My Talk Partner
Students need lots of practice speaking Chinese. From day one, assign a partner for each student to call their ‘Talk Partner’.
The Talk Partner is a great way for students to rehearse language because:
Many students are reluctant to speak in a large group, so speaking one-to-one makes students feel comfortable and encourages speaking skills.
Students can learn from each other. ‘Two heads are better than one’ is especially true when students are learning new content.
Talk Partners frees up the teacher, so he/she can circulate around the room and give feedback to students who are having difficulty.
While students are rehearsing language, it offers an opportunity for teachers to move around the room and assess student’s abilities.
Rotate Talk Partners every month, so students work with students of different abilities.
Ask students to decorate their Talk Partner sign with characters or pinyin.
Download My Talk Partner template for students here.
How do you get reluctant speakers to use their Chinese language skills in the classroom?