Teaching Conversational English
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Teaching Conversational English
I was hired for a job to teach adults conversational English (12 lessons, one and a half hours each class). What is the best way to go about this? I was thinking of doing communicative language teaching and have the class do dialogues each week. Any ideas? Any good books?
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Sally Olsen
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Are you using a text book supplied by the school?
If so, it's a pretty good idea to base your lesson plans on the chapter prescribed by the school's syllabus. The students have paid for the book and will expect to use it.
So, warm them up with the written dialogues in the chapter. Speak these aloud 5-6 times each.
Teach the grammar point from the chapter.
Elicit some vocabulary/phrases on chapter subject.
Set up 5 minute situational conversations with buddy system. (Var. Exchange buddies and report in the 3rd person info gleaned from 1st conversation)
Each situation should increase in emotional depth.
IE:
1) Meet an old friend on MRT.
2) Same, but student A now has a hideous scar on his/her face.
3) Same, Student B must tell Scarred Student he/she is getting married.
4) Same, but Student A confesses undying love for B.
Change partners as often as possible.
End with a performance or two from the students who get into it the most.
Always remember to encourage an environment of trust. Laugh alot, but not at mistakes. Mistakes are why you are doing this kind of class. As the teacher, it is your duty to listen to these free flow convos seeking out common errors (no verbal "s" on 3rd person???)and report back to them the errors that they are making. Take lots of notes and summarize these mistakes/opportunites to learn at the end of your 90 minutes.
They have talked alot, they have been given personalized feedback and they've had fun. All benchmarks of a successful adult class.
If you use these ideas, please let us know how they went.
If so, it's a pretty good idea to base your lesson plans on the chapter prescribed by the school's syllabus. The students have paid for the book and will expect to use it.
So, warm them up with the written dialogues in the chapter. Speak these aloud 5-6 times each.
Teach the grammar point from the chapter.
Elicit some vocabulary/phrases on chapter subject.
Set up 5 minute situational conversations with buddy system. (Var. Exchange buddies and report in the 3rd person info gleaned from 1st conversation)
Each situation should increase in emotional depth.
IE:
1) Meet an old friend on MRT.
2) Same, but student A now has a hideous scar on his/her face.
3) Same, Student B must tell Scarred Student he/she is getting married.
4) Same, but Student A confesses undying love for B.
Change partners as often as possible.
End with a performance or two from the students who get into it the most.
Always remember to encourage an environment of trust. Laugh alot, but not at mistakes. Mistakes are why you are doing this kind of class. As the teacher, it is your duty to listen to these free flow convos seeking out common errors (no verbal "s" on 3rd person???)and report back to them the errors that they are making. Take lots of notes and summarize these mistakes/opportunites to learn at the end of your 90 minutes.
They have talked alot, they have been given personalized feedback and they've had fun. All benchmarks of a successful adult class.
If you use these ideas, please let us know how they went.
If the book is good use it. If it's not good, but you are required to use it anyway, suppliment your classes with other lessons and activities (this is what I am doing now.)
Look on this site and do some google searches. You'll probably find a lot ideas and/or lesson plans. Save them, so you can modify them at your leisure to suit your style and class.
Look on this site and do some google searches. You'll probably find a lot ideas and/or lesson plans. Save them, so you can modify them at your leisure to suit your style and class.