Basic Principles of Teaching Conversation Classes (Part 2)
Teach students strategies for both formal and informal conversations.
- Conversations may fall flat if the participants do not know conversation strategies.
- There is a difference between an everyday conversation and an academic conversation.
Example:
Situation 1:
"Hey, Rayyan! How's your study in USM?"
- I am signalling to Rayyan that I would like to open an informal and brief conversation on the topic of his study. It might extend a little into my own study in my university.
Situation 2:
"What do you think about university students today? Don't you think that they are being too pampered?"
- Now, I am signalling a different kind of conversation which is more academic. It is more in-depth and analytical as the conversation participants need to consider giving more facts regarding the topic.