English Teachers - please, help...?

Question

...to another English Teacher.
I had done individual teaching for 4 years, last September I began eaching group - quite all right, scary at times, but then I haven't much experience yet. Though, I do have some experience by now.
Anyway, my question is: there is this group in the mornings, quite hard to get them talking, they are not really friends with each other, just polite, different ages, and most problematic - different levels. We study by Elementary Headway, for some of them it is too easy.

I try different things to get them talking in pairs - topical questions, dialogues basing on what grammar we are on now, also group work, - still I hear simple "Yes/No" answers too much.

Any great Speaking Activities from your activities' bank?
Please, share, give some links, or write a short mesage, I will reply and happily share what I have got.

Thanks everyone!

Sorry, maybe I shoud have mentioned that my students are all grown ups... From 19 to 40.

Thank you ALL, guys, for the last answerer - I am afraid I cannot get them to read the text that you mantioned, great link, thanks, but a way too difficult for them They are Elementary going on Pre-Ints.
For the first answerer - yes, thanks for the topics, but what are the t e c h n i q u e s to get them talk?
I mostly try provocative questions and activities, when they as group have to choose 3 things to take out of 10, or something like that.
They are not kiddies (I wish they were...:) ), so I cannot really offer them to spend pennies...
The 60 seconds thing sounds nice, but while 1 person is writing, the other ones will be bored.

Activities? To get all of them talking? All at once?

Answer 1

You have to get them to interact. Have them act out plays, form reading groups. The point is, keep them busy with stuff YOU control.

I have an ice breaker exercise that is always fun. Give everyone a blank piece of paper. Write a topic on the board. Set a timer for 60 seconds. When the timer goes off, the students have to pass the paper to the person behind them. Set the timer for another 60 seconds. The students have to continue where their peers left off. You can do this with creative writing, or controversial topics, or literary themes. The possibilities are endless.

Answer 2

I teach high school English, and yes... I agree that that this is often a problem. One activity I do is pass out two pennies per child, and play "A penny for your thoughts game..." I raise questions and topics and they are REQUIRED to "spend" two pennies each. They have learned to love this game, because after they "spend" the penny, they get to toss it across the room into a pot. If they get a bulls eye, they get a prize. The only rule is that you cannot spend a penny on a yes/no answer. Your answer has to be at least two or three full, eloquently spoken sentences.

Often the issue is not that young people don't want to answer. They simply feel awkward or are afraid to answer incorrectly. When you're discussing literature, ask simple questions first that are parallel to the text. For instance ask questions about their own lives....

When studying Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN... I may ask a question such as, "How many of you have ever felt REALLY protective of a friend? Spend a penny and share your story with the class."

I hope this helps!

Signed,
Overworked and under-payed in New York State. :)

Answer 3

Actually the answer "yes" or "no" is not bad at all if it is a right answer and if the questions and anwers go on continuously. Have you heard of "Total Physical Response?" It is a teaching method that only teacher would do the talking and students only act accordingly. Going up a step, I apply my own method called "Shortest verbal response." Each time I ask a long guestion that requires only a very short answer; "yes" or "no" is OK. For example, I may ask, "What is a word used to qualify most other words but not a noun?" and I expect my students to answer only "an adverb." One big problem in teaching adults is that they are afraid of making mistake especially in front of people they are not familiar with. I always say to my students, "Don't be afraid to make mistake" "Everybody does and so am I" "If you'd make mistake, be brave to make it loud, so everybody can hear you." And you'd better have some class activities that everybody can share, party games, singing, whatever, to make them gradually at home. Now let's get back to "Shortest verb respond;" you may assign each of your students to prepare at least one question of this kind for each class. Ask him or her to be in front of the class to ask their questions by speaking it out or reading a prepared message. You may help them by writing it down on the board, repeating the question, explaining the meaning of some words or doing whatever you see fit, first of all to help the student who is standing there asking question and at the same time to motivate the rest to answer. And make it fun. If they laugh, don't forget to tell them to laugh in English.

Answer 4

I understand your situation. I teach secondary students and I get the same simple yes/no answers. I have successfully used the method of having the students use part of the question to answer it. Then using Bloom's Taxonomy ask additional questions to clarify what is being answered. For example: "Is the sky blue?" Yes.
Yes, what? "Yes I want to have dinner, I want to go out and play ... the student will answer the question completely. Then you can ask is the sky always blue? Call on the student's previous knowledge and experience and list this either on a board or bulletin board and praise more involved answers.

Answer 5

have them read the banking concept of education by paulo friere (the pedagogy of the oppressed-is the book chapter 2). then ask them what they would want to learn-what would they like to read,write about. that'll get them started. it's empowering to think that you have control of your own education and it helps bring people out of their shells.

Answer 6

Sure, have them tell your stories about;
-Their Family
-Pets
-Their work
-School
-Current events in the news
-Television shows
-Vacations
-Fantasies

Answer 7

First of all, if you teach English, learn how to spell "teaching." T-E-A-C-H-I-N-G. Not "eaching".