Teaching the Skills, part 4:Speaking

Higor Cavalcante

Seven Idiomas – Pacaembu branch

A: Good morning!

B: Good morning! How are you?

A: I’m OK, and you?

B: Fine, fine.

A: This Higor is a very nice fellow, isn’t he?

B: Oh, yes, he is. Not to mention handsome!

A: Oh, yeah, that too!

Can you prove it?• There are at least 5 native speakers of English

in the room;

• At least 10 people here have seen Avatar;

• Most teachers on my side will teach today;

• The majority of the teachers cheer for Tricolor;

• Fewer than 10 people are reading a book in

English at the moment;

In groups of five, discuss the differences in focus in the two activities done so far:

- 1st: focused on language (form). Goal is to work on accuracy (of form and pronunciation)

- 2nd: focused on communication. Goal is to work on fluency.

Speaking-as-Skill (Thornburry)

• Real-life situation (provides rehearsal) and information gap

• Real feedback for students and teachers

• Students activate/produce various elements of language

• Find someone who

• Find out who in the class: has the oldest grandparent alive, has the most nephews/nieces, works longer hours etc.

• Role play: job interview

• Hot potato: introducing yourself

“I can speak English.” – What does saying this involve?

• Grammar and vocabulary (chunks);

• Pronunciation (connected speech, contractions);

• Functions;

• Discourse markers (fillers, for example);

• Non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expression etc.)

• Cultural awareness (appropriacy)

Expressing opinion

In my opinion, ...The way I see it,...If you ask me,...

As far as I’m concerned,...

Speaking activities

Lead-in: contextualize topic of the activity. (texts, music, video, discussion etc.);

Work on lexis: chunks of language (expressing opinions, for example);

Production: students do activity

Delayed feedback: students work on mistakes made upon receiving feedback from the teacher.

Correction During Speaking Activities

Oral Practice: on the spot (focus on accuracy)

Speaking-as-Skill: delayed (focus on fluency)

Delayed Feedback

- Words on the board- Right-wrong chair game- Positive feedback as well

More Speaking Activities

-Information gap activities-Alibi-Favorite objects-Surveys (like FSW)-Student presentations/projects-Balloon debate-Moral dilemmas-Twenty questions

-Taboo topics (religion, sex, soccer etc.)

To know more...

“How to Teach English”, Jeremy Harmer

“The TKT Course”, Spratt, Pulverness, Williams

TTC Seven Idiomas (starting today!)

CELTA Course Seven Idiomas

Thank you!• All of you, for being here;

• Dani Mafra and everybody at Disal;

• higor@sevenidiomas.com.br

• (11) 3873-2233

• www.cpesevenpacaembu.blogspot.com