Ideas for Hosting Foreign-Language Conversation Groups

[oliandy]

Sorry that this is a question that's addressed to those of us who teach languages (or are learning them and attend conversation groups). I am having bad luck posting this question in my relatively small field -- just two replies so far--so I thought I'd tried a larger audience

Comments

[suitablyemoname]

Back in high school (French immersion reprezent, yo), we watched a great number of music videos, usually with a synopsis so we could keep up as we focused on the language. It was an excellent way to beef up on colloquial terms that you just don't encounter in the usual learn-the-language materials, and it's a way to get at the cultural elements as well.

Awful passive activity, though. :-/

[petitfour]

Arabic and Persian groups here typically involve someone who is fluent speaking on a topic in the standard form of the language, maybe watching a short movie to go with it, and then people asking questions. Frequently the topics are helpful things like students talking about their study abroad experiences and recommending programs to others.

[rabswom]

For the record, I tend to hate games in the context of language learning. They tend to make me shut down. But I have found conversation groups to be fairly useful. I've always liked it when there's a specific topic that we're talking about (perhaps a broader topic or a specific article on something) and I've found it helpful when I've been asked to research possible useful vocabulary on the topic before the conversation group meets. So, if we're talking about 'alternative energy,' each person in the group has researched possible vocab on alternative energy on their own. Then, when we all come together, we spend the beginning of the meeting comparing notes -- discussing the vocab we found and the context it was used in. Then, perhaps we talk about an article that we all read or perhaps we watch a video or an interview on the news on the topic and then talk about it. There's always a certain degree of summary at the beginning. It helps if people will take sides/positions -- sometimes those can be assigned

[gangur]

In my last conversation group, we did a lot of Internet-based activities. For example we'd watch YouTube videos and discuss them or translate today's online news. This was fun and added something to language instruction that I didn't get in a traditional classroom. We'd also try to learn songs from the videos. By the way, there is a ton of Nu Pogody! on YouTube. Sure, there aren't a lot of words, but I love it anyway

[gangur]

OH - if possible, try to show them the Russian version of The Nanny. (FWIW, I hate this show, but its HUGE popularity in the Former USSR dictates that I am exposed to it more than I'd like to admit.) Because I was familiar with the basis premise of the show (rich widow, 3 kids, snarky butler, annoying nanny with a crush on the widow), I am able to follow along with the show better than other shows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign_adaptions_of_The_Nanny#Russia and it looks like a search on YouTube for Моя прекрасная няня brings up some clips.