Language
Conversation
Groups
Combining Learning with Fun!
Beth Kupper-Herr
Leeward Community College, Hawaii
Let’s start with
an icebreaker…
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Beth Kupper-Herr, Leeward CC
What the groups
are all about
•Who
•When
•What
•Where
•How
•Why
…and “what else”
Beth Kupper-Herr, Leeward CC
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WHO
• Participants
•
•
Students taking language classes
• Language instructors
•
•
•
• Leaders
Beth Kupper-Herr, Leeward CC
• Coordinator
•
•
•
•
promote program
extra credit
resource for leaders
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Native speaker students
organizes groups
trains and works with leaders
communicates with instructors
provides attendance data
WHAT
(overview)
• Small group led by native speaker
• Purposes:
• improve speaking and comfort level
• learn about culture and country
• have fun!
• Meet one hour per week
• Membership is set (encourage cohesion, bonding)
• Participation is voluntary…
• but when students sign up, they are told “This is a commitment”
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WHAT
(overview, continued)
This semester, we offer groups for
•Hawaiian
•Korean
•French
•English (ESL)
•Spanish
•Japanese
18 groups!
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HOW
get enough leaders
Select
Recruit
Paid tutors &
volunteers
Fairly good
English
Referrals from
faculty &
students
Personable
Beth Kupper-Herr, Leeward CC
Motivated
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HOW
set up groups
Visit
classes
Create
survey
(or ask
instructors to
help)
To determine student
interest & availability
Explain groups
Set possible times for
groups
Make a commitment
Beth Kupper-Herr, Leeward CC
Learning! Fun! Extra credit!
Students check ALL times
they’re available
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HOW
set up groups
• Assign students to groups (4 – 6 per group)
• Accept that you can’t always get every
student into a group
• Track attendance (we use TutorTrac)
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HOW
get started
Distribute group
assignments
Orient & train leaders
•Group or individual
training
•Use current leader
when possible
•Conversation Leader
Guide
•Model icebreaker
Beth Kupper-Herr, Leeward CC
•Instructors pass out
in class (see sample)
•Attendance rules
•How to cancel
•Where to meet
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HOW
keep records
Attendance
Feedback
(leader fills out)
(members fill out)
• To inform
instructors and
document impact
of program
• Record topics and
activities
Beth Kupper-Herr, Leeward CC
• Read by leader and
coordinator
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WHERE
• Groups meet inside & outside
• Groups can get noisy!
• Have sheets & mats
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WHEN
•Time & day
• When leaders are available
• When students are available
• Soon after class meets
•Minimum 5 weeks, maximum 10 weeks
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WHY
Benefits for students
Who has a
YELLOW paper?
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WHY
Benefits for leaders
Who has a
BLUE paper?
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WHY
Benefits for instructors
Who has a
GREEN paper?
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ISSUES, POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
& DECISION POINTS
•Attendance?
• Stay flexible
• Stay positive
• Group size?
•Mixed levels?
•Pay or volunteer?
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WHAT ELSE?
extensions or variations of the program
•Foundation building groups (101 level)
•More peer group activities for our
Learning Resource Center
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Conversation Celebration
a major event!
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Some groups went outside…
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Faculty joined in…
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Games, snacks, fun!
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More activities to try
• Calendar chat
• Conversation starters
• Charades
• See Conversation Leader Guide for more
• Conversation leaders have great ideas!
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Thanks for coming!
Want to continue the “conversation”? Contact me at
[email protected]
Additional copies of handouts distributed at this session
can be downloaded from:
http://tiny.cc/languagegroups
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