Center for Language Teaching Advancement, 2013. — 50 p.
This packet includes advice on ways to find a language conversation partner, how to conduct a conversation partner session, and ways to start and maintain conversations. Why use a conversation partner? The best way to learn a language is to use it communicatively. In a nutshell, this means that if you want to learn a language you have to practice speaking it. A conversation partner is a great low-stress way to do this. By using this conversation partner curriculum you should be able to maximize your meeting time and help gain skills needed to meet your proficiency goals. A conversation partner is more than someone to talk with in the second language. They are informal teachers of sorts, but you must be an active learner and take responsibility. Learning how to speak a language doesn't only mean saying things correctly. It means learning how to handle instances when you don't understand the other person. Learning techniques such as circumlocution, or finding another way to say something you don’t know how to say, is very important. Your partner should also help you learn to be culturally appropriate when speaking. Are you saying things politely or with enough respect? Remember, that a conversation partner is a two-way street. Your partner is not a tutor who is trying to explicitly teach you the language. Instead he/she is someone with whom you can have a conversation. To have a proper conversation you will both need to take turns speaking.
Contents:
Thematic Topics
Role-plays and Functional Language
Situations