DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILL Programa Inglés Abre Puertas Unidad de Curriculum y Evaluación Ministerio de Educación

SOME IDEAS ABOUT SPEAKING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE The expectation is not native-like speech. Accents and errors are okay. Perfect grammar and pronunciation is not expected.

SPEAKING LESSONS CAN REQUIRE A RANGE OF INDEPENDENCE Fluency “Ask and Answer” Dialogue and Role Play Short Texts Expressing Opinion No independent production, just repeating texts Students adapt texts by changing/adding Students create texts

SPEAKING LESSONS: FLUENCY AND PRONUNCIATION Students repeat and reproduce language  Songs / Chants  Poems / Rhymes  Riddles and Proverbs  Tongue twisters

SPEAKING LESSONS: “ASK AND ANSWER” Given short structures to ask questions, students use appropriate vocabulary to answer. “What do you like to do?” “I like to play soccer and play the guitar.” These lessons include the challenge of negotiating meaning—one student knows something, the other ones do not and want to get the answer.

SPEAKING LESSONS: DIALOGUES – DIALOGUES incorporate frequently used communicative functions greetings, introducing self and others, asking for and giving information expressing likes and dislikes, making plans for the future, describing people, places, objects making/accepting/refusing invitations expressing obligation, need – Dialogues could review several “ask and answer” lessons you have taught in the past

SPEAKING LESSONS: SHORT TEXTS 1. Short Narratives weekend activities, anecdotes such as the most embarrassing / frightening, happiest moment 2. Short Instructions “how to” activities such as making a salad, dance steps, drawings, directions 3. Short Descriptions descriptions of objects or pictures, toys, people, places, etc.

SPEAKING Make a careful choice of topic and task to stimulate interest. Observe the following stages 1. Preparation / modelling: (I DO) motivate, teach or review essential vocabulary, structures and pronunciation, give a model.

SPEAKING 2. Guided/semi guided meaningful practice. (WE DO) Students carry out different relevant activities guided by the teacher, for example: repeat and practice the model in pairs with feedback from teacher; replace information in the model with personal data or; create their own version following the model.

SPEAKING 3. Independent practice. (YOU DO) If a dialogue or “ask and answer” change roles change partners change partners multiple times If a short text or dialogue Memorize it and present it to the class

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL SPEAKING ACTIVITY Motivation is high because: the topic is personally relevant; the task requires the pair to achieve an observable result, e.g. notes or lists, a drawing, a summary, a personal version of a dialog, etc; students know the language needed to fullfill the task: vocabulary, grammar structures and pronunciation. Participation is even (all get a chance to speak)

Learners express themselves in utterances easily comprehensible to each other. There is an adequate level of language accuracy and an intelligible pronunciation. Students know ahead of time what they are expected to produce and how they will be assessed.

Choose a possible learning outcome and assessment, then plan the: “I DO, WE DO, YOU DO” sections of the class. Practice Planning a Sample Lesson

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