[little sage]

I'm starting a new speaking class next week with a class of one student. The only background information I have on the 12 year old boy is "Very low. Start by teaching Hello."

Any suggestions on what to do on the first day of a brand new class would be much appreciated. I usually do an interview type gap fill activity, but I was wondering if other people had more exciting ideas.

Thanks,
Karen

[fishead soup]

If he is really that low it will be really grueling to try to teach. Bring in a photo album. Let him browse through it and ask questions. Do you have any interesting home movies of your family back home.

[little sage]

To Fishead soup,

Good idea. I actually don't have a photoalbum here with me, but I can get some photos and make one. Which also means that all the photos don't have to be of my home, just interesting pictures of whatever would also make for more interesting "conversation" (if you can call it that at this level). This also seems like a better way to gauge the extent of his vocabulary, even if he can't put proper sentences together.

I really like this idea. I have to try it! Thanks!

Karen

[fishead soup]

Good things are trips abroad and even within Korea. Get the photos color photo copied and then laminate them some students can get rough with these things

[2princessk]

Actually, what I do is make them make vocabulary cards. I get a glue stick and note cards. I have subjects such as clothing, family, food, actions, classroom objects, animals, rooms in a house. Then I get pictures, in the US grocery stores have pictures of food, magazines have pictures of clothing, (or online clothing pictures from a catalog and print them). This is fun! You can also start implementing sentences. I have a t-shirt. I have shoes. I have socks. I don't have boots.

Make them do the work for you and have fun.

2 princess K

[clivehawkins]

For the first lesson I usually use a sheet with 16 photos of famous people on it. I get the student(s) to write the names of the people and then from that I can ask the same question 16 times - What's his \ her name? and elicit 'His \ her name's . . . .'
Then with the same sheet I can then do the same with Where's he \ she from?, What's his \ her job?, Is he \ she married - you can extend it as far as you like.
Obviously you need to use pictures of people that a 12 year old would know.

good luck