Let’s teach each other how to do something! To prepare a How to do something card, first draw or glue a picture that represents what you are going to teach. Then write about 5 steps describing how to do it. I made this card to teach my partners how to play a coin game called Bushing:
Below is one of the student cards used for the example conversation:

5. How to do something card example conversation

I.      Greeting 

1.           Masaki     Hi.

2.           Daisuke   Hi. How are you?

3.           M     Oh, fine. Fine. How are you?

II.      Small talk 

4.           D      Oh. I’m a little sleepy.

5.           M     Oh, oh! I’m sleepy, too. Oh, yesterday, uh, uh, I drank with my friend and went back home at, um, um, 3, 3 o’clock, 3 am.  giving more information 

6.           D      3 o’clock! Oh, too bad!

III.     Introducing the topic 

7.           D      Uh,  getting time to think  please tell me how to do something.

8.           M     Oh, yeah. I (will) tell you how to catch fish.

9.           D      Catch fish? Fishing?  asking for clarification 

10.        M     Oh, fishing. Yeah.

11.        D      I see. I see.  showing you understand  

12.        M     First…

13.        D      First…  shadowing 

14.        D      …go to the (a) lake or the pond…

15.        M     …lake or pond.  shadowing 

16.        M     …with fishing tackle.

17.        D      Ah. Hai.

18.        M     Second, look, look for the place where I (you) guess the fish is (are) swimming.

19.        D      What does “flace” mean?  asking for meaning 

20.        M     Hm?

21.        D      Flace.  asking for meaning 

22.        M     Place.  repeating

23.        D      Place! Ah, I see, I see.  shadowing to show understanding 

24.        M     I (You) guess the fish is (are) swimming, ah…

25.        D      Fish are swimming…   offering a correction 

26.        M     Ah, you guess? You guess (where) the fish (are) swimming.  repeating 

27.        D      Um, around the lake?

28.        M     Yes, yes.

29.        D      Oh. I see. I see. showing you understand 

30.        M     Third, throw in (cast) the lure to (into) the lake quie…quietly.

31.        D      Quietly. Oh, uh-huh.

32.        M     “Lure” is… Do you know “lure?”  checking your partner’s understanding 

33.        D      “Lure?” Uh, I don’t know (that).  showing you don’t understand 

34.        M     Lure, oh, “lure” is, un, “bait.” “Bait.”  offering new words or alternatives 

35.        D      “Bait?” What (does) “bait” means? asking for meaning 

36.        M     “Bait” means, uh, fish’s, fish’s food. giving meaning 

37.        D      Ah!

38.        M     Fish’s food.

39.        D      Fish’s food. I see. showing you understand 

40.        M     (A) lure fake (imitates a) small dying fish.

41.        D      Ah, ah, ah. I see. I see. I see.

42.        M     And, and fish is bite (the) lure.

43.        D      Oh. It’s like (a) small fish?

44.        M     Small fish.

45.        D      I see. I see. The small fish, oh, eat (eats the) big fish.

46.        M     Yes, uh?

47.        D      Uh?

48.        D & M (The) big fish eat (eats the) small fish! correcting yourself 

49.        M     Sorry. Sorry.

50.        D      Fourth…                           — cut —

IV.     Reintroducing the topic          — cut —

V.      Finishing 

51.        D      If you… I’m… I have never been…never play (been) fishing.

52.        M     Oh!

53.        D      So, if you will go fishing this summer, I (will) join you

54.        M     Oh, yes. Yes. Come. Come with me.

55.        D      Nice talking with you.      

56.        M     Nice talking with you. Thank you.
©Duane Kindt, Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, 99-10
Updated: 1/19/03