Finding a Code

• Listen to Ss talk: what are their concerns
• Read/research/newspapers/magazines
• Ask Ss directly
• Get to know neighborhood
• Bring in photos or culturally appropriate cartoons
• Get Ss to bring in things (realia, important stuff)
• Music: what do they listen to
• Movies, books

What Can a Code Be

• Dialog/Role-playing
• Photos, cartoons, newspaper clippings
• Song
• Advertisement (caution: a code has to give you the capacity to look at both sides)

A code should allow for both sides to be explored, and both should be. With our exercise I went automatically to the side of the three worker woman. But there is another side that needs to be explored. As Lauren pointed out, possibly the man doesn’t speak English so that’s why he’s smoking: cuz he can’t read the signs. The codes we used would have emerged from a code-setting exercise. It wouldn’t have been the starting point.

A good code is emotional, has two sides and is relevant.

Consider:

• Social action (students’ experience as source)
• Problem-posing
• Codes
• Importance of context