Using Do/Say Charts to Build Interpersonal Team Skills in Multilingual Settings

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In order for teamwork to be successful in cross-cultural and multilingual settings, it is critical to identify the language and behaviors that demonstrate group management or cooperative skills, both in the target language and in the learners’ language and culture. The Do/Say Chart (Kagan, 1994) helps students identify and practice the critical team skills, such as eliciting participation, building consensus, and managing time, that will make their group work in class highly successful and transfer seamlessly into the 21st century workplace.

Content Objectives

• To demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills in a multilingual setting
• To use culturally appropriate mannerisms in a multilingual setting

Language Objectives

• To use the phrases and to describe the behaviors that demonstrate the key interpersonal skill of expressing disagreement
• To make comprehensive phrases in a group

Activity

1. Identify an interpersonal skill focus such as “expressing disagreement.”
2. Use a video clip, audio clip, or in-class demonstration to show students different ways that English speakers express disagreement. Be sure that the demonstrations include the nonverbal behaviors that indicate disagreement as well as the verbal expressions. (For a more valuable cross-cultural discussion, you can add formal and informal behaviors and language so that students can later discuss which types of expressions and behaviors are acceptable in different types of situations. For example, shaking your head from left to right slowly may be more acceptable than eye-rolling, but neither would be appropriate in a formal workplace setting.)
3. Ask students to consider why expressing disagreement would be important in teamwork. Point out that their goal during this activity is to acquire a variety of expressions (verbal and nonverbal) that will allow them to express their disagreement in a group discussion.
4. Put the Do/Say Chart (see Materials) up on the board and elicit behaviors and language that students use, or have seen people use, to express disagreement. Elicit ways students express disagreement politely in their cultures.
5. Fill in the chart with additional behaviors and English language phrases that students need in order to achieve their workplace or academic goals.
6. Check students’ comprehension of the information on the chart by asking questions such as “Which is more polite: I have to disagree with you or I’m not sure I agree with that idea.” Questions such as “Is it better to express your disagreement verbally or nonverbally at work? Why?” engage learners' higher-level thinking and give them additional exposure to the language they will be asked to produce.
7. Have students take turns using the phrases or nonverbal gestures in a role-play or group discussion about a topic on which students will have varying opinions.
8. Get feedback from the class on how they felt using the skill.
9. Give feedback and provide additional practice with any pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary challenges that came up during the role-play or discussion.

Note: This activity can be used to introduce a number of interpersonal skills. See the attached list for ideas.

Materials

Do/Say Chart on board, poster board, overhead transparency, or butcher paper.

Sample Do/Say chart:
When you want to disagree with someone you can…

Do this	Say this
Shake your head from side to side. Squint and tighten your mouth. Tilt your head to one side and squint. Take a breath and sigh before speaking. Slap your head Roll your eyes Blow air out of one side of your mouth	I’m not sure I agree with that. I have to disagree. I don’t think that’s right. Let me offer another view. Are you kidding me? You’ve got to be kidding! That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard!

Category

Team Building: self-monitoring, requests, pragmatics, power differences

Learning Theme

Learning to know; life-long learning

Resources

Adelson-Goldstein, J. (2006). The step forward professional development program for multilevel instruction in adult ESL programs. New York, NY: Oxford.

Bassano, S. & Christison, M. A. (1995). Community spirit: A practical Guide to Collaborative language learning. Burlingame, CA: ALTA ESL.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. P. (2005). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (9th ed.). Boston: Allen & Bacon.

Kagan, S. (1994).Kagan cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.

Author

Jayme Adelson-Goldstein, Lighthearted Learning, ESOL professional development specialist, Northridge, California, USA

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