Manual Del Club De Conversación

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Office of International Students and ScholarsUniversity of Arkansas |

Conversation Club Manual

The Purpose
The purpose of Conversation Groups is to assist internationals in their adjustment of the United States. Our goal is simply to provide a pleasant and informal setting in which you can:
* Learn and practice a more conversational style of English
* Developfriendships between American and International students
* Learn about cultural diversity and inter-cultural communication

Conversation Club is Sponsored by the Office of International Students and Scholars
If you have any questions of concerns, please contact:
Matthew Sokoloski, Program Coordinator
Office of International Students and Scholars, 104 Holcombe Hall
575-5003
issworld@uark.eduUsing this Manual

This manual is a collection of activities, tips and ideas for the Conversation Club Leaders. We have several methods outlined below. Please decide with your partner which one you would like to do.
Method 1: Follow a brief outline about topics to discuss each week and what questions to ask. This is a midway option betweenflexibility and structure.
Method 2: Ask for feedback from students about what they would like to talk about. The advantage is that you will have a great variety, but a disadvantage is that you will have to plan and prepare ahead of time.
Method 3: You’re given a list of activities that are very structured and detailed. Advantage is you cover a lot of things and everything is laid out for you. Adisadvantage might be too much structure.

HOW TO CONDUCT YOUR WEEKLY MEETINGS

Be friendly and respectful. Remember that for some of you this may be one of your first encounters with persons from unfamiliar cultures. While cultural expectations and norms may conflict, everyone responds positively to a helpful and courteous attitude.

American participants are the facilitators and listeners.Their role is to keep conversations going by asking questions about the week’s topic, and by monitoring what is said in order to point out needed corrections. International participants should do most of the talking. This is very important to remember.

International students should try to come to each meeting with a list of words, phrases, gestures, etc. that you find difficult, or do notunderstand. When you encounter communication that you don’t understand, make a quick note of it and ask your group about it when you meet. Don’t feel afraid or embarrassed about asking “foolish questions.” There are no “foolish questions” when one is attempting to learn.

Contents
Using this Manual 3
12 Tips for American Conversation Group Leaders 5
Method 1: A Brief Outline 7
Method 2:Freestylin’ 11
Method 3: Detailed and Structured Outline 12
Option A 12
Method 3: Detailed and Structured Outline 28
Option B 28

12 Tips for American Conversation Group Leaders

Speak slowly and clearly (not louder!) For the newly arrived student, it is best to start off speaking at a reduced rate of speed and making an effort to speak distinctly, articulating each of thesyllables. After a while you will develop a feel for what rate of speech is comfortable for your group members.

Always have a pen and paper with you. Most International students can read and write English much more proficiently than they can listen or speak. Also, pen and paper will allow you to spell unfamiliar words, draw diagrams or pictures, etc.

Be patient and allow more time forresponses. Newly arrived students will take longer to formulate what they are trying to say. Besides being nervous and afraid of failure, they are composing their thoughts in their native language, then translating in their mind, searching for vocabulary and wrestling with grammatical rules. They find few people willing to wait for them in this process. Also avoid the tendency to complete your...