Great tips...

I'm reading through "Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics" by Eric H. Roth and Toni W. Aberson (ISBN 414965828X). It includes excellent conversation starters on a variety of topics, and general tips to keep conversations flowing; a recommended resource for any Conversation Club facilitator.

A few general tips from the book:

• Be encouraging, be kind, be open, be supportive
• Be yourself, skip awkward questions, add natural questions
• Be curious, be open, be tolerant, be sympathetic, be honest
• Have fun, explore, take risks
  

Holiday party!

We had a holiday party for the Club this past week. We studied chit chat / small talk the week prior, so students were ready to party on! I felt that having the extra structure of the small talk lesson helps keep the party in focus - it's not just about having fun, although that's important too. I based my lesson these resources: http://esl.about.com/od/conversationlessonplans/a/lesson_smtalk.htm

Potential problems and solutions...

Problem: One person talks too much.
Solution: Use a timing device and get other students to help 'police' the garrulous one.

Problem: Different langauge levels.
Solution: Group work! Split up those advanced speakers amongst different teams.

Problem: Everyone speaks Spanish so they just chat in Spanish to each other.
Solution: Make a rule that you have to use English only, even if it's difficult.

Problem: Parents come, accompanied by loud children.
Solution: Have some coloring sheets or quiet toys ready, or set them up on a computer and have them play educational games.

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 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.
  

Check out these ESLCC tips from other librarians.

Two great ESLCC resources from WebJunction...

• An excellent list of best practices for running ESL Conversation Clubs, from Jean Kaleda, (note: link is to a Word document) posted to WebJunction Illinois.
• A great webinar entitled Conversation Clubs/Talk Time - Beyond the ESL Class! (note: link is to a .wmv) by Jackie Alectoridis and Carolina Fernandez-McManus.