Conversation class

Conversation classes at SEDA are presented by the teacher Owen who helps the students to improve their Enligh. Here there  are some of his words explaning the importance of this class.

Which are the benefits of the conversation class?

The conversation class is a great way to use the language you have learned in your classes during the day and meet new and interesting people at the same time. Languages are learned through immersion and in the context of a socially charged classroom setting, students are able to push themselves in all aspects of their learning. Students who attend the class can learn to challenge issues they have in communication such as language accuracy or expand on new vocabulary, but also personal challenges such as shyness and self-esteem, which can inhibit language progress. Over the years I have been doing the conversation classes, I have seen students improve in leaps and bounds, make enduring relationships with others and I have also observed growth in personal development in other aspects of students’ lives. Therefore, I strongly recommend these classes.

How can the conversation classes influence in the learning process?

Weekly meetings with people from different countries can allow students to learn subconsciously, forget about their mistakes and pursue the topics that they are discussing. This is a method of English teaching called Task Based Learning. Human beings are a “doing” animal and that is our uniqueness in the animal kingdom. We learn best when we are engaged in the action and it is from this process that we grow socially and intellectually. In the conversation class students are given topics to discuss and inevitably there will be a variety of opinions in which members of the group will hold and defend. Students enjoy being challenged.

How does the class works?

The conversation class is group- Task-Based learning. Students are placed in a group in accordance with their apparent spoken level. All levels are welcome and are placed in groups that they feel comfortable in. The first 30 minutes is set aside for students to get to know each other, meet people from different countries, newcomers to the class or sometimes just for regulars to catch-up. During this period, students may change groups and meet different people. After this segment of the class students are given a topic with discussion questions. While this is happening students are corrected with mistakes written on the whiteboard. Students are able to ask the teacher any questions they want during the lesson and in the cases of students who might have the same question, they can see any information they need on the whiteboard.

Do you have recommendations for the students?

Students in Dublin have all told me that they have no chance to speak English usually because they live with people of the same nationality. Sometimes, they say that they work in jobs that do not give them the opportunity to use what they have learned. Unfortunately, this is the truth. The best advice I can give to students is for them to live with other nationalities, try their best to make Irish friends and most importantly, do not forget to enjoy their time here, it does not come back!

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