Creating Learning Partners: A facilitator’s guide for training effective adult literacy tutors

Section 5 Conversation Time

A lot of our speech takes place within conversations; less takes place in lectures or while giving commands. Conversations are very fluid and they are full of pitfalls for the ESL learner. Learners often need extra work so that they are confident conversationalists. Tutors will see some ideas for conversation activities in this section, from structured conversations to free practice.

Activity A

Types of conversations

This discussion helps tutors look at the wide range of conversation formats.

Discussion
Materials and equipment Flip chart and markers STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS Begin with the following concepts: Often a learner understands reading, writing, grammar and what he hears better than he can communicate orally. This is sometimes because it requires more courage to speak than to communicate with the other skills. This is also sometimes because English classes in some other countries have little conversation practice. Many learners specifically list help with conversation as their first learning priority Make time for conversation practice. State that conversation takes many forms. Ask tutors to give examples of types of conversations. If they need help to get going, remind them of the functions of language that they looked at in the four skills activity. Write down their ideas on the flip chart. Make sure that they include examples such as small talk, making and responding to compliments, apologizing, politely complaining, describing an emergency and so on. Conclude the discussion by saying that learners will need to be able to handle everyday conversations and they will need to be able to talk in different ways according to the person they are conversing with and what they need to convey. Give examples such as how two friends reminiscing about their first jobs sounds much different from a job interview. Learners can share experiences from their home country to relate to differences in the use of English. For example, learners can describe how language differs in the learner’s first language and culture between informal and formal conversations.

Discussion

Materials and equipment

Flip chart and markers

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Begin with the following concepts:
- Often a learner understands reading, writing, grammar and what he hears better than he can communicate orally. This is sometimes because it requires more courage to speak than to communicate with the other skills. This is also sometimes because English classes in some other countries have little conversation practice.
- Many learners specifically list help with conversation as their first learning priority
- Make time for conversation practice.
State that conversation takes many forms. Ask tutors to give examples of types of conversations. If they need help to get going, remind them of the functions of language that they looked at in the four skills activity. Write down their ideas on the flip chart. Make sure that they include examples such as small talk, making and responding to compliments, apologizing, politely complaining, describing an emergency and so on.
Conclude the discussion by saying that learners will need to be able to handle everyday conversations and they will need to be able to talk in different ways according to the person they are conversing with and what they need to convey. Give examples such as how two friends reminiscing about their first jobs sounds much different from a job interview. Learners can share experiences from their home country to relate to differences in the use of English. For example, learners can describe how language differs in the learner’s first language and culture between informal and formal conversations.

Variation

You can find more examples to add to the handouts and discussion by referring to the Canadian Language Benchmarks. They describe skills learners need to acquire in four competency areas – social interaction, instructions, suasion (getting things done) and information.