Indicating Non-Comprehension

James McMullan & Lillian Mak Page 1/5

Developing Focused Non-Comprehension Strategies To Improve Communication

James McMullan, SCS University of Toronto Lillian Mak, IEP George Brown College

ESL learners commonly use expressions indicating total non-comprehension even when they understand most of the message. This workshop identifies more effective strategies for communication repair.

TASK #1 # WHEN YOUR SUPERVISOR SAYS… YOU REPLY… RATING 4 = best 0 = worst 1 Could you get me a XXX, please? Can you repeat that? OK. Again? Sorry, get you a what? Please speak more slowly.

2 Please take this file to the XXX. What did you say? Sorry, take it where? Could you repeat that? Sure. I can’t understand you.

3 Can you ask XXX to call me? You speak too quickly. Pardon? No problem. Say it again, please Ask who to call you?

4 I need this report by XXX. What do you need? Excuse me? You need it by when? This report… Right away.

5 Could you move XXX’s car? It’s Move whose car? blocking the entrance. Uhh? I don’t understand. Could you move…? I’m on it.

Copyright James McMullan & Lillian Mak 2010. This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors. James McMullan & Lillian Mak Page 2/5

TASK #2

Draw a line between what the supervisor says (1-8) and your reply (A-H).

1. Can you get me some XXX, please? A. Am I going where (later)? 2. We need XXXty-five file covers. B. (Sorry,) where is who? 3. Where is Mister XXX today? C. (Sorry,) you want which one? 4. Do you have XXX’s fax number? D. (Do I know) if who is coming later? 5. Are you going to the XXX later? E. (Sorry,) be here when? 6. Can you be here at XXX o’clock tomorrow? F. (Sorry,) we need how many? 7. Do you know if XXX is coming later? G. (Sorry,) get you some what? 8. I don’t need this file. I want the XXX one. H. (Sorry,) whose fax number?  Now practice the exchanges using marked intonation and kinesics.

TOOL A: Flip the Speakers A: Can you send me your XXXX? B: Sorry, can I send you my WHAT? 1st and 2nd person pronouns switch over I / me çè you my/mine çè your/yours we/us çè you our/ours çè your/yours Don’t flip we/us/our/ours if they refer to both speaker AND listener. N.B. 3rd person pronouns stay as they are. TASK #3 1. Where’s my XXXX? 2. Are you ready to XXXX? 3. Is your XXXX fixed yet? 4. Have you spoken to XXXX? 5. My XXXX needs new batteries. 6. I need new XXXXes for my son. 7. We’re very angry about XXXX. 8. Our apartment is really XXXX. 9. Do you have XXXX in your area? 10.XXXX makes me feel sleepy. Tool B: Which WH- word? James McMullan & Lillian Mak Page 3/5

WHO WHEN A: Ask XXXX if she needs a ride. A: I’ll be here at XXXX tomorrow. B: Ask WHO if she needs a ride? B: You’ll be here WHEN tomorrow? N.B. WHOM is too formal here. N.B. Omit ‘in, on, at’ but keep ‘by, from, until’ WHAT WHICH… A: We had some XXXX last week. A: I’ll take the XXXX shirt. B: You had (some) WHAT last week? B: Sorry, you’ll take WHICH shirt? N.B. If there no adjectives, repeating articles WHOSE… (a, an) and quantifiers (some, any) is optional. A: XXXX’s house is on fire WHERE B: Sorry, WHOSE house is on fire? A: Can you take John down to XXXX? HOW /HOW MUCH/HOW MANY B: Sorry, can I take him WHERE? A: He’s XXXX feet tall. N.B. Prepositions/adverbs of position and B: Sorry, he’s HOW tall? direction can be omitted.

TASK #4 Practice with a partner. (Replace XXXX with nonsense-words like ‘muddledigub’) 1. Can you get me a XXXX, please? 6. Are you going to the XXXX later? 2. We need XXXX more plates. 7. Can you meet me at XXXX o’clock ? 3. I don’t want this. I need the XXXX one. 8. XXXX is joining us later. 4. Have you ever eaten XXXX? 9. Hand in your work by XXXX. 5. Do you have XXXX’s email address? 10. Have you seen Mr. XXXX today?

Tool C: Nouns to pronouns Speed up communication flow by changing nouns before the XXXX word to pronouns, e.g. A: Can you give the report to XXXX? B: Sorry, give it to WHO?

But it sometimes helps to repeat the exact words after the XXXX, with rising intonation, e.g. A: Can you ask XXXX to lock the office? B: Sorry, ask WHO to lock the office?

TASK #5 Practice with a partner, changing the underlined words to pronouns. James McMullan & Lillian Mak Page 4/5

1. Can you take our guests to XXXX? 2. I returned my XXXX to the supplier. 3. Could you give John the XXXX? 4. The exams will start XXXX. 5. Mary asked about XXXX’s illness. 6. The doctor said I was too XXXX. 7. I gave Peter a new XXXX for his birthday. 8. The conference will be held at the XXXX next year.

Tool D: Handling verbs If you mishear an active verb or verb phrase, replace it with DO WHAT in a suitable tense, e.g. A: My daughter XXXX last week. B: She DID WHAT last week?

If you mishear a passive verb or verb phrase, replace the past participle with WHAT, e.g. A: The doorman has been XXXXed. B: Sorry, he’s been WHAT?

TASK #6 Practice with a partner: 1. Do you enjoy XXXXing? 2. Could you XXXX for me? 3. My parents want to be XXXXed when they die. 4. I love XXXXing in the summer. 5. You all have to XXXX by Tuesday. 6. The new students have XXXXed. 7. Will you XXXX when you retire? 8. The crops were XXXXed by the rain. James McMullan & Lillian Mak Page 5/5

TASK #7 Work in pairs. Fold the paper in half so that you see Supervisor or Colleague. ROLEPLAY A: One partner reads sentences from the Supervisor Card, waiting for responses before continuing. ROLEPLAY B: The other partner then reads from the Colleague card. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SUPERVISOR CARD Good morning, Jo. Can you get me a XXX, please? (WAIT FOR RESPONSE) A coffee. Black, no sugar. By the way, did XXX send the sales figures? (WAIT FOR RESPONSE) Julie Marsh. She promised them for today. And did you hear anything from the XXX? (WAIT FOR RESPONSE) The IT Department. I asked them to upgrade all our computers. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ COLLEAGUE CARD Hi there, Lee. Did you see the XXX last night? (WAIT FOR RESPONSE) The football. It was awesome. In fact, I didn’t sleep until XXXX. (WAIT FOR RESPONSE) About 5am. I’m really tired today. Do you think XXXX will notice if I leave early? (WAIT FOR RESPONSE) The new manager. He looks kinda mean. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ References Dornyei, Z. and Scott, M.L., ‘Communication strategies in a second language: definitions and taxonomies’, Language Learning 47/1 (1997): 173–210.

Field, John (2008). Listening in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rost, Michael (1990). Listening in Language Learning. London: Longman.

Vandergrift, L (1997) ‘The Cinderella of communication strategies: reception strategies in interactive listening.’ Modern Language Journal, 81/4: 494-505.