tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11014836946593358142024-03-08T14:59:23.752-08:00Ready-Set-GO!-EnglishConFluency- Teaching Conversational FluencyElton Erschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523300579964836528noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101483694659335814.post-36349655521996905022009-03-03T17:05:00.006-08:002009-03-03T17:19:15.093-08:00Strategies for Teaching the ConFluency Card Game<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> There are 3 sets of ConFluency Cards. Each set has a different language focus (click to download the cards in English & Japanese): </span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/ConFluencyCardSet1-inEnglishJapanese.pdf">Set 1</a>- Questions and Answers; </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/cardset2-4-in-1ej.pdf">Set 2</a>- (Set 1 +) Sentences, Negatives & Commands; </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/ConFluencyCardSet3-english.pdf">Set 3</a> (in English)- (Sets 1 & 2 +) Conversation Strategies (small words and phrases that make conversation smoother, easier and more natural, like ‘Uh-huh’, ‘Let me think...’, ‘By the way...’, ‘Really? Cool!’, etc.)</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> There are 4 activities teachers should consider before playing the ConFluency Card Game in the classroom: </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>Introducing</b> the cards; </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>Previewing</b> the students’ conversations; </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>Testing</b> students’ accuracy in card usage, and;</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>Practicing</b> card skills, using support activities.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> <b>Introducing</b> any card set takes about 15 minutes of class time (click <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/ConFluencyCardGameRules.pdf">here</a> for a print of the rules, or see the <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/confluencycardgame">webpage</a> for all related info & downloads). It’s best to have the remaining time (30-35 minutes) for the students to Preview and play with the new card set; the practice time will help them to better remember how to use the new cards. The <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/conversationskills">card skills</a> in Set 2 are basically the same as those in Set 1, except the focus is on sentences, not Q & A. So, Set 1 takes the most time, and practice, for the students to learn. There are prepared rule sheets (<a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/ConFluencyCardSet1RulePrint.pdf">Set 1</a>, <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/set2rulesheetej.pdf">Set 2</a>) in English and Japanese to give to the students when introducing a new card set.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> <b>Previewing</b> the students’ conversation before the card game is very important and avoids time-wasting dead air in the conversations. Letting the students fill-in blanks on a <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/ConFluencyPrimer.pdf">Conversation Primer</a> helps them to ‘own’ the conversation and talk about things of interest to themselves. Importantly, it also let’s the teacher focus the content of the students’ conversations. This activity can be done as homework (to save class time). Or, in the classroom, if the students fill-in blanks on the Conversation Primer, the activity takes 5-10 minutes. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> The ConFluency Card Game encourages the fast-pace of natural conversation. It is strongly suggested that teachers choose content for the Conversation Primer that students have studied and practiced several times (ie., review material). This will best insure students’ success with the card game, accuracy in speaking, and progress toward conversational fluency. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> To prepare a ‘Conversation Primer’ before class (click <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/ConFluencyPrimer.pdf">here</a> for an example), write questions and sentences with blanks in a way that force students to use the grammar (or other focus) you want to target, but in a way that gives the students some freedom of content choice:</span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>For Card Set 1</b>-</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 or 3 Yes/No Questions, some or all with A + 1 Answers (Will you OOO tomorrow?-> Yes, I will. A+1 - I will OOO tomorrow.); </span><br /></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 or 3 Wh- Questions, some or all with A + 1 Answers (What time do you usually OOO? -> I usually OOO at O:XX. A + 1 -But sometimes I OOO at X:OO. )</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>For Card Sets 2 & 3</b>- </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">about 5-6 Sentences:</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span> </span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 or 2 followed by a Yes/No Question (I like OO. -> Do you like OO?); </span><br /></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 or 2 followed by a Wh- Question (I like OO. -> What XX do you like?); </span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 or 2 followed by a Negative (I can OO. -> I can’t OO.) and/or a Command (I can play OO. -> Play OO!)</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><b>For Card Set 3 </b>(or advanced students)-</span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Advanced students can do all-class Brainstorming on the blackboard. Click for more about <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/previewing">Brainstorming</a>.</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> <b>Testing</b> student accuracy in using the cards is also important. It is most easily done by playing CROSSFIRE before playing the card game. Playing CROSSFIRE for 10 minutes before using the ConFluency Cards is usually sufficient. See <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/crossfire">here</a> for more information about how to play CROSSFIRE.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> <b>Practicing</b> the ConFluency Card Game skills can be done most simply and often using a <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/q-cards">Q-Card</a>, or <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/jankenconversatonrounds">Janken Conversation Rounds</a> activity. Both of these activities are excellent on-going review activities, and can be done in about 5 minutes. There are other activities that teach and practice the same card skills, as well. For more information, see <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/conversationskills">Conversation Skills</a>, <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/no-cardactivities">More Activities</a> and <a href="http://elton.ersch.googlepages.com/q-cards">Q-Cards</a>.</span><br /></span></p>Elton Erschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523300579964836528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101483694659335814.post-21068725881405094502009-03-03T17:04:00.000-08:002009-03-03T17:05:11.152-08:00A Typical ConFluency Class<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Using the above activities, we have 3 different ConFluency class patterns: Introducing new cards, Regular play and Single card games. Below are class schedules for each pattern (assuming a 50 minute class):</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Introducing new cards</b>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Introducing new cards: 15 minutes</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Previewing (fill-in Primer): 5-10 min.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">ConFluency Card Game: 25-30 min. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> With this schedule, students should be able to play the card game two, or maybe three, times in a class. Rotate students to make new groups for each card game.</span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Regular play:</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Previewing (fill-in Primer): 5-10 minutes</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Accuracy testing (CROSSFIRE): 10 min.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">ConFluency Card Game: 30-35 min.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> With this schedule, students can usually play the card game 3 times in a class. Rotate students to make new groups for each card game.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Single Card Games</b>:</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Single card games can be played in 10-12 minutes. If students are able to prepare Conversation Primers before class, perhaps as homework, or use previously prepared Primers, and have them in their notebooks (students MUST have a Primer), a single card game, without accuracy checking, can be played in about 15 minutes, including starting and clean-up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Class time needed to become skilled in using each Card Set</b>: </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Assuming a single card game finishes in 10-12 minutes, single card games can be played: </span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1-at-a-time in 15 min. blocks; </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">3X in 30 min. (with a prepared Primer); or </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">3-4 times in 50 min. (including class time to complete a Primer). </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Times given are a minimum; depending on student progress.</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Assuming 50 minute class times, the following schedule has worked well (for each new card set). Each 'time' counts 1 card game:</span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 time in the full class (50 min.) for <b>Introducing</b> new cards.</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 times in 30-50 minute blocks for <b>Accuracy</b> checking. In a 30 minute block: 10 min. CROSSFIRE, 20 min. for 2 card games. Primers prepared before class. In a 50 minute class: See Regular play, above. Primers can be prepared in-class.</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> And <b>in addition</b> to the above times: </span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For Card Set 1: 3-9 more card games (see above for times)</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For Card Sets 2 & 3 (each): 3-6 more card games (see above for times).</span></span></li></ul>Elton Erschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523300579964836528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101483694659335814.post-58706926365548707962009-03-03T17:03:00.001-08:002009-03-03T17:03:41.116-08:00Historical Note<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Regarding small groups playing separate from the whole class:</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The original ConFluency Card Games were played (and developed) with 4 students at a time, for 25 minutes, in the school library with the foreign English teacher. Thus, 2 groups of 4 students were able to participate during each 50 minute class; several weeks were required to cycle all of the students into the activity.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> This schedule allowed for very direct interaction between the foreign teacher and each student. A separate Accuracy checking activity wasn’t needed. For small classes, in an English Conversation school setting, for example, play in small groups is certainly possible. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"> As the ConFluency Card activity was developed and refined, it began to be played in the whole class in the patterns described above. As such, a way to check student accuracy, CROSSFIRE, was added to the regular ConFluency class. <br /></span></span></p>Elton Erschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523300579964836528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101483694659335814.post-68701326099882292862009-03-03T17:00:00.000-08:002009-03-03T17:01:24.667-08:00Terms & Conditions<span style="font-weight: bold;">Terms of Service</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Acceptance</span><br />The Ready-Set-GO! English website and its' editor provide service (“Service”) to you, subject to the following Terms and Condtions (“T&C”). The T&C tell you what you can expect from the Service, and what the Service expects of you. Ready-Set-GO! English or its' editor may amend the T&C at any time by posting an amended T&C on the<br />website. The T&C may not be otherwise amended except in writing signed by you and the editor of the Ready-Set-GO! English website.<br />YOUR USE OF THE READY-SET-GO! 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