ESL Conversation Class Ideas
According to The Bilingual Family: A Handbook for Parents, children studying a second language have a greater chance of developing proper accents than adults, if they are motivated and given the opportunity. ESL elementary and middle school teachers should provide this opportunity to students by using effective strategies and activities in ESL conversation classes.
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Audiovisual
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Hearing a language helps students learn correct pronunciation and usage. Since children learning ESL don't know a lot of vocabulary, use activities that combine spoken English with pictures. Read a story aloud while they look at the pictures, or prepare a slide show with pictures if the students don't have copies of the story. Watching a short video with the students also engages their attention and helps them learn vocabulary through both sight and hearing. Always make sure the students have a conversation using the story they see and hear as a starter. If the students are not advanced enough to have a lengthy conversation, have them select a few vocabulary words to learn.
Prompts
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Bring objects or pictures to class for the students to use as conversation starters. Objects should be simple so the children can use them to learn different colors, sizes and other properties. Provide items that are associated with daily situations to help the students learn how to ask for directions, buy things or order food at a restaurant. For more advanced ESL students, have questions prepared as conversation starters rather than objects. This helps them practice reading comprehension as well as conversation.
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Think-Pair-Share
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The think-pair-share strategy encourages reflection, participation and communication. This activity is effective when students advance from learning basic vocabulary to successfully engaging in conversation. Give each student a topic, such as what they want to be when they grow up, a place they want to visit or their favorite memory. Give them time to reflect individually, thinking about what they will say and what vocabulary they can use. Then divide them into pairs and tell them to share their thoughts with their partners. Give beginning ESL students a specific goal, like saying three sentences. More advanced students should be asked to carry on a conversation for a given amount of time.
Interactive Projects
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You can help students learn English and foster creativity by assigning interactive projects that help them make their own visual relationships with words. Beginning students can make an ABC book, for example. They should have one page for each letter, write the letter, write a word beginning with the letter and draw a corresponding picture. More advanced students can make a picture book with simple sentences, prepare puppet shows in English, or learn how to play games like chess or cards, speaking in English only. These activities motivate the students to learn English out of enjoyment, while helping them expand their vocabularies and practice usage.
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References
Resources
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