Author Topic: Conversation class ideas (Read 18831 times)

ajsnods · « **on:** April 07, 2011, 09:27:35 AM »

Any ideas for things to do in a before school conversation class for 45min everday. I can basically do what I want but I am running out of creative ideas. I've done a lot of Role Playing and Current Event discussion. Pop songs, Food, Movies, American culture...etc.

Any ideas?

Thanks

HulkHercules · « **Reply #1 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:33:19 AM »

I did a couple of classes on idioms and it worked really well especially when I told them that native English speakers would be very impressed if they could us them.

So, I did a lesson on body idioms (eyes in the back of your head, my lips are sealed et cetera), another animal idiom lesson (strong as a bull, quiet as a mouse) and another on food idioms (as cool as a cumcumber et cetera). Good way to help them express themselves better as well so very good for converstaion classes.

flutterby · « **Reply #2 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:39:47 AM »

Hi, I also have conversation classes. I found that adults and kids alike enjoyed doing surveys. Opinion based, or about themselves. Also they liked conversation bingo. I made two sheets one with answers and one with questions. Then I divided the sheets between the class, and they had to find the correct answers that corresponded with the question. In the second half of the lesson they had to come up with similar questions and answers based on their own experience nd opinions. Hope this helps

ajsnods · « **Reply #3 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:44:28 AM »

Great Ideas

Idioms sound like they could be a lot of fun! I'll try to pull together a powerpoint!

Thanks

madelinefaye · « **Reply #4 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:57:38 AM »

Personality tests can be fun. Also silent movies like Pixar shorts or Wallace and Gromit, or I think there is something the kids like online called Ned and Ted...

Mad libs can be great too! I made my own last semester by modifying some short greek myths I found online.

If you have Apples to Apples, you can play and make they create sentences using the words.

bparsons · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2011, 10:28:17 AM »

Every day? In the morning? sounds challenging.

Perhaps stretch themes into multiple-day or week-long units. For example, you could transform current event discussions into Ss creating biweekly or monthly news/opinion shows (could be recorded and posted on school website/youtube?) or newspapers. That way they are always working toward something tangible and there is a record of their improvement. Not to mention it would fill class time with practice, performance, filming, etc.

Otherwise, a few other ideas:
-If you have internet access, there are tons of online word games (i.e., boggle) available for free. Split the class into teams and fill time with competitions. 1-2 times a week wouldn't necessarily get old and it would break up the monotony of straight topic discussion classes day in and day out.

-Have Ss sign up (forcibly encourage them?) to take turns making short speeches/presentations on topics that interest them. Followed by Q&A - You could even give them class time to work on them one day per week or a few minutes each day.

Basically, any type of routine

zufelt.v · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2012, 01:40:43 PM »

teaching about idioms is very useful! it's interesting to the students and even your co-teachers!
personality tests are good to use too. it allows the teacher to get to know their students even better!

hang · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2012, 01:49:28 PM »

This one is good for higher level kids. Make two teams and stand one S from each team in front of the board, facing away from it. Write a word or draw a picture on the board (e.g. "hamburger") and the Ss have to explain that word to their team member (e.g. you can buy it in McDonalds, it's got cheese and ketchup in it). The first S out of the two standing in front of the board to guess the word wins a point for his/her team.

-source : http://www.eslkidstuff.com/Gamescontents.htm#B

hang · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2012, 01:54:28 PM »

http://www.eslflow.com/ICEBREAKERSreal.html

Suz-goose · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2012, 03:22:12 PM »

I liked the body idiom idea :D. Here is a powerpoint I made for it ;)

Suz-goose · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2012, 01:29:27 PM »

Here's a ppt I made on movie genres for my conversation class tomorrow. Feedback welcome

.

Yeti · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2012, 11:22:39 AM »

Another thing you can do after studying new idioms is to have the students choose idoms to act out in pairs, and then let the other students guess which idiom. Most of my classes have had a lot of fun with it.

Suz-goose · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2012, 09:37:28 AM »

I made an easy food idiom class. I think my girls will like it and my boys will hate it. Seems to be the case with every class :o

jenilyn8705 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2012, 02:58:13 PM »

If you're looking for different topic ideas you might want to check out esldiscussions.com they have a whole list of different topics and questions that you can ask about each. For middle school age, I know its harder to get them to really discuss the "depth" of a topic, but at least the list on that site gives me ideas because I'm currently in the same boat you are with morning conversation class every day -- and I don't want it to get "stale" because I'm either doing the same activities or just taking discussion questions from a book.

rexbaylon · « **Reply #14 on:** March 15, 2012, 08:23:41 PM »

I'm just starting out right now and just had my first after school English Conversation class and completely bombed as a teacher. I prepared a topic on Success & Failure and made vocab/idiom/phrase handouts and prepared 4 short paragraph bios of famous successful people (e.g. Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, etc. etc.) and none of the kids that bothered to come to class wanted to listen or could even understand any of the words or phrases on the handout or even what Success and Failure meant, even after i gave them several examples. How do I get through to my students and get them to communicate? Next week I wanna do a class on video games and the internet but I fear that I'll completely bomb teaching that class also.

jejucity · « **Reply #15 on:** March 16, 2012, 12:19:12 PM »

Rex, start things off more on a simpler level, it will allow you to assess the level of the students and they can gain more confidence in speaking. I find it's better to pitch lower and increase it for the better kids than to pitch to high and miss them all.

MWeb37 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 19, 2012, 07:36:12 AM »

"Completely bombed as a teacher."

I think that's an aspect of teaching us rookies are gonna have to accept for a little while.

Suz-goose · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2012, 02:29:01 PM »

I made a scenario and thinking class, thought I'd share. You need jenga to use it ::)

Suz-goose · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2012, 11:00:03 AM »

My kids like O-mok so I made an English talking version of it. They need to make a question with the words in the boxes and then if they can get 5 boxes in a row they get a point. The winner is the one with the most points. I made it in a rush so if there are any mistakes, you fix them

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Suz-goose · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2012, 08:23:16 AM »

Here's one I put together about superstitions!