Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jaylynn232]

I've been teaching an adult conversation class for three months that I absolutely love. In the past few months I've managed to improve their reading, grammar, and listening skills. However, their conversation skills have seemed to come to a stand still. It's easy for them to answer questions, but actual convesation is difficult. Tonight, I talked to a few of my brighter students and they said that the problem is vocabulary. They don't feel they have an adequate enough vocabulary to converse. I've been playing a few games with them to encourage vocabulary, such as catagories, which has them come up with creative words. Also, based on their reading skills, they understand words like, "self-centered" and "autonomy". I don't feel that vocabulary is the problem, but being able to use all the skills they've learned together. I feel as though it's my fault. I'm not using the right techniques to get them to use all these skills together.
I've looked at old dave's threads and they say I need to be talking less and my students talking more. However, how is this done? What activities are good for this transition? I could really use the help.

[SPINOZA]

Very good question.

The SPIN verdict: Conversation classes - stimuli to get them talking and spontaneously producing English - are obviously good because they practise what they already know. I'm learning a language myself, and once a phrase is learnt, it needs to be said in context several times before it's there forever. Otherwise, it'll be forgotten. Fairly spontaneous practise and production of what's already in your head is vital; this is the role of the conversation class. I have an advantage because I live in Seoul and can practise my new language all the time. With English these guys can't. So - these conversation classes are excellent. But where many people fail in my view is that they think conversation and 'fun' are all that matter.

Coupled with that has to be some old-fashioned teaching. They need to learn new things and then practise it. You need to stand at the front and dictate new and useful vocabulary and phrases - common colloquialisms and cliches perhaps? Don't let all the trendy talk of 'communicative' put you off doing what needs to be done sometimes - actual teaching. I speak and understand English excellently - relatively speaking, I'm an expert. So are you. Impart your knowledge. It's incredible how little regular, everyday English Korean students know. Really motivated students (there aren't many amongst the age group I teach; with adults it's the reverse I suspect) love new and clearly-explained vocab and phrases, they'll scribble it down and that's a nice sight. A good co-teacher or minimal use of Korean are extremely useful.

[memorabilis]

Why not let it come up organically? I add new vocab to my conversation class by correcting mistakes (or improving phrases). Students are more likely to remeber vocab words that they actually needed in the past. So if they make a phrasal verb mistake (like tonight when I had a student say discuss about instead of talk about or just discuss) then I highlight the error (non-confrontationally of course) after the student in finished speaking.

I DO NOT however write long lists of words on the board for them to learn. They're not studying at home and there is really no point. Just help them with the vocabulary they need to complete the language tasks they need to perform.