conversation group routines

[eric r laursen]

Bursting into a classroom with a toy gun might not be such a good idea after Columbine and Virginia Tech.

________________________________

From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list on behalf of Stuart Goldberg
Sent: Sat 1/17/2009 9:58 AM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] conversation group routines



It all depends on the specific material and your own imagination.  For
instance, my second-year class is working on a unit with comparatives. 
So the other day, I split them in pairs and challenged them to
"perekhvastat' drug druga" (having modeled a few examples of boasts
using comparatives, but not insisting on anything).  After about 10
minutes of this, we listened to each student's favorite boast.  Then we
voted for best "kvastun."

My favorite activity of all time, which works very well for first year
(clothing, adjectives, objects), is borrowed from my teacher at
Williams, Don Singleton.  You arrange for an advanced student to burst
into the room with a toy gun and execute a hold-up (in Russian, of
course).  Then you change roles and play the police officer, pushing the
students to give the most detailed possible description of the thief and
what he took.  I once played the thief for a colleague with my then
2-year-old daughter in my arms.  Kaif!

Regards,
Stuart Goldberg



Nina Wieda wrote:
> I am posting this for a colleague who does not have a SEELANGS account:
>
> Dear All,
>
> I am coordinating our university's Russian conversation group this semester,
> and I know that it can be more interesting and engaging for the students
> when routines (games, songs, topics for conversation / controlled
> conversation etc.) are used by the coordinator. I would appreciate it if
> people with experience doing such things could post a few ideas that worked
> for them or any resources that might help. Our conversation group consists
> primarily of first- and second-year students, so ideas specific to those
> levels would be especially helpful.
> Thanks very much in advance!
>
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