When my students and I approached the heart of the course'talking the English language'nothing seemed to work for me until I closed all the books and compelled two or three students at a time to put themselves in commonplace situations in which they had to speak English.
( ( When ( ( ( ( my students ) and ) I ) ( approached ( ( the heart ) ( of ( ( ( the course ) ` ) ( talking ( ( ( the ( English language ) ) ` ) nothing ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( seemed ( to ( ( work ( for me ) ) ( until ( I ( ( ( closed ( all ( the books ) ) ) and ) ( ( compelled ( ( ( two or ) three ) students ) ) ( at ( a ( time ( to ( ( put themselves ) ( in ( ( commonplace situations ) ( ( in which ) ( they ( had ( to ( speak English ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (SBAR (WHADVP (WRB When)) (S (NP (NP (PRP$ my) (NNS students)) (CC and) (NP (PRP I))) (VP (VBD approached) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN heart)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN course)) (`` `) (VP (VBG talking) (NP (NP (DT the) (JJ English) (NN language)) (`` `) (NP (NN nothing)))))))))) (VP (VBD seemed) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB work) (PP (IN for) (NP (PRP me))) (SBAR (IN until) (S (NP (PRP I)) (VP (VP (VBD closed) (NP (PDT all) (DT the) (NNS books))) (CC and) (VP (VBN compelled) (NP (QP (CD two) (CC or) (CD three)) (NNS students)) (PP (IN at) (NP (DT a) (NN time) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB put) (NP (PRP themselves)) (PP (IN in) (NP (NP (JJ commonplace) (NNS situations)) (SBAR (WHPP (IN in) (WHNP (WDT which))) (S (NP (PRP they)) (VP (VBD had) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB speak) (NP (NNP English))))))))))))))))))))))) (. .)))
I would ask students to open their books and read silently for the duration of the class.
( I ( ( would ( ask ( students ( to ( ( ( open ( their books ) ) and ) ( ( read silently ) ( for ( ( the duration ) ( of ( the class ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (PRP I)) (VP (MD would) (VP (VB ask) (S (NP (NNS students)) (VP (TO to) (VP (VP (VB open) (NP (PRP$ their) (NNS books))) (CC and) (VP (VB read) (ADVP (RB silently)) (PP (IN for) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN duration)) (PP (IN of) (NP (DT the) (NN class))))))))))) (. .)))