Conversation tips

1. Volunteer Social

2. Contents
 How can I help my one-on-one
conversation partners with their English?
 How can I have a great conversation in
English?
 How can I improve my English?
 What online resources can help me with
my English?

3. Tips for Conversation Leaders
 Get to know your conversation partner’s
interests
 Identify the level of readiness and build on
with new things step by step
 Know your partner’s learning strengths and
preferences
 Incorporate all the language aspects into
your lesson
 Make it challenging, but not too challenging
 Create friendly, encouraging and curiosity-
stimulating learning environment

4. Resources
 www.eslflow.com
 http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk
 http://www.onestopenglish.com
 http://www.waze.net/oea
 http://www.englishclub.com
 http://www.eslgold.com
 http://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans
 http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/esl-printables-w

5. How to improve my conversation
skills?
 Don’t be shy and self-conscious!
 Communication errors can be solved.
 A conversation is an interactive activity
involving listening and speaking from both
parties.
 It’s all about listening and asking questions.
 Do some research!
 Lulls are normal.
 If a conversation is going wrong, it may not
be your fault.

6. How to introduce myself?
 Greet with smile
 Maintain eye contact
 Give a firm handshake
 Tell your name
 Ask for the other person’s name
 Repeat the other person’s name
 Never draw a negative picture of
yourself

7. How to have a great
conversation?
 Relax and forget about yourself
 Listen
 Ask questions
 Use a friendly tone
 Choose your words and questions carefully
 Avoid controversial and intimate topics as well
as arguments
 Neither interrupt a person in the middle of his
thought, nor speak on top of it
 Compliment the other person
 Thank for a great conversation

8. How to handle a difficult
question?
 Personal, intimate question
I’m sorry, but I’d prefer not to answer this question.
 Question you don’t know the answer
I have no idea.
 Question you didn’t catch
Can you repeat the question?
 Question you don’t understand because of
unfamiliar words or question structure
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your question. Would
you mind telling it in different words?/What do you
mean by…?/What does…mean?

9. How to avoid awkward lulls?
 Move on to another topic
 Ask questions for clarity
 Find common interests
 Compliment the other person
 Observe any visual clues to draw a topic
out
 If an awkward lull happens, correct it by
saying the following: I am thinking of what
we have just talked about. And paraphrase
what you have been talking about.

10. How can I improve my English?
 Be active and set goals for improving
your English!
 A language is not only speaking, but a
combination of speaking, listening,
reading and writing, including grammar.
 Use different learning styles such as
visual, auditory and kinesthetic to
achieve your objectives.

11. Resources
 Learn English Free Online:
http://www.learnenglish.de
 Learn American English Online:
www.learnamericanenglishonline.com
 Learn Languages for Free Online:
http://www.busuu.com
 English Club:
http://www.busuu.com

12. How to improve speaking?
 Listening and reading aloud
 Writing
 Networking and making friends
 Greeting people on the street
 Having small talks in public
 Watching foreign movies with English
subtitles
 Joining one-on-one conversations,
conversation and common interest groups

13. Resources
 Daily Conversations:
http://www.worldenglishclub.com/daily-english-conv
 EBooks:
http://www.gutenberg.org
 Phrases and Expressions for Speaking:
http://www.eslgold.com/speaking/phrases.html

14. How to improve listening?
 Speaking to English speakers
 Watching TV and movies
 Listening to radio
 Reading audio books
 Singing English songs
 Practicing pronunciation
 Joining conversation groups/one-on-one
conversations

15. Resources
 Listening Lab:
http://www.esl-lab.com
 Listening Activities:
http://www.manythings.org/e/listening.html
 Audio Books:
http://librivox.org
http://www.audiobooks.org
http://www.audiobooks.net

16. How to improve comprehension?
 Reading picture books or comics
 Reading newspapers and magazines
 Asking questions during conversations
 Watching TV and movies
 Browsing English websites
 Consulting dictionaries
 Constantly learning new words
 Clarifying meaning of slang and idioms
 Knowing grammar

17. Resources
 Idioms:
http://www.idiomconnection.com
 Slang Words:
http://www.eslcafe.com/slang/list.html
 Reading Comprehension Exercises:
http://www.englishcorner.vacau.com/reading/reading.html
 Listening Comprehension Exercises:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/eslvideo/
 Vocabulary Games:
http://www.vocabulary.co.il

18. How to improve pronunciation?
 Listening to native English and imitating
 Reading along with audio books
 Speaking, being corrected or asking for
correct pronunciation and repeating after
 Paying attention to letter combination
sounds, stressed syllables, word linkage
and intonation
 Training speech organs position, shape
and movement of English sounds

19. Resources
 Accent School:
http://www.accentschool.com/run_software.html
 Some Pronunciation Rules:
http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/index.htm
http://www.fonetiks.org
 Pronunciation Exercises:
http://www.pronunciationworkshop.com/pronunciationexercises.htm
http://www.englishmedialab.com/pronunciation.html
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pronex.htm
http://www.manythings.org/pp/
 Dictionaries with Pronunciation:
http://www.merriam-webster.com
http://www.howjsay.com
http://www.thefreedictionary.com
http://dictionary.cambridge.org

20. How to improve grammar?
 Reading, listening, writing and speaking
 Using subject-verb structure
 Differentiating questions from statements
 Understanding parts of speech
 Practicing verb tenses
 Knowing words beyond their meaning
 Learning phrasal verbs
 Doing grammar exercises
 Quizzing yourself

21. Resources
 English Grammar Exercises and Tests:
http://world-english.org
 English Grammar:
http://www.manythings.org/e/grammar.html
 English Grammar Quizzes:
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/
http://a4esl.org/a/v.html
 English Study Zone:
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/
 English Grammar Rules and Exercises:
http://www.musicalenglishlessons.org/index-ex.htm
 Phrasal Verbs:
http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/verb_preposition.html
http://www.learn-english-today.com/phrasal-verbs/phrasal-verb-list.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/phrasals.htm

22. How to improve reading?
 Reading audio books
 Watching movies with subtitles
 Listening to songs and following their lyrics
 Learning letter/letter combination sounds
 Stressing words correctly
 Paying attention to punctuation signs
 Slowing down and pronouncing every
single word as well as word endings

23. Resources
 Listen and Read Along:
http://www.manythings.org/listen
 Phonics Games:
http://www.vocabulary.co.il/phonics
http://www.familylearning.org.uk/phonics_games.html
 Songs and Lyrics:
http://www.isabelperez.com/songs.htm
http://www.songsforteaching.com/esleflesol.htm

24. How to improve writing?
 Reading, listening and speaking
 Learning English grammar and vocabulary
 Understanding the basic subject-verb
sentence structure
 Using correct spelling
 Analyzing frequently misspelled words
 Making use of grammar and spell check
 Punctuating correctly
 Blogging, text messaging or having pen
friends

25. Resources
 Blogging Sites:
www.blogger.com
www.blogtopsites.com
 ESL Blogging:
http://www.eslgo.com/conversation/
 Spelling Games:
http://www.vocabulary.co.il/spelling
 Punctuation Rules:
http://www.englishclub.com/writing/punctuation.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/blues/writing/punctuation.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-English-Punctuation-Correctly
http://esl.about.com/od/englishgrammar/a/a_punctuation.htm
http://grammar.about.com/od/punctuationandmechanics/a/pu
nctrules.htm