2 Conventions of dialogue and
interviews
Assessment objectives IGCSE examination
AO2 Writing • Paper 1
W1 Articulate experience and express what is thought, felt and Question 2
imagined • Paper 2
W2 Sequence facts, ideas and opinions Question 1
W3 Use a range of appropriate vocabulary • Component 4 Coursework Portfolio
W4 Use register appropriate to audience and context
W5 Make accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar
Differentiated learning outcomes Resources
• All students must understand and use the basic conventions of • Student
dialogues – speakers take on roles addressing each other with Book:
some direction on performance (Grade E/D). pp. 66–69
• Most students should appreciate and use writing in dialogues • Workshee
that is fit for purpose, audience and form, making good use of ts:
the conventions of dialogues: conflict, tension, turn-taking, 3.2a
overlapping speech (Grade D/C). Analysin
• Some students could create powerful characters in dialogue g
writing that use tone, content, structure and language dialogue
appropriately (Grade B/A). 3.2b
Continuin
g the
dialogue
• PPT:
3.2a–h
Other Student Book pages
• Conventi
ons of
speeches
, pp. 62–5
Exploring skills
As a warm up for Q1, ask students to work in groups of three, with two in role as a
teenager (Sandra) and her mum, and a third in role as a TV director.
Students should read the dialogue script, which is available as Worksheet 3.2a, and
take advice from the director about their reading and behaviour. The worksheet offers
some advice on performance, but most of it should come through the discussion.
Encourage the groups to discuss the questions in Q1 and to explore how well they
have understood the characters by carrying on the dialogue for another few lines.
Key writing skills
Chapter 3
Building skills
Read through the text on Student Book p. 67 drawing attention to the two headings:
Content and structure and Style. Ask students what they know about these terms
already and how they think each one will apply to the writing of dialogues. Then
ask them to tackle Q2.
42 • Lesson 2 © HarperCollins Publishers 2013
You could use PPT 3.2a, which shows the earlier text without punctuation, line breaks
or direction, and ask students to name the features that will turn it into dialogue
format. Incorporate the answer to the question, Which earlier line does it carry on from?,
by showing the links between Sandra’s first and second statements and pointing out
how both speakers are, in effect, using monologue rather than dialogue here.
Elicit the element of conflict as characters respond differently to a shared situation.
Explain how a dramatic dialogue manipulates structure to create tension and to
explore relationships.
Give extra challenge by asking students to consider further director’s notes for the
dialogue, which shows the reader that the characters are not listening to each other at
all. They can use Worksheet 3.2a to make additions to the director’s notes.
Ask students to reread the dialogue before they tackle Q3 in pairs.
Give extra support using PPT 3.2b, which shows the same scenario written using
conventions of a novel. Help students to compare the two texts (novel and
playscript) in order to define the key features of dialogue. Support the completion of
a table comparing how dialogue is presented in novels and in playscript.
Developing skills
Ask students to read the text on Student Book p. 67, which explains Q4. Ensure that
students are familiar with the instructions for continuing the dialogue by using
PPT 3.2c. Spend some time working with the task using Worksheet 3.2b. Leave the
instructions on the whiteboard and revisit as appropriate. Encourage students to
develop the arguments Sandra and her mother begin in the opening lines. Display
these lines on PPT 3.2d, if necessary.
If students revert to ‘ping-pong’ dialogue or are unsure of what it is, use PPT 3.2e–f.
These slides show an example of what bad practice might look like along with an
improved version. Invite students to explain what is lost in the example of ‘ping
pong’ dialogue, i.e. no sense of depth of character or real feeling is established.
Give extra support with getting started by using PPT 3.2d. Draw out what we know
about the characters first – Sandra is insensitive and dismissive of other people;
Mother is over-protective, anxious and nervous.
Give extra challenge by introducing a new character – Sandra’s teacher, Miss
Featherstone, who is meticulously organised. Ask students to use this information to
draft the dialogue at the airport when Sandra, Mum, Dad, the teacher meet.
Applying skills
Ask students to read through Q5 on Student Book p. 68. You could use PPT 3.2g to
run through the information provided about Siberian tigers and PPT 3.2h to look at
the dialogue between the reporter and the conservationist.
You could advise students to use the bullets as on PPT 3.2g then use the numbers to
trace evidence of use of this information in the interview. For example, ‘with just
under 500 tigers in the world’ is linked to bullet 1.
Key writing skills
Chapter 3
Ask students to complete the four bulleted questions in Q5 independently, ensuring
first that their understanding of the terms synonym and paraphrase are secure.
© HarperCollins Publishers 2013 Lesson 2 • 43
Use PPT 3.2h to annotate feedback from the students on the task.
Then read through the text on p. 69 before asking students to write the interview
dialogue for Q6. Encourage students to use the information from the website
convincingly while maintaining a sense of ‘voice’ for the reporter and charity
manager. Prompt them to think about both characters’ purposes (to promote the
charity’s work and draw attention to what needs to be done to save the tiger
population; to interrogate these suggestions).
Share a few examples of students’ responses to Q6 and discuss how their analyses
demonstrate understanding of the dialogue conventions.
Towards High-attaining students working at this level need to describe and reflect on dialogue
A/A* conventions – how they are used effectively and how they can be subverted to
achieve original and creative pieces of text. Provide opportunities for students to
work with satirical pieces so they can send up conventions as appropriate.
Examples can be found in Sunday supplements to broadsheet newspapers
whereby, for example, young people might be satirised for taking their mobile
phones too seriously. You could ask students to work with this scenario to create a
satirical two-person dialogue called either ‘The Youth of Today’.
Key writing skills
Chapter 3
44 • Lesson 2 © HarperCollins Publishers 2013
