Dialog Expansion Personal Information

Purpose: Most of the dialog expansion has been done as the dialog was taught.
This is the ideal way of teaching the dialog because it makes it relevant, real
and communicative. This part of the dialog expansion module will present
additional expansion exercises and will discuss how to teach grammar.

Preparation: Already done as a part of dialog teaching.

Teaching:

Step 1: Introduce new vocabulary.
    (This has already been done in teaching the dialog.)

Step 2: Model the first sentence.
    Teacher: He's a (student's profession). (Pointing to a student.)

Step 3: Students repeat sentence.
    Teacher: He's a __________.
    Student: He's a __________.

Step 4: Students substitute new items
    Teacher: She (pointing to another student).
    Student: She's a (student's profession).
    Teacher: I (pointing to herself).
    Student: You're a teacher.
    Teacher: You (pointing to student).
    Student: I'm a __________.

Note: Generally it is best not to spend a lot of time explaining grammar. Adult
students, however, are often very interested in learning about grammar. Some
cultures, especially educated southeast Asians, consider learning grammar an
essential part of learning a language. Persons from these cultures will often
think the teacher is not doing her fob if they are not learning grammar rules.
To ignore the interest adults have in learning grammar or to relegate it to
unimportance will often have a negative effects on their readiness to
participate in other learning activities. To spend large amounts of time
explaining the grammar of the language, on the other hand, will not likely help
the students to learn to speak. The ideal solution is to make explanations
brief, to use well chosen examples, and to avoid sophisticated grammatical
terminology. Students preparing for admission to a university should have
special grammar classes to prepare them for the entrance examination.

Grammar:

In Lesson 3 the teacher might point out that:

    I'm is short for I am.
    He's is short for he is.
    She's is short for she is.
    You're is short for you are.

When we speak we usually use the short form and when we write we usually use the
long form.

Questions are made by putting the verb is, are at the front of the sentence.

    You are married.
    Are you married?

For other verbs you have to add do.

    You have children.
    Do you have children?