Laboratorio di lingua inglese V Speaking with support

Speaking Some things to remember about speaking We say less than we hear/ understand Our spoken vocabulary is more limited than our knowledge of vocabulary Speech is formulated spontaneously We all make “on-line processing” errors We are all disfluent We give priority to meaning, not to grammar

Speaking – silent period Learners understand more than they can say When children learn their first language they respond to language long before they learn to speak. Second language learners have a “silent period” During this period they listen to and absorb the language They then formulate their own personal grammar, which they adapt and expand with exposure to more language. Sarah Phillips – Young Learners

Speaking – silent period What does the silent period mean for teachers? Children may understand you, but they can’t show that they understand you by answering They may be able to answer with a single word They will certainly be able to react (do sth. -> Listen and do) It can be a frustrating for teachers They feel that they are not succeeding in teaching It seems that pupils are not progressing All you need is TIME They will produce language, eventually Before they do, use Total Physical Response exercises

When children are learning their first language they hear phrases and understand the general meaning before they understand individual words They hear connected sounds before they separate them into individual words Only written language is divided into words and sentences Young learners who cannot read hear a flow of sound They hear intonation patterns, and sounds or words that are stressed. These are the sounds they will say first.

Speaking - chunks After the silent period, children learning a foreign language may suddenly start to use phrases I don’t know Come on Goodbye These are sometimes called chunks because they are learned and used as “long words” Children may not have been taught these chunks They pick them up from listening Chunks help learners to communicate Extracted from Jayne Moon 2000. Children Learning English

Speaking - chunks Chunks can later be broken down and the words recombined I don't know I don’t know its name, I don't know spelling We don’t know, They don’t know He doesn’t know When children begin to break down a phrase in this way, it is a sign of language development Songs, rhymes, poems, drama and routines all help This way, children can acquire ready-made bits of language so they can begin to communicate Extracted from Jayne Moon 2000. Children Learning English

Speaking Children’s desire to communicate is very powerful If they are doing an interesting activity, they will talk a lot This is very useful because pupils get lots of practice in using the language It doesn’t matter if the grammar is not perfect – it will improve with TIME Be careful if you use speaking ability as a measure of how much children have learned Remember: Younger children (age 5-10) tend to be more enthusiastic and willing to talk than older children But some children are quieter than others This does not mean that their English is not good Extracted from Jayne Moon 2000. Children Learning English

When children repeat set phrases it does not necessarily mean language acquisition is taking place. But they are getting used to saying English sounds practising the intonation pattern gaining confidence, especially if you praise them or show your approval in other ways

Speaking The main types of speaking exercises are: Listen and repeat They listen to a sound, word or phrase and try to say it exactly the same way Guided speaking They describe a picture, place, time or person Role-play and dialogues They learn formulae then use them to perform a task Free speaking activities Often at the end of a unit, the students discuss the topic, expressing their experiences, feelings & opinions

Speaking with support You can support children when they are starting to speak English: - by using English as caretaker talk - by encouraging all the efforts children make to speak English, no matter how small - by listening carefully when they speak and not interrupting to correct small errors

As children acquire more English, chants, rhymes, and songs can form a real part of the learning process. Think about how you could use them in your lessons - for enjoyment - as part of your teaching plan - as a change in activity - to revise vocabulary - to connect with new or familiar topics - to practise up-to-date expressions - for drama and to practice punctuation

Think about choosing a song or rhyme. A song or rhyme should - suit your pupils’ age group and their interests - match their level of English - have a catchy, easy to remember melody

Start with very short rhymes or chants Look for songs and chants that have topics your children are learning about Make sure the children generally understand what they are saying – they do not need to understand every word but maybe the gist of the lines Use songs and rhymes to play with sounds: speaking softly – shouting loudly Use simple instruments to add to the rhythm, such as tambourine, bell, drum, cymbal Encourage your pupils to say them for family and friendes outside school

Activity: song

Activity: song

Activity: song

Role-play speaking exercise

Classroom language It is best to introduce useful classroom phrases in the situation in which they are normally used. Make sure you teach the phrases that will be useful for every lesson, e.g. Open your books Work in pairs Form a group

Classroom Language Pupils respond to their teacher. They ask you questions and tell you things they want you to know They often repeat comments and requests They easily learn to repeat the expressions you use during their English lesson. On the next slide there is a drawing. There are three empty speech bubbles. What are the children going to say?

What learners need to say and ask

What learners need to say and ask Practise some possible exchanges. Child Excuse me! Can you help me? Teacher Yes – of course, just coming. Child Please Miss! Is this right? Teacher Wait a moment, Ana, I’m just helping Peter. Yes... what is it you need? Child I don’t know what to do! Teacher That’s fine like that. Child Please can I ask in Italian? Teacher Yes... What do you need to know?

Teaching vocabulary When you are introducing new vocabulary and learners want to speak (when children are listening to you they often repeat words and phrases naturally and spontaneously) you can - encourage them to repeat the new items - use pictures, sounds, and other senses, e.g. touch and feel materials, to support meaning - use gestures, movement, and actions - get children to colour pictures of the new things they can name - repeat new words as often as possible and use them in context

REMEMBER If your pupils cannot read yet they have to remember the words as a sound. If your pupils can read it is better if they first remember the sound of the word and then learn the spelling. Children are learning new things all the time so it’s easy for them to forget. To help children remember it’s a good idea to use new words and phrases several times in different ways, e.g. - guessing - either/or questions - classifying. By doing these or similar activities you can give children extra opportunities to listen and repeat what is new and go back over what they know.

Reusing vocabulary

Prepare to teach new words and phrases in a meaningful way by linking with a topic they are familiar with, e.g. Your pupils know something about spiders, butterflies, bees, flies. Add other small creatures to the list. Write down two things that children might know or ought to know about each of these creatures: Spiders have eight legs. They make webs. Think of two questions you might ask children about each creature: What do bees say? Have you ever been stung by a bee? Think of books or stories about these small creatures.

Playing vocabulary games Guessing games and memory games are useful to help children become familiar with new vocabulary in an enjoyable way. Show children how to play the game and give instructions in English while you’re doing this Use lots of different games but use the same vocabulary to help children become familiar with it New words and phrases need to be used a lot after you have introduced them so that the children learn to use them actively.

Remembering a list Teacher Ok, we’ll start with these four. Ok, are you ready? Child1 I’d like an apple. Child2 I’d like an apple and a pear. Teacher Good. Child3 I’d like an apple and a pear – and an orange. Teacher Good. Child4 I’d like an orange…no… an apple and a pear and an orange and a…banana. Teacher Very good. That was great, now…