Hi Emma,

Thanks for your support.  Look out for the cries for help, if, as and when this all gets off the ground! :-0  Yx

Hey Yvette,

No problem - in my experience older students who decide to take English up are usually doing it for the socialising aspect and for travelling once they are retired, but who knows?  :-) Glad to help - let me know if there's anything you get stuck with.  It's a good idea to do a level test if you don't know student's level, just so you can see their strengths and weaknesses.  You can also use stronger students to help you teach weaker students - that way they get to feel they are praticing their language more :-)

Hi Emma,

Thanks for getting back to me with yet more great links - there really is a lot of information out there, I just need to get my teeth into it!  The level of the class isn't known as it doesn't exist at the moment.  Apparently they used to run 10 session courses of conversational English until the volunteer teacher retired last summer.  Experience has shown that students are mostly adult learners who may have done some English at school quite some time ago.  If they are anything like our friends and neighbours they will now only remember a couple of well drilled phrases such as, "Where is Brian?"  "Brian is in the kitchen."  I would like to understand what has motivated such students to give up an hour of their evenings each week.  I'm sure this would help shape some of the subject matter, perhaps around work or hobbies shared with their English speaking neighbours etc ....  I'd need to commit to a timetable so they could advertise the availability of the course.  Only once it was underway would I really have a chance to know what was required.  It could end up being quite mixed ability, but as they currently only have one slot per week in mind, I can't see there's much I can do about that.   It is good that many of the games and activities can be adjusted to suit a variety of levels.  Your tip about making sure I cover English that will enable them to get the most out of the classes is really valuable; it's just the sort of thing I might have forgotten in my panic to get them doing "conversational" English!  Starting with the verb 'to be' also gives great scope for getting to know each other. 

Thanks for making such good sense (and noticing my lucky name play)!

TTFN Yx

This is a great game website I've just found to spice up your classes http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/efl-esl-games/elementary-school-efl-esl-games

Hi Yvettefl,

I love how your name fits so well with TEFL! :-)  Here is a good website detailing the grammar to cover at this level and also has some good exercises you may want to use http://esl.about.com/od/grammarforbeginners/Grammar_for_Beginning_Level_English_Learners.htm .  Are they absolute beginners?  If so, you will want to start with classroom directions and questions such as 'How do you spell?' and 'How do you pronounce?' ( You don't have to look at the grammar here, just teach the set phrases and make it clear what they mean by miming the answers).  Start by doing a lesson on the verb to be 'What is your name/job/favourite colour?' etc.  Beginner levels are important for increasing vocabulary - so lots of flashcards are a must :-)  There are lots of fun games you can play with Elementary levels - have a look at this website for inspiration!  http://www.teflgames.com/games.html .  Hope this helps - any more questions, just ask!  x

Emma, Alix, Robert,

I found all your comments very useful and quite inspiring.  I'm a total beginner and have approached a local authority organisation in France to see if they would like me to provide some free English classes - they provide the venue, I do the teaching.  They said they would be interested if I could give some conversational English classes.  Your posts have helped with the how, but I'm at a loss as to the what.  What subjects and objectives do you think should be covered in say a 10 class conversational course for beginners to lower intermediates?  I'd need to provide the materiels, although I could use some of the venue's copying facilities etc.

All advice welcome.  Many thanks.

Nice one, thanks again :)

Yeah, That sounds like a great idea! You could make it competitive by doing two faces on the board and having them do it in teams but individually if you get what I mean. first to put it to the right time wins a point.

Thanks Robert, I have got a similar thing planned as it goes, only I'm not going to get them to draw the clock face as they are all fairly middle aged and have some eyesight problems so it takes ages to do anything like that.  I thought of a big clock on the 'board' with separate hands I can put on with blue tack, and get them to put them at the right time, what do you thinK?

A good activity for telling the time is 'time bingo' give the students a sheet of paper with blank clock faces. Get them to draw the times you teach them, in a random order on the page. Once the sheets are full you recall the times in any order you like and the students have to cross them out as they hear them. When they get a a full row shout BINGO or as I prefer as them to shout the time that it is now. Good luck