Preferences

The exercise was simple: everyone had the paper with 27 'Do you prefer x to y, or to do x over y' options--owning dogs vs cats, for instance, buying vs selling, being with others or alone. Then I asked one student in my evening English speaking and listening class to stand and ask some other student one of these 'Do your prefer' questions.

The s&l class is small, only about 13, compared to the 21 of reading and writing which meets, with mostly the same students plus some more, later in the evening. The students are from Russia, Morocco Vietnam, Brazil, various Latin and Central American countries, Haiti China, India, Korea, but everyone was ready to stand and call out to a classmate: 'Hey, ..., which do you prefer:...?' Thoughtful answers, then from everyone, 'Why?'  Responses equally thoughful, sometimes delivered with a stammer, or a blush.

Not everything I do releases the energy of the group as well as this activity did. I had taught at the beginning of class some useful phrases for expressing preferences; since then, I've realized I didn't each either/or nor neither/nor, two significant omissions. Still what happened happened and it was eminently satisfying, and good preparation for the next part of the class (which was okay but not great.)

What make the difference, I think, was routinizing the language enough so that the piquancy of the questions could be appreciated. Perhaps it was better not to introduce neither/nor because everyone was left on the horns of the choice: money or time, to love or be loved... I could see everyone really thinking about these choices, unfair or improbable as they might be. In my experience, people are often happy to ponder these questions, and in English?, why, all the better.

My students, you who are so often tongue-tied, shy to speak, uncertain what to say, let this place of ours be your agora where the commerce is in words and ideas--oh yes, and friendships too, because I see fresh pairings and groupings when we disperse at the end of the night.

The power of these simple questions transcends the narrow purpose of our being there; they are universal stimuli: 'I'd rather... Isn't this propensity for preference something makes us all, learners and natives, unique and alike.