ABSTRACT
A teacher of adult immigrants in the U.S. had her learners complete a language use profile, in which each weekend they recorded when and where they spoke English, to whom they spoke, where they were, and what happened. Learners were asked to list seven samples of English use. Learners were hesitant at first, providing limited information. But, after sharing in class, they soon became enthusiastic as they realized that what they had heard would be explained by the teacher in class. At last they would understand what was happening around them. The dialogues they recorded became longer and longer and more accurate. One learner related a conversation with a neighbor that began with the usual greetings, but then recorded that he had said to his neighbor, “Your dog came into my backyard. Please keep him at your house. Please repare1 the fence. Your dog came into my backyard two time.” According to the student, the neighbor agreed. However, it was a great opportunity for the teacher to teach polite requests and also teach what is appropriate culturally in the American context to deal with such a situation.
