Cross Cultural Communication

Language Transfer Tip Sheets
From Keys for Writing by Ann Raimes, this companion website gives significant features of difference from English for 10 languages. Helpful to understand those ESL student problems with English that depend on their native language. Geared for written English, it will also be useful in recognizing problems for speakers.

Asian Gestures: Body Language And Non-Verbal Communication
This website gives an overview of Asian and American gestures and body language-what is acceptable and what is insulting. Sponsored by Cal Poly at Pomona.

Working on Common Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges
While this is an article from the Institute for Cultural Democracy, it has some wonderful “guidelines on multicultural collaboration” which could easily be used to make communication easier in a conversation club. Of interest also is the section on “Six Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Differences.”

Comprehensive Sites

Esl Instructor’s E-Library
A mega site of particularly well chosen links for teachers of ESL.

Beginning ESL Guide-Lesson Plans
Intermediate ESL Guide-Lesson Plans
While these are formal lesson plans for the classroom, the topics are of interest and the vocabulary and dialogs could be adapted for the conversation club.

Internet TESL Journal
A monthly online magazine with lots of information on teaching techniques and ideas. For example, the August 2003 issue has a useful article on using pictures to get people to talk. Clicking on Things for ESL/EFL Teachers (http://iteslj.org/t/ ) in the right hand column gives you a list of many useful sites

ESL Lounge
Free ESL lesson materials and ESL lesson plans. Printable worksheets for ESL classroom teaching. English grammar, pronunciation, board games, ESL books, flashcards, board games, song lyrics and more

Dave’s ESL Café
This is probably the most famous ESL site on the web. Don’t be put off by the simple graphics. For that reason, it loads like lightening and there’s a lot here. This site is geared primarily for students, but for teachers there is an ESL IDEA PAGE and also a TEACHER FORUM to share ideas. On this page you will find detailed ideas on how to teach using charades, games, humor, etc.

LearnEnglishFeelGood
ESL portal with hundreds of free grammar and vocabulary online exercises and printable worksheets, media-based listening comprehension exercises, lists of American idioms, and more. Related sites are EnglishForMyJob and BusinessEnglishSite.

Conversation Questions

Conversation Questions for The ESL/EFL Classroom
Project of The Internet TESL Journal
Clickable links to questions for many, many topics.

Conversation Topic: Work
A conversation plan with questions about work. Also includes another clickable link with extensive questions about work, if you run out of one’s of your own.

10 Ideas for Conversation
Conversation games from JOHN AND SARAH'S TEFL PITSTOP

Communication
Scroll down the page to “Conversation Activities” for some excellent hints. There is also a good rule of thumb about error correction, when and how to do it. From the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council.

ESL Tutor Manual

EFS/ESL Lessons and Lesson Plans
From the Internet TESL Journal, this has good ideas for discussion and role plays under ”Conversation/Oral English.” “For the First Class” is a good section with ideas for ice breakers

Speaking Lessons
52 speaking lessons adaptable to conversation club from about.com.

Talk Time
Ideas for conversation from the Eastside Literacy in Washington State.

Listening

Infosquares
English listening comprehension exercises based on online-video movie trailers. Also includes reading comprehension exercises.

Intonation Awareness
This is a fun article about how to put emotion and tone in English sentences. Makes students aware of how meaning can be changed by intonation.

Making Quick Replies
This is an activity designed to help students make quick replies, not thinking too much but making “off the top of the head” responses.

PBS NEWSHOUR Online
This is an interesting PBS for teachers and students. It gives you transcripts of political, social, and cultural stories that might be of interest to discuss and debate. In conjunction with Jim Lehrer’s NEWSHOUR where you can hear or view the news of the day with commentary.

Activities And Roleplaying

Karin’s ESL Partyland
For teachers, this site provides lesson plans and reproducible materials to use in class. Discussion forums, ideas for communicative practice, a chat room, etc. The “Teaching Conversation” page is of special interest

Interesting Things for ESL Students
This site has many activities for ESL students that can be adapted for conversation club. An excellent site using pictures to start conversations is “Reading Signs in English” with excellent visuals.

Random ESL Idea Generator
Created to help ESL teachers get new ideas. It randomly generates a list ideas, activities and suggestions which are simple and require little preparation.

Games and Activities for the English as a Second Language Classroom
This is a page on which teachers can share games and activities that they have found useful in the classroom. Many can be adapted to conversation club. From the Internet TESL Journal.

John’s ESL Classroom-Teacher Resources
Look under “Classroom Activities.” Many can be adapted for conversation club.

75 ESL Teaching Activities
75 simple ideas many of which con be adapted to conversation club setting. Most require few props or preparation time.

Tell Me More
This is a complete online version of an English textbook written for speakers of Korean. Most of the textbook can be also used by non-Korean speakers. Most of these activities can be adapted for conversation club. There are chapters about introducing yourself, answering the phone, describing yourself, etc. Remember to enlarge each picture of the pages by placing your mouse on the lower right hand corners and clicking on the arrowed box.

Speaking And Pronunciation

The Sounds of American English
This website shows diagrams of English sounds and pictures of people speaking English. You can see where your lips and tongue should be for each sound. Click on vowels or consonants and then each category.

English Pronunciation
This site explains how to pronounce words then gives listening and repetition practice.

Making Quick Replies
This is an activity designed to help students make quick replies, not thinking too much but making “off the top of the head” responses.

Pronunciation Lessons
This might be of special help to people with Cantonese speakers in there group Developed by the Language Centre of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. These 20 pronunciation lessons explain and demonstrate key features of English pronunciation. British English pronunciation, but still useful.

Grammar

Online English Grammar
A-Z list of grammar subjects with links to explanations of grammar usage. Especially complete on verbs.

Netgrammar
NetGrammar provides extensive grammar explanation. Listening practice is included for each grammar explanation

Dictionaries

Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Search the dictionary online by choosing the one you want to search in the right hand column and them typing in the word or phrase. Some good dictionaries available are Cambridge Dictionary of American English, Cambridge International Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs, and the Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms.

OneLook Dictionary Search
This web site is a search engine for words and phrases: Searches 900 online dictionaries. If you don't know how to spell the word, it will give you alternative possibilities. Includes even obscure words.

Merriam-Webster Online
Type in a word in the dictionary search box and get a definition and hear it pronounced.

Encarta World English Dictionary
This is part of the Encarta Encylopedia site. It explains the major senses of a word clearly and pronounces the word for you. There are no examples to show how the word is used in a sentence however. Its strengths is in the many non-standard words like hand plant (skateboarding slang) or 24/7, that you might here on the street and not find in most dictionaries.

Minimal Pairs

Practicing Minimal Pairs
This site allows you to practice listening to minimal pairs. Minimal pairs are words that are pronounced alike except for one sound. For example, she and see or not and nut. They are often hard to hear even for native speakers.

Minimal Pairs-A Complete List
A large list of minimal pairs.

English Pronunciation-Minimal Pairs
14 units which help you practice listening and pronouncing minimal pairs. From Okanagan University College. Digital views of how to say sounds. Dictation practice. Printable workbook pages.

Idioms, Slang, And Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are verbs that are not complete without the addition of a preposition. Phrasal verbs can cause problems because they often can’t be translated literally.

COBUILD Idiom of the Day
These idioms in an attractive format might be a good starting place for a lesson on idioms. Definitions and sentences including the word are given. British English origins so some may not be suitable for American English speakers.

Phrasal Verbs on Netgrammar
An extensive list of phrasal verbs in a-z order.

Idioms and Proverbs-Illustrated
A list of well know proverbs and idioms in English with illustrations. From the English Language Cyber Center at Brigham Young University.

ESL Slang Page
An alphabetical list of English slang words with definitions. Offensive words are labeled.

The Idiom Connection
An a-z list, plus a list by subject of English language idioms. Quizzes to help perfect your knowledge. There is a forum to post idioms you need help in finding a definition for.

Slang Of The Day
A fun site which features a commonly heard slang expression with audio pronunciation, definition, usage, and etymology. You can sign up for e-mail .From the Peak English Online School.