Week one!

My first conversation hour at the Biblioteca Publica went very well, if a little differently than I expected. Although I had a lesson plan, it was far below the level of the students who attended my class. I went to the library thinking I would have eight moderate english speakers, but found thirteen (and one infant) students with a higher level. The lesson plan I had, which practiced introductions, daily activity, and personal interests, was not of a use to them as a whole. Instead I decided the many students would gain more from discussion with one another, as their levels varied person to person. This I facilitated, and helped to continue, gaining a feeling for the group so I may arrange more organized lessons for the future. I haven't got a partner, like the other people leading conversation groups. Something I found more difficult than I anticipated was the idea of intelligible input. I often found myself speaking using cognates, because I knew they would be understood more than words I would more regularly use. I need to keep in mind that possibly, with a high level group speaking in a regular way may be more advantageous than speaking in an intelligible way. I need to find different ways to break the groups up, and tell them what to speak about, and see if there is a better way I can help them. Another thing I didn't realize when going over class goals was the idea that I want the students to achieve what they want, and I want to tailor the time to suit their needs. I am going to try to work in more culture, more grammar, and more variation. It was a good start, and there remains room for improvement.