Conversation Class Lesson Plan
Section: Advanced Conversation
Date: February 4, 2010
Class theme/topics discussed: Speed Dating
How did you pick this theme or topic? I used this activity last semester and the students really enjoyed it. I also thought it was a great way to continue the previous lesson, where we had talked about men and women in detail.
How did you present the material? (handouts, group work, general discussion, student presentations, etc.)
Since it is easier to play this game with an even number of students, I participated in this exercise. First of all, the students created 2 different personalities. For that matter they wrote short portraits and collected pictures from old magazines. Then, we played Speed Dating. The students would talk to each other for about 5 minutes and try to get to know the other person. They would do this the same way with ‘both their personalities’. After each of the two rounds I had the students fill out a survey to comment on their respective dates. At the end I asked my students to sum up what they thought about their dates, which ones they liked / didn’t like and why, and who they thought would be their perfect match.
How did students react?
The students had a lot of fun and told me they really liked this exercise. They were also very creative.
Did they engage with each other and you?
Yes, they were talking to each other very much and they learned some new, useful vocabulary.
What materials or media did you use? (articles, satellite tv, digital projector, etc.)
Old magazines
Portrait sheet
Survey sheet
Would you recommend this activity for a future class? Why or why not?
Yes, definitely. It is a great exercise to make your students talk. They also had a lot of fun creating different characters and acting a little bit.