Jason Blean, BSc, CELTA, UK
I have used cards with vocabulary related to certain areas. I have played a game of "syllable stress snap" with younger students but also I played "poker" with a set of 56 cards of "families" of words, e.g. Fertile, Fertilize, Fertilization, Fertility...I also have created "wordlines" that are web pages with the 400 most used words in English, translated into the students' own language. They should try to make a short story using these words. Hope this helps!

Helen, Japan
I would suggest role playing. This could be used to practice everyday vocabulary or vocabulary linked to a topic in the news etc. The class-members are given different roles (mother/child, husband/wife, person with a problem/sympathetic friends, doctor/patient/relative, in favour of X/against X etc.) and act these out in discussions. All those with the same role can meet in small groups first to go over basic strategies. I find that this works well with Japanese university students because a) everyone has to take part, however 'shy', and b) it introduces an element of controversy even if everyone in the class appears to have very similar opinions. It can also be great fun. Class members could be invited to suggest topics, and this could be used as a way of encouraging them to do some reading (initially of agony columns in the local English press?) if you want to.

Gill Quarcoopome, Ghana
I also teach Japanese women although usually one to one.

• As well as giving vocabulary about a topic, also suggest ways of approaching different situations, and the appropriate vocabulary e.g. If you want to complain about something you have bought; or if something breaks down in the home/car etc, how do you solve the problem?; what expressions do you use to politely ask a favour?; how would you do any of these things over the telephone?(sit students back to back for mock telephone conversations).

• Choose any listening tape for the start of a discussion or tape radio programmes or news items. Maybe the course books you have include tapes. Use these to introduce a topic or grammar point.

• Use of phrasal verbs in conversation is always tricky so choose maybe 8 and give each student one or two that they have to use correctly within a conversation topic.

• Choose a few phrases used to express agreement or disagreement when talking about a film/book/fashion/politics or what ever interests your students.

• Concentrate sometimes on the way stress and intonation change the meaning of sentences.

• Or practise using question tags and short answers ('so do I' and 'neither do I' are particularly difficult to use quickly).

Hope you can use a few of these suggestions.

Hatice Salih Kerimgil, North Cyprus
Why don't you get your students to...

• think of situations where they want to use their English.

• then write dialogues in their own language, e.g. shopping for a skirt, what might the customer ask the assistant ( how much is this? do you have this in a size 14? do you have this in blue? etc etc). What reply might the customer get (it costs ....., yes , no etc). What follow up question could the customer ask?( can you order a size 14/a blue one for me, etc ).

• These then get translated with the help of the teacher by the students
• The students then role play with the English dialogue. This can be done in pairs, groups or as a class.

• Each group can work on the same or different situation.

 
The teacher should have situations in mind to help start the lesson off should the students be stuck for ideas.

Because the situations have been chosen by the students the lesson will be more interesting.

Some topic/ situation ideas:

All types of shopping.
Asking directions.
A dinner party.
Going to the doctor/dentist.
Recipies.
Giving visitors information about the local area and its facilities.

I have done this with individual students and groups of 2/3, but never in a class situation, but I am sure it will work. Let me know if you try this out and what happened. Lots of luck

Liz Glanville, Italy
At this level, you really want to stimulate interest in a topic, which gets them talking. Questionnaires are really good for this type of activity and introduce lots of new vocabulary too. There's a really good book for this called "Speaking Personally". It's also a good idea to deal with something topical - it could be anything in the news, arts, even gossip. You could find short articles and use them as a point of departure for discussion. Once they see that the reading stimulates talking, they won't mind reading a bit. As I said before, the key is in finding subjects that stimulate debate and discussion. I always find it useful to use reading material, which helps to get the students thinking and therefore talking!

Lilly Spillman, Argentina
This is in response to Marianne from Malaysia concerning her question about conversation lessons with a group of Japanese women. Marianne, I have also been teaching conversation to groups of adults and I do agree with you that sometimes text books happen to have too much reading which students do not find appealing. However, this year I discovered 'Inside Out' (intermediate, upper and advanced) to be a very interesting resource for conversation lessons. As it is a new textbook, most of the topics are up to date and the students enjoy them a lot. There are very good songs and interesting readings which bring about a lot of debate and active participation on the part of the students. I don't necessarily give them the grammar items, but I do work with vocabulary which you can find in the workbook. Besides this, the students can surf in the net and find activities while they have fun. I hope you try and that this has been helpful. Good Luck!!

Anon., Iran
I think Marriana's approach is good. To save boring her students she can play some games concerning the words she has taught. For example she can ask one student to leave the classroom and then choose a word with the other students. After entering the class that student names some words and the others answer her with No or Yes.I wish her success

Harrow English School
We suggest that the pupils be directed to the numerous ways of finding individual, private e-mail correspondents in Britain and become part of an organised but private exchange of information, ideas and gossip.

Books and materials mentioned in these answers are suggestions from users and do not indicate recommendations from the BBC and the British Council