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

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Hand out “News Flash” Activity. Go over the handout and cover the following concepts:
- Small talk is very important for making friends. Part of small talk is sharing and discussing news.
- Not all topics are acceptable for small talk. Small talk topics vary from country to country. For instance, in Canada it is not acceptable to talk about the age of middle-aged women, but this is quite acceptable in many countries. Learners may need to learn about what is or isn’t acceptable.
- This activity would be good for practising feedback cues (for example, the listener shows she is listening by nodding), pause fillers (for example, uh, like) and how to interrupt politely. It would be useful to practise these cues as there may be some differences between the Canadian version and the corresponding cues in your learner’s first culture.
- This can be a structured activity at first, as in the handout, and later tutors can just add small talk into the beginning of their sessions. They can ask “What’s new?” The answers may lead to great lesson ideas, questions and extra practice.

Activity E

Role-plays

Role-play conversations are not as structured as other conversation practice strategies mentioned. They are a good stepping-stone to real conversations.

Demonstration, use of handout
Materials and equipment Handout 12.15: Role-playing Handout 12.16: Role-play Cue Cards Appropriate articles of clothing or props, if desired Preparation Copy Role-Playing handout for all tutors. Copy Role-play Cue Cards handout for the two tutors who volunteer to do the role-play. Cut apart the sections of the role-play cue cards. Note: Be sure to cut up a copy so that you have the original for next time. Choose a role-play from the two examples. If you prefer not to use the ready-made scenarios provided on the Role-play Cue Cards handout, make up some of your own and cut them into cue cards instead. Look at the role-play cue cards and pull together appropriate articles of clothing or props, if you wish. During a break earlier in the session or before the session begins, ask for two volunteers to help with a role-play. Give them a bit of time to look over the role-play cue cards before the role-play. You might want to give the speakers specific characters for a bit of fun.

Demonstration, use of handout

Materials and equipment

Handout 12.15: Role-playing
Handout 12.16: Role-play Cue Cards
Appropriate articles of clothing or props, if desired

Preparation

Copy Role-Playing handout for all tutors.

Copy Role-play Cue Cards handout for the two tutors who volunteer to do the role-play.

Cut apart the sections of the role-play cue cards. Note: Be sure to cut up a copy so that you have the original for next time.

Choose a role-play from the two examples. If you prefer not to use the ready-made scenarios provided on the Role-play Cue Cards handout, make up some of your own and cut them into cue cards instead.

Look at the role-play cue cards and pull together appropriate articles of clothing or props, if you wish.

During a break earlier in the session or before the session begins, ask for two volunteers to help with a role-play. Give them a bit of time to look over the role-play cue cards before the role-play. You might want to give the speakers specific characters for a bit of fun.