Spontaneous Play in the Language Classroom: Creating a Community

260 Pages·2020·2.298 MB·

by  David Hann

Spontaneous Play in the
Language Classroom
Creating a Community
David Hann
Spontaneous Play in the Language Classroom
David Hann
Spontaneous Play
in the Language
Classroom
Creating a Community
David Hann
Faculty of Wellbeing, Education
and Language Studies
Open University
Milton Keynes, UK
ISBN 978-3-030-26303-4 ISBN 978-3-030-26304-1 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26304-1
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2020
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Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 The Trigger for My Research 3
1.2 The Structure of This Book 5
References 11
2 The Underexplored Role of Humorous Play
in the Second Language Classroom 13
2.1 The Traditional Neglect of the Language Classroom
as an Arena for Social Interaction 14
2.2 Language Learners Have Identities Too 15
2.3 Individual and Collective Identities 17
2.4 The Nature of Humorous Play 19
2.4.1 Play as Stepping Outside the Norm 20
2.4.2 Play and Humour: Overlapping Concepts 24
2.4.3 Language and Its Relationship to Play
and Humour 26
2.4.4 Humorous Language Play and Its Subversive
Nature 30
v
vi Contents
2.4.5 Defining Humorous Language Play
for the Purposes of This Book 31
2.5 Humorous Language Play and the Second Language
Learner 32
2.5.1 The Challenges of HLP for the Second
Language Learner 32
2.5.2 The Advantages of Play for the Second
Language Learner 35
2.6 HLP in the Second Language Classroom: Pedagogical
and Research Perspectives 37
2.6.1 HLP: A Neglected Dimension in Classroom
Interaction 37
2.6.2 HLP Is More Than a Barometer of Language
Proficiency 39
2.6.3 HLP Is More Than a Single Event 41
2.7 Conclusion 42
References 43
3 The Language Classroom: A Hothouse Where Play
Can Germinate 49
3.1 The Research Setting: The BizLang Organisation 50
3.1.1 The BizLang English for Business Course 51
3.1.2 The BizLang Classroom Setting 52
3.1.3 The Typical Profile of BizLang EfB Course
Participants 53
3.1.4 Situating BizLang’s Pedagogical Approach 55
3.1.5 The Training Rooms and Equipment 59
3.1.6 The Research Advantages of the BizLang
Classroom Setting 60
3.2 Methodology 60
3.2.1 My Position as Researcher 62
3.2.2 De-limiting the Context 64
3.2.3 The Practicalities of Data Collection 68
3.2.4 Obtaining Other Perspectives 69
Contents vii
3.2.5 Transcription Conventions 70
3.2.6 Relevant Information on the Research
Participants 71
3.2.7 Conclusion 73
References 74
4 Exploiting Frames for Fun 79
4.1 Goffman’s Frame 80
4.1.1 Frames in the Adult Language Learning
Classroom 81
4.1.2 The Challenges That Classroom Frameworks
Present to Learners 82
4.1.3 Frames, Scripts and Schemata 83
4.2 Blending Frames for Comic Effect 84
4.2.1 Subverting the Established Order 92
4.2.2 Asserting the Established Order 95
4.2.3 Releasing Tension When the Frame Dissolves 96
4.3 Conclusion 97
References 98
5 Evoking Frames Through Associated Language 101
5.1 Theoretical Perspectives on Language, Context,
Play and Learning 102
5.1.1 The Relationship Between Language
and Its Context of Use 102
5.1.2 The Relationship Between Language,
the Speaker and the Social Group 104
5.1.3 Recontextualisation in a Bakhtinian
Conceptualisation of Language 105
5.1.4 Recontextualisation and Humour 108
5.1.5 Recontextualisation, Language Learning
and Language Play 110
5.2 Evidence of Recontextualisation for Playful Purposes 112
viii Contents
5.2.1 Taking Ownership of Learnt Language
and Evoking Shared Experience 112
5.2.2 Subverting Learnt Language for the Speaker’s
Own Intentions 117
5.2.3 Using Language Associated with the Trainer 121
5.2.4 Evoking Assumed Shared Knowledge
Through Associated Language 125
5.3 Playing with the Semantic Properties of Language 127
5.4 Conclusion 129
References 130
6 A Case Study: Overcoming Failure in the Search
for Common Ground 133
6.1 Rationale for Recording a Group Over
a Continuous Period 133
6.2 Background to the Case Study 135
6.3 The Obstacles to Play as Revealed by the Data 137
6.3.1 Lack of Mastery of the Structures
and Phonology of the TL 137
6.3.2 Searching for Common Cultural Ground 140
6.3.3 Overcoming Obstacles to Play: Body
Language and Other Resources 144
6.3.4 Playing with Structure and Sound 151
6.4 Conclusion 157
References 158
7 Prior Talk: A Key Resource for Play 161
7.1 A Thread of Play Woven Together to Create
a Cultural Reference Point 162
7.2 Playing with Errors, Playing with Identities 172
7.3 Recontextualising Learnt Language 178
7.4 Conclusion 185
References 187
Contents ix
8 Humorous Play and Its Implications for Classroom
Practice 191
8.1 The Literature on the Language Teacher’s Role in Play 193
8.2 The Timing and Rhythm of Play Episodes 195
8.3 Observations About the Rhythm and Pattern of Play 196
8.4 The Roles Teachers Might Assume in Play Episodes 202
8.4.1 The Teacher as Scaffolder for Play 202
8.4.2 The Teacher as Role-Shifter 205
8.4.3 The Teacher as Teaser 206
8.4.4 The Teacher as Fellow Outsider 208
8.4.5 The Teacher as Primer for Play 211
8.5 Conclusion 213
References 215
9 Humorous Language Play: Lessons from the Second
Language Classroom 219
9.1 What the Findings Tell Us About the Nature of Play
in the Language Classroom 219
9.1.1 Putting Right a Research Oversight: Play’s
Part in Building a Classroom Community 220
9.1.2 Limitations Can Be Strengths: Playing with
What’s Available 223
9.2 The Limitations of the Research: Avenues
for Further Investigation 226
9.2.1 HLP and the Acquisition Process 227
9.2.2 HLP and the Teacher’s Role 228
9.2.3 HLP and Different Learner Profiles 230
9.2.4 HLP Beyond the Classroom 232
9.3 Conclusion 233
References 234
Appendix 237
Bibliography 239
Index 251
List of Episodes
Episode 1 Do you want a glass of champagne? 85
Episode 2 More champagne? 87
Episode 3 Here’s our big gift 89
Episode 4 Viktor died 90
Episode 5 Our society director 93
Episode 6 You director 93
Episode 7 You are a little bit late 95
Episode 8 Hands up! 97
Episode 9 Yesterday pubs 113
Episode 10 You want compare a Volvo with a Ferrari? 114
Episode 11 Good question 115
Episode 12 Let’s sum up 117
Episode 13 Sorry, may I stop you for a moment? 118
Episode 14 Yesterday you miss 119
Episode 15 Repeat! 122
Episode 16 Take one and pass them on 123
Episode 17 You should 124
Episode 18 Same procedure 126
Episode 19 I’m on the left of you 127
Episode 20 Without 128
Episode 21 Losers 138
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