Telephone conversations

Ok.. thought I should move along to the next topic.  Answering the telephone and taking messages.  We did quite a bit of work on pleasantries like " please, thank you, your welcome." We started with the telephone game.  I whispered a message in the first person's ear then the message was passed along, the final message being far different than the original. So it gave them an idea about how messages can be mistaken.  Then we did some work on reported speech, so they could understand how to take a message and then report it to another.  Finally we finished up with a picture story of the wrong message.  It was good to see how the students worked along and participated in the lesson.  In one group there were two students who had just been to Canada.  So we talked a little about their time there,  then they asked me how long I have been in ukraine.  Then they said " wouldn't you like to practice your Ukraine instead of English?"  It was funny!!!  Here's a picture of the story we did. 

TPRS

Well had an interesting time yesterday.  I was asked to do another seminar.. so I grabbed on to the suggestions Trude had... Good thing she's not here to use them.. Or if she were, I wouldn't be burdened with doing them all.  :)
Anyway, Trude and I have been looking at the TPRS method.  Total Physical Response through story telling. A few days before the seminar, my boss Helena asked me to do something on slang phrases... I said " No! I'm doing story telling". Then I felt bad, and decided to incorporate both together.  There were two classes of students.. about 30 and at least 3 teachers.  So I did some fruit and the phrases that go with them.. like it's a lemon, or he's the apple of her eye, or she doesn't know beans about anything.  After we covered these phrases, then I explained how the story system works. Then I did the story.  It was real interesting the response i had.  Students were giving me answers, and even teachers.  They were quite relaxed about it.  There was a photographer there taking pictures the whole time.  After the seminar, a number of the students said they really enjoyed the seminar, and one teacher said to me she enjoyed it ,and that her students asked her if she would teach using stories with them.  After the seminar I had an interview with the newspaper.  They keep insisting I work for Ryan Research International University!!!  I can't seem to get them to understand it isn't a university.. so just let them think what they want... as long as I get my visas and registrations!!! ha! 
Here's a sample of the story I did...

 

I tried to match the phrases to the pictures... life is a bowl of cherries, she's the apple of his eye, cool as a cucumber, in a pickle.  We all had a good time.  I was pleased that Helena was pleased with it all too.  Ok... that's the scoop on the last seminar.  I'm in the news but I don't know how it is really.  I've never seen the paper there.  Have a good one.