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Teaching Speaking. Accuracy vs. Fluency. Pendulum has swung from side to side in the modern history of language teaching (compare grammar-translation method with communicative language learning) They are both important goals to pursue Fluency is message oriented Accuracy is language oriented
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Accuracy vs. Fluency • Pendulum has swung from side to side in the modern history of language teaching (compare grammar-translation method with communicative language learning) • They are both important goals to pursue • Fluency is message oriented • Accuracy is language oriented • Learners may have a large amount of “passive” knowledge of English – gaining fluency translates this into “active” use
Typical features of a speaking or communications class • A focus on activities that promote fluency in speaking • Pronunciation/intonation activities • Topical/thematic discussions • Listening passages (if not a separate class) • Lots of pair work/group work
Evaluation of a speaking activity What factors should be weighed in evaluating the effectiveness of a speaking activity? • Do the students seem engaged and interested in it? • Does it promote lots of dialogue? • Is there a focus on spoken English (as opposed to grammar, reading, etc) • If there is a focus on accuracy, does the activity promote/generate the use of the target language structure or vocabulary?
Hindrances to student participation in a speaking class • Brainstorm as many obstacles to student participation in a speaking class that you can come up with • What ideas do you have for overcoming these obstacles?
Possible obstacles… • Monolingual class – use of mother tongue • Topic is boring • Inhibition – worried about making mistakes • No background knowledge of the subject • Insufficient language to express meaning • “I don’t have anything to say” • Personality factors – “shy” students • Uneven participation – tendency of some speakers to dominate the conversation
Choosing discussion topics • Which of the following “controversial” topics could be discussed in an intermediate class without much preparation? Topics: - compare the use of fossil fuels with renewable energy resources - which is better, living in residence or with a homestay family? - should high school students wear uniforms? - should the Canadian government shut down Vancouver’s safe injection site? - has the widespread use of technology improved the quality of our lives? - drilling for fossil fuels in the arctic by large oil companies is destroying the habitat of endangered species. What is your opinion of this? - what do you think about the BC government decision to ban smoking in outdoor places (beaches, parks)
How to frame the discussion well • Students need time to prepare themselves, both mentally and “linguistically” before contributing to a group discussion • Ways to lead up to a discussion can be as simple as showing 1-2 pictures, or more elaborate… - introduce relevant vocabulary - provide a reading text related to the topic - provide some background information about the topic - recount a story related to the topic - watch a short video clip related to the topic
Teaching speaking “skills” • Asking for clarification “What was that?” “I didn’t understand your last point” • Asking for something to be repeated • Disagreeing/agreeing • Re-wording/clarifying • Requesting information • Interrupting
