CiC3-TB

How long will it take? About 15 minutes per cycle , depending on class size and ability. Free Conversation The free conversation task is just that- practice for speaking more fluently. This is the chance for students to work on using all the language they have learned in a particular unit without much, if any, scaffolding. This is why the Free Conversation task normally appears in Part 3 of a unit. All of the questions contained in a unit are listed for easy reference, often in open and closed forms.

• Alternatively, this could be done “speed dating” style, where students face each other in two rows and rotate clock-wise after each round. • Use a timer that all students can see, such as an iPad, smartphone, or by projecting the free timer at www.online-stopwatch.com on to a screen. • Set the timer for an amount of time you think your students can handle. 2 minutes or even 90 seconds may be all lower-level students can manage, whereas a more capable class can go on for 3, 4, or more minutes.

How do I teach these activities? It is up to you to decide on how best to conduct free conversation practice, and of course we encourage you to make use of successful activities you have done in the past. There are numerous ways to go about it, so feel free to go with what as worked for you in the past. As long as you get your students talking freely about themselves on the topics in this book, you can’t go wrong. That said, we do offer a traditional two-step activity that will help get you started: timed conversations and guided roll-play . What follows is one way of going about these tasks; feel free to do things your way! There are many good ways to practice conversation. Timed Conversations • Working in groups of four, have students do three rounds, switching partners after each round:

• Another idea is to vary the amount of time for each round. For example, you could have 3 minutes for the 1st round, 2 minutes for the 2nd, and 1 minute for the 3rd. This will push the students to increase their fluency. • To help students focus and speak with more energy, it often helps to have them stand up while talking. This works especially well if you don’t have access to a timer- just tell standing students to sit down after they finish their conversations. When everyone sits down, you’ll know it’s time to move on to the next round.

How do I teach the ~ ? 15