Writing Natural Classroom Dialogues

Coursebook dialogues often sound like two people reading sentences at each other. A good classroom dialogue models the target language and the way people actually talk, at a level learners can handle.

#Features of natural spoken English

Use them in moderation: too many fillers makes a model dialogue hard to follow at low levels.

#Adjacency pairs (turn types that come together)

Declining and refusing need softening and a reason; learners should see this modelled.

#Dialogue length and turn length by level

#Writing process

1. Define the situation: where, who, relationship (formality), goal of each speaker.
2. List the target language (3-6 phrases) and decide where each occurs naturally.
3. Draft the skeleton: opening -> purpose -> problem or complication -> resolution -> closing.
4. Add natural features appropriate to the level.
5. Balance the roles if learners will practise in pairs (each speaker roughly half of the words).
6. Read it aloud with a partner; cut anything nobody would say.
7. Check with dialogue_check.py.

#Complication makes it worth listening to

A dialogue with a small problem (the room is not ready, the size is wrong, the friend is late) gives a reason to listen and generates functional language (apologising, suggesting, negotiating).

#Register

#Names and representation

Use a variety of names, ages, roles and backgrounds; avoid stereotypes (who is the doctor, who cooks); include L2 speakers as successful communicators.