ESL Conversation Circles Toolkit | SettlementAtWork.org (2023)

FAQs

How do you run an ESL conversation circle? ›

The process is simple: a token, traditionally a feather or talking stick, is passed clockwise from participant to participant. Upon receiving the token, the participant speaks freely, openly, and honestly, addressing the topic at hand or responding to something someone else said.

The talking piece is passed clockwise around the circle with each participant having a turn to share their authentic personal stories and have them respectfully heard and acknowledged without judgment, condemnation, nor advice (unless advice is solicited).

The Talking Circle Process

Begin by gathering in a circle and creating norms that will help build trust in the space. In my class, we write our norms on a poster board placed in the center of our Circle. A talking piece, an object of significance chosen by Circle members, is passed around inviting equal participation.

For closing circle the process is: Circle keeper will remind participants of the role of the talking piece and the significance of the particular talking piece being used. Introduce closing reflection question – e.g. What has moved you in our time together? What are you taking home from this gathering?

How can I improve my conversation skills in ESL? ›

Your basic information. Your full name, nationality, educational background, and TEFL certifications are some of the most important details you should mention in your introduction video. You can also add something interesting about yourself, like your hobbies or interests.

Start by teaching your students the fundamentals, like numbers and the alphabet. Build on those skills with phonics, parts of speech, and basic grammatical skills. Create a productive learning environment by speaking to your students in simple language, like “Repeat after me” or “Finish this sentence.”

Talking Circles Explanation

There are different types of discussion circles, such as Talking Circle, Sharing Circles, or Healing Circles, and the protocols for usage depend on the purpose. The term Talking Circle is sometimes used interchangeably with Sharing Circle.

Healing circles are often called hocokah in the Lakota language, which means a sacred circle and is also the word for altar. The hocokah consists of people who sit together in a talking circle, in prayer, in ceremony, and are committed to helping one another and to each other's healing.

The format is simple. Position students in a circle (or, if your gathering is virtual, post a list of participants that will constitute your circle). Each person in the circle has one to five minutes to say whatever is on their minds about events of the day.

You can help children develop conversation skills by talking and listening with them every day. Role-modelling, prompting, guiding and practising help children learn conversation skills. Rules about polite conversations and consequences for rudeness can help you manage interrupting and talking back.

A Learning Circle is a group of individuals with a common interest who meet regularly to learn from each other, and others, about a self-identified topic and in a format the group has decided upon. Learning Circles are flexible, peer-directed learning experiences.

What are simple conversation starters? ›

General Conversation Starters. What's the most interesting thing you've read lately? What's a fact about you that's not on the internet? Do you listen to any podcasts?

Conversation Circles are informal gatherings where people come together to practice speaking English. They are an excellent way to practice your English in a variety of situations while networking in the community.

Conversations often go in circles when everyone is advocating their own opinion. The catch? Most of the time, people don't know what it is they are disagreeing on! There's usually a misunderstanding somewhere, but everyone has assumed that the misunderstanding is actually a difference of opinion.

If there is disruptive behavior, stop it immediately! Call the student out on their behavior. Ask them to be quiet so that you can continue with the class. If they continue, you can ask them to leave the class or wait and speak with them after the class is over.

Don't feed into the cycle and don't wait for the student to misbehave. Instead, create early opportunities to give the student positive attention. In addition, temporarily give the student extra eye contact, smiles, and chances to participate in class.

Due to language barriers and unfamiliarity of cultural norms such as bus schedules and pick-up locations or train and subway routes, an English language learner can find it difficult to make time for education and language learning.

In an ideal world, every student would be getting the same amount of attention from their teachers and progressing at more-or-less at the same pace. Unfortunately, the combination of a crowded classroom, an unoptimized curriculum, and the language barrier often makes it difficult for ELLs to keep up.

By asking questions that require deep thought rather than a rote answer, you can encourage your students to participate on a deeper level. Another way to increase retention is to encourage group work. As students work tighter in groups, they use English to achieve a common goal.

What are 5 ways to improve your speaking skills? ›

Communicative language teaching is perhaps the most popular approach among the methods of teaching ESL today. CLT emphasizes the students' ability to communicate in real-life contexts, and students learn to make requests, accept offers, explain things, and express their feelings and preferences.

Having a clear objective is the most important element to consider when developing an ESL lesson plan. Having a clear objective is the first building block for the planning and development process. It's the thing (or things) that you want your students to learn and take-away from the lesson.

A good ESL teacher should be able to relate freely with the students, should be lively, active, positive and have a welcoming attitude towards the students. This will foster a good learning atmosphere in the classroom. A good ESL teacher must also be good at expressing ideas, values and beliefs about teaching.

Earn a bachelor's degree in ESL or TESOL or a related subject, such as linguistics. Complete a student teaching internship in an ESL setting as part of your program. Take your state's tests for teacher licensure with an endorsement in ESL. Apply for your teaching license.

Students learning a second language move through five predictable stages: Preproduction, Early Production, Speech Emergence, Intermediate Fluency, and Advanced Fluency (Krashen & Terrell, 1983).

For starters, every lesson, regardless of the topic, should be broken into three main stages. Referred to as the PPP methodology, you will follow this simple framework: presentation, production, and practice. These three stages will help students absorb content and the practice will help in effective learning.

How do you continue a conversation in ESL? ›

Inform the students that circles, like wheels, are round shapes. Reinforce the definition of round by making a circle with your hand. Ask the students to make a circle with their hands.

Thus, it is concluded that the best appropriate method for teaching the area of a circle is Laboratory method.

Students sit in a circle so that all members can see and respond to each other. The open-ended question is restated. Using their notes as support, students enter the discussion responding to the initial question. Students enter the conversation using the sentence starters as a guide.

What is a Conversation Club? A Conversation Club is one of the best ways to improve spoken English. English clubs allow English language learners to practice speaking in an informal, relaxed environment. English speaking clubs primarily help participants improve 2 skills – speaking and listening.

The talking circle prevents reactive communication and directly responsive communication, and it fosters deeper listening and reflection in conversation.

The Four Types of Conversations: Debate, Dialogue, Discourse, and Diatribe.