Transition with Purpose: Pathways from English Language to Academic Study

139 ACTIVITY 20: CRITICAL INCIDENTS: WHAT WOULD A SELF-SUFFICIENT STUDENT DO? OBJECTIVE: STUDENTS DISCUSS AND ROLE-PLAY CRITICAL INCIDENTS RELATED TO LIVING IN A NEW CITY AND ATTENDING UNIVERSITY CLASSES. TASKS: DEVELOP ROLE-PLAY SCENARIOS FOR CRITICAL INCIDENTS AND CULTIVATE ADVICE FOR SITUATIONS IN AND OUT-OF THE CLASSROOM. You are at the beginning of a new venture in which you are learning how to navigate and manage living independently in a new city, and doing so with bourgeoning language skills. Both cultural expectations and barriers and language mastery can interfere with effective communication. There may be times when you don’t know what questions to ask to get the information that you need, but these interactions will become easier with time and practice. The following activities are included in the Pathways Program curriculum because these situations are a common occurrence for many Pathways students. The scenarios are based on the experiences of Pathways students, instructors, and advisors. Students who encounter these situations may feel anxious or panicked about what to do/how to respond. For this reason, one of the goals of the Pathways Program is to support students in becoming responsible, self-directed and self-reliable learners as they navigate university life. PART 1: PRE-ACTIVITY SURVEY: HAVE YOU EVER…? This is a popular party game in America. One speaker at a time asks the group questions to determine who has had (or not had) certain experiences. STEP 1: To introduc e critical i ncidents , either the instructor or a student reads the following questions one at a time to the class. If you’ve had the experience, stand up. If you haven’t had the experience, continue sitting. a. Have you ever ridden a city bus in Portland? b. Have you ever ridden a city bus in your hometown? c. Have you ever rented an apartment in Portland? d. Have you ever had an argument with a landlord? e. Have you ever had a roommate in Portland? f. Have you ever had a roommate in your hometown? g. Have you ever had to call the electric company in your hometown? h. Have you ever been asked to call the police in your hometown? i. Have you ever been asked to call the police while living in Portland?