Job Discussion Forums

[Alex42]

Usually for conversation classes I find an interesting topical newspaper story and we read it, then talk about it for an hour or so, no problem.

However, now I�ve got a conversation group who don�t seem that interested in talking! So to make them talk, I�m going to need some interesting group roleplays/games.

The only one I�ve done so far was "Who gets the heart?" where I created five very deserving characters with heart problems and the group had to decide who gets the replacement heart. That worked quite well, but now I need more. I�ve searched Google and part of this site, but not turned up much so far. Please help!

[been_there]

Role-playing is a great idea, if the students are into it. It sounds like yours are, so:
1. Give them a character sheet and put them in a situation. Example: Student one is a cop who just broke up with his girlfriend and is looking for a famous diamond thief, student two is the diamond thief, but is disguised as a taxi driver and is trying to get to the airport to leave town, student three is a passenger in the cab who saw the diamond in the diamond thief's bag but has a stutter and can't tell the cop.
2. Ever watch that show "who's line is it anyway?" You could steal a buch of ideas from that.
3. Hate to sound like the old-school nerd, but Dungons and Dragons worked for my teenagers in China. Show them "Lord of the Rings" so they get the idea.
4. Once they get into the swing of things, let THEM come up with ideas.


PS, start with more "real" situations, like meeting a long-lost friend in a shopping mall, before going to the really unusual situations.

[Glenski]

Your heart selection exercise sounds like an activity directly from the book The Non-stop Discussion Workbook, by George Rooks. If you don't have it, get it.

You might also want to give them idioms if they are high enough level to conduct the conversations you have described. No real games for them, but books like Essential Idioms in English (Dixson) or English In Context Idioms (Kirkpatrick) and In No Time Flat! Idioms in Context (Root and Blanchard) or Zero In! Phrasal Verbs in Context (Root and Blanchard) provide exercises that you might draw from.

If nothing else, get a Far Side daily calendar and see how much culture, vocabulary, and general understanding of the humor they can get from each cartoon. I've done that with a high level student, and you'd be amazed how much information is in each one sometimes.

[Alex42]

Brilliant, thanks! That Far Side idea�s genius! I�ll have to try it.

[hesterprynne]

Somewhere in the idea cookbook is a submission with about 15 ideas for using blank comic strips. All you need is correction fluid and a copy machine.
My new favorite website has speaking activities. The site is put together by the British Council. http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/speaktry/speaking_activities.shtml#controversial

[Alex42]

I�ve just found a good site: http://www.debatabase.org

Instant debates on almost every subject!

[thelmadatter]

Alex - I tried it with the .org ending and it didnt work However, I tried

www.debatabase.com and I think I got it!

[Seeker of truth]

Check out:

www.boardgamegeek.com

[JDYoung]

For a change of pace, try puzzles and ranking games.