Join Our Email List

Surveys for Conversation
Teacher's Guide

The purpose of Surveys for Conversation is to stimulate effective conversation practice. The surveys are used over two days. On day one, the conversation topic is introduced, and the survey worksheets are assigned for homework. On the following day, the completed surveys are the basis for conducting a conversation.

By doing the surveys as homework, the students have a chance to think about their ideas, look up the words they need to express them, and have a written copy to bring back to class for sharing. Because they've prepared their responses and had an opportunity to think about the topic before the actual discussion, the student anxiety level is lowered, and the resulting conversation is more focused, effective, relaxed, and enjoyable.

Virtually all of the surveys can be used at any proficiency level, from high beginner to advanced. The survey topics are suited to a range of age and interest levels. Use or adapt the surveys in a way that is appropriate for your class.

There is a blank "Notes" page on the backside of each survey. This page can be used as a journal, in which the students record their thoughts after the conversation. The page can also be used simply to note words, phrases, information or questions that may occur during the conversation. The entire page, front and back, is detachable, and can be removed and handed in.

The 48 surveys are arranged to follow the seasons of a school year, 12 topics for each season, beginning with the fall. Each season's surveys include some of the typical activities of that season. Thus, the completed surveys and the notes page can serve as a personal record of an academic year's progress. However, the surveys can also be used in any order, and there is no requirement that every survey must be completed. In fact, the surveys can be used quite effectively in virtually any kind of program at any time of the year.

There is also another kind of progression to the topics. The earlier topics focus on personal information, while the later topics focus on issues. Along with this topical progression, there will also be an increase in the lexical and grammatical challenge that the students will encounter as they discuss their personal opinions and contemporary issues.

In addition to stimulating conversation, the surveys and ensuing conversation can also help to expand the students' vocabulary. On pages 102-105, there is a list of words that may be unfamiliar to the students as they complete the surveys and carry out the conversations. It may be necessary to go over these "lexical challenges." (See Step 2 in the Teaching Procedure for Day One, page 101). Although it is impossible to predict with complete accuracy what words will be new to the students, these words are not at the 600-word level in Pro Lingua's The Learner's Lexicon*.

The Extension Activities beginning on page 116 are suggested for following up on the conversations. The surveys can also be used to augment or supplement content-based units of study, to explore cultural aspects of North American English, and to exemplify specific grammar points. In short, this collection of 48 surveys offers considerable flexibility, and may be easily adapted to a variety of teaching situations.
________________

* The Learner's Lexicon is a compilation of 2400 words that are important to the learner of English. The first 600 words are considered words that a learner at the high beginner level should know.

TEACHING PROCEDURE

The recommended teaching procedure is outlined below. However, as every teaching situation is different, it should be modified as the situation demands.

Day One

(1) Introduce the topic. Describe it very generally, and/or ask the students to tell what they know about the topic.

(2) Go over the vocabulary associated with the topic by going over the words you think they might need for understanding the survey questions and for carrying out a conversation. The list of lexical challenges beginning on page 102 can be used as a reference.

(3) Have the students open their books to the survey and go over it for comprehension to be sure the students understand the questions.

(4) Assign the the survey for homework.

Day Two

(1) Have the students share their responses to the survey. This can be done in pairs, small groups, or as an entire class. In some cases the responses can be tallied, and the result used as an opinion poll.

(2) The survey sharing can then be followed by a discussion of the topic.

The extension activities beginning on page 106 include suggestions on how to follow up and extend the conversation topic.

On page 97 there is a list of useful expressions that are commonly used in discussions and conversations. They can be introduced a few at a time at the beginning of each conversation session. They can also be written on the board for on-going reference and use, or they can be written on index cards and handed out to the students. Each student can be given the same card, for example, "In my opinion. . ." or they can each be given a different card to use at least once during the course of the conversation. The list of useful expressions can be detached and used in each of the conversations.