Conversation Activities for One-to-One Tutors

(Photo credit: http://www.vsof.org/Archive/summer-fall2011.html.)

Purpose: In a classroom setting, students hear many voices, providing all students with multiple language practice opportunities. In a one-to-one setting it can be challenging to give the student enough practice. The following suggestions give the student ways to talk about one topic several times, from several points of view.

Prep time and materials: Varies

Procedures:

• Use a picture of two people having a conversation as a prompt to create a role play. Ask what the people in the picture are saying.
• Watch a short video of people in a conversation with the sound muted. Ask what the people are saying.
• Make puppets for the student to talk to by cutting out a picture and putting it on a popsicle stick. The tutor and the student can each take a puppet and take on different roles.
• For activities in which students give opinions, ask the student to express opinions on people in pictures or what the student thinks their family, friends and coworkers think.