Listening and speaking

Preparation for JANE’s session (tues) Reading and writing Bring laptops if possible to use in groups All to look on internet for suitable reading text, one each – 1) KS3, 2) KS4, 3) Ks5 Keep it simple as not native speakers. But authentic materials can be motivating. We will think about how these can be used with pupils. JANE

Overview Addressing all the skill areas Listening Speaking Listening – planning, sequencing and setting up Speaking activity – planning, sequencing and setting up Behavioural issues

Listening

Listening and Speaking Receptive skills Listening Reading Productive skills Speaking Writing Traditional view –

Listening The complexity of listening What makes listening difficult for some students?

The complexity of listening Integral to the language learning process Rarely takes place in isolation Usually in tandem with speaking (or, in exams especially, writing)

Listening Far from a passive process The listener brings much to the process e.g. Awareness of genre (what cues / markers?) Knowledge of sound distinctions lexical and grammatical knowledge

Why is it difficult? According to Chambers, 1993, 1994) in surveys– listening features at the bottom of the list of ‘Most enjoyed activities’: Why?

Why is listening hard? ‘The tapes are always crap I can’t hear the voices properly.’ ‘Germans speak too fast’ ‘The exercises are too hard for me.’ This can be a sign of inadequate preparation

Planning a listening activity Focus on sound mimicry repetition Focus on content Listening for gist Specific information Focus on form Linguistic structures e.g. tenses Which skills/outcomes do you want?

What are pupils required to do? Is the response – verbal/non-verbal, closed/open? Oral repetition as a drill? Non-verbal response to single items Gap-filler - retrieval of specific information Re-word /rephrase Changing from first to third person Reconstruct (global understanding required) dictagloss– respond to a question – mix of detail and gist understanding required.

Progression in the receptive skills Identification Rebuilding Personalisation (Adapted from Pachler and Field, 2001)

How? Pre-listening Put the text into context Predict language Predict content Make connections with the topic for the students/get their interest (Pachler and Field 2001) Discuss in groups – make suggestions How?

Pre-listening Use of pictures Short readings brainstorming

Preparing for listening Set up routines Warn the students about how many questions etc there are. Tell them how many times you will play the recording. Re-assure them about not needing to understand everything. Warn students (depending on level) when questions are not in order. Make sure students understand how they are expected to respond.

Response types Non-verbal List these in what you perceive to be the order of difficulty: Gap-filling Completing diagrams Drawing Labelling Mixing and matching Multiple choice Physical movement Ticking boxes True/false Adapted from Pachler and Field 2001:114

Task Look at the transcripts provided: Design a listening activity to use this text? How might you prepare the students for it/ How might you ask them to respond to the text?

Speaking

Continuum in speaking skills Repetition and Copying Free Expression Based on Pachler and Field, 2001

Continuum in activity type Repetition Structured Pair -work Open-ended role play Based on Pachler and Field, 2001

Repetition and drilling

Drill repetition Instant access to production of key phrases Choral repetition – offers security Drills need to be made fun – otherwise they can be become boring very quickly. What ideas/suggestions do you have for using drill repetiton?

Drill repetition Surveys With flashcards – changing rhythm Changing intonation/whisper/speak louder/slower/faster/funny voice – robot voice etc

Repetition Building up phrases backwards Repeating a word or phrase if it is correct Guessing Distributing Flashcards/realia

Distributing flashcards Students are ‘rewarded’ for correct answer by receiving the flashcard. Students conceal cards Once all the flashcard have been distributed, the class has to guess/remember who has which picture

Ideas for Speaking Activities Whole class repetition activities (anonymity) Vary the volume Vary the tone Say words as a chain Mouthing a word or phrase Individual work Use volunteers Accept different responses Encourage students to listen to each other Ask students to bring their own tape.

der Hund Die Katze Das Kaninchen Der Vogel Der Hamster der Fisch Visual presentation and practice of vocabulary der Hund Die Katze Das Kaninchen Der Vogel Der Hamster der Fisch Das Pferd Die Schildkröte Die Maus Die Schlange Marcus Waltl,Greycoat Hospital School

un chien un chat un lapin un oiseau un hamster un poisson un cheval une tortue une souris

un chat un lapin un oiseau un hamster un poisson un cheval une tortue der Hund un chat un lapin un oiseau un hamster un poisson un cheval une tortue une souris Marcus Waltl,Greycoat Hospital School

In Activstudion the weather symbols can be moved around to the cities In Activstudion the weather symbols can be moved around to the cities. One child can pretend to be a forecaster and do a weather report. Alternatively, one child could say what the weather is like in a city and another student can move the symbol. It gives students a chance to speak, listen and supports kinaesthetic learners.

Structured Pairwork What and how?

Ideas for structured pair-work

Structured Pair work Cue cards for pairs Information gap activities Using a structured role play/picture prompts

Open-ended role-play What and how?

Open-ended role play Opportunity to express own needs/views/be more creative Introduce element of unpredictablitiy Recording of role-plays

Supporting learners with SEN in listening and speaking

Defining the problem Special educational needs are associated with a variety of difficulties learning; communication and interaction; social, emotional and behavioural; sensory and physical. The nature of the difficulties low motivation; reading and writing; handwriting and spelling; poor self-image; distractibility; dependency; inhibitions, reluctance to get involved; slow workrate; irregular attendance; poor social skills; weak visual and auditory memory; pronunciation and repetition issues.

General points Remember to use repetition in everyday classroom interaction eg Register routines, classroom routines. Link high frequency language subject-classroom Think HUB-SPOKES High frequency items, making it achievable sound-word; grammatical awareness Error correction – degree to which you correct errors will depend on your expectations linked to the level of the group and how you judge the affective factors involved.

SEN and MFL What difficulties do you think students with learning difficulties might experience?

Difficulties experienced by students with learning difficulties in MFL classrooms Spelling Memory Copying acccurately Listening and note- taking Pronunciation These are some of the main area of difficulty that I encountered in my own classroom practice. Inconsistent spellings within a piece of work. Vocabulary tests that were completely unrecognisable. Problems wtih vocabulary retention. Difficulties copying accurately from the whiteboard – unexpected difficullty not just carelessness. Often students would have difficulty

Ideas for Speaking Activities Whole class repetition activities (anonymity) Vary the volume Vary the tone Say words as a chain Mouthing a word or phrase Individual work Use volunteers Accept different responses Encourage students to listen to each other Ask students to bring their own tape.

Potential pitfalls Minimising behavioural problems – What can you do?

Write a reflection What have you found useful today? What would you like to know more about?