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- "pan" and literacy for trinidad
- "pan" and literacy for trinidad
- Improving literacy through
Polite talk: positive
- Old talk
- Sweet talk--talking in nice tones
- Boasting/Brag, robber talk--hyperbole
- Good talk/getting advice from adults
- Fatigue/picong/tease --insult
- Knowing bounds or limits, so as not to violate a person
Ignorant talk: negative
- IGNORANT TALK: NEGATIVE
- Back chat or answer back
- Cuss--using obscene language
- Argument--loud talking
- Quarrel
- Mauvais langue, bad talk or gossip
- Rum talk, slack talk, old talk
Old talk
It appears that "old talk" for young as well as for older people, occurs in a relaxed environment among a group of friends or acquaintances. There is a freedom to participate here, to listen, to express one's views and to add humour, to perform, to sing, to chant and tell news and tales. Within an old talk session some disrespectful speech can occur. It is necessary to know bounds or limits and not hurt another person with too many "heavy" insults. All of the speech acts listed in the "ignorant" category were regarded by the students as "talking stupidness" and "making noise". The irony is that students(mainly males) admitted that they used obscene and loud violent speech when the occasion arose,to gain advantage over an opponent and to gain "respect" among their peers; although they strongly disapproved of this way of talking. They found it especially distasteful when used by females.
Literacy learning experiences
Our students related that they learned Reading at home the hard and painful way, that is ,their lessons were accompanied by "licks" or physical punishment. "Making a mistake" while reading a passage orally is actively discouraged. These unpleasant experiences have a negative impact on students. Some parents may discourage their children from reading for pleasure because the material does not have a textbook format. Reading comics and magazines are discouraged. On the other hand, life is hard economically and parents/guardians cannot afford to buy "story books" for children. It is a struggle just to send them to school to get
a certificate. The students' more pleasant Literacy memories were when they were praised by teachers for "doing good work" or for responding well in class.
What a teacher can do: suggestions for creating materials
Since the society is one that is rich in oral traditions, and performance (called "playing")occurs naturally even for very young children, educators can make use of these verbal experiences and those expressed by the students, to structure interactions with texts. WHAT IS THE VALUE OF ALL THESE "MEANS" OF SPEECH FOR LITERACY LEARNING?
Using mainly the positive elements of talk, and with the relaxation, drama, spontaneity and freedom of participation as in "old talk", they can learn switching behaviors and roles verbally (code-switching). This is important since it will build their linguistic security and confidence. They can also learn the appropriateness of the varieties in use in Trinidad and Tobago. The oral reading of English texts will form a part of this "playing" scenario as in Readers' Theatre. Discussions can take place in the vernacular as well as in English.
Students using speech acts to create their own materials
Story telling is an art that can be practised profitably in speech and in writing. Here both Standard English and Trinidadian Creole English can be used. Art and Music are areas where much stimulus material can be found to enhance presentations. "Knowing bounds or limits" and "Good talk" are themes which will inspire the writing and reading of their own "experiential" material. Teaching reading skills ( ESPECIALLY DECODING) within this context should be more enjoyable.
Teenaged males are particularly apt at "bragging", boastful or exaggerated speech with its repetitious quality. It is a part of their life style. This can be fine-tuned to capture its value as poetry. Not only this, but "old talk" participatory stances provide a clue for the structure and tone of in-class participation with the teacher controlling noise levels.There is a lot that teachers can do with their peers and their students to create "communication experience" schemes that provide enjoyment, the development of literacy, and strong community values.
Suggested activities
(1) Write down your observations on how your students interact with books and other media.
(2)What other "communication events" (e.g. "Good talk", "Knowing Bounds") can you think of as themes for student composition?(JOURNALING) **(3)With a group of your colleagues, compose a skit based on this theme i.e."Knowing Bounds" using code switching.(DRAMA) ** (4)Discuss how student discussions in International English differ from their participation in Creole-type English? (DISCUSSION)**(5)When reading material is based on their "communication" experiences" are they more eager to learn Reading skills than under normal classroom circumstances?(OBSERVATION and DISCUSSION)
**(6)Write a piece of "robber talk" with your students and have them perform it. Be sure to use Standard English as well as Creole speech. (DRAMA and CREATIVE WRITING)
References:
Hymes, Dell (1972)"Introduction" in C.B.Cazden et al. Functions of Language in the Classroom. Columbia University Press,New York.
James, Winford (2002) "A Different, not an Incorrect Way of Speaking Pts. 1-7." Retrieved from http://trinicenter.com.
Joseph, Barbara (1978) A Study of the Relationships between Teacher Ways of Speaking and Student Responses. Ph.D Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbara-Champaign.
Source:
OpenStax, "pan" and literacy for trinidad and tobago teachers. OpenStax CNX. Mar 09, 2011 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10460/1.14
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