E-10.02a Get Acquainted with Oral-Language Skills Instructional Techniques & Activities—& One Another

Introduction to Speaking: Oral Language Skills for Real-Life Communication—Getting Acquainted: pages 1-4     

4 pages

Who It’s For: (American-) English Teachers, Helpers, & Learners Who Expect an Introduction to Course Procedures—& One Another—Before Getting Into It    

Why It’s Useful: Even experienced teachers and students of English anticipating getting into the crux of learning materials gradually, so like most texts, the Speaking: Oral Language Skills for Real-Life Communication starts out with an Introduction.  “Educational researchers agree,” page 1 explains, “in a class or large group, we learn better if we get acquainted with one another. . . . That’s because we generally feel more comfortable with people we know than with strangers—so we can listen and understand better.” 

This compact Download offers “Introductory Oral Practice” in casual conversation—and then “More Getting-Acquainted Games.”

 What You’ll Do: 

[1]  Understand the benefits of communication with others before getting down to the “serious work” of improving language abilities.  With sentence patterns and vocabulary cues common in “social talk,” formulate questions about Topic 1: Names. Ask them to find out about someone else—and to tell about you in the same regard. 

[2] Then in “Chain Interviews,” join another pair of participants. By telling what you know about his/her name, introduce your partner to the group of four.  After he/she introduces you, learn from what the other two group members say about each other.  Follow equivalent procedures to have social conversations about four other topics: Backgrounds, Family & Friends, Studies & Work, Recreational Interests.

[3] If there’s time and interest, enjoy other pursuits—with intriguing titles like “The No-Yes-No-No Game” and “He Said, She Said.” And if the idea of getting to know others through language play appeals to you, look at ideas for other ways to do so.  Some of these appear in the E-10.02b Download: Creative, Motivating Ways to Begin a Language Course with Greetings & Names.