TAR 1

Name: ______

Talk to a Stranger

… and …

Take a Risk!

This homework will help build your confidence AND your English skills!

From now on, every weekend I will ask you to start a conversation with an American (a stranger, not a friend or a teacher that you know!)

Starting a conversation with an American you don’t know can be a little scary, so this exercise is called “Take a Risk.” When you do something new, you might make a mistake or feel uncomfortable. Maybe you will do or say something wrong. This is OKAY. Making mistakes is part of learning. And taking risks often gets you rewards!

Directions: Before MONDAY, I want you to talk to someone you don't know who is a NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER. Talk for a few minutes (or longer, if you are comfortable). The important thing is that you practice your English. Here are some ideas:

·  Introduce yourself to someone at the bus stop.

·  Talk to another student (an American, a stranger) at NSC.

·  Meet someone new at a park, a church, a library – anywhere!

·  Can you think of other places to meet people?

Tips:

F First, make eye contact and say hello. A lot of people begin conversations by talking about the weather. (Especially if it’s sunny in Seattle!)

F Tell the person you are an ESL student and part of your homework is to talk to a stranger. Ask if it’s okay if you talk to them.

F If they say yes, introduce yourself and ask questions about the topic of the week.

F If they say no, don’t be embarrassed! Sometimes people are in a hurry or are shy. It’s okay. Just ask someone different.

Topic:

Ask the person if he or she has any advice for a student who is studying English in Seattle.

v  Ask him where you should go to practice listening.

v  Ask her where you should go to practice speaking.

v  Ask him or her what you should do at home to get more practice.

v  Ask him or her if he/she has any ideas about how you can improve and grow your vocabulary.

à MORE à

CWrite IN COMPLETE & CORRECT SENTENCES about your conversation here. You will give me this paper, for points, on Monday (no late homework).

1. Who did you start a conversation with this past weekend? What was this person’s name?

Ex. I started a conversation with a woman. Her name was Lidia.

2. Where were you?

Ex. We were at the library.

3. Why did you choose this person?

Ex. I chose her because she asked me a question and she looked nice.

4. What are 3 things this stranger suggested to you about learning English?

Ex. First, she suggested that I…

5. How much could you understand your stranger’s English?

Ex. I could understand about 75% of Lidia’s English.

6. How much could your stranger understand your English?

Ex. I think she could understand about 85% of my English.

7. How did you feel before the conversation?

Ex. Before the conversation I felt …

8. How did you feel after the conversation?

Ex. After the conversation I felt…

9. What is one new thing you learned from this experience?

Ex. I learned that…