September 13, 2008

more insights for new facilitators...

Prepare

The most important thing for managing the group is structure. Many of the immigrants treat the Conversation Club like a class with fewer responsibilities. They come to learn, and if they feel they aren’t learning something they leave.

Have back-up activities prepared, or at least in mind. Food, weather, colors are usually good topics.

Prepare, prepare, prepare

Have an agenda.

Pick interesting topics - ask attendees for future topics.

Pick a conversational scenario.

Have fun with it!

Be prepared with conversation starters.

Have a method to review things that come up.

Be flexible.

It’s impossible to over prepare - what you don’t use one week can be saved for the future.

Be prepared to talk to fill the silence - listening is part of conversation.

Encourage group work, and don’t get too forced into assuming a teacher role. Have them change partners often - it keeps the talking going so that no one runs out of things to say.

Mix it up!

Be flexible with the needs of your group. I went in very structured but adjusted to what my group wanted. It’s difficult when you have a variety of needs; I try to mix it up.

Make it interesting with games, prizes, field trips, videos, pot lucks, etc.

Ask Questions

Persist in being available, make the suggestion to customers you encounter in the library who seem like they might benefit. I haven’t had a problem keeping the group talking but may ask them by name to read or answer a question.

You can’t have a silent group. Sometimes, when you ask someone to talk, you need to be ready with another question in case they can’t answer the previous question. You also need to move on to the next topic if it gets out of hand.

Keep them talking by asking questions and give them time to compose a response. Be casual, patient, and interested!

Questions that cannot be answered by a simple yes or no keep people talking. Hourglass shaped timers get them to stop and gives everyone a chance to talk.

Keep them talking by asking questions and give them time to compose a response. Be casual, patient, and interested!

It helps to have some understanding of group dynamics and facilitation. It’s important to know how to involve everyone, when it’s time to switch topics, what topics to steer clear of,. Pick topics everyone will have something to say about and bring the quiet ones into the discussion.

Positive attitude!

What has worked for me is to be open, interested, friendly, and patient. Whenever we encounter a barrier to understanding, we work on the confusing item until everyone understands, no matter how long it takes. It is important to think broadly, to be able to describe any single thing in 5-10 different ways, to be able to make connections and comparisons, to be uninhibited and able to act things out.

If they seem to wander, I ask them a question on the topic, I try to make sure everyone gets a chance to talk. So I ask a question to the shy or more reluctant speaker. Lots of times the group gets involved and they speak to each other - especially people from the same country. One topic can lead to another. As interesting aspects come up I’ll get the group going or elaborate on that aspect. So the main topic of the article might lead us to other topics, and I just go there. If the tangent runs dry,. I ask another question or relate an experience from my life and we move on. The original topic is just a starting point and the conversation can move far afield - just depending on their interests or what comes up in the conversation.

What are some general questions that promote discussion?

1. What did you think when you read the headline?
2. How does [article topic] relate to the country you're from?
3. How is it different from your home country compared to the U.S.?

Tips from a colleauge: Remember, the main topic of the article might lead you to another topics and you can just take it from there - if the tangent runs dry, just ask another question or relate an experience from your own life to stimulate more discussion. The original topic is just a starting point and the conversation can move far from that - it all depends on the interests of your participants or what comes up in the conversation.

September 12, 2008

What about childcare?

Our ESLCC is limited to adults 18 years and older. Just like any other library program, this most definitely limits participation. In my experience, children, especially those that speak English fluently, are often a distraction for the rest of the attendees. Here are some tactics I've used....
  • Consider offering your ESLCC during a story time so that children can wait for their parents outside of your meeting.
  • You can have children wait in the same room but ask them to grab a book to read while they wait quietly; provide some educational games that may keep children occupied.
  • Have children help you out as volunteers and help run games or other activities.
  • If you have enough interest, consider starting a separate ESLCC for teens or for children.

September 11, 2008

How to play the Advice Game.

I got this game idea from http://www.afn.org/~afn49566/page3.htm. It's best played with a group with intermediate to advanced ESL conversational skills.

  1. Write down real life situations that require some advice on index cards. For example, "I am very depressed. No matter what I try, nothing seems to make me happy."
  2. Put these cards on the table and ask a participatn to choose one. The participant reads the problem aloud.
  3. The others offer advice.
  4. The reader then chooses the best advice and gives the card to that participant.
  5. At the end of the hour, the person with the most cards wins.

September 10, 2008

What is a typical agenda for a ESLCC meeting?

Often, you may need to change your activities around depending on the level of your attendees. Remember, stay flexible! If you don't use an activity that day, you can always use it in a later session.

At MPOE, most ESLCCs follow this general structure:
  • 10 minutes - greeting, icebreakers, introductions
  • 40 minutes - activity
  • 10 minutes - wrap up, library promotion, announcements
Here are two ESLCC meeting outlines I use most often for my weekly meetings.

Beginner Level
  • 15 minutes - introductions, icebreaker activity
  • 30 minutes - scattegories game
  • 15 minutes - play vocabulary bingo
Intermediate to Advanced Level
  • 5 minutes - introductions, icebreaker activity
  • 30 minutes - read a news story together, review vocabulary
  • 10 minutes - discussion
  • 15 minutes - play vocabulary bingo
You get the idea - typically, it's one main activity that you need to plan, but otherwise, you can repeat the same activities - just like with a story time! Here are three other agenda outlines from colleagues at MPOE:
  • Introductions – 5-10 minutes
  • Programs in the library – 5 minutes
  • Topic of the day – 30-40 minutes
  • Wrap up (questions, ideas for next meeting, etc.) – 10 minutes
  • 2 minutes - meet and greet
  • 15 minutes - read article aout loud
  • 15-30 minutes - discuss article, and other tangents it leads to
  • 15-30 minutes - branch out on other prepared activities
  • 5 minutes - passing out materials
  • 10 minutes - taking turns reading the article out loud
  • 5 minutes - explain sidebars or pictures
  • 40 minutes - discuss the article

September 8, 2008

Check out these ESLCC tips from other librarians.

Two great ESLCC resources from WebJunction...