sounds like nice interaction.
if i've understood correctly,
you are moving in the direction of "communicative" approaches to language
learning, which i would applaud.
the difference might be that in communicative approaches students would
discuss a task in the target language, while it sounds like your students
work in english?.
while looking at methodolgies, are you acquainted with foreign language
acquisition studies?
try "stephen krashen" as a starter name for bibliographical searches linked
to communicative approaches.
braxot
randall buth
jerusalem university college