Debido a que somos profesores de inglés como segundo idioma (ESL), sabemos lo importante que es fomentar la habilidad de conversación en inglés de nuestros estudiantes adultos. Sin embargo, puede ser difícil mantener la eficacia de las clases, especialmente cuando nuestros estudiantes no quieren trabajar con un libro de texto ni hacer ejercicios. Muchos profesores terminan hablando con sus estudiantes sobre la vida, las noticias y temas similares. Pero, ¿realmente aprenden algo nuestros alumnos en este tipo de clases?
La clave para tener clases efectivas centradas en la conversación es elegir temas y materiales que sean interesantes y relevantes para la vida de los alumnos. A continuación, indico algunas actividades que pueden hacer durante las clases con sus alumnos adultos, para que no parezcan charlas que no aportan mucho aprendizaje.
- Debate:
El debate es una excelente manera de mejorar las habilidades de conversación de los alumnos. Elegir un tema que sea relevante para ellos y debatan sobre él. Discutir los pros y contras de cada argumento y animar a sus alumnos a expresar su opinión de manera clara y persuasiva.
Aquí tenéis algunos temas que utilizo en mis clases como ejemplo:
- Should the voting age be lowered?
- Should students be required to wear school uniforms?
- Is it better to learn English in a classroom or through immersion?
- Should fast food restaurants be banned in certain areas?
- Juegos de rol:
Los juegos de rol son una manera de simular escenarios de la vida real y así ayudar a los alumnos a practicar sus habilidades conversacionales en situaciones que pueden darse en sus vidas. Para que esta actividad tenga más eficacia, mi recomendación es proporcionarles un guion o pautas para dirigir la conversación, estimular su imaginación y evitar el tipico "bloqueo" que suelen experimentar algunos alumnos a la hora de hacer este tipo de ejercicios.
Aquí podéis ver algunos ejemplos:
- At a restaurant: Have one student play the role of a waiter or waitress and another play the role of a customer. They can practice ordering food, asking for recommendations, and dealing with common restaurant scenarios.
- Job interview: One student can play the role of the employer and another the role of the job applicant. They can practice introducing themselves, discussing their qualifications, and answering common interview questions.
- At a hotel: One student can play the role of a hotel receptionist and another the role of a guest. They can practice checking in, making reservations, and dealing with common hotel scenarios.
- Shopping: One student can play the role of a shop assistant and another the role of a customer. They can practice discussing product features, making recommendations, and dealing with customer complaints.
- Medical appointment: One student can play the role of a doctor or nurse and another the role of a patient. They can practice discussing symptoms, asking and answering medical questions, and giving advice.
- Discusiones:
Las discusiones son una buena forma de ayudar a nuestros alumnos a expresar sus opiniones e ideas en inglés. Discutir las metas y aspiraciones personales de sus alumnos o temas que les interesen. Animarles a compartir sus ideas y sueños, o ayudarles a desarrollar sus habilidades lingüísticas haciendo preguntas de seguimiento y brindando feedback.
Aquí podéis ver algunos ejemplos más:
- Culture: Discussing different cultures and customs, holidays, traditions, and social norms can be a great way to explore new vocabulary and learn more about each other's backgrounds.
- Technology: Technology is a topic that is always evolving, so it can be interesting to discuss new gadgets, apps, and social media platforms, as well as the pros and cons of technology in our daily lives.
- Health: Talking about health-related issues, such as exercise, nutrition, mental health, and healthcare systems can be a great way to learn medical vocabulary and practice giving advice.
- Education: Education is a topic that affects everyone, so discussing topics such as teaching methods, school systems, and educational policies can be a great way to practice expressing opinions and debating ideas.
- Environment: Environmental issues, such as climate change, pollution, and conservation can be great discussion topics that allow students to practice using specific vocabulary and expressing concerns and opinions about current events.
- Work and Careers: Discussing job-related topics such as career goals, workplace culture, and professional development can be a great way to learn new vocabulary and practice using expressions related to employment.
- Entertainment: Talking about movies, TV shows, music, and other forms of entertainment can be a fun way to practice using expressions related to popular culture and share opinions on different forms of media.
Encuentra alumnos que buscan profesores
- Juegos:
Los juegos son una forma divertida y atractiva de ayudar a los alumnos a desarrollar su vocabulario y practicar la improvisación. Mi propuesta suele ser jugar a juegos de asociación de palabras o tabú con ellos, o cualquier otro juego adecuado para clases individuales o en grupo.
A continuación, podéis ver algunos de mis ejemplos:
Clases de particulares de inglés:
- Word Association: Start with a word, and the student must say another word that is associated with it. Keep going back and forth until one of you can't come up with a word.
- Hangman: Choose a word or phrase and the student must guess the letters. For every incorrect guess, you draw part of a hangman. The student must guess the word before the hangman is fully drawn.
- Storytelling: Start with a sentence, and the student must add to the story with another sentence. Keep going back and forth, building the story together.
Clases de inglés en grupo:
- Taboo: Choose a word, and the student must describe it without using certain words on a list. The other students must guess the word.
- Charades: Act out a word or phrase without speaking, and the other students must guess what it is.
- Board Games: Play classic board games such as Scrabble or Boggle that are great for practicing vocabulary and spelling.
- Trivia: Create a list of questions related to a specific topic, such as famous landmarks or history, and have the students compete to answer the questions.
- Entrevistas:
Las entrevistas son una forma efectiva de ayudar a los estudiantes a mejorar sus habilidades de conversación y vocabulario. Preguntarles sobre su experiencia laboral o cualquier otro tema que sea relevante para su vida. Animarles a conversar sobre sus trabajos anteriores, responsabilidades y logros, y ayudarles a mejorar sus habilidades lingüísticas.
Aquí tenéis algunas ideas que útilizo en mis clases:
- Celebrity Interview: Have students prepare questions to interview a celebrity of their choice. This can be done as a group activity, with students taking turns asking questions and acting as the celebrity, or as a one-to-one activity with the teacher acting as the celebrity.
- Job Interview: Practice job interviews by having students prepare for a mock job interview. This can be done as a one-to-one activity with the teacher playing the interviewer, or as a group activity, with students taking turns playing the interviewer and interviewee.
- Personal Interview: Have students interview each other to practice their listening and speaking skills. Encourage them to ask open-ended questions and follow-up questions to keep the conversation flowing.
- News Interview: Assign students a news article to read and have them prepare questions to interview the person in the article. This can be done as a group activity, with each student interviewing a different person, or as a one-to-one activity with the teacher playing the person in the article.
- Cultural Interview: Have students research a particular culture or country and prepare questions to interview someone from that culture or country. This can be done as a group activity, with each student interviewing a different person, or as a one-to-one activity with the teacher playing the person from the culture or country.
En resumen, las clases de conversación pueden ser efectivas y atractivas para los estudiantes adultos de ESL. Al elegir temas y actividades que sean interesantes y relevantes para ellos, es posible crear un ambiente de aprendizaje motivador y efectivo. No hay que tener miedo a abandonar el libro de texto y utilizar estas herramientas para que sus alumnos mejor en sus habilidades de conversación en inglés.
