The conversation class occupies a unique place in the process of learning English as a second or foreign language. From the author's own experience in conducting special conversation classes with Persian-speaking adults, he has drawn up a number of simple but important guidelines, some of which he hopes may provide helpful suggestions for the…

This article describes a game used for teaching discussion skills to English as a Second Language (ESL) students. It was originally designed for students wanting to prepare for graduate study at U.S. universities has been since used for other ESL students wanting to improve conversation skills. The game focuses on common phrases helpful for…

Issues regarding the development of student's speaking skills and English as a second language (ESL) techniques designed to improve the teaching of conversation are described. Ten true and false assumptions about the teaching of conversation are considered: (1) everyone enjoys talking and participating in class discussion; (2) discussion topics in…

Memorization and recitation of dialogues are an important part of English as a second language (ESL) courses. However, if the goal of using dialogues is to promote free conversation, the practice of reciting dialogues must entail more than the rote memorization of another's thoughts. Therefore, the talk-and-listen method is a good technique for…

Adult basic education and English as a second language teachers, as well as volunteer tutors, can help new refugees acquire functional English through the use of a survival kit. The Literacy Volunteers of America's guide to teaching conversational English recommends these items for a survival kit: a written copy of student's name, address, and…

This collection of resource sheets is intended for use by teachers and tutors who work with adult beginning readers and persons learning conversational English; more specifically, it is for use with learners at the beginning levels of the sequential reading series Read On! II, consisting of six textbooks, six workbooks, and an instructor's guide.…

A description of the use of flowcharts in teaching students of English as a second language (ESL) to "map" dialogue for conversation begins with a review of the literature concerning the flowchart form and content. Conversational form and logic and the discourse chart designed by Mohr and adapted for this study are discussed. The classroom…

A study investigated the effectiveness of a Salem-Teikyo University (West Virginia) program of English-as-a-Second-Language conversational tutoring for a cohort of 185 Japanese students and a similar but smaller Japanese-as-a-Second-Language tutoring program for the English-speaking cohort. Data were gathered through surveys of faculty (n=4),…

Recommends instituting conversation workshops to help English-as-a-Second-Language students acquire language competence and factual and cultural knowledge. Reviews Hunter College's workshop program whereby students work with peer tutors in a writing lab discussing various informal and academic topics or the information covered in specific content…

The ways in which second language learners and teachers together can develop learners' ability to carry on conversation in the target language are examined. The discussion is based on the idea that practicing language skills, therefore creating opportunities to gain additional knowledge, is essential to continued learning, whereas using such…

This guide is intended for use by teachers and tutors who are using the assisted reading method to teach reading to adult learners. The introduction describes the contents of the guide and the other materials in the Read On! II series, i.e., six textbooks, six workbooks, and a set of tutor resource sheets for use with learners at the beginning…

A technique adopted for a course in advanced conversation in English as a second language used a combination of writing, acting, and self-monitoring activities to teach a variety of culturally valuable skills: narration, expression of opinion, and discussion of common issues in culturally sensitive ways. Students write plays as a group about…

This booklet outlines the instructions for 10 games that have proved to be effective in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses. The games presented are divided into four categories: dialog games, vocabulary games, structure focus, and pronunciation practice. "The Chain Game" calls for students to take turns asking each other…

This packet contains four sets of lesson plans designed for the workplace curriculum for housekeeping employees at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel (Anchorage, Alaska), as part of the Anchorage Workplace Literacy Program. The lesson plans, which are correlated with Laubach literacy method skills books levels 1-3, include conversation (dialogue,…

This unit contains lesson plans designed to teach first aid skills to adults with limited language skills. The lesson plans were developed, using the Laubach literacy method, for a workplace literacy project in Anchorage, Alaska. The lesson plans, which are correlated with the book, "You Can Give First Aid," include conversational skills…