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

2. Background M.A. in Linguistics for TESOL Professionals, 2012
Taught at two universities in Xi’an, China from
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 ), 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)

3. 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

4. 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.

5. Tick/Tock Teacher: THIS is a TICK. Student: A WHAT? Teacher: A TICK.
Student: OH, a TICK.
From 9 October 2014

6. 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?”

7. Taboo
whiteboard

8. 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. _____________________

9. Talking about Magazine Pictures

10. 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

11. 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?

12. References
Fallows, Deborah. Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language. New York: Walker & Co., 2010.
Tick/Tock: 9 October