Hello all, so recently my class working hours have been cut down at my buxiban and in order to meet the 100hrs a month in my contract I’ve been tasked with doing a conversation class with my boss’s two sons for 8hrs a week in 2-3hr blocks. Their sons are around 10 years old and I’m struggling to form a plan of what to do with them as I was told I wasn’t really to “tutor” or “teach” them during this time, only to “talk”. As you can imagine I’m having difficulties find topics to discuss with two ten year olds who’s English barely intermediate as best. As this time is pretty freely structured I think I have an opportunity to do some fun things but I’m trying to reach out to find those really good ideas. If anyone has any awesome ideas that I could try out so I don’t feel like block of time is wasting their or my time, it would be much appreciated.
Also, I’m usually with either one or the other so it’s mostly one on one. HELP! I’m trying to avoid filling up these blocks with time-wasters.
I use Macmillan’s “500 activities for the primary classroom” and “700 classroom activities” quite often because you don’t have to copy anything (most of the time) and the activities are easy to adapt. There are many similar books and if you are going to continue teaching for an extended period of time, one or two of them would be a good investment.
To give you an example 1 of the activities from the 700 activities book involves the students making a classified ad for a room in an apartment to rent (little info high cost) and then they have to “phone” each other to get more info.
I have adjusted it to sharing a tent at a camp with younger learners. Regardless of what many people think, the kids are not stupid and they know what a tent is and what they would like to do or bring when they go camping. That in itself is a conversation.
I would suggest that you always have prompts available (magazines, newspapers or other pictures) as it can be difficult to elicit ideas without them.
Introducing basic game concepts will take a small degree of creativity… the pieces and resources not much at all. But, once you begin, you can get them using English in economic negotiations and strategizing: the grammar’s not difficult but it’s very useful. The kids ought to have fun and be enthusiastic about spontaneously adapting the basic grammar you teach to their own purposes. The parents might look askance when you pull out a board game, but when they see that their boys and shouting, bargaining, and doing business in English, they’ll be asking where they can buy the game.
I’ve introduced the game in four classes: two classes with adults, two with kids. All loved it. One adult later described haggling, Settlers-style, with a business partner who, in the middle of negotiations, exclaimed: “This isn’t a board game!” The reply was, “Yes! Just like that.” One parent immediate bought the game and extension.
I say you come to improv practice and learn some of the games. Many of them make conversation classes easier. :-p
Ok. Enough with my babbling. Time for real advice. I agree with the board game idea. I can lend you my monopoly or we can hit the game store in Changhua sometime and ask about the different games.
Is there any way to do a longer term project with them? Find ANYTHING that sparks their interest and work with it.
Depends. . I typically change wheat to rice, for familiarity. Played with a class of jr high, mid/low level boys tonight. We’ve played before. Introduced a new rule: speak Chinese and the robber visits your territory. 90 mins, not a word of Chinese (an accomplishment for them), and they successfully ganged up to defeat Teacher.
Been riding them hard, but they’ve improved so this was a reward.