Question:
I am about to teach English Conversation for the first time,
and need ideas as to what to do!!! The place where I'll be teaching
has no syllabus. The class is made up of 7 adults with Swedish as
their first language. Any ideas gratefully received.
Answer:
I am about to return, after a two year absence, to teaching ESL in
night school to adults. The classes are three hours, so I try to have
a variety of activities - usually something grammar-based (I'm not so
big on teaching grammar out of context but I've found that students
really want me to, whether it is useful or not) for the first hour,
then a reading/writing activity and try to end with conversation.
I've decided this year that all our conversation will be activity
based. For example, draw a Venn Diagram comparing your home country
to life in the US. In your case, since you are all in Sweden (I
presume!) you can have then draw a Venn Diagram comparing any two
things that seem relevant - living in the city vs. living the country,
for example, or even cats and dogs. Then have them get up and explain
their Venn Diagrams and ask questions.
Or have then draw a map of their homes and explain each thing in it.
Pick a current political or social topic and put them in two groups
and have them debate it. If everyone shares the same opinion, just
have several try taking the opposite point of view.
Ask them to describe their earliest memories, favorite foods, worst
foods, best/worst teachers, best/worst birthdays. Read the newspaper
in English, discuss it.
Have them act out a scene...parent and child arguing about bedtime,
waiting for a late bus or train, applying for a job.
If you can sing, sing some simple songs in English. Folks are shy at
first, but they can get going. Start with childhood songs - even just
sing "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and then talk about what it means - you
can even guess at the symbolism, if they're advanced enough.
Analyze the Pledge of Allegiance. Talk about ideal vacations.
I just came up with all of these in the time it took to type this.
Once you get started, you can generate dozens of ideas quickly.
Have two or three topics handy in case one falls flat. Also, reading
plays out loud! Fun!
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