What is it? In a conversation, it’s normal to show that you’re listening by using small sounds and words.
For example: when eye contact is made; when you hear a main point or interesting information
In English, we use words like…
- Yeah
- Right
- Okay
- Sure
- Uh-huh
- That’s right!
- Yes!
What sounds and words do you use when you have conversations in your mother tongue?
Practice
In Japanese, talk about the following question for 3 minutes.
Example: Do you like eggs?
Steps
- On a piece of paper, make a small mark every time you hear another student use back channeling.
- Now, talk about the same question in English for 4 minutes, using words like the examples above to back channel.
- On the same piece of paper, make another small mark when you hear another student use back channeling.
Reflection
Did you have the same number of marks between the two conversations?