Logical Conclusions

This activity is more challenging for students, because it checks their understanding of the sentences while also asking them to process some new information. If the textbook contains sentences that the students have just finished working on, then the teacher reads out a sentence in the first person, and adds a second sentence. Students use Captur paddles to let you know if the second sentence logically follows from the first, or at least shares a logical connection. So, on the board, you'd have:

Option A It's logical. There's a connection between the two sentences.

Option B It's illogical. There's no connection between the two.

Option C It could be logical. I'm not sure. This option is to help prevent guessing.

Here are some examples of the teacher reading out a sentence, and then adding a second one:

  • "I like spicy food. So, I've visited the USA."
  • "I like spicy food. So, I like curry." 
  • "I've been to California. I went to Los Angeles."
  • "I can ski well. So, I like English very much."

As you say these, students show you their answers with Captur paddles. After the answers are given, you can confirm the answers, and explain if needed. You'll know an explanation is needed if you see a lot of wrong or "unsure" answers.

Answers:

  • "I like spicy food. So, I've visited the USA." (This is illogical, so Option B)
  • "I like spicy food. So, I like curry." (This is logical, so Option A)
  • "I've been to California. I went to Los Angeles." (This is logical. It could have happened. So Option A)
  • "I can ski well. So, I like English very much." (This is illogical, so Option B)

Answer, Discuss, Answer Again

One approach really encourages communication between students:

  1. First, the teacher reads the sentence, then adds a second one, as in the examples above.
  2. Next, the students show their answer with their Captur paddles.
  3. After that, the students are told to talk with the small group of students around them. The goal is for students to justify their answers.
  4. After a few minutes of talking, the teacher calls for a second "vote" on the answer. The teacher can take a rough tally of the votes, and share the results with the class.
  5. The teacher reveals the correct / best answer, and tells the students why.

These steps are found in constructivist approaches to education in science and math courses. In those settings, the students are really learning about the core concepts that are at the foundations of those fields. In this case here, though, we're focusing on motivating foreign language learners to really attend to meaning, and to then feel motivated to share their thoughts with others.

Type of Activity: 
Skills: 
Materials: