Compelling Conversations

Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics for ESL learners and teachers

Posts Tagged Conversation Tips

Reading Pleasures and Conversation Starters

Sep 11

Posted by Eric Roth in Conversation Tips, ESL, book reviews, conversation starters | No Comments

A new semester begins, new students enter our classes, and returning colleagues greet us. What can talk about that will go beyond the work-related activities?

Books.

Teachers, especially English teachers, love to talk about their summer reading. Reading remains a cheap pleasure and an excellent conversation starter.

* Can you recommend a good book?
* What did you this summer?
* What are reading these days – besides student papers?

Books and ideas still matter in our 21st century global culture of blogs, especially for starting conversations. Discussing books, sharing ideas, and exchanging tips helps elevate casual office chit-chat into more satisfying verbal exchanges.

In the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed several satisfying conversations with my teaching colleagues – and a few more memorable conversations with strangers about books. How?

I looked around, noted the reading choices of folks, and asked a friendly question.

• Is that a good book?
• How did you choose that book?
• Can you recommend a good book?

Likewise, talking about books and reading pleasures gives us new information about our world – and insights into our friends and students. For longer, better conversations, you can ask the following questions:

• What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
• Who is your favorite author, anyway?
* How have your reading habits changed?
• Are you still reading Alain de Botton?
* What are you reading these days?

If you have time to listen, the answers might surprise you.

Our English students also enjoy talking about their favorite books and reading experiences. Here’s a link to a conversation lesson that I’ve had success with in high intermediate and advanced ESL/EFL classes.
http://compellingconversations.com/pdf/reading_pleasures.pdf

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Conversation Tip #4: Ask Questions and Take Turns

Sep 5

Posted by Eric Roth in Conversation Tips, Conversation lessons, ESL, Speaking Skills, linguistics, teaching tips | 1 Comment

Why state the obvious? Why take turns asking questions? Why ask follow up questions?

Common sense and social skills don’t seem to be universal. Conversation skills remain a vital soft skill that many scientists, engineers, shy people, and English language learners struggle to master. A key technique is just asking simple questions to keep a conversation moving forward.

Asking follow up questions can provide clarity and allow our conversation partners to elaborate on details. English teachers, especially when reviewing fluency skills, can introduce common phrases to help ESL and EFL students improve their fluency. Use these simple phrases to go beyond hello and create better conversations.

And?
So?
Where?
When?
How?
Why?
Meaning?

You can also encourage your conversation partner with simple phrases.
Go on!
Tell me more!
Sounds interesting.

Smiling and nodding your head also indicate interest and encourage your conversation partner. Yet asking follow up questions and turn taking remain key elements of a natural, satisfying conversation. Everyone in a conversation should both be and feel included, and asking questions remains essential in both superficial and deep conversations. English teachers can gently remind their ESL students of this technique as part of fluency.

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Worksheet – or Cheat Sheet – for English Teachers to Observe Conversations and Lead Class Discussions

Mar 2

Posted by Chimayo Press in Conversation Tips, Conversation lessons, EFL, ELL, ESL, ESL worksheets, ESL/EFL teachers' resources, Speaking Skills, Teaching matters, adult education, forms and worksheets, language schools, resources, teaching tips, worksheets and charts | 4 Comments

What do you do while students are having conversations or talking in pairs? Do you have a “formula” for taking notes? Do you focus more on fluency or accuracy?

Many English teachers, especially novice ESL instructors, talk more than ideal – and allow their English students to talk too little. Ironically, many ESL instructors make this “good mistake” because they are so dedicated. What, after all, are they supposed to do while students exchange ideas and practice their speaking skills?

When I taught an advanced ESL conversation class to immigrants and international students from many different countries at Santa Monica Community College, I developed a little routine.

First, I introduced conversation topics with a quotation or proverb and briefly introduce the day’s topic. Then I distribute worksheets (which became chapters in Compelling Conversations) with 30 or so questions, 10 or 12 key vocabulary words, and a few selected quotations or proverbs. Then students would be paired up to interview each other and share experiences for 20-30 minutes.

What did I do? I simply circled around the room, briefly joining in conversations, taking notes, and indirectly correcting students by modeling a better way to ask or respond to questions. I also jotted down key comments and “good mistakes” – both grammar and pronunciation – that I would later share with the entire class. Further, I focused on the content of student comments so fluency and meaning was more important than accuracy. Ideas and perceptions mattered more than perfect grammar.

These notes, however, helped me guide the classroom discussion because it closely echoed their previous conversations. It also lead to dynamic discussions because several perspectives were acknowledged and considered.

Taking notes also gave me a chance to emphasize certain sound groups or related word forms. While the students were talking to each other, I was playing reporter and taking notes.

Here is a reproducible worksheet that captures that process of monitoring conversations and leading discussions. Use or lose.

—————————————————–
Compelling Conversation Classroom Worksheet for Teachers

Topic: Pages: Date:
# of participants: # of groups: Room:

Opening Quote:

Opening comments to class:

Starting time for conversations:

Conversation content:
- What did you hear the students say? Summarize.

Follow-up class discussion questions:

Review Vocabulary:

Pronunciation tips:

Grammar issues:

Other comments/observations:

———————————————————

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Paraphrasing is an Essential Conversation Skill!

Jan 17

Posted by Chimayo Press in Conversation Tips, Conversation lessons, EFL, EL Civics, ESL, English class, Speaking Skills, adult education, natural English, teaching tips, tutoring tips | 4 Comments

Paraphrasing matters in conversation too!

Experienced English teachers know that students must learn paraphrasing skills for academic writing assignments. Likewise paraphrasing remains a vital skill for English language learners to participate in academic classrooms, everyday conversations, social situations, and commercial transactions.

The ability to re-phrase and re-state, usually called paraphrasing, allows English students to confirm information, accurately convey information, and avoid plagiarism problems in writing papers. As a result, paraphrasing is usually emphasized in English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing classes. Classes and teachers focusing on oral skills from academic presentations to simple conversations should also devote some attention to paraphrasing too.

English language students, whether university or adult and young or old, must learn to confirm information by asking clarification questions. This critical skill will increase their ability to collect information, avoid costly mistakes, and reduce their everyday stress level. Some useful phrases for a listener to ask include:

Are you saying…?
Do you mean?
What are you getting at?
If I understand you correctly, you are saying …
So you are saying… Right?
Did I get that right?

Speakers can also check to see if their group members and classmates understand their directions.

Are you with me?
Can you understand me?
Was I going too fast?
Should I rephrase that?
Do you follow?
Is that clear?
Should I repeat the directions?
Do you want me to repeat that?
Would it be better for me to repeat that?
Can I answer any questions?
Is anybody lost?

Asking advanced English students to repeat directions, in different words, can also be an effective group activity. The directions can be to a physical location (home, campus building, museum) or how to do something simple like finding a definition or sending an email. You can also extend the assignment by requesting detailed directions on a complicated procedure such as getting a driver’s license, applying for a visa, or choosing a new laptop.

Further, you can ask students to share an autobiographical story. Student A tells a story, and Student B retells that story with different words to Student C. This paraphrasing exercise also helps build a larger, more practical vocabulary.

Another teaching technique that I’ve found useful is asking students to paraphrase proverbs and quotations. This exercise, done in groups of two, is often followed by asking if students agree or disagree with the proverb or quotation. Of course, students have to give a reason and/or an example. ESL tutors and lucky English teachers with small classes can elaborate this technique to match student interests.

If English students can accurately paraphrase a reading, a radio segment, or a verbal statement, they can actively participate in common conversations and classroom discussions. Many English teachers underestimate the importance of this skill, and assume students understand more than they might. Verbal paraphrasing activities allow both students and teachers to assess listening comprehension skills in a natural, authentic manner.

Therefore, verbal paraphrasing deserves more attention in speaking activities – especially in high intermediate and advanced levels! Don’t you agree?

What techniques or exercises do you use to improve paraphrasing skills?

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Exploring Cities in ESL Classrooms

Nov 15

Posted by Chimayo Press in California, Compelling Conversations, Conversation lessons, EFL, EL Civics, ELL, ESL, ESL worksheets, English class, Los Angeles, academic matters, adult education, website | No Comments

Cities attract the young, the strong, the ambitious, and the hungry.

Millions move from countryside and across the globe to live in new cities every year. Cities provide jobs, culture, and education. Cities are exciting. Yet, sometimes danger also lurks in cities. Do you like living in cities? Which cities have you visited? Which cities you found most satisfying? Why?

Teaching English in Los Angeles and Santa Monica I’ve found that students, who come from across the globe, enjoy talking about cities. Some English students share stories about moving from rural areas and small towns to an international city; other students enjoy talking about their travel experiences. Discussions naturally touch on housing, employment, and lifestyle choices – or what education bureaucrats call “life skills”. English language learners – whether adult immigrants creating a new home or university students living abroad – can reflect on their experiences and share insights discussing urban life.

This month Exploring Cities, one of my favorite chapters, is highlighted as a free, reproducible chapter on the  Compelling Conversations website. Like the other 44 chapters, this chapter includes over 30 questions, five proverbs, a dozen quotations, and five classroom activities. Meeting new people, seeing new sights, and holding satisfying conversations are classic urban experiences. Why not bring those discussions and experiences into your English classroom too?

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How many languages did you hear today?

Sep 14

Posted by Eric Roth in California, conversation starters, favorite quotations | No Comments

Sometimes living in Los Angeles feels fantastic. Beauty – in many forms – pervades. You look around, and you smile. The sun shines, the scene looks great, and many languages fill the day.

I visited the Huntington Gardens, a beautiful oasis near California Institute of Technology, yesterday to catch a large photography exhibit documenting 150 years of Los Angeles history. Inevitably, I fell in love with the city again – and gained a new appreciation for how cars, film, oil, and immigration have created this global city of dreams and demons.  The show, “This Side of Paradise: Body and Landscape in LA Photographs”, starred evocative photographs by numerous great photographers and attracted a fine crowd.

While moving through the city or going to tourist sites, I often ask myself a simple question. “How many languages did you hear today?” It’s a way to nudge me to pay more attention to sounds, along with the sights, around me. It also reminds me that I’ve traveled quite some distant from Crawfordsville, Indiana where I went to college or even Indianapolis, Indiana where I mostly grew up. This simpe question is also a lively conversation starter in cosmopolitian areas.

Los Angeles is both a great American city and an international magnet for artists, seekers, immigrants, and students. Yesterday I heard Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, German, Hebrew – and lots of English.  Many other languages were also spoken, but I didn’t have the pleasure of hearing them.  Art, photography,  gardens, and culture brought all these people to share a common experience in multiple tongues.

“As one went to Europe to see the living past, so one must visit Southern California to see the future,” wrote Alison Lurie, an American novelist.  Her words still ring true. And living here provides still more possibilities!

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Conversation tip #15: Seek to Understand

Aug 23

Posted by Eric Roth in Conversation Tips, ESL, ESL worksheets, English class, VESL, academic matters, adult education, workplace English, workplace communication skills | No Comments


Seek to Understand

Have you ever seen two emotional people talk past each other? Both talk and neither listen. Both want to tell the other, and don’t want to hear – or understand – what the other person is saying. This happens too often in stressful workplaces.

Stephen Covey, author of the international bestseller called “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, advises people “to seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Following this traditional wisdom can improve workplace relationships and communication.

What are some techniques that can help understand other people? Here are some tips:

  • Listen first and avoid interrupting.
  • Pause before speaking.
  • Look people in the eye.
  • Be curious.
  • Ask “what” and “how” questions to get more information.
  • Keep the voice down. Stay calm. Talk slow.
  • Repeat or rephrase what people say to avoid misunderstandings.

What are some other tips to avoid misunderstandings or conflicts at work?

1.

2.

3.

4.

What are some advantages of staying calm at work?

1.

2.

3.

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Simple questions to ask English Language Learners in Week 1

Jul 30

Posted by Eric Roth in Conversation lessons, EFL, ELL, ESL, English class, academic matters, adult education, educational philosophy, teaching tips | No Comments

In conversation, it is often helpful to show other people that we understand what they are trying to say. A smile, a nod of the head, and eye contact are encouraging to others at work and at home. Frowning, shaking one’s head no, or looking away while others are speaking will discourage others from trying. In our ESL classes, we want to encourage each other as we learn and make “good mistakes.”

Gestures matter – in conversation and in ESL class. I often ask ESL students to practice smiling at others, nodding encouragingly, and giving eye contact. Here are some simple questions that I suggest teachers, administrators, and students ask during the first week of class:

1. Why do you want to learn English?

2. Where do you use English now?

3. How will better English conversation skills help you at school?

4. How will improved English conversation skills help you at work?

5. How can you use English speaking skills in your daily life?

6. How do you feel when you speak English now? Why?

7. Where do you plan to speak English in two years? Why?

Getting English Language Learners to answer these simple questions will give instructors a chance to evaluate skills, learn about the background and ambitions of ESL students, and focus student attention on the task at hand. English students need more opportunities to practice and improve their speaking skills in our classrooms.

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Volume matters – even in personal conversations

Jul 20

Posted by Eric Roth in Conversation Tips, Conversation lessons, EFL, ELL, ESL, English class, Teaching matters, academic matters, linguistics, public education, teaching tips | No Comments

Student conferences, especially with shy students worried about their grade or academic performance, can often be a bit awkward for both the professor and student. ESL (English as a Second Language) students, sometimes insecure about their pronunciation or vocabulary, can feel particularly anxious. ESL and other English teachers have to find ways to reduce student anxiety, provide a safe place for English students to speak, provide feedback on student work, and uphold academic standards.

In general, I find student conferences very productive and satisfying because you get a chance to really work with a college student on their writings and assignments. I often feel that I learn as much as I teach in these 20-30 minute student conferences.

Sometimes, however, I have awkward conferences. If the student has plagiarized, then this can’t be avoided. Those moments, which I dread, can not be avoided. So it goes.

Yet sometimes, as occurred last semester, an ESL (English as a Second Language) student is so shy, so timid, and so unsure that they speak so softly that I can’t even hear. Sometimes I lean forward and ask them to please speak a bit louder. If a student continues in the same low volume, I might apologize for my poor hearing and again request they speak up. What does one do on the third request?

“Please speak a bit louder so I can hear you.”

Was this too direct? I wanted to say, “If I can’t hear you, you will be misunderstood. I want to understand you. Speak up!!”

Patience, this time, paid off. The student raised her voice to an audible level, and replied, “okay.”

“Good to hear you,” I replied. We proceeded to have a productive end of semester conference.

English and ESL teachers at all levels, from elementary school and high school to adult school and university, need to emphasize the importance of student speech being comprehensible. That includes speaking loud enough that conversation partners, classmates, and instructors can hear.

Bottomline: students must speak up in conversations, conferences, and class discussions. Volume matters.

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Can I turn that paper in next week?

Jun 15

Posted by Eric Roth in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Sometimes time just seems to escape, and we fall behind. Despite the alarm clocks, cell phones, and wrist watches, and many labor-saving appliances, the hours just seem to rush by, the work piles remain, and time vanishes. Modern life can feel more hectic than relaxing – even in summer.

This uncomfortable experience that life is too hectic is quite familiar to adult education students who often work two jobs, take care of their family, and go to school at night.

ESL Teacher: What do you like to do you in free time?

Adult ESL Student:  What is free time?

 Many college and university English language students feel pressured and short of time. I’ve had ESL students tell me that “sleep is for the weak” and they can’t afford to get even six hours, let alone eight hours of sleep. This lack of sleep, of course, reduces their ability to think clearly, write strong papers, and increases their stress levels.

ESL teachers, who sometimes work at two or more locations, can also feel overwhelmed and stressed by deadlines, traffic jams, and work loads. Getting to class ten minutes early is a wonderful practice, but many evening ESL instructors find it difficult to squeeze just 10 extra minutes into their crammed schedule.

Therefore, it’s useful for ESL teachers and English instructors to teach a few helpful phrases to English language learners to use when they need more time at work or school for projects and class assignments.

Can I have an extra hour?

Can you give me an extension?

Is there any way we can postpone this?

When is the absolute final deadline?

Do I have to work overtime?

Can I have the weekend off?

Is there somebody else who can do this?

Would it be okay to turn this in a day late?

Can I turn that paper in next week? 

While nobody would ever fall behind on their work schedules in the perfect world, ESL teachers and students live and work under imperfect and sometimes challenging circumstances.  We should, therefore, help our students develop the vocabulary and verbal skills to request extensions, reduce their stress levels, and shift deadlines. Students should also be prepared to explain why they need an extra time.

These requests may be denied, ignored, or accepted, but our students should at least have the vocabulary to ask for more time.

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