Teacher Discussion Forums

I should know this, but I don't.

What are the goals of a conversation class? I'm not talking advanced levels, but intermediate and below. Are we talking strictly fluency and communication? Is focused discussion of grammar off-limits?

For example, in describing a scene, a student says "The man wearing blue shirt," or "The room have three pictures on wall." His meaning has been communicated fine, so in a conversation class do I just let that go as enough, or do I discuss the grammar issues that came up?

TIA.

Before we can thoughtfully answer you, catht, can you answer these:
1. Where are you teaching?
2. Who are your students? Do they all speak the same L1?
3. Who administrates the class? Do you work in an institution, or are you on your own?

Larry Latham

Hi Larry,

My current situation's a bit unusual, which is why I didn't mention it, but just for interest's sake, I'm teaching in the US. It was originally supposed to be a small class of perhaps 3 or 4 students, but because of unforseen circumstances, is now a class of ONE. Yes, a 90-minute conversation class with 1 student. Once/wk.

It's a volunteer position, no charge to the students. I'm fairly free to do what I want, although this was introduced to me and the students alike as a conversation class which was to supplement their other lessons (the students work with another teacher who covers reading and writing using the Laubach series). However, whether I choose to address or not address the grammar is up to me.

So if that bizarre information helps you answer my question at all, that's good! Otherwise, is it possible to answer in general, hypothetical terms? I just finished skimming a thread on "free talk" classes so I know your personal feelings about it, Larry, but answer if you can or will.

TIA again

Hi there, Cathleen.

Having just one student has at least one great advantage: you can be maximally flexible in class design. Really, you and your student can work on the design together...call it part of the class. By all means, ask your student what he (she) wants it to be.

Ostensibly, a "Conversation Class" is about the give and take of oral English. With a single student, you can really have conversations in ways that would be difficult with 30 students. If you really need to have a stated "goal", then I guess I would say it as, "Helping the student gain confidence in his ability to talk with a native speaker in a meaningfully successful way." To that end, there are several ways you can react to such student propositions as, *"The room have three pictures on wall." I'm sure you can imagine several possibilities as well as I can, so the only thing I'd suggest to you is that it's not worth making a big issue over the grammar errors. The communication is successful as it stands, and if the focus of your class is to help your student gain self-assurance, you might just let it pass. If that just grinds your sense of what teachers ought to do, then you can perhaps reflect it back to him with corrections: "Oh, the room has three pictures?" (Take the corrections one at a time). Most likely, there will be no effect from your correction, but if it makes you feel better, then there's no harm in it, unless you correct in such a way as to undermine your student's developing confidence. Myself...I'd let it go as it is, but maybe work the conversation around so that I might be able to model his thought somewhere down the line, but using my own formulation. The uptake will depend entirely on the individual student; some get it immediately, some slowly, some never do. You can lead a horse to water...

As for issues centered directly on grammar, I'd let those come naturally from the student (or students, if you get more). If they ask, don't tell them you can't answer "because this is a conversation class." Go ahead and try, using conversation as your tool, to answer their questions as best you can. You might have just the touch needed to lessen the confusion in their minds. But, again, if it were me, I'd not seize upon every grammatical error to not let go by uncorrected. One very important lesson I learned in the long haul as a teacher: students are not native speakers...they make mistakes--that's what they're suppose to do. It's metalanguage, and does not need strict correction. Getting better (read: more accurate) is a long, slow process. Rember that it is a process, and getting uptight about their intermediate product probably will be counterproductive. Take it easy, and be easy on them. But try to satisfy all their questions as best you can. When they ask a question, they're focussed and ready to receive instruction. But don't overdo it. Just remember that a conversation is a negotiation between people. Trying to make your interlocutor understand you is what makes it work.

Hope this is helpful to you. You might even give thought to meeting your student in the local coffee shop. Make it more like two friends meeting for coffee and conversation.

Larry Latham
P.S. Why in the world do you "have to" use any textbook? The only thing I can imagine it might be good for is if you have a conversation about how lousy it is.

Hey everyone!

Liked your postscript, Larry, mostly because it's been a conversational theme among teachers at the academy where I work these last couple of days. Some teachers are even asking for special workshops on how to work without a book.

Cath, I agree with Larry, a one on one "conversation" class does give you a great deal of leeway. In my case, this past year, I had four adolescents who were not at all at a level to sustain a conversation, and didn't really want to, they just wanted to gossip about their love lives and maybe play a game or two. The problem was two-fold: I am not a very good conversational teacher and my boss had not been at all clear about the educational objectives of the class, probably because he was thinking exclusively about the economic objectives: that is, getting four more hours of class a month out of these kids. A pity, wasting my time and their parents' money.

From your description of the setting of your class, sounds like you might not be in the same boat, but if you have doubts, there is no reason not to speak to the "boss", not showing "ignorance" about how to teach the class, but rather asking directly what his/her objective was in offering the class in the first place. Then, as Larry suggests, question your student about his/her personal objectives with the class and together work out some kind of strategy to reach those objectives. For me at least, it always helps to have a calendar or a plan when cuddling up to a new class.

That's my .02€ worth!

peace,
revel.

Since when do students know what they need? We, the teachers, are supposed to know what our students weaknesses are and what they need to do to improve their language skills. Conversations classes, with a teacher, must be much more productive than meeting with a native English speaker for a chat in a bar. For me, the conversation class is the hardest class to do well and it's the most tiring.

hi all
i am new person in here so i am in a big need of help about my language if it doesnt properly suit this forum

well i would like to reply to revel
I am the owner of a new english course in my area, and i also teach in there as to ensure the quality of the teaching in my place as i have already taught in private for 5 years...and somehow as this english course is totally brand new i have very few students or should i say only 2 and both of them are elementary students 6 and 8 years old

i know that their levels are different but if see from my point of view as an owner i try to take 2 birds with one stone so that i can suppres the costs and maximize my profit..as the english course is totally new it needs a lot of money to advertise

but if i see from my view as a teacher it might not be appropriate to do so... but still or should i say luckily these 2 children seem to get along quite well despite the difference in ability

furthermore the smart one can even help me to teach the less smarter one..so in the end it might turn up well...though i would try to separate them later when i have more students


but if any of you could help me how to teach these 2 children exciting games , i would really appreaciate it

thanx