Exam Practice Unit 8

Ihab’s answer to Exam practice Question 8 Key sub skills and features of discourse learners of this level(pre-intermediate) would need to know to complete this activity are: 1. Knowledge and use of discourse structure of this type of interaction.

Example: initiation – negotiation - checking consensus – reaching an agreement – checking the decision. 2. Learners need to know the exponents and discourse functions of adjacency pairs. 3. Examples: Initiation (for interactional purpose): Hi, how are you?/ How are things? Response: Fine, thanks./ Pretty well, thanks. Follow-up: How about you? Transactional talk: Ok! Now for the meeting,../ We need to/ should meet this week. Yes, we do. Sure. Let’s agree on a day. Are you free on..? What about you, Kevin? Suggesting: How/What about Thursday? May be we can meet on Wednesday./ What time?/ Accepting/ refusing suggestions: Well, I’m really busy on Wednesday. Sorry. I have to visit meet a friend? / I’m going to pick up my sister at the airport. I’m having a meeting at that time. What about …?/ Can we meet on ..?/OK. Friday is fine. / Let’s meet then. 4. Turn taking skills: Learners need to know intonation patterns that indicate when a

person is about to end an utterance, when inviting others to talk and when to interrupt. Examples: Hi, how are you↓?/ Sure. Let’s agree on a day↓. Are you free on..?↑ Can we meet on ..?↑ What about Thursday?↓ 5. Discourse markers to shift and manage conversation. Examples: Well/ I mean../but/ right/the 5 – appropriate lexis and grammar Examples: Lexis: days of the week/times of the day/how to apologize/how to accept or refuse suggestions/agreeing and disagreeing and giving excuses. Grammar: Present continuous or future with (be going to) to express future plans.(I’m not going to do/doing anything important on Friday morning.) Modals: Could we meet at..? Sure, I’ll be there. That would be fine.