public speaking (gk)

7/29/2019 Public Speaking (GK)

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The Too-Hard Basket: Public Speaking and Language LearningDr Greg Keaney, CfBT, SM SMJA, Brunei

Classroom activities that provide students with non-threatening opportunities toimprove their public speaking skills help develop learner confidence and language skills. What a wonderful gift to give our students! Following are some

practical ideas to help convince reluctant students to participate and reluctant

teachers to ‘have a go’.

In common with many English teachers I hadalways been wary of public speaking activitiesin language classrooms. I wondered about therelevance of oratory to my students' languageneeds and I doubted whether it would bepossible to encourage and motivate thestudents in such a difficult activity.

My doubts evaporated when I attended aninspiring workshop on Public Speaking and

Language Learning at a JALT Conference inJapan …ahem… 22 years ago (Hurley, TokyoJALT Conf. 1985). My image of catatonically

nervous students delivering wooden speeches on boring subjects wastransformed as I observed the rich potential of public speaking and speechactivities in the language classroom.

Speaking in front of a group gives students important practice in paralinguisticareas that English texts and English teachers too often ignore, such as voicecontrol, posture, gesture and eye contact. Activities that the students see as funrather than threatening are intrinsically motivating. Exit feedback hasconsistently shown that many of my students rate public speaking activities as

the most interesting and useful (if somewhat difficult) part of their course.

Before working on speeches it is important to give students practice inpresentation methods that help maintain the audience's interest. Exercisesfocus on eye contact, voice control, gesture and posture, which are of course,vital in all areas of conversation, not only speech.

Eye ContactStudents need to practise both personal and group eye contact. Some good ways to practise eye contact are:

• Students open their eyes as wide as they can, roll their

eyeballs, see how tightly they can close their eyes, thensee how close they can come to closing their eyes whilestill being able to see out of them. In movie close upsactors must not blink – get students to see how goodthey are at movie close ups

• A staring contest in pairs. Continue pairing winnersagainst winners until you have a grand champion.

• Have students express emotions to their: partners using only their eyes.

• Send secret messages to their partner using only their eyes.

• Each student comes to the front of the room and makes personal eye contactwith all of the other members of the class.

• All the students walk around the room shaking hands with everyone else andlooking into their eyes.

Voice ControlMany of our students are very poor in this area and the following exercises areimportant not only for public speaking but also for everyday conversation.

• Students make a list of emotions. Get them tomatch famous names to the emotions and expressthem to a partner or a group saying only the name

• Repeat but this time students use only their ownname to express a range of emotions.

• A similar activity can be done using various schoolsubjects – students try to express their feelingsabout the subject by the way they say the subjectname – thus a student who loves English and hates Maths tries to showthese feelings just by the way they say ‘English’ and ‘Maths’

• Students work in groups to see how many ways (quickly, slowly, shouting,whispering, varying intonations) they can say the alphabet.

• Whisper a secret message to everyone in the room.

• 'Say' the do re mi scale or the words of a song.

Greg Keaney BELTA Conf. 2007 +673-885-681 [email protected] page 1

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



PostureHow you position yourself makes an enormous impact on others. A few exercises for students to practice:

• Sit up straight, slouch, try to take up as muchspace as you can (how do you feel?), try to takeup as little space as you can (how do you

feel?), put your hands over your face, stretchyour arms out wide.

• Stand up straight, slouch, try to take up asmuch space as you can (how do you feel?), tryto take up as little space as you can (how doyou feel?), put your hands over your face,stretch your arms out wide, stretch you handsupwards, stand like a soldier at attention, relaxwith your arms by your side,

• Move around the class – when the command freeze is spoken freeze in your exact position

• Statues game – students in pairs, one student moves the other student’s

arms, legs, fingers and head to make a statue, swap roles• Group statues – students one by one come into a group and make a group

statue

GestureGesture is also a fundamental part of communication – indeed anthropologists believe that verbal speech has its roots in non-verbal gestures and movements – and indeed vocalization is inreality a very complex motor skill. A few exercises for studentsto practice:

• Mirror mimes – students in pairs closely track each other’s

movements as though they are a mirror image of oneanother.

• Students mime a series of activities: for example: conduct anorchestra, play a sax, beat the drum or twang a guitar solo,play golf, score a winning goal, fight for their lives, proposemarriage and so on.

• Students in groups think of and act out as many gestures andsigns as they can.

• One student sits, hands behind back. Another student, hidden behind,provides the hand gestures for the one in front. For example, eating a bowl of noodles, using a mobile phone, doing a difficult exam, putting on a tie, etc.

• Using mime only students try to imitate their teachers and have others in their group guess who they are imitating

• Play charades or other miminggames.

• Machines – as with group statues butthis time students one by one comeinto a group and create a multi-purpose machine

• Traffic Lights - Whole class standing – students move around until you sayone of the following commands atwhich point they have to follow thecommand.1. Statues - freeze individually2. Dentists (in pairs, one sitting as patient, one standing as dentist)3. Traffic lights (in threes, flashing hands one standing stretched, one

standing with arms at shoulder height, one crouched with arms low)4. Diamonds (in fours, try to sparkle)5. Rainbows (in sevens – make arches – leftovers can be pots of gold)

If you encourage students to be more confident intheir posture, more flamboyant in their use of gesture~ maintain eye contact and to modulate their voices more effectively not only will they find speechactivities to be extremely rewarding, they will alsonotice a considerable improvement in their generalEnglish conversation.

Activities Combining Eye, Voice, Gesture andPosture

• Send non-verbal messages around the circle

• Send verbal messages around the circle

• Shout conversations in pairs across the room – if you have the opportunity play music loudly so thatstudents have to raise their voices to talk to oneanother

• Long Line Whispers




Ideas for Speeches

Making ToastsThis activity may be adjusted to suit any language level. Beginner students cangive short one sentence toasts; more advanced students can be required tospeak for a few minutes.

One week before the lesson you should give a model toast to the class. For

homework students write out their toasts.Correct these toasts a few days before thespeech lesson so that students can haveplenty of time to prepare.

On the day of the lesson you will need tobring some plastic glasses and somelemonade or mineral water to class. I usuallyhave the students bring some snacks as wellto give the lesson a 'party' feel.

Sit the students around a central table or, if the class is too large, have students stand asthough they were at a diplomatic reception.Begin by proposing a toast to your class - thebest English class in the history of your school. Put on a great show, especially theclinking of glasses, so that students will feelrelaxed and un-self-conscious when it is their turn to speak in front of the group.

Students give their toasts in turn. You maywish to remind each speaker before they

start to speak loudly and clearly and to look at the audience while they proposetheir toast. You might also remind the class of various points of body language

and gesture, such as smiling and looking into the eyes of the other person whentouching glasses.




Accepting Awards and PrizesThis activity is for intermediate andadvanced students. Pre-intermediatestudents can perform this activity but theyneed more teacher assistance at thepreparation stage.

A week before this lesson introduce thenames of some awards - Internet's WorstSurfer and Ms Teenage Formula One Driver,for example. Brainstorm other real andimaginary awards and prizes. This can becombined well with lessons on superlatives,conditionals or future ambitions.

The speech lesson will work best if there is atouch of comedy to the awards. Somesuggestions are: World's Greatest EnglishStudent, World's Best Dresser, ChampionShopper, Worst Dancer, Best/WorstKaraoke Singer, Greatest/Laziest Cook, andso on.

Have students choose an award or make up one of their own. Model a 'ThankYou Speech' for them. Students should write their acceptance speech for homework and it should be corrected in plenty of time for students to learn for the class.

On the day trim the room to look like an awards ceremony. Trophies that arehumorously appropriate to the award being given add to the fun of the lesson;World's Laziest Cook might receive a packet of instant noodles, for example.

Higher level students may be able to act as MCs. Introducing props such asenvelopes, or a raised dais, adds to the fun.

A listening exercise using a video of the Academy Awards, American Idol, MTV Awards or similar can be a useful follow up to this activity.




Top 5 Presentations

Instructions

Group Phase: Work in groups (five is the best number. If there are less than five people in your group one of you will have to speak twice). Prepare your group’s ‘Top Five’ in ONE of the following areas. Each group member will have to speak about one of the Top Five and why that item is so special that it makes it into the Top Five. Everyone in the group must talk about one of the five items.

EITHER

You have five minutes to prepare your presentation to the rest of the class

OR

You have to prepare your presentation for homework.

Whole Class Phase: Each group presents their Top Five to the rest of the class taking turns to speak about each item on thelist. Each presentation should last about five minutes.

Our top five favourite English music hits Our top five books or authors

Our top five advertisements Our top five TV programmes

Our top five paintings Our top five scientific discoveries

Our top five teenage status symbols (e.g. mobile phone) Our top five teenage fashions

Our top five computer games Our top five websites

Our top five jokes and riddles Our top five football players

Our top five fashion accessories Our top five ....(choose your topic )….



Just a Minute

Instructions

Cut up the following topic cards. One set of cards for each group. Students take it in turns to select a card. They have one minute to think of what tosay. Then they must speak for one minute without help or interruptions on their topic to the rest of the group.

SchoolJust a minute

ChildrenJust a minute

HobbiesJust a minute

TravelJust a minute

BruneiJust a minute

HomeJust a minute

ComputersJust a minute

EnglishJust a minute

FutureJust a minute

FoodJust a minute

MoviesJust a minute

TravelJust a minute

MusicJust a minute

DreamsJust a minute

Free

Topic

FriendsJust a minute

SportJust a minute

BooksJust a minute

TVJust a minute

HolidaysJust a minute



Double Plus FiguresDouble plus figures is awonderful adaptation of adrama game that really getsstudents involved andbuilds their confidence for other public speaking,drama and performance

activities.

The core activity consists of students working together in pairs to be one character.Student A sits on a chair with their arms behindthem, Student B kneelsbehind the chair andbecomes the character’sarms and hands.

This can take away the fear of performance as neither student has to doeverything – the one who faces the crowd is merely the face while theone who is ‘out of view’ can perform extravagant gestures.

The activity can be used to liven up dialogues, to mime actions (perhapsto reinforce grammar points) and to perform dramatic scenes and role-plays.

If you wish to make the activity even more enjoyable then bring in a fewprops – the sample text in the appendix for example can be livened upwith a few police hats…

A Comical EulogyThis activity is suitable for intermediate and advanced students –exercise caution that there have been no recent bereavements.

A week in advance give students a model of a eulogy. I usually presentwith a lesson that uses a famous person such as Elvis for sourcematerial. Inform your class that each student has to prepare a eulogy for you the teacher. You can have died in any way they wish - and it may

surprise you how unfortunate your demise will be.

Once again, correct the speech so that students will have enough time topractise it before the class.

If you are up for it, on the day of the speeches play sombre music tocreate the right atmosphere – you might even want to cry at the lovelywords being said about you. As each student delivers eulogy be prepared

to break down and weep as your virtues and character are extolled.

Obituaries of famous people can be used as reading comprehensionprecursors or follow-ups to this activity.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many speech activities that can be used withEnglish language classes. You will find that students respond remarkablywell to these activities and that speech and public speaking can be asurprisingly relevant, interesting and confidence-building way to developour students' English abilities.

Students don’t alwayshave to be made to feellike ‘another brick in thewall’. The developmentof learner confidence intandem with their growing language skillsis a wonderful gift to giveour students! It may startout in the ‘too hard’basket – but as teachersit is our reward to seestudents who respond toour challenges and gainself-belief and self-assurance as a result.



Appendix

Some complicated proverb texts for Long Line Whispers1: Where there are observable fumes having their origin in ignitedcarbonaceous materials, there is conflagration.2: Members of an avian species of identical plumage tend toassemble.3: Surveillance should precede bounding.4: It is fruitless to become lachrymose over lacteal fluid that hasprecipitately departed from its container.5: The temperature of the aqueous content of a constantly observedsaucepan does not ever reach 100 degrees C at sea level.6: All articles that sparkle with resplendence are not truly auriferous.7: Fussiness on the part of mendicants must be forbidden.8: An array of individuals with expertise in culinary arts may ruin theflavour of the potable concoction produced by steeping comestibles.9: Individuals who make their abode in vitreous residences would beadvised to refrain from catapulting petrous projectiles.10: A revolving lithic conglomerate accumulates no congeries of a

small green bryophytic plant.

The ‘Real’ Proverbs1. Where there’s smoke there’s fire.

2. Birds of a feather flock together 3. Look before you leap4. It’s no use crying over spilt milk 5. A watched pot never boils.6. All that glitters is not gold.7. Beggars can’t be choosers8. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

9. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.10. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Sample Text for Double Plus Figures (3 pairs required)

An older lady gets pulled over for speeding...Older Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?Officer: Ma'am, you were speeding.Older Woman: Oh, I see.Officer: Can I see your license please?Older Woman: I'd give it to you but… I don't have one.

Officer: Don't have one?Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for negligent driving.Officer: I see...Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.Older Woman: I can't do that.Officer: Why not?Older Woman: I stole this car.Officer: Stole it?Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.Officer: You what?Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the boot if you want tosee.The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls

for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.Senior Officer: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please!Older woman: Is there a problem sir?Senior Officer: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car andmurdered the owner.Older Woman: Murdered the owner?Senior Officer: Yes, could you please open the boot of your car, please.The woman opens the boot, revealing nothing but an empty boot.Senior Officer: Is this your car, ma'am?Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers.The officer is quite stunned.Senior Officer

: One of my officers claims that you do not have a drivinglicense.The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a purse and hands it to the officer. The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.Senior Officer: Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn'thave a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked upthe owner.Older Woman: I bet the liar told you I was speeding, too!

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