ABSTRACT
Objectives: Speak about a topic of importance to the lesson or student’s daily lives. Materials: Materials vary by topic; some possibilities are as follows:
♦ Essential Questions list
♦ A section of a dialogue
♦ Quick Chat Card
♦ Role-play card
Begin class by having students converse about a topic you predetermine. Here are some possible ideas:
♦ A review of essential questions from the current or a previous chapter
♦ A prompt from a Quick Chat card
♦ A couple of questions that later form part of a dialogue you want the students to memorize
♦ A mini-role-play situation
Ask students to speak only in the target language during this time period. After the student practice period ends, call on a few students in the class to answer the essential questions they focused on, have the conversation, or do the role-play. A few minutes of oral practice a day goes a long way in improving the student’s speaking skills.
