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).
Cultivate a relaxed
atmosphere.
Suggested topics for
conversation.
Other Activities.
Pragmatics of Greeting
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.
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.
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
