Speaking activities that work for Chinese students Sarah Vollmann International English Center University of Colorado Boulder

Background M.A. in Linguistics for TESOL Professionals, 2012 Taught at two universities in Xi’an, China from 2012-2015 Chinese affective filters and why they are so big: Chinese education system doesn’t emphasize speaking Mandarin Chinese has 1/10 the number of syllables American English does (Fallows 2010), so Chinese students find it hard to approximate English pronunciation Chinese grammar is very simple, with no articles, count nouns, or verb tenses, so Chinese students struggle with English grammar China has about 1.5 billion people, so Chinese students can easily speak Mandarin overseas Chinese college students act younger than American ones (independence is a Western value)

Building Fluency Games lower Chinese students’ affective filters, but can also help them work on American skills that the Chinese education system doesn’t emphasize: Thinking in English Listening to each other, not just the teacher Talking with new people Practicing letters of the alphabet/sounding out words Reviewing grammar and pronunciation Class discussion/appreciating different points of view Critical thinking

We’re Going on a Picnic Teacher: I’m Sarah and I’m bringing sandwiches. Mohammed: Sarah is bringing sandwiches. I’m Mohammed and I’m bringing milk. Wei: Sarah is bringing sandwiches, Mohammed is bringing milk, I’m Wei and I’m bringing warm coffee.

Tick/Tock Teacher: THIS is a TICK. Student: A WHAT? Teacher: A TICK. Student: OH, a TICK. From http://dramagames.info/2011/07/03/this-is-a%e2%80%a6/, 9 October 2014

Telephone Good review game with sentences from the textbook Helps students listen to each other Can be a good way for students to identify grammar and pronunciation mistakes “Operator?”

Taboo whiteboard

Surveys Directions: Find a DIFFERENT person for each question. Find someone who... drank coffee this morning. watched TV yesterday. has seen a ghost. has played basketball or soccer in the past week. skipped breakfast. has an older brother. __________________ has a younger sister. _____________________

Talking about Magazine Pictures

Discussion of Reading Explain why we have discussions at US universities Put students in a small-group discussion at least one class before you try to have a whole-class discussion Go over the difference between comprehension questions and discussion questions, have students make and bring their own discussion questions

Post these rules in the classroom during the whole-class discussion The class before the whole-class discussion, make a list of Discussion Rules together, on newsprint Post these rules in the classroom during the whole-class discussion Make this discussion a small grade to lower pressure Talking more than three times will not raise your grade The teacher can prompt the students: What should you do if you disagree with something someone else says? What can more talkative students do to encourage less talkative ones? What should you do if someone says something you planned to say?

References Fallows, Deborah. Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language. New York: Walker & Co., 2010. Tick/Tock: http://dramagames.info/2011/07/03/this-is-a%e2%80%ab/, 9 October 2014.