EN 1104: Effective Communication Skills I
Conversational routines
· Greetings /
thanking / apologizing / complimenting / leave taking etc.
· Types of
activities: Dialogues / conversations in different settings (pair and group
work) e.g. at the post office / office / market
· Procedure: listen
to the dialogue. Practise it with a partner. Then write their own dialogues and
practise saying them.
Interaction in ‘service’ situations
· Enrolling in a
school / institute, obtaining membership in a library / club / association,
reserving seats in a cinema / train / on the plane
· Type of
activities: role play, simulation
· Functions:
request, explain, justify, and decide,
Functional dialogues
· Buying, selling,
bargaining, complaining
· Type of
activities: role play
· Exponents: Can I
have…, I would like to…, I want to change this shirt…, Can I pay by
cheque/credit card?
Enact social situations
· Situations: Tea /
dinner / birth day party / theatre / bus queue, .etc
· Types of
activities: simulations, dialogue between the host/hostess and guests, guests
themselves.
· Language focus:
welcoming, thanking, wishing, congratulating, making, making a short speech,
informal conversation.
· Conversation
between persons in a queue: about the play / film, long queue etc.
· Language focus:
explain, discuss, compare, and complain
Fluency based activities
· Focus: how to
maintain fluency in a conversation avoiding excessive pausing, breakdowns and
errors in grammar and pronunciation. Involve students in talking about a
range of topics which engage their interests, experiences and opinions.
· Types of
activities: Use pictures, newspaper headlines cartoons as stimuli. Provide
necessary language (structures, words).and discussion questions, e.g., Do you
agree with what the woman in the picture is saying?
Functional dialogues
· Asking for help /
permission / directions
· Exponents: Can I
ask you a favour, May I…, Could you please…, Would you mind if I …, I would
like to… I wonder if I could…
· Types of activity:
Role plays the model dialogue. Prepare their own dialogues. Perform them before
the class.
