Internet and the Foreign Language Conversation Class

Using the Internet for Conversation Practice

One highly effective way to integrate the Internet into the classroom is through the construction of worksheets that use the Internet as an information resource culminating in activities with built-in conflicts requiring students to orally interact with one another to solve a problem, arrive at a consensus, or do information gathering.

Merits:


Three Parts to the Worksheet

1. Hypothetical Situation

The worksheet begins by succinctly laying out a hypothetical, but realistic situation. This clearly presents the foundation for the activity so students can apply their original thinking to the same central theme. The situation might be traveling to a designated destination, making a list of items to buy, or talking about material or information selected by the students.

2. Questions

The worksheet requires the students to think realistically about the situation in practical terms. Questions about how they will go (what airlines they will use, cost, times), what the weather will be like (affecting their daily plans), where they will stay (hotel, location, cost), how they will get around (rent-a-car, on foot, bicycle), what they will buy (making a list of items), how much they will spend, where they will make the purchase, how and why the material relates to them, and other pertinent information about the material not only make the situation real in the sense that they could actually put the information to use (actually go on the trip, order the items, or incorporate the information into their daily lives), but help the students think more deeply, internalizing the information. The worksheet questions also play an important role in preparing the students for the speaking activities that follow by providing a form for them to organize their thoughts and note reasons or factual information to support their choices.

3. Speaking Activities

The speaking activities at the end of the worksheet incite students to talk about their original information. The activities are designed to necessitate student to student interaction by requiring students to work together to produce something that is a combination of the information on their worksheets or to gather missing information. Advanced students will be able to give reasons for their choices and engage in discussions to complete the activities. Low-level students may need to follow sample dialogs, but these can be made real by substituting pertinent information with their original choices.


Constructing and Using the Worksheet

Preparation:

Construction:

Application:


Examples

Travel Scenarios:

Lessons having to do with going on a trip are the most generic and can be used with most any class because of the almost universal interest in traveling.

Other Scenarios:

Lessons based on other topics can be used depending upon the level and make up of the class.

Other Material:

Material that assists students in their conversations, organization of the information and/or understanding of the information.


Make your own and send the link to add to a database of on-line worksheets