Topics 2
The Conversation Class
Introduction:
The conversation class occupies a unique place in the process of learning English as a second or foreign language.I have drawn up a number of simple but important guidelines, some of which I hope may provide helpful suggestions for the teacher of English who conducts “conversation” sessions as part of the regular classroom procedure or as an extra-curricular activity.
Cultivate a relaxed atmosphere:
A relaxed atmosphere is conducive to free expression. The skillful teacher can create an atmosphere in which the student feels enough at ease to struggle through a situation to find the words to express himself.
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). This will add visual reinforcement to the teacher’s effort to remember the student’s name.
c) Identify the Seats and Use the Students’ Names.
The teacher may write the students’ names on slips of paper and attach these to the students’ chairs or desks, to help everyone learn everybody else’s name.
2) Give Praise When It Is Deserved.
The teacher should compliment a student when he does well. He should make it a practice to reinforce a good performance with encouraging comments.
3) Smile.
A smile generates warmth and response. The teacher should not be afraid to smile—or even 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.
The teacher should discourage the use of the student’s mother tongue.
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 and engender enthusiasm
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 not dominate the conversation! He 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. He should not let them pass. But he should keep in mind the feelings of the one who made the mistake and make the correction as tactfully as possible. He should always avoid embarrassing the student. Still, he should not overlook the value of an attention getting comment that might prevent a repetition of the mistake.
Suggested topics for conversation
Topics for conversation should be relevant to the experiences and interests of the students. I give below, in random order, some of the topics I have found successful with my classes.
( Life, Happiness, Love, Joy, Sorrow, Television, Education, Friends, Music, Sports, Movies, Freedom, Weather, My Daily Routine, Study Abroad, Famous People, Why I Want to Learn English, My Family).
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. The seating arrangement (about a round table) and the roles of the participants were as follows: (Teen-Ager, Theatre Manager, Parent, Writer,Taxi Driver, Movi critic, Child, Movie Censor).
Pragmatics of Greetings:
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Other Resources:
3-Characteristics of a good teacher.
