Saying your piece

Hi guys, I'm back!

I'm okay, though not quite 100%. Never mind, as long as I can cope. I know that some of you are not firing on all cylinders either.

Today we need to play catch-up. I will want to see what you got up to yesterday. After that there are two main things that we should do: prepare for Thursday's assessment, and prepare to make greater use of our conversation hour.

Here is what I see as today's programme:

1. Dictation (I'll use some conversation tasks)
2. Saying one's piece. You may read your impassioned writing you wrote yesterday, and everyone will practise showing agreement and support.
3. Narrative reading (I'll use the yesterday's story about rice)
4. Conversation Gambits game (a book, and my idea for a game - see below) Here is another link
   
5. Conversation with our assistants

Tasks to try during conversation

1. Ask someone for their opinion
2. Ask someone for more details
3. Tell about something you are reminded of.
4. Change the topic
5. Interrupt someone
6. Return to the previous topic
7. Agree with what someone is saying
8. Disagree (gently) with what someone is saying
9. Make a joke
10. Give some non-verbal feedback
11. Tell an anecdote
12. Give a one-word prompt
13. Paraphrase another’s remarks
14. Ask a related question
15. Give an opinion
16. Make an observation
17. Comment on what someone has said
18. Introduce an interesting fact
19. Make a statement
20. Make a generalisation
21. Challenge (gently) what another person says
22. Relate the topic to yourself
23. Relate the topic to a recent happening
24. Ask for clarification
25. Ask for repetition
26. Ask someone to slow down
27. Ask to have something said more simply
28. Indicate that you have understood
29. Indicate that you haven’t understood
30. Give a third person’s opinion
31. Repeat what someone else has said
32. Ask a rhetorical question
33. Ask a question to the whole group
34. Show interest
35. Respond positively
36. Respond hesitantly
37. Consider what someone else has said
38. Respond dubiously
39. Talk to yourself
40. Invite input
41. Survey everyone in the group
42. Call for a vote
43. Use a question tag
44. Ask an open question
45. Deliberately pause before replying
46. Deliberately stress key words
47. Express emotion in your tone