Resource centre - Ideas and techniques - ESL conversation
How can we get our students to speak? Larry Lynch suggests that a little controversy should be on the menu in an EFL conversation class...
When I asked, "Has anyone ever tried Saino?"; having tasted this species of wild
pig called Peccary in English and native to many of the jungles of South
America, I did regain a little respect for my "adventuresome" eating. But what
brought the house down was my tale of breakfasts in America's south with fried
pork brains scrambled with eggs along with fried slices of pig testicles, known
as "mountain oysters" in states like South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia.
Mouths dropped open and glazed-over eyes seemed to double in size. Then they
started talking.
One of the language aspects of most interest to your English language students
will be conversation practice. As a native speaker, you represent the best that
English has to offer in pronunciation, grammar usage, idioms and expressions,
vocabulary, fluency and communicative ability. You are the ultimate example of
English in use. But how can you regularly stimulate your English language
students to speak spontaneously without timidity or fear of making mistakes?
The use of controversial questions and topics can help. In class ask
something like: "What's the most unusual or strangest thing you've ever eaten?"
You can then give the answer for yourself first as an example. When I said the
strangest thing I'd ever eaten was toasted or fried ants (called Hormigas
Culonas here in Colombia) the students weren't impressed. In areas of Mexico,
insects like Agave worms (used in tequila), shiny, iridescent Humiles beetles,
and leaf cutter ants and their eggs, are eaten as a matter of course. "I ate
flowers once", I piped up trying to regain some ground. Still no good. Flor de
Calabaza, the bright orange flowers of a pumpkin plant, is passé in the areas
around Tepoztlan, south of Mexico City. As a matter of fact, they're delicious
sautéed and wrapped in a hot, blue corn tortilla. Did I mention that I
frequently dine on the deadly, fear-inspiring, razor-toothed Piranha? But that's
no big deal here.
It was the students' turn and each had stories to tell. And tell
them they did. "My aunt likes iguana", one student blurted out. "Have you tried
iguana eggs? another asked. "Yes, I have", I smirked. Stories began to flow.
Slowly at first, then faster as memories and emotions mounted. Tales of iguana,
turtles, caimans (a species of alligator), donkey meat, reptile eggs, armadillo,
a Guinea Pig relative called "Cuy" and Dagger fish emerged enthusiastically -
bursting with anecdotes, humor and sometimes a bit of disgust. It not only got
them speaking fluently, but was quite informative too. "You can always tell a
dagger fisherman", one Mexican student explained, "because of the strange scars
they get from the fish." I wanted to know more and they obliged. They spoke not
only of things they'd tried, but of meats and meals they'd heard of others
eating. Opinions of what, where and why added richness, depth and flow to the
conversation. In the end I had to halt the session which ran well overtime with
no indication of ending anytime soon.
Other topic questions might address places visited or dreamed of, an imagined
conversation or date with a famous person, or what students imagine it's like to
do or be any number of occupations, people or things. "If Latin pop singer
Alejandro Sanz or actor Brad Pitt called you on the phone, what would you say?"
I asked. Giggles erupted from girls around the room, then responses began to
trickle out. For the boys' question it was Mexican singer Thalia, American
actresses Pamela Anderson or Julia Roberts. Role plays, interviews, chain
stories, social issues, drugs, crime, even proverbs and superstitions all have
their place in stimulating the students as speaking activities.
Ideas for questions and topics abound. Conversation references can be helpful
too. One I use, "Conversation Inspirations for ESL" by Nancy Ellen Zellerman
(published by Pro Lingua Associates) has been around for years. Try a
controversial conversation question or two in your classes, it's almost
guaranteed to get and keep your students talking.
Oh yeah, I still haven't tried the "Cow's Eye soup" in Colombia or the steamy,
animal-blood-sprinkled "Yaguarlocro" of Ecuador. But the chicken feet often
found in "Sancocho", Colombia's national dish, don't get even the smaller rise
out of me anymore. And earlier this year, I sampled a hearty stew of Three-toed
Sloth. They're cute. They're cuddly. They're delicious. By the way, what's the
strangest, most unique food that YOU have ever eaten?
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Thank you for sharing an
engaging, informative article. I especially appreciated post your comment that
"the use of controversial topics" can help. Far too many ESL teachers avoid any
topic that could possibly offend somebody. This tendency has particulary
problematic consequences when college students make the huge jump from sheltered
ESL classes to regular college credit courses where critical thinking and
persuasive skills become essential. I wrote a conversation book for advanced ESL
students called "Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless
Topics. Originally created for a course with graduate and post-doc students, the
book combines 30+ questions with 10+ vocabulary and 10+ quotations on themes
often avoided from pet peeves to crime and punishment to searching for heroes.
You can check it out at www.compellingconversations.com and download some free
chapters. The Cambridge Series Discussions A-Z, for teachers, is also
fantastic.
From where I'm from it's normal
to eat barbecued chicken feet we even call it "adidas" (it has three stripes =).
Though the strangest most unique food that I have eaten is monitor lizard meat.
Though I hesitated to taste it because it looks really scary --- they just cook
it as it is. However, I realized that I may upset the people who served it so I
might just as well eat it. I guess this topic could be taboo for some since some that a person is talking
about can be sacred to another. Though it's a good practice for speaking English
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