Advanced EFL Conversation Syllabus

Prepared for Gyeriong students, 2007

A good conversation is a bit like a good sandwich.  Yes, there’s some bread, fine bread at that (!), some kind of strength building power food like meat, and some vegetables like tomato and lettuce that adds a little tartness, fiber and vitamins.  A good sandwich combines these very different things into a compact, delicious, nutritious and attractive meal.

A good conversation is unlike a sandwich in that it is free-flowing; it’s a fluid, dynamic interactive process.  The structure is only limited by the interests of the parties involved.  It has humor and spontaneity, without being frivolous, and insight and meaning without being heavy.

A frivolous conversation can be compared to a sandwich with no meat.  Conversely, a heavy conversation can be compared to a sandwich with too much meat!  Too much of any one element spoils the sandwich.

The challenge for a conversation instructor is how to be didactic, without being pedantic; how to appeal to the interests of most students, while gently pushing them within the limits of their abilities.  Interest areas, like beauty are very much “in the eye of the beholder.”  Obviously, it is impossible to please everyone, given that humans have such diverse experiences and needs.

The conversations of modern liberal global villagers tend to focus on both local and global contemporary social issues, like education, poverty, health, women’s and minority rights etc.  More traditional, conservative educated people tend to be more interested in the arts, sciences, business, literature, philosophy, or what might be termed, “the classics.”  Most people simply like to talk about the mundane affairs, of life, raising children, travel, relationships, health, fashion, entertainment, sports, etc.

People, being primary creatures of habit, tend to feel most comfortable with familiar things, like normal daily activities.  People are also keenly interesting in things that can help them attain their goals.

A good teacher, however, expands upon the horizons of his or her students, occasionally taking them outside the “comfort zone” into new realms, while simultaneously expanding horizons and inspiring new goals.

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Didactic:  a: designed or intended to teach b: intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment <didactic poetry>2: making moral observations

Pedantic: a: narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned b: unimaginative, pedestrian

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INTEREST AREA SURVEY

In his book, “The learner-centered curriculum” author David Nunan presented several “interest inventories.”  Below is an edited version of one.

For what communicative situations and tasks do you wish to learn English?

Please rank, 1-8 with “1” being the most desired, and “8” being the least.

____ Talking in formal situations (e.g. to the doctor, hotels, restaurants, etc.)

____ Understanding radio and television

____ Filling in forms

____ Understanding native speakers

____ Reading newspapers

____ Understanding foreigners’ culture and way of life

____ Writing letters

____ Talking to friends and neighbors

What sort of groupings do you prefer? (Please rank, 1-4)

____ Practicing with the whole group

____ Practicing in small groups

____ Practicing in pairs

____ Studying alone

Below are 14 subject areas.  Please number them according to your interest level, with “1” being the most interesting, and “14” being the least interesting.

Contemporary local or global social issues

Education____,  poverty____, health____, women’s and minority rights____

Conservative classic subjects

Arts____, social sciences____, natural sciences _______, business____, literature____, philosophy_____

Functional individual issues

Relationships____, raising children____,  travel____, health____, fashion____

At one time or another, we'll discuss most of these topics, however, I am interested in which areas appeal most to each student group.