Dialogue Journals with Cultural Themes

Purpose:  To use the vehicle of the dialogue journal as the basis for a conversation about culture between learner and tutor/teacher; activity for high beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels, though lesson could be modified for lower level learners by using pictures and drawings.

Prep time:  15-20 minutes to gather materials to use in introducing topic or theme; optional preparation of word list

Materials:  Pencil, paper or notebooks, visuals and props related to topic

Preparation:  Collect pictures and other realia related to theme and think about vocabulary needed to introduce topic

Procedure:

1. Explain that learners will have set amount of time to write about a given topic, that dialogue journal is like a conversation in writing between learner and tutor.
2. Introduce theme and give them 15-30 minutes to write.
3. Tutor reads and responds to student entry, focusing on content rather than grammar.  Errors can be corrected by modeling proper form in the response. Tutor includes questions in response, as well as information about self, to engage learner.

Variations:  Dialogue journals work best over extended periods of time.  Include this writing activity in your lessons on an ongoing basis. 

Examples of opening lines:

• What is a holiday you observe (in comparison with US holidays)? What do you do to celebrate it?
• Tell me about family in your country? Who is your family? Who do you call Auntie, Uncle, etc.? Who are other people who influence your family? Are there certain words or titles you use to establish status or role?
• What advice would you give to someone who is going to go to school in your home country?
• How are people elected in your country? Were you able to vote in your home country? Are other people allowed to become citizens of your home country?
• How do you handle money in your home country? Did you have banks? How do you deal with banks and US finances (i.e. interest, loans, debt, bank accounts).
• Cooking, foods & shopping (low-level learners). What is a kitchen like (US vs home country) Laundry? Indoor plumbing?
• What work did you do in your home country? How is the workplace different? How do you get a job in your home country? What was your first job? How old were you? What was your worst job? Best job?
• Weather. What do you do when it is very hot/cold? How do you get around? What do you do for fun/leisure? Are there certain things you do only during certain seasons or weather?
• For parents, what is the teacher’s role in your home country? What has your expectation been of teachers here?
• What is art is your country/culture? Bring in artifacts; instruments, etc.
• Pose a problem related to education and ask students to write about possible solutions.