Speaking skill.

Definition:

      Speaking is the second language skill.  This vocalized form of language usually requires at least one listener. When two or more people speak or talk to each other, the conversation is called a "dialogue". Speech can flow naturally from one person to another in the form of dialogue.

It can also be planned and rehearsed, as in the delivery of a speech or presentation. Of course, some people talk to themselves! In fact, some English learners practice speaking standing alone in front of a mirror.

 Speaking is probably the language skill that most language learners wish to perfect as soon as possible. It used to be the only language skill that was difficult to practice online.

This is no longer the case. English learners can practice speaking online using voice or video chat and services like Skype. They can also record and upload their voice for other people to listen to..

Goals:

     The goals focus on pronunciation, fluency, dialect, intonation, stress rhythm, interaction, practice and communication. The goal of teaching speaking skills is communicative efficiency. Learners should be able to make themselves understand, using their current proficiency to the fullest.

They should try to avoid confusion in the message due to faulty pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, and to observe the social and cultural rules that apply in each communication situation.

Techniques:

  To help students develop communicative efficiency in speaking, instructors can use a balanced activities approach that combines language input, structured output, and communicative output.

   Language input comes in the form of teacher talk, listening activities, reading passages, and the language heard and read outside of class. It gives learners the material they need to begin producing language themselves.

Procedure:

Pr-speaking:

1-There must be authentic interactive oral situations.

2-Learners check the situation pictures or photos and the text title to guess the content of the speaking text.

During speaking:

I combine language input through talking, structured output through correct form and communicative output to get information.

2-They communicate extensively in pairs using the real situation given.

3-They use acting for the speaking situation scenes.

4-They do a communicate practice intensively in pairs again with gestures and practical behavior. I monitor, guide, encourage and check.

Post speaking extension:

1. Producing segmental features of English at word level [ vowel and consonant sounds, stressed and unstressed syllables)

2. Using suprasegmental features of English [intonation, stress in sentences, word-linking and weak forms].

3. Expressing grammatical [syntactic and morphological] relationships in spoken utterance.

4. Expressing relationships between parts of a spoken utterance through cohesive devices.

5. Using markers in spoken discourse, in particular:

a)introducing an idea.

b)Developing an idea.

c)Transition to another idea.

d)Concluding an idea.

e)Emphasizing a point to indicate important information.

f)Explaining or clarifying a point already made.

g)Anticipating an objection or contrary view.

6)Sustaining communicative dialogue with and without explicit marker

a)Single exchange

b)Double exchange

c)Multiple exchanges

7. Expressing conceptual meaning in spoken utterances.

8. Expressing attitudinal meaning in utterances  by intonation.

9. Marking the important information in spoken text and utterances through verbal cues.

10. Expressing information in informal and semi-formal utterances.

    The purpose of real communication is to accomplish a task, such as conveying a telephone message, obtaining information, or expressing an opinion.  In real communication, participants must manage uncertainty about what the other person will say.

Authentic communication involves an information gap; each participant has information that the other does not have.  To create classroom speaking activities that will develop communicative competence, instructors need to incorporate a purpose and an information gap and allow for multiple forms of expression.

The activities include:

1-Language Functions:

Language functions refer to the purposes in which we use language to communicate. We use language for a variety of formal and informal purposes, and specific grammatical structures and vocabulary are often used with each language function. Some examples of language functions include:

1-Compare, contrast and preference.

2-Persuasion.

3-Asking and replying.

4-Expressing likes and dislikes.

5-Cause and effect.

6-Request, permission, offer, expressing worry, sorrow or pain.

7-Sequencing, suggesting and replying.

8-Predicting, advising and warning.

9-Agreeing / disagreeing.

10-Greeting people/introduction.

11-Wishing, apologizing, thanking, congratulating and blaming.

12-Asking for and giving opinion or information.

2-Mini-Dialogues:

A- Demonstrate this pair work writing activity with you as student A and the rest of the class as student B.

Write the first line of a dialogue on the board.

E.g.  Did you do anything interesting last night?

Ask students to count how many words you’ve used (7).

Elicit a response from any student, to continue the dialogue, but with 6 words . E.g. Not really, I was at home.

Continue the dialogue with a 5-word sentence; e.g. Were you at home alone? Elicit a 4-word sentence, etc.

Continue until the mini dialogue concludes with one word.

B- Students repeat the activity in pairs; A and B.

Students should write the first line of a dialogue using seven words.

The hey should exchange papers and both students should continue their partner’s dialogue using six words, etc.

Each pair is writing two mini dialogues at the same time.

Point out that contractions such as don’t’, count as two words.

When students finish, check the dialogues for errors and get students to make any necessary changes. 

Students are often curious to read each other’s mini dialogues so you might like to display them on the wall for everyone to read.

3-Retelling a story and doing a feedback.

4-Self expression and giving opinion.

5-Doing debates and conferences.

6-Making telephone calls.

7-Doing chats.

8-Working in pairs, in peers, one asks and one answers.

9-Order the scrambled dialogue or story.

10-Speak and draw.

11-Speak to do warm up or act the scene.

12-Speak to sing and play the game.

13-Encourage students to ask follow up questions and try to have a conversation.

14-Role cards and brain storming,

15-Students work together to resolve a problem, or complete a task.

16-Exercises: Listen and speak/ Look and speak /Watch and speak / Write and speak / Read and speak / Do and speak / Speak to evaluate.

17-Speak for free practice and drill.