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UTTERANCE above ALLAcademia Británica Pulling teeth

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um, so...what are we talkin’about?

Can you guess what level is being mentioned here?

Utterance Level:People generally write in sentences, but they speak in utterances. These

may be as long as one or several sentences or as short as a word or phrase. Most utterances are at phrase level or clause level.

Well rehearsed utterances are common formulaic responses typical of everyday situations, e.g. I go to work by bus, I’ve got one brother and one

sister, and we live in a big house in Paris.Instructions to Oral Examiners, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Utterance Level:People generally write in sentences, but they speak in

utterances. These may be as long as one or several sentences or as short as a word or phrase. Most utterances

are at phrase level or clause level.

Well rehearsed utterances are common formulaic responses typical of everyday situations, e.g. I go to work

by bus, I’ve got one brother and one sister, and we live in a big house in Paris.

Instructions to Oral Examiners, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Talk to your partner and discuss the following questions:

• Handles communication on familiar topics, despite hesitation.

• Construct longer utterances but is not able to use complex language except in well rehearsed utterances.

• What activities do you do before a speaking activity?

• Ever had Speaking as your main aim in a lesson?

• How long should a speaking activity last?• Is ‘pron’ that important in the English

language?• Do you ever emphasize utterance?

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“…even fluent speakers do not speak in whole perfectly formed sentences”J Willis, A framework for Task-based Learning

PART 1

…..erm, yeah, about speaking activities

UTTERANCE above ALLAcademia Británica Pulling teeth

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..erm, yeah, about speaking activities

Please talk to your partner and discuss the following questions:

• What activities do you do before a speaking

activity?

• Ever had speaking as your main aim in a

lesson?

• How long should a speaking activity last?

• Is ‘pron’ that important in the English

language?

• Do you ever emphasize utterance?

PART 2

um....so what are we talkin’about?

Well rehearsed utterances are common formulaic responses typical of everyday situations, e.g. I go to

work by bus, I’ve got one brother and one sister, and we live in a big house in Paris.

Instructions to Oral Examiners, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

People generally write in sentences, but they speak in utterances. These may be as long as one or

several sentences or as short as a word or phrase. Most utterances are at phrase level or clause level.

UTTERANCE above ALLAcademia Británica Pulling teeth

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um, so...what are we talkin’about here?

Utterance (Level):

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...and could you guess the level being mentioned here?

2. Conveys basic meaning in very familiar everyday situations.

• Produces utterances which tend to be very short – words or phrases – with frequent hesitation and pauses.

1. Handles communication on familiar topics, despite hesitation.

• Constructs longer utterances but is not able to use complex language except in well rehearsed utterances.

3. Handles communication on familiar topics, despite hesitation.

• Organized extended discourse but occasionally produces utterances that lack coherence, and some inaccuracies and inappropriate usage occur.

Instructions to Oral Examiners, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

PART 3

alright then, let’s start!

DRILLING:

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• Drill flashcards and play with pron – e.g. up: high pitch, low: low pitch.

(Memory games for reinforcing: ‘3 card trick’ or ‘rock-paper-scissor’)

• Construct questions & answers about FCs using fingers as counters and drill.

• Connect fingers as block speaking or utterance, drill!

• Pass flashcards to sts - they drill questions & answers as utterances themselves.

• Guess the FC game(s) using drilled utterances: e.g. sts back to the whiteboard & FCs, other sts mimic

FC, etc.

The ultimate utterance springboardFrom flashcards to

utterancesCompiled by Jeanette Corbett

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• After an extended listening, let sts have access to the script.

• In pairs, sts listen once more and write down ‘as they hear it’ utterances they find interesting,

challenging or practical. • As a game, sts will challenge other pairs by

repeating their utterances and getting them to guess the original phrase or sentence.

• Chinese whispers or similar games can also apply.

From Listenings to utterancesBy -------------

Write it as you hear it!

Original idea from ‘Fishermen’ Activity in the Dialogue Activities book by N. Bilbrough

Sts analyze the pronunciation features of utterances in a script:

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Lubricating a conversation, like yeah!Real time composing using discourse markers

I’m often surprised at how quite experienced teachers

of English tend to be unaware of the fact that spoken language has a grammar all of its own.

G. Perrin, ‘An authentic debate’, English teacher Professional - Issue 60, Jan ‘09

Anyway, you know, then, OK then, I mean, though, well, so, Yeah, erm, er, right, Mm, Um, Okay, in fact, All right?, Of what?, on the way back, me and the rest, Makes me think, Oh terrible, No, not a long way, doesn’t matter, What number?, Do you think...?, How about the…?

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Lubricating a conversation, like yeah!Real time composing using discourse markers

Original idea from ‘Filling in’ Activity in the Dialogue Activities book by N. Bilbrough

Sts incorporate discourse markers into their dialogue:

• Give a version of the dialogue without the DMs and tell sts that some words have been removed from it.

• Write up on board discourse markers which have been removed Anyway, you know, then, OK then, right, I

mean, though and well. • In pairs, sts discuss the most appropriate place to include

each one.• Give out dialogue with discourse markers, discuss effects

of each one and whether any alternatives are possible

Can you think of an activity where you can include DMs?

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Lubricants, like yeah!Real time composing using discourse markers

• Give out copies of the dialogue.• Ask sts to match utterance with one of the speech act

labels. Tell them that some of the lines contain more than one speech act.

• Go through the answers and elicit words or chunks of language which are typical of each speech act. For

instance,Giving a compliment: Your (+noun) looks (+adjective)

Making suggestions: Do you want to (+verb)

Can you think of an activity where you can include SMs?

Original idea from ‘Speech Acts’ Activity in the Dialogue Activities book by N. Bilbrough

Raising awareness about typical language used for different speech acts:

(i.e. the purpose for which utterances are spoken)

Academia Británica

Pulling teethUTTERANCE above ALL M

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�11

UTTERANCE above ALLAcademia Británica Pulling teeth

Mar

ch �1

1

um, so...what are we talkin’about?

Can you guess what level is being mentioned here?

Utterance Level:People generally write in sentences, but they speak in utterances. These

may be as long as one or several sentences or as short as a word or phrase. Most utterances are at phrase level or clause level.

Well rehearsed utterances are common formulaic responses typical of everyday situations, e.g. I go to work by bus, I’ve got one brother and one

sister, and we live in a big house in Paris.Instructions to Oral Examiners, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Utterance Level:People generally write in sentences, but they speak in

utterances. These may be as long as one or several sentences or as short as a word or phrase. Most utterances

are at phrase level or clause level.

Well rehearsed utterances are common formulaic responses typical of everyday situations, e.g. I go to work

by bus, I’ve got one brother and one sister, and we live in a big house in Paris.

Instructions to Oral Examiners, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

Talk to your partner and discuss the following questions:

• Handles communication on familiar topics, despite hesitation.

• Construct longer utterances but is not able to use complex language except in well rehearsed utterances.

• What activities do you do before a speaking activity?

• Ever had Speaking as your main aim in a lesson?

• How long should a speaking activity last?• Is ‘pron’ that important in the English

language?• Do you ever emphasize utterance?