Beginnning to Practice: The Dialogue Is Easy Enough

                Let's say that an important purpose of this dialogue practice group is to practice the use of oral English and skill in the dialogue is secondary.

                  You can start with people and a place. It's best that the people have some knowledge of what The Dialogue is about and some interest in the practice. It's best that the place be neutral and fairly free of interruption.

                Once the the people are in the place they aught to know that they need to form a neat circle of chairs, with a chair for each person. The circle is important and  should be close to forming a true circle.

                Before being seated they need to prepare by having a table, a basket, a stick, scissors, paper and pens or paper. The table need not be very large. The basket can be a bit smaller than a basketball and is best that it have a cover. Should be smooth and comfortable to hold and be big enough for all to see. The scissors is used to cut the paper in to pieces of equal sizes and which are large enough to have a good size English word clearly written on them. It's best that the paper pieces be cut so as to form a square.

                People help each other to write one word which interests them at the moment on one piece of paper. After a word is written on a paper, that paper is folded twice and placed in the basket.

                All this done the participants take a seat in their nicely formed circle. It's best the the chairs of that circle be of nearly equal size and nature. It's best if the number of participants be between about 16 and 39. A pilot group of participants may be of as few as seven persons. Forty persons is usually too many for an effective practice group. If more than forty interested persons are interested in the practice, a new group should be formed. It is best that the new group include at least three participants of the original group.

                For this session this practice is closed for the duration of this practice.

                Participants in the group may include native English speakers. It may also include persons with practical no experience with the the language, but believe themselves so interested in the language that they intend to attend practices weekly for many months. A wide variety of participants is usually and aid to the effectiveness of the practice group. 

                We are now just about ready to begin a practice. The persons with the least ability with the language should be given a bit of practice say "My name is ___________ . whatever name she {0r he| chooses to use and also to practice saying "I pass." All are ready, willing, and able to begin the practice.

                Then basket of words is in the hands of a participant. It is shaken for luck and fairness and is opened to person to the left who takes out one paper and gives it to the person on his left. That person is holding the talking stick. He takes the paper and is able to read the word. All are ready to listen to him. He says, "My name is __________" and "The word is ________." several participants recognize the word. He says "I pass" and passes the talking stick and the word to the next person.

                All listen, ready to hear, and perhaps, to understand.

                There is more to hear for those are ready to read  more.