaki, M., & Tanaka, S. (1997). Communication to site no Eigo kyoiku ron, Tokyo: ALC.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Yoshida, K. (1996). Intercultural communication as interpersonal communication. In G. von Troyer (Ed.) On JALT95: Curriculum and evaluation -- Proceedings of the JALT 1995 international conference on language teaching/learning. Tokyo: JALT.
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