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I am working in a foreign country and have been asked to help university students practice their English in a classroom setting. Four days a week they are learning grammar from an experienced teacher, therefore it is not my job to teach them English but simply to interact with them. What is the best way to do this? Should I just ask questions on various topics or should I have a plan?

Trellis · Accepted Answer

As your students already have a proper English teacher and you are only being asked to give them some extra practice in conversational English, you could get them involved in fun chatting by discussing topics that are of interest to them, such as music and movies. This would probably get their enthusiatic interest. What do you think?

Mike in Japan · Answer

Have a look at this page; http://iteslj.org/questions/
I'm sure you will get some great ideas there. I also suggest having a look at L.A. Hill's Word Power series, Oxford Uni. Press. Also his Stories for Reproduction series. Both series are graded for different ability levels.
I hope this helps.

Ryan smith · Answer

I've done this many times, both well and poorly. I charged for my one-on-one classes, so if you're doing it for free you may not want to go to so much trouble. Anyway, here's what I can suggest:

1. Have a plan. Make a schedule (syllabus) with the student (or at least get some suggestions from them about what they want to practice) and follow it. That way you can tell if you're going too fast or too slow (as a teacher, I naturally tend to go too fast simply because I forget that I already know the material). With an established plan, you can also plan lessons ahead of time. Also, it gives both you and the student an exit strategy (after 20 lessons you can part ways without someone feeling bad for cancelling the class).

2. Structure each lesson around one topic and avoid going on long tangents (short ones are okay, of course). Examples of topics are "buying things", "introducing yourself/others", "phone calls", etc. You could also structure each lesson around a newspaper or other article if they're into that. This goes hand in hand with the lesson plan. Unstructured lessons will quickly become boring and repetative for both you and the student (that is, after you get to know each other). I found that 30% free conversation and 70% structured work was a good mix for each class.

3. Expand your idea of correct English. They may say something that sounds odd too you, but it may still be correct. Let it go; don't be a hyper-corrector. If it sounds really weird, tell them a better and simpler way to say it.

4. Correct their speaking. And, when you correct them, insist that they repeat the corrected form. Most students will do this anyway. Some will do it for a while and then get lazy. It may feel awkward at first, but they will remember much more if you insist that they do this.

5. Make organized notes during class. In one-on-one, a sheet of paper is a good substitute for a whiteboard. Let them make a copy at the end of class. That way they can review something besides their own notes and you'll have a record of what you've covered.

6. Give them homework. See how they do without you prompting/helping them. The more un-homework-like the homework the better. E.g.: ask them to watch your favorite TV show/movie (with the subtitles off or hidden from view) and explain it to you next class.

7. Start each class with a short review of the last class (another reason to take notes). This may only take five minutes, but it's very helpful. Even if you just ask, "Do you remember what 'blah-blah-blah' means?" you'll be helping them tremendously.

Also, you could find a teacher's book store and pick up a general conversation workbook. Ask the student, maybe they know about a good one.

Good luck.

PS: Avoid doing just free conversation at all costs. It gets boring quickly, and the student won't learn anything. Unless a student is nearly fluent, 100% free conversation is nearly useless.

Mike in Japan · Answer

Very sound advise Ryan!

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