Translate This Page
Humor:
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..
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.
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.
