Translate This Page
Use the other language selector on
my home page above to go through
my whole site using any native
language you speak,
then use the video above to see and
listen to the same teaching topic in
text below.
ا
لذى فى الاعلى
Next, Use the world site selector on
my home page above to go to the
search engine site or the social
media site you like.
My YouTube Channel: Click: :( Mr. / Girgis H.H).
Many teachers and students are forced to switch to
distance learning without having a choice to adapt their
teaching and learning processes, so we must be able to
transfer the skills we already possess to the online
environment. The skills that are easily transferable to
the online classroom are:
Listening has always been the most important aspect of
communication, yet we tend to forget it so easily.
Try to apply the student-centered learning approach and
try to drift away from frontal teaching. Include your students
into group research, interpretation, discussions. Motivate
your students to listen to their classmates. Most of all,
don’t forget to listen to your students yourself. They will tell
you what they understand and what should be your next
step – both verbally and non-verbally.
Friendliness is still important, even in the online classroom.
Even though we are communicating through the screen,
we need to foster a feeling of connection among our
students. Start your class by asking every student
how was their day, and how they feel. Acknowledge
their feelings and emotions before you start with the
lesson, and you will see that they will participate more
and be more motivated.
When we say open-mindedness, we mean the general
understanding of being privileged. What does being
privileged mean in this situation? Having a steady job,
not worrying over the roof above our heads, having
access to technology and the internet, healthcare, or
what will our next meal be. After understanding that a
lot of us are privileged, we can start opening our minds
and understanding that some of our students may lack
the resources to attend our lessons and communicate
with us. These students need us the most. We also
need to motivate other students to be more open-minded
and understand that not all of us come from the same
background.
The information we share with our students during the
live lesson is probably the most important part of our
communication, after listening. It is better to complete
fewer activities and cover less content than to just run
through the units and activities you prepared. Effective
feedback will also have a positive impact not only on their
learning but also on their mental wellbeing.
Be confident! You will make mistakes. The applications
and technology will not listen to you. Apps will crash, the
internet connection will be slow, your dog or child may
jump in the background. Be confident, and don’t let
distractions ruin your lesson. The same goes for the
students – motivate your students not to care about
mistakes they make and let them know that it is ok to
do just ok.
Non-verbal cues are essential if the teacher is talking,
and the student’s microphones are muted. Despite that,
you can still see them on camera, so do not forget to
be on the lookout for the verbal communicative cues.
Also, since you will use the chatbox a lot, start considering
emoticons or the lack of emoticons as verbal cues, since
the use of emoticons is really important in daily
conversation, especially with young people. They can be
considered as digital verbal cues, which show us how
someone feels at the moment. Using Bitmojis is fun,
and you can motivate your students to install the Bitmoji
app and make their own, personal emojis.
Finally, we need to address the question that we all have
in mind:
1-Why are good communication skills in the online
classroom important?
2-How can good communication skills
improve our teaching?
Communication represents the fundamental step of both
teaching and learning, and communication is the most
important part of any learning process. The accent on
communication in the distance learning classroom is even
greater because it can have a great impact on the
overall success of your teaching.
Self-efficacy is the most important product of good
communication skills. When you achieve a certain
level of self-efficacy, you will notice that your teaching
methods are becoming more effective, and you are
spending less time planning, delivering lessons, and even
grading the assignments. Have self-efficacy in mind
when you enter the online classroom and try to leave
10 minutes before the end of the lesson for all
questions. Less is more, so try to be as simple as you
can when it comes to tasks and instructions you usually
give to your students.
Empathy and compassion are developed
through careful observation of the participants in the
online classroom. Feeling empathy and compassion
towards classmates and the teacher ultimately develops
emotional intelligence and other soft skills, not just
communication. When the participants of the online
classroom show empathy and compassion, the
atmosphere in the classroom becomes more
pleasant, and this leads to higher retention of the new
content and higher motivation among students.
Emotional intelligence is developed through
effective communication technique and its foundation
is long-term empathy and compassion which appear in
quality communication, both online and offline.
By developing their emotional intelligence, students,
and teachers are able to respond better and act
more accordingly to the communicational context.
Communication in online classes is often a new experience
for everyone involved. And the process can become more
complicated depending on participants’ history with the
tools, platforms, and technology. To keep everything
running smoothly, educators often have to stay ahead of
potential problems and prepare for myriad scenarios.
While remote educators typically work with a predefined
suite of software and supplemental resources from their
school administration, those aren’t the only tools you’ll
have available.
Managing your routine effectively and having positive
interactions with students are crucial for building trust
and improving student outcomes. Let’s explore several
helpful practices that can make life easier for educators
who primarily work with their students online.
Teachers and students communicate differently depending
on coursework, grade level, and class organization. You
won’t always have ample opportunities for back and forth
like you would in a physical classroom, so if you’re working
in these situations, it’s even more important to get in touch
early and maintain contact with students. Younger students,
in particular, require routine, sustained engagement.
Start strong
To start, contact your students as early as possible in the
semester. That first interaction will set the tone for the
rest of the class. Be clear about your expectations, but
also frame your online course content in a positive light.
There is a reason you chose to teach this subject;
convey a little of that excitement and you may get
student buy-in early.
Ongoing communication
Then keep them oriented throughout class sessions by
sharing weekly agendas, asking for input, and adjusting
the online environment to the needs of the students.
Waiting to address scheduling or communication hurdles
can make subsequent issues worse and it risks
overdrawing your supervision time.
Make yourself available
Also, offer regular availability to your students so you
can chat with them via videoconferencing. Consistency
and accessibility are important, so try to schedule virtual
office hours alongside your regular assignments and
weekly priorities.
Go face-to-face
When circumstances allow, videoconferences are a
great way to gather multiple students and handle
general questions together. Plus, you could hold group
office hours to save time by addressing shared concerns,
leaving email and messages for more specific questions.
Stick to a routine
Creating a routine guarantees that students know when
you’re available and won’t be tripping over each other to
schedule face time. Trying to accommodate unconventional
schedules can be challenging, so it’s important to balance
your schedule with classroom needs.
Invite feedback
By providing straightforward ways for students to get in
touch with you, like through email, you can increase the
chance that they feel encouraged to ask questions or get
support when they need it.
There are communication-related risks to consider when
you’re working outside of the conventional classroom
with online communication tools. You’ll have to adjust
from the typical interactions between a teacher and
student. It’s easier to misinterpret text when the physical
cues like facial expressions are no longer there.
Spark interest
When students don’t feel engaged and connected to their
work, their minds wander and attention slips just like in a
conventional classroom. But for online educators, it can
be much more difficult to see when someone’s interest is
waning. A dozing student at home can’t be startled awake
by a dropped textbook.
That’s why it’s important for online educators to maintain
routines and also spark interest. Speak from experience
when appropriate and try grounding some assignments
in current events. If you’re teaching within your specialty
or a topic of interest, find ways to bring that energy to
your assignments.
Involve students
Incorporating supplemental material that your students
may find relevant is a great way to bolster interest in new
topics or ideas. And for smaller online classes, you can
encourage students to actively participate using messaging
or classroom apps or other collaborative tools.
Newsela is a particularly useful resource for educators
that offers content based on global news in a variety of
constantly relevant topics. The material covers five
different themes: English/ language arts (ELA), social
studies, science, social and emotional learning (SEL),
and Spanish. They also support multiple age groups
with a mobile app for both students and teachers.
Plus, it’s free for the 2019-2020 school year.
Distance learning poses challenges for teachers, but it
also creates some unique ways to deepen engagement
and build rapport with your students. Learning remotely
often involves communicating via text in the form of
emails and direct messages, comments, and constructive
criticism, during group and solo meetings.
If you stay positive and engaged with their needs
throughout each session, it can be easier to reduce the
risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Of
course, not every student’s situation is the same, but
you can build trust by working with them to find solutions
to any issues they may face.
Keep dialogue open
Effective communication in online learning is paramount.
As an educator, it’s crucial to maintain an active dialogue
and sometimes pose direct questions when a student
appears to be struggling or losing interest. If they’re
having a particularly difficult time because of technical
issues or specific concepts, do your best to provide
direct attention.
1-Communication practice VS pattern practice.
A conversation class is an educational setting designed to
improve participants' speaking and listening skills in a
particular language, often focusing on real-life conversation
skills. These classes are commonly found in language
schools and are aimed at helping learners communicate
more effectively in informal and formal settings.
A Conversation Class is an educational setting designed
to improve learners' speaking and listening skills through
interactive dialogue. These classes are typically part of
language learning programs, but they can also be used for
practicing communication skills in various contexts.
General Conversation Classes:
Focus on everyday topics and casual conversations to build
fluency and confidence.
Business Conversation Classes:
Tailored for professionals, these classes focus on language
used in business settings, including negotiations,
presentations, and networking.
Academic Conversation Classes:
Designed for students preparing for academic studies, these
classes emphasize discussions related to academic content
and critical thinking.
Themed Conversation Classes:
Each class focuses on a specific theme, such as travel,
culture, or technology, to explore vocabulary and expressions
relevant to that topic.
Conversational English for Specific
Purposes (ESP):
Targeted towards specific fields such as medicine,
engineering, or hospitality, emphasizing the language and
communication skills needed in those areas.
Enhanced Speaking Skills:
Participants develop better fluency, pronunciation, and
vocabulary.
Improved Listening Skills:
Regular conversation practice enhances the ability to
understand different accents, dialects, and natural speech
patterns.
Increased Confidence:
Engaging in conversations helps reduce anxiety related to
speaking in a foreign language.
Social Interaction:
Offers an opportunity to meet different people, fostering social
skills and cultural exchange.
Practical Application:
Learners practice real-life scenarios, making language use
more relevant and applicable.
Customized Learning Experience:
Classes can be tailored to the participants' specific interests,
needs, and proficiency levels.
In-depth Understanding of Language:
Engaging in conversations facilitates a deeper understanding
of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms.
Travel and Adventure:
Experiences, travel tips, favorite destinations, cultural differences.
Food and Cuisine:
Favorite dishes, cooking styles, food traditions from different
cultures.
Health and Wellness:
Fitness, mental health, healthy lifestyles, and medical topics.
Technology and Innovation:
Current trends, the impact of technology on society, and
future advancements.
Education and Learning:
Different educational systems, study habits, lifelong learning.
Personal Experiences and Storytelling:
Sharing life stories, lessons learned, and memorable moments.
Entertainment:
Movies, music, books, and current cultural phenomena.
Social Issues:
Discussing current events, societal challenges, and global
issues like climate change, equality, etc.
Hobbies and Interests:
Sharing personal hobbies, sports, arts, and crafts.
Cultural Exchange:
Discussing traditions, celebrations, and differences between
various cultures.
1) Learn the Student’s Name.
This indication of personal interest puts the student at
ease and helps him overcome inhibitions about
speaking out in a group.
a) Concentrate on the Student.
While talking to the student, the teacher should focus
his attention primarily on the student’s eyes, and he
should give the student his full attention.
b-Take Notes.
The teacher should ask the student to write his name
on the notepad (which the teacher should always
carry to class).
c) Identify the Seats and Use the Students’ Names.
2) Give Praise When It Is Deserved.
3) Smile.
A smile generates warmth and response. The
teacher should not be afraid to smile—or to give
a hearty laugh if a situation warrants it.
4) Speak Naturally.
There is a tendency on the part of some teachers,
in their efforts to make the students understand,
to speak very slowly, increase the volume of their
voice, and over-enunciate words or use artificially
emphasized intonation patterns.
5) The Student Should Talk,
Not Take Notes.
A conversation class should give each student the
maximum opportunity to talk, and to that end
everything should be subordinated. The student
should not take notes. A person does not usually
carry on a conversation with a note pad and pen
in hand.
6) Everyone Should Use English.
Be alert and foster alertness
Since the conversation class provides practice in both
speaking and understanding what is said, the teacher
should stay alert and see to it that the attention of the
students does not wander.
Be enthusiastic
Enthusiasm is one of the most important factors in a
conversation class.The teacher must remember that
enthusiasm is infectious, and that much of the impetus
for expression must come through enthusiasm that
he himself engenders.
Be patient
Patience, necessary in any encounter with students,
is especially important in a conversation class.
The teacher should put himself in the place of the
student.
He should think of how he himself had to struggle to
express his ideas when he was first learning a new
language.
Be sensitive
The teacher must be sensitive to the subtleties of
speech, gesture, and facial expressions of the
students, for these reveal the way in which a
student is thinking or reacting to the situation.
Think
The word think should be the watchword for all
conversation classes. The teacher should never
accept the idea that practicing English must be
limited to talking alone.
He should encourage the students to try to come
to grips with ideas, with issues.
Listen
The teacher should try to get the students to
speak as much as possible. With some classes,
the teacher’s role is merely to be a critical listener.
With others, he must play a more active role in
order to keep the conversation moving.
Making Corrections
However, the teacher should always correct
flagrant violations the moment they are made.
Other Activities
1-Extemporaneous Speaking.
Before the class meets, I type individual topics
on small pieces of paper. When the students arrive,
each one picks up a slip of paper. I give each
student two minutes to organize his thoughts
and two minutes to speak. After a student speaks,
members of the class ask him two or three
questions.
2) Colored Slides.
I show colored slides of interesting places known
to the students. As each slide is shown, the
students engage in casual conversation about
the place being viewed.
3) Book Reviews.
I assign students to prepare and give in class five-
minute reviews of books that interest the group.
4) Theater Party.
I sometimes plan a theater party with my class.
The movie or play may be in English (preferably)
or the native language. Afterward, perhaps over
tea or coffee, the students discuss (in English)
the play or movie they have seen.
5) Class on Tape.
Sometimes I tape a session of the conversation
class. Then I play the tape for the class at another
session. This creates great interest among the
students. It also enables me to evaluate my
performance as well as that of the students.
6) Role Playing.
The most exciting “role playing” I’ve ever had in a
conversation class dealt with the topic of movies.
Movie Censor).
1. Have a debate.
Conversation is about more than just talking.
It’s also about making valid points in a discussion.
Teach your students how to do this with a classroom
debate.
Choose an age and level appropriate topic
and then divide the class into “sides”. If you are
teaching a one-on-one conversation class, let your
student choose his/her stance on the topic and you
can argue the opposing side. Give your students
time to prepare their opening arguments. After
presenting and listening to the opposition, each
side must offer a rebuttal.
2. Telephone Calls
Conversations on the telephone can be more difficult
than conversations in person. On the phone, you
can’t read a person’s body language or even gather
more clues from the situation. Instead, you have to
rely solely on the spoken word. Make your students
practice “talking on the phone” by putting to chairs
back to back or by blindfolding two students.
Teach them the correct way to answer a phone, things
to say during the conversation, and how to end the call.
You can also blindfold one student and choose
another student to start talking. The blindfolded
student should guess who the “caller” is.
3. Celebrity Interviews
Students of all ages love to “make believe”.
Help your students to expand their conversation
skills through interviews. Make your students get
into pairs. One student should be the journalist
and the other should be a celebrity getting
interviewed. After the initial interview is done,
let your students switch roles.
You might be able to fill the first few classes with random banter about family and the weather, but where do you go from here? To teach an effective conversation class you do actually have to do a little bit of planning.
You might be able to fill the first few classes with
random banter about family and the weather, but
where do you go from here? To teach an effective
conversation class you do actually have to do a
little bit of planning.
4. Favourite Scenes
Tell your students to get into groups. Each group
should choose a scene from one of their favourite
movies. Each group member should take on the
identity of one of the characters in the film.
Now, the students must reenact the scene,
adlibbing the dialogues. After a practice round,
the students can perform for the class.
5. Situational Learning
Conversations happen anywhere and everywhere;
your students should be prepared to talk in a number
of situations. Help your students by giving them new
experiences. Create a new environment in your
classroom. For example, turn your classroom into
an airport.
Assign one student to be working at the
check-in counter, one to be the immigration officer
and another student to be the traveler. Now, instruct
your students to have conversations appropriate to
the situation they are in.
If you are teaching a one-on-one conversation class,
you can be the ticket taker and your student can be the
traveler. Then, you can change roles. You can create
scenarios such as: “at the bank”, “at school”, “buying
groceries”, “on a date”, and many more.
These are some fun activities to do with your
conversation class. Almost all of these activities
can be adjusted for either a full class or
a one-on-one session.
When you are teaching a conversation class to your
language students, you simply have to remember to
be engaging and relevant. While conversation classes
don’t take that much prep, it’s still a good idea to
arrive at your class with an idea or two in mind.
Have you successfully executed other activities in
conversation class? If so, tell us what they were
so we can try them out as well!
Conversation classes provide a structured yet flexible
environment for language learners to practice and enhance
their speaking and listening skills. By choosing appropriate
class types, focusing on relevant topics, and understanding
the wide array of benefits, participants can make the most of
their learning experience.
In summary, Conversation Classes are dynamic,
interactive sessions aimed at developing practical
language skills through active participation. They are
essential for learners aiming to communicate effectively
in real-world situations, fostering both linguistic
competence and intercultural understanding.
Other Resources:
1-Physical activity in class.
2-Learner-centered Teaching.
3-Classroom Technology.
4-Teaching Tools.
5-Communication practice VS
pattern practice.
5-New Vocabulary.
6-Teaching songs.
7-Teaching spelling.
8-Model Lesson / Lesson Plan
9-How to teach a novel
10--Egyptian Education System.
11-Curriculum Analysis.
12-Curriculum Development.
13-Curriculum Design.
Teaching Forum 2005,
Volume 43,
Number 3
Communicative grammar
Make a free website with Yola
