The second step is the choice of an identity as a tenant in the building. Each of these hobbies gives an opportunity to describe very different places and the people who practice these activities, the way they dress, and interact. These are all opportunities to discover a different world, to communicate and use the target language, in this case, English, either in oral or written contexts. They constitute incentives that will motivate the students to find out more about each of these topics, to explore and learn the vocabulary to deal with them. The instructor can be the main provider of information and bring to class pictures, slides, or movies.
Students can do their own research at the library or on the Web.
This information can be compiled in files kept by the students on index cards or computer files, and shared with the rest of the class. As mentioned above, the students write a personal journal as the tenant. They also write essays or compositions. The topics assigned contribute to make the building come to life, by allowing the tenants to describe themselves, their activities, and their interactions with other tenants. The journals are not corrected in a detailed fashion.