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SBA TRAINER NOTES

No. 7:Developing speaking skills in the classroom

Adapted by Liz Hamp-Lyons

Developing Speaking Skills in the Classroom

The nature of speaking makes certain demands on the teacher and student. Here is a summaryof these demands and some ideas for how they might be dealt with in the classroom.

1: Fo!s on "no#$ed%e

Speaking in a second/foreign language requires knowledgeof that language in itsspoken form.

Knowing how to speak requires systematic and comprehensive oral languagedevelopment.

Speaking is also a skill. Students need plenty of practiceopportunities.

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The section below is adapted from an extract from Cambridge ESOL website at

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Issue Possible Solution

esearch suggests that formany people one of theirgreatest fears is publicspeaking. !hen we ask

students to speak to the wholeclass and in a foreign language"the potential for stress isgreater. Such stressor fear cancreate a block to theconcentration necessary forspeaking in a foreign language.

# rela$ed and friendly atmosphereseems to be the bestfor practising speaking a foreign language. Students need tobe able to concentrate and also to feel rela$ed enough toe$periment with the language. %un acti&ities and language

games" especially at the beginning of a new teachingsequence" will help set the right atmosphere.

Similarly" some students areparticularly shyabout speakinga foreign language.

'etting students to do speaking acti&ities in small groupsand pairswill pro&ide a safer en&ironment for practice andfor taking risks. #lso" encouraging them to practise withfriends/classmates in their own time should increaseconfidence" e&en if they only do this for one minute a day.

(f thewhole classis e$pectedto listen while one studentspeaks" not much practice isachie&ed.

#gain" speaking in pairs or small groups will maximise theopportunitiesfor practice. )airs and small groups alsoreflect the format for real*life tasks.

Correcting every mistake willonly increase shyness and fearof speaking.

+e selecti&e about what and when you correct will help. SeeAssessment for learning: Putting it into Practice. ,odule -has more to say about feedback and correction.

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/bec/bec_preliminary/speakinghttp://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/bec/bec_preliminary/speaking

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Outside the classroom weusually speak because we ha&esomething to say. (n theclassroom students often speakbecause the teacher tells themto.

!hen organising speaking practice" pro&iding the meansand opportunity to get some ideas before having to speakwill help ensure that students ha&e something to say. Thelink between oral S+# and e$tensi&e reading/&iewing is apowerful one for this purpose.

Outside the classroom weusually speak because we feelmotivatedto say something. (nthe classroom students oftenspeak because the teacher tellsthem to.

reating or e$ploiting information gaps!can pro&ide areason to speak. This is where one student has someinformation that another doesnt" for e$ample" in pairsstudents may be discussing two different books or in agroup students may be focussing on different characters ina mo&ie. 0sing the same task on different te$ts" studentscan practice how to select interesting information and ideasto focus on in discussing different S+# situations.

Students may feel they do nothave the wordsthey need.

"xtensive reading supports students &ocabularyde&elopment. Students can always use an 1nglish*hinesedictionary" or read sub*titles" when carrying out theire$tensi&e reading/&iewing.

Students shyness may stemfrom a lack of confidenceinhow to pronounce wordsandphrases.

)ronunciation is a neglected skill in Hong Kong 1nglishclasses" and it is an important domain in the S+#.Combining reading and viewinghelps students with thepronunciation of key words. Teachers need to be willing topro&ide students with a clear model of how to pronounceimportant new words/phrases they encounter in theirindi&idual e$tensi&e reading.

!hile some students are tooshy to speak" others mightdominatespeaking practice.

,odel for students the ways they can monitor themselvesand obser&e each other to make sure e&eryone in a grouphas equal opportunity for equal participation in speakingtasks.

Students may need morepracticethan they ha&e time forin class.

Suggest speaking practice options and opportunitiesoutside of class time. %or e$ample" encourage students tomeet each other to practise speaking tasks. 1ncouragestudents to listen and obser&e con&ersations and inter&iewson the radio" T2 and (nternet. Students may also ha&eaccess to cassettes and books for pronunciation practice.