Either a student or the teacher shuffles the index cards, then selects randomly a group of three. The group chosen will work as a trio on a paragraph selected from the reader by the teacher. One student will read aloud, a second will translate the paragraph, and the third will make a r sum of the brief text in his or her own words. Since the groups are formed randomly, the members of the class keep alert to what is being said and read so that they will be ready when their turn comes. Final assessment will be based in part on their performance in this kind of task.
Question intonation is another area where work is usually needed.
While this oral practice is taking place, the student who is reading aloud does not have to worry about complete understanding of the text. He or she can concentrate on the music, so to speak. The second member of the group, in the meantime, goes along preparing his or her translation of the paragraph, a translation aimed to check meaning rather than the production of an artistic rendering of the English text. This part of the exercise shows where the difficulties lie. Other difficulties also come to the fore, and this is a good time to clear them up by helping the students train themselves to be aware of certain types of errors.