How To Learn Language Through Dialogues
Why should I study with dialogues?
Dialogues usually occupy an essential part of language-learning textbooks. They represent what most of us aim for: communicating with others in a foreign language. Natural language dialogues are essential to learning because they illustrate the language.
Dialogues provide real examples of vocabulary, form, and function.
In this post, we will share with you the possible variants of learning vocabulary, phrases, pronunciation, and spelling with the help of dialogues.
In our textbook Easy Ukrainian Dialogues (levels: A1-A2), we collected 70 dialogues on 10 basic topics that are essential for beginners.
How to work with them?
Variant 1.
1. At the beginning of each chapter, you will find a vocabulary list. We advise you to learn these words first.
You can print and fold a piece of paper in 2 parts. Then learn new words using the translation method.
You can also learn the words by making flashcards with them.
Read: HOW TO USE FLASHCARDS FOR LEARNING UKRAINIAN WORDS
2. Listen to an audio recording of a dialogue 2-3 times.
Doing it, you practice your listening skills. If you already know some words from dialogue, or they sound familiar, try to figure out what a whole conversation is about.
3. Listen to an audio recording and read it aloud as you proceed line by line. Repeat 2-3 times.
Pause audio after each sentence or two and repeat after a speaker simulates a pronunciation.
In this way, you receive information through listening and reading. Even if you still don’t recognize words, you already learn how to read and pronounce them.
4. Read words and expressions block after a dialogue.
At this part, you already understand or have a clue what a conversation is about.
5. Read a translation of the dialogue.
Here you check if your previous understanding was accurate.
6. Listen to the audio and read a dialogue out loud simultaneously with a speaker 2-3 times.
In this part, you read a dialogue together with a speaker.
When you know the meaning, you can listen and repeat, imagining yourself a part of this conversation.
7. Highlight and make your notes with new words and expressions.
8. Copy out the dialogue into your notebook.
Copying a dialogue from the textbook into your notebook, word for word, involves your memory even better. Highlight words and expressions from a block.
9. Translation.
Take an English version of the dialogue and translate it into Ukrainian (verbally or written). Then, compare what you have with the original one.
10. Make your dialogue with the exact words and expressions. Practice with your tutor or Ukrainian-speaking friend.
Your dialogue should be similar to the original one. This part is the most important because you can learn only if you use your newly learned words and expressions in practice.
Variant 2.
1. Learn a vocabulary list at the beginning of a chapter.
2. Read words and expressions block after a dialogue.
This part makes a difference between variant 1 and variant 2. Here we listen to dialogue with previous knowledge about it and clue to understanding.
3. Listen to an audio recording of a dialogue 2-3 times.
You have words and expressions of the dialogue in front of you.
4. Make a guess what the dialogue is about answering questions:
Who is talking to whom?
What are they talking about? Etc.
5. Read a dialogue in Ukrainian and evaluate your previous understanding of it.
6. Listen to the audio and read a dialogue simultaneously with a speaker out loud 3-4 times.
Highlight new words and expressions.
7. Read a translation of a dialogue and evaluate your previous understanding of it.
8. Copy out the dialogue or just words and expressions into your notebook.
9. Make your dialogue using new words and expressions and write it in your notebook.
10. Practice performing your dialogue with your tutor or Ukrainian-speaking friend.
These are only two variants of working with dialogues while learning a new language, but you can make out much more. Feel free to create your personal and effective way of learning with the help of dialogues.
To enhance your learning experience, explore our books: Easy Ukrainian Dialogues A1-A2 and Easy Ukrainian Dialogues A2-B1, both complete with vocabulary lists and audio. Each book comes with vocabulary lists and audio recordings to help you build confidence and fluency through realistic conversations.
How do you work with dialogues?