Speaking Skills

The best way to learn the English language is to use it.

It is for this reason that it is vital to get your TEFL students talking to you as much as possible. Speaking is usually the top priority as it probably the most important aspect of the language for communication and students enjoy it. Furthermore, speaking activities improve the atmosphere in the classroom, group dynamics and help build a rapport between students and teacher. Speaking activities are also a good indication of students' strengths and weaknesses.

When we teach English as a foreign language we are not getting our students to simply repeat what we as teachers say - we want our students to perform oral tasks with real motivation behind them. When given a purpose, spoken activities are much more rewarding and engaging, not to mention motivating.

How to maximise student talking-time in the class

1. Planning stage

• Always think about the balance of both teacher and student input. Remember that, in a TEFL lesson, students should be speaking throughout the lesson, not just at the end.
• Always use materials that are both interesting and engaging
• Make sure any instructions you give are both clear and concise - if necessary script what you are going to say.
• Make sure you incorporate lots of pair and group work in lessons. This helps reduce teacher-talking time and increase student-talking time.

2. During class

• Try to elicit ideas and language from your students rather than spoon-feed them. For example, draw pictures of objects on the board and ask "what is this?"
• When asking questions allow students enough thinking time to process what they are going to say
• Make sure you are a good listener: show interest in what students have to say, responding naturally

3. At the end of the class/activity

• Make correcting errors a class activity by putting errors students have made during the lesson on the board. Then you can ask students what is wrong with the sentences and allow them to make corrections
• Get your students to give feedback. Ask students to give a summary of what they have learnt in the lesson. This not only rounds the lesson off nicely, but gives your students a sense of progress and helps them take in and remember what you have taught them.

Specific speaking activities for use in the classroom

• Discussions or debates
• Describe and draw activities where you describe an object which your students then have to draw based on their understanding. This can then be transferred to pair or group work
• Dialogues
• Information gaps - give two students different parts of information that make up a whole e.g. spot the difference. Students ask each other questions to find out what the differences are.
• Surveys and questionnaires - students prepare questions on topics based on their particular interests and conduct a survey by interviewing each other and compiling the information to present back to the class.
• Role-plays - give your students a basic scenario in which they each assume a role and act out the given situation.