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talentedcrayon
Joined: 19 Mar 2013
Posts: 91
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 Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:49 am Post subject: Great resource for starting conversations |
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Hello everyone,
I found this really great resource at church today for conversation starters. I saw there was another thread on how all uni students ever talk about is relationships. I think this will help mix it up. It's called TABLETOPICS. They are basically just cards with good conversation starting questions.
This is their website: tabletopics.com. |
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RW8677
Joined: 16 Sep 2014
Posts: 60
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| Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: Great resource for starting conversations |
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| talentedcrayon wrote: |
Hello everyone,
I found this really great resource at church today for conversation starters. I saw there was another thread on how all uni students ever talk about is relationships. I think this will help mix it up. It's called TABLETOPICS. They are basically just cards with good conversation starting questions.
This is their website: tabletopics.com. |
That is such a sad thing to post |
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Listerine
Joined: 15 Jun 2014
Posts: 340
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:40 am Post subject: |
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Not meaning to be snarky, but 25 bucks seems kind of steep for a list of 135 questions including joys such as "Which pet would you like to own?" and "Which famous athlete would you like to meet?".....133 left.
Loads of free resources here....
http://www.eslconversationquestions.com/
http://www.esldiscussions.com/
etc.
None of those have been recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow, but considering she dumped Brad Pitt to inevitably marry that whiny *beep* from Coldplay I'd say her taste in *anything* is debatable, LOLZ. |
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fpshangzhou
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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I found the 1001 conversation question pdf for free by doing a quick Google search. No need to pay for those ESL books when there's an abundant of resources free online.
Cheers,
Aaron |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 1:24 am Post subject: |
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I like the production quality of the cards and feel giving students an attractive item to work with ignites interest.
Bored and disengaged students are a problem in the ESL classroom.
As to price, I expect that at least 50% of the tag goes to postage and if you factor in the artwork, packaging, payment processing and web hosting you can see how it adds up!
Where I part company, is the cultural bias in the questions which are not suitable for the Chinese classroom. I expect a lot of the questions would need to be discarded for average use.
I'm reminded a bit of New Interchange (red edition) which probably has the most grating unsuitable style of any resource you have to pay for.
'Hi, my name is Charles, but you can call me Chuck' is one sentence from NI that makes me squirm. |
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Listerine
Joined: 15 Jun 2014
Posts: 340
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| Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 1:39 am Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
| As to price, I expect that at least 50% of the tag goes to postage and if you factor in the artwork, packaging, payment processing and web hosting you can see how it adds up! |
Incorrect. It's *$35* with postage. Tell you what, credit my Taobao account with thirty-five bucks and I'll shoot you a non-boring, interesting, culturally-relevant pack of cards. Promise!
"When make the nose pickings, where can best to depositment of the nose trash and / Something broken off or removed to be discarded, especially plant trimmings??"
134 to go.
Kindly awaiting your response (and money)! |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:45 am Post subject: |
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Can't make much sense of your post Listerine.
But anyway, I defer to your 140-odd postings and 4 months of experience on this site.
An attractively designed, downloadable item, if printed on decent quality colour card would avoid the problems of postage and of course delivery is instantaneous. |
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Listerine
Joined: 15 Jun 2014
Posts: 340
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| Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:31 am Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
Can't make much sense of your post Listerine.
But anyway, I defer to your 140-odd postings and 4 months of experience on this site.
An attractively designed, downloadable item, if printed on decent quality colour card would avoid the problems of postage and of course delivery is instantaneous. |
Apology accepted. Will you be paying by bank transfer or direct debit, oh Me Lord of 2,500 posts and 4 years (Wow!!!  ) of site membership? [*bows down on one knee*] |
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Mellow Fellow
Joined: 07 Oct 2014
Posts: 52
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| Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
I like the production quality of the cards and feel giving students an attractive item to work with ignites interest.
Bored and disengaged students are a problem in the ESL classroom.
As to price, I expect that at least 50% of the tag goes to postage and if you factor in the artwork, packaging, payment processing and web hosting you can see how it adds up!
Where I part company, is the cultural bias in the questions which are not suitable for the Chinese classroom. I expect a lot of the questions would need to be discarded for average use.
I'm reminded a bit of New Interchange (red edition) which probably has the most grating unsuitable style of any resource you have to pay for.
'Hi, my name is Charles, but you can call me Chuck' is one sentence from NI that makes me squirm. |
I agree. Plus the students have a portable learning tool that can also be used socially with bored friends in a coffee shop or as a way to keep kids busy on a rainy day and away from computer games. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| Mellow Fellow wrote: |
| Non Sequitur wrote: |
I like the production quality of the cards and feel giving students an attractive item to work with ignites interest.
Bored and disengaged students are a problem in the ESL classroom.
As to price, I expect that at least 50% of the tag goes to postage and if you factor in the artwork, packaging, payment processing and web hosting you can see how it adds up!
Where I part company, is the cultural bias in the questions which are not suitable for the Chinese classroom. I expect a lot of the questions would need to be discarded for average use.
I'm reminded a bit of New Interchange (red edition) which probably has the most grating unsuitable style of any resource you have to pay for.
'Hi, my name is Charles, but you can call me Chuck' is one sentence from NI that makes me squirm. |
I agree. Plus the students have a portable learning tool that can also be used socially with bored friends in a coffee shop or as a way to keep kids busy on a rainy day and away from computer games. |
I collect my questions at the end of the session and don't let the students take them away. They're downloaded but printed on coloured card and I would use them 8 or 9 times each semester.
I like to have a resource that is 'grab and go' on my way to class.
Also the questions slips are numbered so it's pretty easy to check if any are missing. |
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talentedcrayon
Joined: 19 Mar 2013
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 2:39 am Post subject: |
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I got them for $25 Canadian on Amazon.ca with shipping included.
I get other people' point about there being thousands of questions like this out there (for free).
However, I like these for the reasons that non sequitur listed. They are attractively designed, and re-usable. I can place a few cards on each table in my class and start the class off with discussions and have students share their answers. Whether these would be useful for you really depends on what kind of activities you like to use in your classes.
I am suprised this thread went on actually. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 2:49 am Post subject: |
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| talentedcrayon wrote: |
I got them for $25 Canadian on Amazon.ca with shipping included.
I get other people' point about there being thousands of questions like this out there (for free).
However, I like these for the reasons that non sequitur listed. They are attractively designed, and re-usable. I can place a few cards on each table in my class and start the class off with discussions and have students share their answers. Whether these would be useful for you really depends on what kind of activities you like to use in your classes.
I am suprised this thread went on actually. |
Someone indicated that postage was on top of the pricelist price.
But anyway I believe that a resource that is attractive ie colour plus a graphic and professional typography has a lot going for it.
If you use it 1x per semester for say 8 classes and you have 2 year teaching career, thats about 80 cents per outing.
I've tried copy paper question slips and they're useless after a couple of outings. |
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Listerine
Joined: 15 Jun 2014
Posts: 340
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
| Someone indicated that postage was on top of the pricelist price. |
Someone was wrong. It isn't 35 dollars, it actually shows up at 39 bucks with tax included and using the cheapest offered mailing service (10 days).
| Quote: |
Subtotal $25.00
Tax $3.06
Shipping & Handling (United Parcel Service - Ground) $10.91
Grand Total $38.97 |
40 smackers. Yikes! You guys should just take me up on my homemade card offer if you want something qualities......Only $34.95......but wait - there's more! I'll even throw in a [stolen...*cough* *cough* BORROWED] box of chalk!
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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Whatever.
It's still peanuts per class use. |
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Lancy Bloom
Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Posts: 126
Location: Hong Kong
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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Wow I am so excited. Do these cards have pictures of Jesus on the back side? I guess I could just photocopy pictures of the son of God and paste them on. It would be so neat.
I usually start my year off with singing Amazing Grace and a prayer but now I have something much better to help my students find the right path in life.
God Bless |
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