250 Conversation Starters Here are some great questions for starting a conversation. There are a lot of random conversation starters to get you started and then conversation questions listed by topic. You can start with the random questions or find a topic that interests you. There’s no right place to start, just scroll down to wherever you want and get started! There are tons of ways to use these questions. The title would have you believe that there are 250 questions, but there are actually more. Random Conversation Starters What was the last funny video you saw? What do you do to get rid of stress? What is something you are obsessed with? Who is your favorite entertainer (comedian, musician, actor, etc.)? What’s your favorite way to waste time? Do you have any pets? Where did you go last weekend? What are you going to do this weekend? What is something that is popular now that annoys you? What did you do on your last vacation? What was the last time you worked incredibly hard? Who is your oldest friend?
Instant folklore - building a spoken story I first came upon this activity in a beginners Gaelic class, but it can be used at any level as the difficulty is set by the students' own knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. Get the class to sit or stand in a clear order -- eg in a circle or a line. Start the story off with a simple, short sentence. An example of how this might turn out (/ separates individual contributions):I am tired / because / I went to bed late / last night. / Now / I want / an ice-cream / and / a bath. This is quite effective because it forces the students to retain the English for later repetition (as opposed to translating to their native language). The first few students won't get the benefit of this the first time round. If a student can't remember what came next (this will probably happen several times in a game), let the person who originally said the next line repeat it for him.
101 Conversation Starters 101 Conversation Starters (Also see How to Start a Conversation) Ice Breakers Where did you grow up? Childhood Questions What was your favorite children's book? School/Work Topics Where did (do) you go to school? Relationship Questions What is the first think you notice about a guy or girl? Sports Conversation Starters Who is your favorite athlete? Vacation Questions Where was the last place you went on vacation? Food/Drink Topics What is your favorite drink? Entertainment Topics Who is your favorite actor? Personal Questions Who do you look up to? Misc. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
TESOL Lesson Plans for Children - TESOL - Yahoo! News Search Results Teaching English to preschoolers (3 – 5 years old) Theme of the lesson: Learning things that are moving and related subjects to the moving things. Proficiency level: preschoolers (3 – 5 years old) Skill objectives: students’ skills in identifying five things that are moving, and where they are moving on. Methodology: Combination of Total Physical Response and Communicative Approach Key objects of learning: flashcards, books, DVD Warm Up: Circle time and then sing the song “Wheels on the Bus” with a motion. Introduction to teaching objectives: hands out flashcards that have pictures of car, bus, motorcycle, airplane, and ship. Teaching/in-class assignment: Using real miniatures of car, bus, motor-cycle, airplane, and ship, flashcards or books to show the moving things. A car moves on the land (ground) and has 4 wheels, engines, and 1 steering wheel. A bus is bigger than a car. A motorcycle is smaller than a car or a bus. An airplane flies on the sky, up and above. A ship sails on the water.
How to Start a Conversation How to Start a Conversation How to Start a Conversation with a Stranger (also see 101 Conversation Starters) 1. Start with a greeting. For most people, breaking the ice is the hardest part in starting a conversation with someone you don't know but after the ice is broken, everything esle should come easier. To start, make eye contact, smile, and make a greeting Hi, how are you? 2. You: I'm Susan, what's your name? 3. Start with small talk by bringing up a topic that both of you have in common. 4. Keep the conversation going by listening to what they have to say and respond appropriately. Here are some follow up questions you can ask someone who says that they enjoy running: How long have you been running for? 5. Tell them it was a pleasure meeting them.
EFL / ESOL / ESL Educational Songs and Activities: Song Lyrics for Teaching English as a Second Language These EFL/ESOL/ESL lyrics are available from a variety of albums: Songs that Teach Conversational English and English Vocabulary Action Songs Around the World – Jack Hartmann Can You Move Like Me? – Caroline and Danny Circle of Friends – Ron Brown Family Dance – Dr. – Music with Mar. – Jay Cleveland Jump for Numbers 0-10 – Ron Brown Jump, Jump, Jump – Jeanne Nelson and Hector Marín Stand Up – Skip West We Walk – Music with Mar. Alphabet The ABC Rap – The Gum Rappers Letter Blender – Music Movement & Magination Letter Sounds A to Z – Jack Hartmann Who Knows the Alphabet Sounds? – ABC's & Much More Animals African Safari – Diana Colson Baboon Baby – Diana Colson Do You Know These Sounds? – Jeanne Nelson and Hector Marín Doing the Flamingo Walk – Diana Colson Elephants – Diana Colson Giraffe – Diana Colson Lion Pride – Diana Colson Mosquito – Jeanne Nelson and Hector Marín My Fish – Jeanne Nelson and Hector Marín My Pet Turtle – Jeanne Nelson and Hector Marín Please Say Cheese (Animal Names and Movements) – Dr.
Talking to Kids: 100 Conversation Starters & Questions Kids can be shy, its not always easy for them to have conversations with peers or adults. This list of 100 get to know you questions can help. Listen to English conversation with audio. Update: Don’t miss our new website for learning English 123 Bien! – it offers free lessons and audio content for learning basic English. Update: Many school educators have used this free resource to help children learn English (ESL conversations). Questions About The Previous Week What did you do this week? Questions About Their Family How many brothers and sisters do you have? Questions About Them How old are you? Questions About School Where do you go to school? Questions About Their Activities What do you like to do for fun? Questions About Cultural Things What is your favorite TV show? Questions About Spiritual Things Do you like to read your Bible? Questions About Children’s Ministry What is your favorite thing that we do here each week? *This article was originally posted on May 17, 2010. What did you do this week?
Teach Children ESL - Songs, Chants, and Action Rhymes FREE ESL Songs, Chants& Action Rhymes [To download the files, please click right-side mouse button on the "Download!" image and select "Save Target As..."] Get Involved! If you have articles you want published, a related website to promote, worksheets, lesson ideas, or anything else you want to share, please talk to us.
» How To Make Conversation – Improve Your Social Skills Most conversation advice doesn’t help you make conversation. It’s easy to find tips like “Look your partner in the eye” or “Think of conversation topics ahead of time.” These tips are helpful, but they don’t explain how conversation actually works–it’s like saying “Keep your eye on the ball” instead of explaining the rules of baseball. Of course, you can still enjoy baseball even if you don’t understand the rules. The good news? You don’t need to be frustrated anymore. Improve Your Social Skills is a practical, step-by-step guide to social success – and that means it teaches you how conversation actually works. You’ll learn the bedrock principles of conversation, and how to apply those principles to make smooth, engaging conversation. Guess what? The Secret Of Conversation Flow What makes some conversations flow smoothly, and others sputter or feel awkward? Invitation: The Art Of Good Questions Inspiration: The Heartbeat Of Good Conversation Inspiration In Practice
The EFL Playhouse: Resources for ESL/EFL Teachers of Young Learners Conversation Starter Tips Intuitive Choice and Answer Lists offer a rich collection of ideas to support us in problem solving, decision making, creativity and deeper understanding. Too often, we get stuck in habitual thinking patterns and we can't find new ideas, options or solutions. Now, our lists give you may options, ideas, choices and triggers to help you answer the questions and needs in your life. Invite your intuition to help you find the answers that are best for you! Quickly scan the list below and watch for any items that grab your attention in some way. This is one of over 90 Intuitive Choice and Answer Lists Conversation tips for beginners: If you are shy and uncomfortable talking with people, consider these ideas for developing more confidence in social situations. Before venturing into a social arena: Get your mind working for you rather than against you. In social situations: When you arrive, take time to scan the room and identify someone who is alone to connect with. For true communion:
A Gamified Web 2.0 Tool To Make Students Into DIY Makers Are you looking for an innovative way to encourage creative thinking, innovative ideas, and gamification in the classroom? Well then there’s a kid-friendly and parent-approved site called DIY.org that you should know about. What Is DIY.org? The DIY online club awards badges (called ‘Skills’ on the site) to students and kids of all ages in exchange for completing tasks. It’s a fascinating site that’s beautifully designed and extremely fun and easy to use. The DIY site has an iOS app which works on iPhones, iPods and iPads. Great For Parents & Teachers The signup process is amazing. The DIY site is pretty straightforward but I found their FAQ so useful that I thought I’d share parts of it here. What are Skills? Skills are unique sets of knowledge and know-how that Makers learn to become self-reliant and creatively powerful. What happens when I earn a DIY Skill? What’s the right age for kids to start using DIY? What are the animals about? What’s the point of the DIY iOS app? No.