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Conversation Tip #4: Carry a respectful tone
Pair your words with a respectful tone
“Beautiful tone, beautiful heart.”
-Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998) Japanese violinist, creator of the “Suzuki Method”
Proper tone is essential for the effective conversationalist and communicator, after all, having a good conversation seems unattainable without clear, mutual respect. A student’s conversation partner may find them impolite or insincere if the tone isn’t appropriate!
Different situations also demand different tones. A happy occasion calls for enthusiasm while a sad one calls for sympathy. Using the appropriate tone lets the other person know that you’re paying attention and that you care about the conversation at hand.
Tone also acts as a clear indicator of meaning, more so than words. For instance, carrying a sarcastic tone alerts the listener the statement should not be taken literally. Native English speakers especially tend to use sarcastic more frequently than what English language learners expect!
Ask More. Know More. Share More.
Create Compelling Conversations.
Visit www.compellingconversations.com
Jessica Lu, a first-year student at the University of Chicago, interned for Chimayo Press and the Compelling Conversations blog through the summer of 2014. Over the months, she has perused ESL textbooks, analyzed newspaper articles and tested out mobile apps, seeking out ways to inspire discussion. During the fall, the Compelling Conversations blog published her top 10 tips to create compelling conversations outside of the English classroom.
Photo Source: “Tennis shake hands after match” by kance – http://www.flickr.com/photos/kentmercurio/59629166/. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tennis_shake_hands_after_match.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Tennis_shake_hands_after_match.jpg
Search and Share exercises enhance learning resources
Explore with Search and Share worksheets
“In any field, find the strangest thing and then explore it.”
We live in a world full of wonderful resources from books to television to the internet. These resources remain invaluable to encourage our students to immerse themselves in the English language. Think of the conversations that can arise as a result!
Search and Share exercises, otherwise known as Webquests, present themselves as popular tools for many teachers. Compelling Conversations has developed some of their own, which can be found here. These worksheets allow students to record what resources they used and what aspects to look out for. The questions accompanying each activity allow the student to reflect on the “search” aspect, and also serve as perfect conversation starters when students “share” with one another.
Note the variety in the approach of these wonderful exercises. For instance, students may be looking out for body language, comparing with a video in their native language, hidden meaning or parallels to their own lives. They no longer have to dread filling out tedious, repetitive worksheets.
I like to use these worksheets for Tedtalks, New York Times articles and of course, to accompany the chapters of Compelling Conversations. How do you encourage your students to “search and share” information in your English class?
Ask More. Know More. Share More.
Create Compelling Conversations.
Visit www.compellingconversations.com
Conversation Tip #3: React appropriately
Exude interest with body language and facial expressions
“The body never lies.”
A conversation composed entirely of just words holds less meaning if there aren’t appropriate reactions and responses. Therefore, body language and facial expressions remain key, as both signal the way words are being absorbed.
Facing toward the person is just the first step to giving the person full attention. Avoid crossing arms or swaying from side to side–as these movements create barriers that reflect indifference or boredom.
Further, the face itself portrays our thoughts–remind your students to be aware that their expressions should be appropriate! For instance, an unchanging, unresponsive appearance creates an apathetic vibe even if their words reflect excitement.
As always, consistent eye contact is crucial, even when walking and talking. Looking at the other person’s eyes conveys interest and therefore adds another layer of connection.
How do your students react to one another during a conversation? What sort of body language and facial expressions do they use?
Ask More. Know More. Share More.
Create Compelling Conversations.
Visit www.compellingconversations.com
Jessica Lu, a first-year student at the University of Chicago, interned for Chimayo Press and the Compelling Conversations blog through the summer of 2014. Over the months, she has perused ESL textbooks, analyzed newspaper articles and tested out mobile apps, seeking out ways to inspire discussion. During the fall, the Compelling Conversations blog published her top 10 tips to create compelling conversations outside of the English classroom.
Photo Source: “VirgilGriffithFace” by Meng Weng Wong – Photo taken by Meng Weng Wong. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VirgilGriffithFace.jpg#mediaviewer/File:VirgilGriffithFace.jpg
Memrise: online learning tool fuses memory, fun and community
Through “mems,” students retain English vocabulary
“We’ve built Memrise to embody the very best knowledge about how your brain works, and so help you learn as quickly and effortlessly as possible. We’ve turned learning facts and language into a game where you grow a colourful garden of memory.”
Learning online and through mobile apps transforms the way in which we learn languages. Free resources spring up around us, full of new technologies and innovations. Among these online learning tools, Memrise presents itself as a fantastic, scientifically-backed option for language learning students.
HOW IT WORKS
After choosing from hundreds of English courses across various languages, students begin to “plant” the seeds. Each lesson acts as a game, first presenting the vocabulary and later testing the student’s knowledge of the new words. The use of “mems,” or Memrise’s term for “morsels of interesting and relevant information” helps the student to recall learned information. Students can pick their from previous users’ mnemonics, pictures, videos and example sentences, or they can design their own “mem.”
Following the gardening metaphor, Memrise reminds students every now and then to “water” their memories by reviewing each lesson. By retaining previous performance, Memrise calculates how often to send these reminders and and keeps track of how “planted” a certain item is. Unlike most other learning tools, Memrise claims to tackle both short and long term memory.
ONLINE COMMUNITY
The level of participation in Memrise’s active community remains the member’s choice. It may be desirable to join in to discuss courses, share mems and answer questions. However, students can also progress through the lessons without tapping into the forums.
WEAKNESSES
As with most online and mobile language learning platforms, a certain critical component remains neglected. Memrise can enrich reading, writing and even listening skills. As always, students must turn to real-life conversations to improve their speaking abilities.
BOTTOM LINE
However, as a memory-based, free and attractive online learning tool, Memrise remains a worthy website for English language learners. It seems particularly apt for those students who struggle with memorizing new vocabulary words, make use of mnemonics and learn visually, Memrise can help grow a beautiful garden of language.
How do your students “mem”-orize new vocabulary?
To read more about Memrise, visit their website here, or read their Wikipedia article.
Ask More. Know More. Share More.
Create Compelling Conversations.
Visit www.compellingconversations.com
Conversation Tip #2: Listen louder!
Without listening, there’s no conversation
“There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak.”
Do your students pay attention to what others are saying in a conversation? About half the conversation should be spent listening to what the other person has to say; after all, the students aren’t giving a presentation! As mentioned in the first conversation tip, people have compelling and unique things to bring to the table–so it’s important to listen to what they have to say!
Giving the person undivided attention demonstrates respect–and good manners. Interrupting or disregarding the other side is detrimental to good conversation. For everyone to leave feeling good about the interaction, consideration and civility must be part of the equation.
Perhaps most importantly, students should listen louder. What does this mean? Listen for tone, voice inflections and other meaning conveyed without words. American writer Ernest Hemingway famously stated, “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” Students, too, can take away significant information if they listen louder.
How do you encourage your students to listen? What can you learn when you’re not speaking?
Ask More. Know More. Share More.
Create Compelling Conversations.
Visit www.compellingconversations.com
Jessica Lu, a first-year student at the University of Chicago, interned for Chimayo Press and the Compelling Conversations blog through the summer of 2014. Over the months, she has perused ESL textbooks, analyzed newspaper articles and tested out mobile apps, seeking out ways to inspire discussion. During the fall, the Compelling Conversations blog published her top 10 tips to create compelling conversations outside of the English classroom.
Photo Source: “Mother and daughter talking” by Linda Bartlett (Photographer) – This image was released by the National Cancer Institute, an agency part of the National Institutes of Health, with the ID 2082 (image) (next).This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.English | Français | +/−. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mother_and_daughter_talking.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Mother_and_daughter_talking.jpg
