Like all good ESL classes, we begin with...

Find Someone Find Someone Who….Who….

What makes a good speaker?

Someone who expresses their meaning precisely?Someone who expresses their meaning precisely?

Someone who speaks clearly and persuasively?Someone who speaks clearly and persuasively?

Someone who uses accurate grammar?Someone who uses accurate grammar?

Someone who pronounces syllables, words and sentences clearly and Someone who pronounces syllables, words and sentences clearly and accurately?accurately?

Someone who can fix breakdowns in communication and keep conversations Someone who can fix breakdowns in communication and keep conversations going?going?

Someone who can communicate what they want to say?Someone who can communicate what they want to say?

All of these?All of these?

What makes a good

speaker? IELTS, Cambridge Proficiency Exams

IELTS: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical IELTS: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, PronunciationPronunciation

FCE: Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse FCE: Grammar and Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation, Interactive Management, Pronunciation, Interactive CommunicationCommunication

What makes a good speaker?

Communicative Competence(Hymes; Canale and Swain)

Grammatical Competence - knowledge of grammarGrammatical Competence - knowledge of grammar

Discourse Competence - ability to use language in Discourse Competence - ability to use language in interaction and communication (turn-taking, interaction and communication (turn-taking, initiation)initiation)

Sociolinguistic Competence - ability to use socially Sociolinguistic Competence - ability to use socially and culturally appropriate conventions of speaking and culturally appropriate conventions of speaking (polite phrases)(polite phrases)

Strategic Competence - ability to use language Strategic Competence - ability to use language strategically to achieve communication goals strategically to achieve communication goals (getting what you want)(getting what you want)

Linguistic Aspects

Developing Discourse Competence

1. Brainstorm 1. Brainstorm vocab vocab connected to cities (connected to cities (bus, traffic, train station, bus, traffic, train station, pollution)pollution)

2. Teach 2. Teach key grammar key grammar with examples - with examples - there there are too manyare too many cars, there cars, there is is too much too much traffic, there traffic, there arenaren’’t enough t enough busesbuses

3. Ask learners to 3. Ask learners to prepareprepare a 2-3 minute speech on their city or on the city a 2-3 minute speech on their city or on the city they now live in (for homework). Give them three points to cover: they now live in (for homework). Give them three points to cover: what/where is the city, good points, bad pointswhat/where is the city, good points, bad points

4. Teach key 4. Teach key discourse markers discourse markers and or and or openings/closings openings/closings (Good morning (Good morning everybody….. That’s it, thank you very much) (I’d like to talk about…. Now everybody….. That’s it, thank you very much) (I’d like to talk about…. Now I’ll tell you about…. Finally I’m going to talk about…. )I’ll tell you about…. Finally I’m going to talk about…. )

5.5.Learners Learners presentpresent to the class. Ask other learners to to the class. Ask other learners to listen for gistlisten for gist- - would would they like to live in this city? Why? Why not?they like to live in this city? Why? Why not? Discuss after each speech. Discuss after each speech. 6. Give students 6. Give students feedbackfeedback

Why did it work? VocabularyVocabulary

GrammarGrammar

Accessible structure Accessible structure

Clear taskClear task

Learner autonomy Learner autonomy

Motivating Motivating

ChallengingChallenging

What speaking lesson have you

taught that worked well recently?

Good ideas…..

Answer/ Add/ Ask Answer/ Add/ Ask

Speaking homeworkSpeaking homework

Mini-presentationsMini-presentations

Counters Counters

Share your good ideas!Share your good ideas!

Learner Language – It’s Officially OK

Learner Language is known as Interlanguage - Learner Language is known as Interlanguage - the systematic knowledge of an L2 which is the systematic knowledge of an L2 which is independent of both the learnerindependent of both the learner’’s language and s language and the target language language - the the target language language - the ““in-betweenin-between”” language at any particular stage of language at any particular stage of development development

What is the difference between mistakes and What is the difference between mistakes and errors? How should we correct errors? What errors? How should we correct errors? What errors should we correct?errors should we correct?

Learners learn what they are ready

to learn, not what they are taughtLearners with different language backgrounds Learners with different language backgrounds appear to follow a similar path of language appear to follow a similar path of language development development

The development of some patterns follows similar The development of some patterns follows similar sequences in areas such as negatives, relative sequences in areas such as negatives, relative clauses, and word order rulesclauses, and word order rules

The rate at which acquisition takes place variesThe rate at which acquisition takes place varies

There is also evidence that instruction has some There is also evidence that instruction has some influence(Weinfluence(We’’re not wasting our time!)re not wasting our time!)

The Nature of Spoken

Grammar

Some differences in spoken grammar

Textbook Failure (Cullen and Kuo,

2007))

Differences between spoken and written grammar have been Differences between spoken and written grammar have been analysed through corpus analysis, then ESL text books examinedanalysed through corpus analysis, then ESL text books examined

Textbooks managed to pick up some features of spoken grammar, Textbooks managed to pick up some features of spoken grammar, mostly language conventionsmostly language conventions

They failed to address other aspects - Eg use of head nouns occurs They failed to address other aspects - Eg use of head nouns occurs twice as often as twice as often as ““ought toought to”” in corpus data, yet this is rarely taught in corpus data, yet this is rarely taught

These aspects are hard to teachThese aspects are hard to teach

Similarities with L1

Every spoken language has some differences with Every spoken language has some differences with the written language formthe written language form

NNS bring to their study of English an awareness NNS bring to their study of English an awareness of, and competency in managing, this differenceof, and competency in managing, this difference

The forms and features through which this The forms and features through which this difference is realised vary between languages, difference is realised vary between languages, therefore may need to be explicitly taughttherefore may need to be explicitly taught

Talk Types ( Yule and Brown 1983;

Richards)

Talk as Interaction Talk as Interaction

social relationships are most importantsocial relationships are most important

Talk as Transaction Talk as Transaction

the message is most importantthe message is most important

Talk as PerformanceTalk as Performance

the presentation is most importantthe presentation is most important

What can we improve? Sometimes....

We forget to pre-teach grammar and vocabWe forget to pre-teach grammar and vocab

We do not raise studentsWe do not raise students’’ awareness of spoken language forms awareness of spoken language forms

We assume that students understand spoken language We assume that students understand spoken language conventionsconventions

We expect that students know and feel happy being around We expect that students know and feel happy being around each othereach other

We donWe don’’t know how to focus on difficult aspects of spoken grammar, t know how to focus on difficult aspects of spoken grammar, so we dontso we dont

We forget to give positive feedbackWe forget to give positive feedback

We hesitate or forget to give negative (We hesitate or forget to give negative (““constructiveconstructive””) feedback) feedback

We forget mistakes are necessaryWe forget mistakes are necessary

We assume everyone is comfortable in speaking like us We assume everyone is comfortable in speaking like us

Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations““We put a room full of strangers into a circle and expect We put a room full of strangers into a circle and expect them to act as friends before they even know or trust each them to act as friends before they even know or trust each other. We expect them to be well versed in the dynamics other. We expect them to be well versed in the dynamics of group processes such as turn talking, interrupting, of group processes such as turn talking, interrupting, active listening, etc. We expect them to know how to deal active listening, etc. We expect them to know how to deal with the more vocal members and draw out the more timid with the more vocal members and draw out the more timid or self-conscious ones. They are expected to know how to or self-conscious ones. They are expected to know how to conduct themselves as a cohesive entity with no previous conduct themselves as a cohesive entity with no previous experience at self-direction in the classroom. Too often we experience at self-direction in the classroom. Too often we give them topics that are too hot to handle - topics that give them topics that are too hot to handle - topics that require a great deal of personal disclosure.require a great deal of personal disclosure.”” - Bassano and - Bassano and ChristisonChristison

What can we improve?

Choose one speaking activity that didnChoose one speaking activity that didn ’’t go so t go so well. How could you improve it?well. How could you improve it?

Teaching Speaking Effectively

Remember itRemember it’’s more than just grammar, s more than just grammar, pronunciation and vocabpronunciation and vocab

DonDon’’t forget grammar, pronunciation and vocabt forget grammar, pronunciation and vocab

Remember itRemember it’’s complexs complex

Remember to give feedbackRemember to give feedback

Really listenReally listen

Top Tips… Students need to…

Talk a lot Talk a lot Talk to different audiences – use pair-work, group-work, whole-Talk to different audiences – use pair-work, group-work, whole-

class work, speaking homeworkclass work, speaking homework Talk in different styles – facilitate discussions, role-plays, short Talk in different styles – facilitate discussions, role-plays, short

presentations, long presentations, prepared debates, spontaneous presentations, long presentations, prepared debates, spontaneous debates, story-telling, interviews, simulation exercises, one-debates, story-telling, interviews, simulation exercises, one-minute speeches minute speeches

Talk on different topics – personal, abstract, business, academicTalk on different topics – personal, abstract, business, academic Talk about what they are interested inTalk about what they are interested in Talk about what the people they encounter will be interested inTalk about what the people they encounter will be interested in Use relevant vocabulary – teach and practice itUse relevant vocabulary – teach and practice it Use relevant grammar – teach and practice itUse relevant grammar – teach and practice it Use relevant phrases, signposts, linking markers, interjections – Use relevant phrases, signposts, linking markers, interjections –

teach and practice themteach and practice them Be heard – listen to them!Be heard – listen to them!