Page 26 - ELG1705 May Issue 447

The

importance

of meaningful
conversation

The globalisation of English often focuses on doing represents the polarisation that is gaining
business, but the language is a powerful tool for force in the world at the moment. The
Americans and the Rest of the World.
communicating across cultures and across ideologies Muslims and Christians. Liberals and
Conservatives. We are led to believe by the
media – and the public discourse of many
t last month’s Iatefl conference politicians – that the boundaries separating
in Glasgow I started my Point people into camps are sharp and define who
presentation using the evocative we are. This is false and misleading – human
image of a campfire. I see this of View beings are not defined by belonging to any
A as a metaphor for meaningful one nationality, ethnic group, religion or
group interaction. Whenever I engage in deep Margit any other ideology, though they can be
conversation with a group of people, I feel as manipulated to see themselves that way.
if transported back to the roots of humanity, Szesztay I feel teachers of English are in a unique
when the fire was the magnet bringing homo position to challenge such a simplistic,
sapiens together, giving us warmth and being black-and-white way of thinking. English as
the bond that built communities. Whenever Teachers of English a school subject has no specific content the
I see a circular formation emerging naturally are in a unique way biology or literature does, so one of the
out of a group of students waiting for a class main roles of language teachers is to help
to start, for example, I feel the pull of that position to challenge their learners to communicate. We are the
imaginary fire. such a simplistic, communication experts. But the real test of
The circular formation of the campfire also whether students have mastered a foreign
signals that everyone’s voice matters. If you’re black-and-white way language is their ability to communicate, to
sitting in small groups or in a horse-shoe of thinking use the language outside the classroom.
formation in the classroom, attention can As the role of English as a lingua franca is
flow in different directions, and as you look minute their ideas are challenged. gaining ground, the globalisation of English
around you will notice the people around you. It seems like the nature of individual often focuses on the world of work and doing
In such classrooms the message of this layout intelligence and collective intelligence is business successfully. But global English is
is that learning is not just something that different. Quick thinkers, people who can much more than that. It is a powerful tool
happens between you and the teacher with come up with arguments easily, who are good for communicating across cultures and
everyone competing for attention. Rather, at inferencing and other forms of logical across ideologies. The English language can
learning becomes a communal activity. thinking and can articulate their ideas clearly, become a language of building understanding
And yet engaging in meaningful group don’t necessarily make good conversationists and peace across political, social and ethnic
dialogue is not without challenges. In his or discussion members. In order for the divides. In order to do this, we need to master
book The Learning Organisation, Peter intelligence of a group to be set into motion, cooperative ways of interacting together
Senge asks a very pertinent question: ‘How individual members need to move into group through our common language.
can a team of committed managers with mode. Metaphorically speaking, we need to go
individual IQs above 120 have a collective Of course the group will need ideas to be back to the campfire and rediscover our
IQ of 63?’ I have often encountered blocks articulated clearly, but equally, it needs quality common humanity by engaging in meaningful
to group intelligence in educational settings listening, curiosity towards each other’s views conversations.
as well, and have wondered why it is that and the ability to tolerate ambiguity and
‘bright’ individuals often seem to lose their opinions that are different from the ones you Margit Szesztay is president of the
intelligence in the give and take of group hold. International Association of Teachers of
interaction. The other framing image for my English as a Foreign Language (Iatefl). She
works as a teacher trainer at the department of
Some dominate the discussion, while others presentation was that of two camps – facing English Language Pedagogy at ELTE University
get worked up easily and stop listening the each other with hostility. This image to me in Budapest, Hungary.

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