Developing and Assessing Speaking Skill in a competence based curriculum Ms. Amira Magdy Al Laith Bin Saad Primary School

Objectives The definition of “Speaking” By the end of this meeting you are expected to be able to demonstrate sound understanding of: The definition of “Speaking” The definition of “Teaching Speaking” The reasons for teaching speaking The rationales for teaching speaking using communicative approach and collaborative learning

The basic features of communicative language teaching & collaborative learning How to teach speaking? Types of Classroom Speaking Performance Class Activities For Developing Speaking Skills Things a teacher should/should not do in teaching speaking

What is Speaking? Speaking is "the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts“ (Chaney, 1998, p. 13). Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving and processing information (Brown, 1994. Burns & Joyce, 1997).

Speaking means conveying the message through the words of mouth Speaking means conveying the message through the words of mouth. This skill is also called ‘Oral Skill’ or ‘Communicative Skill’.

WHAT IS “TEACHING SPEAKING”? Teaching speaking is to teach our learners to: Produce the English speech sounds and sound patterns Use word and sentence stress, intonation patterns and the rhythm of the Enlish language. Select appropriate words and sentences according to the proper social setting, audience, situation and subject matter.

Organize their thoughts in a meaningful and logical sequence. Use language as a means of expressing values and judgments. Use the language quickly and confidently with few unnatural pauses, which is called as fluency. (Nunan, 2003)

REASONS FOR TEACHING SPEAKING Speaking is a crucial part of language learning and teaching. The mastery of speaking skills in English is a priority for many second- language or foreign-language learners.

Our learners often evaluate their success in language learning as well as the effectiveness of their English course on the basis of how much they feel they have improved in their spoken language proficiency. Oral skills have hardly been neglected in today’s EFL/ESL courses (witness the huge number of conversation and other speaking course books in the market)

THE RATIONALES FOR TEACHING SPEAKING COMMUNICATIVELY For many years, teaching speaking has been undervalued and English language teachers have continued to teach speaking just as a repetition of drills or memorization of dialogues.

Today's world requires that the goal of teaching speaking should improve students' communicative skills, Only in that way, students can express themselves and learn how to follow the social and cultural rules appropriate in each communicative circumstance.

communicative language teaching students learn to speak in the second or foreign language by "interacting“ it is necessary for learners to recognize: the very different functions speaking performs in daily communication, and the different purposes for which our students need speaking skills. communicative language teaching & collaborative learning 

Communicative Language Teaching & Collaborative Learning Communicative language teaching is based on real-life situations that require communication. By using this method in ESL\EFL classes, students will have the opportunity of communicating with each other in the target language. 

ESL\EFL teachers should create a classroom environment where students have real-life communication, authentic activities, and meaningful tasks that promote oral language. This can occur when students collaborate in groups to achieve a goal or to complete a task.

EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS TYPES OF SPEAKING IN REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS Chatting to a passenger sitting next to you during a plane Chatting to a school friend in a canteen A student chatting to his or her teacher while waiting for a class Telling a friend about an amusing weekend experience, and hearing him or her recount a similar experience he or she once had.

Classroom group discussions and problem-solving activities A class activity during which students design a poster Discussing needed computer repairs with a technician Discussing sightseeing plans with a hotel clerk or tour guide Making a telephone call to obtain flight information Asking someone for directions on the street

Buying something in a shop Ordering food from a menu in a restaurant Giving a class report about a group/individual assignment Conducting a class debate Giving a speech of welcome Making a presentation Giving a long talk

How To Teach Speaking? Communicative language teaching Real life situations Collaborative learning Work in pairs and groups

Teaching Speaking Skills Oral communication Written communication Productive skills Receptive skills Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Developing Oral Communication Skills Main problems: 2 types: productive-speaking receptive-listening syllabus requirements language and speech physiological and linguistic characteristics of speech ways of creating situations prepared, unprepared and inner speech types of exercises.

Language and Speech Language Speech Philological Psychological Logical Linguistic

Psychological Characteristics of Speech Speech must be motivated; Speech is always addressed to an interlocutor; Speech is always emotionally coloured; Speech is always situational.

Linguistic Characteristics of dialogue Speech The use of incomplete sentences (ellipses) in response: e.g. Where do you live? - In Cherkassy. How many books do you have? – One. The use of contracted forms: doesn’t, won’t, haven’t, can’t. The use of some abbreviations: lab, bike, math’s, fridge, comp, etc. The use of conversational tags.

Prepared and Unprepared Speech Speak following the plan speak on a subject suggested by the teacher; speak on the text read (summarize or give content); discuss problems touched upon in the text read or heard; help a “foreigner”, e.g. to find the way to some place.

Types of Classroom Speaking Performance 1. Imitative 2. Intensive 3. Responsive 4. Transactional (dialogue) 5. Interpersonal (dialogue)

Imitative type Keep them short (a few minutes of a class hour only). Keep them simple (preferably just one point at a time). Make sure students know why they are doing the drill. Limit them to phonology or grammar points. Make sure they ultimately lead to communicative goals. Don't overuse them.

Responsive type Short replies to teacher or learner questions or comments, such as a series of answers to yes/no questions;

Transactional (dialogue) Dialogues conducted for the purpose of information exchange, such as information-gathering interviews, role plays, or debates

Interpersonal (dialogue) Dialogues to establish or maintain social relationships, such as personal interviews or casual conversation role plays.

Teaching Two Forms of Speaking Teaching Monologue Teaching Dialogue

3 stages in teaching monologue The statement level Substitution: I have a book (a pen, a ruler) Extension: I have an interesting book; I have an interesting book at home Transformation: He has a book; he has no book. Completion: If I have time I’ll… We are proud of… Pupil 1: We are proud of our country. Pupil 2: We are proud of our sportsmen. Pupil 3: We are proud of our school. eg. a) give it a name: We write with… - It is a pen. b) say the opposite: I live in… - I don’t live in … . He likes to play… - I don’t like to play…

The utterance level Teacher: She cut her finger. Pupil: Who cut her finger? Class: Ann. When did she cut it? Yesterday. What did she cut it with? With a knife. Why did she cut her finger? Because the knife was sharp. Pupil: yesterday Ann cut her finger. She cut it with a knife. The knife was sharp.

The discourse level pupils are asked to speak on a picture, film comment on a text they have read or heard make up a story of their own. The teacher supplies the pupils with “what to speak about.” e.g. “The farmer’s treasure” …

Teaching Dialogue A conversation between 2 interlocutors. It is always situational and emotionally coloured. Dialogue is generally unprepared.

3 stages in teaching dialogue Receptive. Reproduction: immediate; delayed; modified. Constructive or creative.

4 main dialogue structures: 1. Question - response e.g. -When did you visit your dentist? - Last week. 2. Statement - question e.g. – We are going to travel to …... - What kind of transport will you choose? 3. Statement - statement e.g. – I’d like to go to the cinema on Saturday. - I advise you to visit the cinema on Monday or Tuesday. 4. Question - question e.g. – Can I help you? - How can I get to the hotel?

Organizing Communicative Activities Picture difference tasks Group planning tasks List sequencing tasks Pyramid discussion Role Play Simulations Brainstorming Story Completion

Suggestions for Teachers in Teaching Speaking Provide maximum opportunity to students to speak the target language by providing a rich environment that contains collaborative work, authentic materials and tasks, and shared knowledge. Try to involve each student in every speaking activity; for this aim, practice different ways of student participation.

Reduce teacher speaking time in class while increasing student speaking time. Step back and observe students. Indicate positive signs when commenting on a student's response. Ask eliciting questions such as "What do you mean? How did you reach that conclusion?" in order to prompt students to speak more.

Provide written feedback like "Your presentation was really great Provide written feedback like "Your presentation was really great. It was a good job. I really appreciated your efforts in preparing the materials and efficient use of your voice…“ Do not correct students' pronunciation mistakes very often while they are speaking. Correction should not distract student from his or her speech. Involve speaking activities not only in class but also out of class; contact other people who can help.

Circulate around classroom to ensure that students are on the right track and see whether they need your help while they work in groups or pairs. Provide the vocabulary beforehand that students need in speaking activities. Diagnose problems faced by students who have difficulty in expressing themselves in the target language and provide more opportunities to practice the spoken language.

Class Activities For Developing Speaking Skills

How To Develop Speaking Skills? To develop this skill, the students need intensive practice. Speaking practice is usually done in pair & group work.

Types Of Class Activities Language experts have organized oral skills into four distinctive types. Drills or Linguistically Structured Activities Performance Activities Participation Activities Observation Activities

Some Types of Communicative Activities to Get Students to Speak Discussions Role Play Simulations Information Gap Brainstorming Storytelling Interviews Story Completion Reporting Playing Cards Picture Narrating Picture Describing Find the Difference

Drills or Linguistically Structured Activities Teacher provide a particular structure and the students practice it by repeating it. For Example, Student 1 to Student 2: I’m Noor. What’s your name? Student 2 to Student 3: I’m Ana. What’s your name? …….. So on………..

Performance Activities A student prepares himself beforehand and delivers a message to a group. e.g. Student’s Speech

Participation Activities Students participates in some communicative activities in a “natural setting”. e.g. Discussions on some topics.

Observation Activities Students observe something, write a brief summary and present their finding to the class.

Some Most Commonly Used Activities Short Speeches Gap Activities Role Play Discussions

Short Speeches students may be given some easy topics Prepare them in verbal or written form Come to stage or deliver a lecture or speech for a given time frame before the class.

Gap Activity It is a form of a Dialogue. One person has some information which the other person does not have. An interview or self introduction is an activity of this kind.

Gap Activity In this way information gap is filled. This activity will remove the students hesitation.

Role Play This is also a form of dialogue. Students may be asked to play different roles in the form of a drama. Students play different roles.

Role Play e.g. One student act like Shopkeeper and the other as the customer in a Shopping situation.

Role Play This exercise will encourage the students to speak in a real life situation.

2. Role Play In role-play, students pretend they are in various social contexts and have a variety of social roles. In role-play activities, the teacher gives information to the learners such as who they are and what they think or feel. Thus, the teacher can tell the student that "You are Ahmad, you go to the doctor and tell him what happened last night, and…" (Harmer, 1984)

Stages in a Role-Play Lesson Introduction. Explain the role-play setting, roles involved, duration, requirements, etc. Assessment. Make it clear to all students what aspects are to be assessed in the role play (e.g. language accuracy, effort, imagination, costumes, properties, etc.) Preparation. Allow enough time for students to prepare their dialogues (if not available yet) Check Understanding. the teacher should ensure that students understand what they have to do and are confident with the vocabulary used on the role play handout before they begin. Practice. students are given time to practice their dialogue (in or out of class), and create the right mood. Performance. Feedback & Comment.

Discussions Teacher will give some topics or pictures Give them instructions on how to proceed

Discussions Students will discusses the topic Then the teacher or leader of group asks the questions and discussions are carried out.

Discussion A discussion can be held for various reasons: to arrive at a conclusion, to share ideas about an event, or to find solutions in their discussion groups’ Before the discussion, it is essential that the purpose of the discussion activity is set by the teacher. In this way, the discussion points are relevant to this purpose, so that students do not spend their time chatting with each other about irrelevant things.

For example, students can become involved in agree/disagree discussions. In this type of discussions, the teacher can form groups of students, preferably 4 or 5 in each group, and provide controversial sentences like “people learn best when they read vs. people learn best when they travel”. Then each group works on their topic for a given time period, and presents their opinions to the class.

It is essential that the speaking should be equally divided among group members. At the end, the class decides on the winning group who defended the idea in the best way. This activity fosters critical thinking and quick decision making, and students learn how to express and justify themselves in polite ways while disagreeing with the others.

For efficient group discussions, it is always better not to form large groups, because quiet students may avoid contributing in large groups. The group members can be either assigned by the teacher or the students may determine it by themselves, but groups should be rearranged in every discussion activity so that students can work with various people and learn to be open to different ideas. Lastly, in class or group discussions, whatever the aim is, the students should always be encouraged to ask questions, paraphrase ideas, express support, check for clarification, and so on.

Conclusion Teaching speaking is a very important part of language learning. The ability to communicate clearly and efficiently contributes to the success of the learner in school and success later in every phase of life. It makes students more active in the learning process and at the same time makes their learning more meaningful and fun.

References Brown, G. and G. Yule. 1983. Teaching the Spoken Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Burns, Anne. 1998. Teaching speaking. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 18, 102-123. Green, F.E. Christopher and J.Lam. Developing discussion skills in the ESL classroom. Methodology in Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press. 225-234 http://itesij.org