Teacher Discussion Forums

[kathiweaver]

I am currently teaching English in a secondary school in the Republic of Georgia. I am a new teacher and struggling with how to teach my students. In addition, I am currently staying with a host family where my host mother also wants me to teach her English. She is surprisingly good at reading and writing, but has very limited conversational skills. Does anyone have any ideas how to help remedy this? I have trouble coming up with conversation topics to discuss with her or activities to really engage her listening and speaking skills. I feel she would rather talk with me than do listening activities online, which is not surprising. I really could use any advice!

[Sally Olsen]

Start with what is in her home, the kitchen and recipes, the photos, the trinkets and what they mean. Name things and write them on post it notes to stick on the items for awhile until she knows the names. Write out the stories that she tells your about the photos, trinkets and have her read them back. Make them into conversations with questions and answers.

Talk about her family and what they are doing. Write it down and have her read it back. At first have a picture dictionary to illustrate the words that are not in her house and then get a bilingual dictionary so you can look up more abstract ideas.

Gossip about the neighbours, the extended family, the local officials.

Of course, you can show her pictures of your family, home, hometown and so on and extend the conversation forever.