TELL ME THAT IN ENGLISH...

We have recently started a programme of conversation classes in English for students from grades 3rd Primary to 3rd Secondary.

Taking small groups of five or six students at a time, the classes are intended as an extra to the current English curriculum, and have so far proved popular with the boys. Whether this as due to their love of foreign languages and the thirst for knowledge or the fact that they get out of class for twenty five minutes remains to be seen!

The classes are intended to be relaxed and informal, and a place where the students are encouraged to drive the conversation in the direction they want. Topics have ranged from football, (a universal language), to the best way to prepare coy via the merits of Optimums Prime as a superhero! The groups are of mixed ability and the boys with a more advanced level of English have been keen to help their classmates when they have found themselves a little ‘tongue- tied’.

Some of the classes have also been attended by our students’ friends from the United States. After a little hesitation and shyness, the boys from Algarrobos were soon asking questions left, right and centre and one couldn’t help but feel sorry for Alex, our American friend, after the class. He had never been questioned so intensively before!

Because of the nature of the class the sizes are kept small. This enables everyone to have their say. However, this means that the classes have to be staggered and so boys won’t have a conversation class every week, but as their groups turn comes around. Nevertheless, here at Algarrobos the English classes don’t end when the teacher walks out of the classroom. No, come and practice your English with any of the English teachers wherever and whenever you see us – the conversation classes are just the beginning.

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Autor: Christopher Lappin
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