Easy Ways of improving students’ speaking ability

By Ha Van Hai

Part A :Reasons for choosing the topic:

-Students can not use English verbally.

- Teacher do not usually create the linguistic environment for students to speak English

Part B:The content of the topic

1. Teachers should always use English when opening and closing the Class.

2.Teachers should teach their students "Classroom English"

3. Teachers should try to use only one or two expressions for the same activity

4. Teachers should use handouts for written English communication

5. Teachers should teach grammar in English.

Part B:The content of the topic

6. Teachers should have confidence in their own ability

7. Teachers should correct students’ mistakes but don't criticize their students:

8. Teachers, finally, challenge their students and themselves!

9. Implementing these ideas:

Part C: Conclusion

• Only by using English communicatively with their teacher and classmates will students develop the ability to speak English.

• It is clear that teachers play a decisive role in improving students’ speaking ability. Teachers should create linguistic environment in which students are given good chances to use English verbally. If all the mentions above are applied in English lessons, students’ linguistic competence and socialinguistic competence will be much improved

Appendix I: Classroom English for Teachers

• For non-native speaker English teachers who are worried about using non-grammatical or non-idiomatic expressions while teaching, here's a list of classroom expressions based on American English. You probably already use some or many of them. And, of course, there are countless more you could use that aren't listed here.

• These expressions are not for the students to study per se. But, in context and with appropriate gestures from the teacher, the students should roughly understand the meaning and be able to respond. If you must translate any of these expressions because gestures didn't clarify the meaning, only translate them the first few times you use them. Words in parentheses ( ) are optional. When words are separated by a slash / , choose only one.

Greetings:

• Hello.

• Good morning (class/everyone).

• Good afternoon (class/everyone).

• That's all for today.

• Goodbye.

• See you tomorrow/next week/Friday.

Directions:

• Stand up.• Sit down./Be seated.• Open your (text)books/notebooks (to page ~/chapter

~/section ~).• Turn to page ~.• Look at page/part/number ~.• Close your books/notebooks.• Take out your pen/pencil/ notebook/textbook/homework/~.• Put your pen/papers/books/everything/~ away/in your

desks/in your bags.• Pass your notebooks/tests/papers/homework to the

front/to me.• Here is/are your tests/your homework/your notebooks/~.

Directions:

• Take one (handout/test/copy/~).• Come to the blackboard/front.• Translate this into English/L1.• Write the answer on the chalkboard/in your notebooks.• Listen carefully.• Read page ~ (aloud).• Repeat after me./Repeat ~./Again.• Practice (~).• Check your/your partner's answers.• (Please can be used with the above expressions.)

Transitions:

• First (of all)...?

• Next...

• For example...

• Now let's ~.

• After that

Questions:

• Who knows (the answer)?• Who knows (~)?• Who understands?• Who can tell me (~) ?• Who will volunteer (to ~)?/Who will do it?• Who has a question (about ~)?• What's ~ in English?/What does it/~ mean in English?• What's ~ in Vietnamese ?/What does it/~ mean in

Vietnamese.• What's the answer?

Questions:

• Do you understand?

• Do you know (~)?

• Do you have any questions?

• Can you tell me (~)?

• Will you volunteer (to ~)?/Will you do it?

• Who's absent today?

Disciplinary Expressions:

• Be quiet./Stop talking./No talking.• Calm down.• Stop that./Stop it.• Don't do that.• Put that/~ away.• Listen (to me)..• Look (at me).• (Please can be used with the above

expressions--but if the teacher is very angry or frustrated she or he probably wouldn't use it.)

Disciplinary Expressions:

• What are you doing?

• Are you listening?

• Are you paying attention?

Appendix ll: Classroom English For Students

• Lists of expressions like these seem to be circulating everywhere for good reason. Students need to learn these kinds of expressions if they are to communicate in English in class. Naturally teachers should help them with pronunciation, meaning, and usage. Especially at the elementary level it may be useful to provide the meanings in Vietnamese or ask the students to write them in. Teachers may want to suggest that the students paste the list inside the front cover of their notebooks so they can refer to it easily during class. As with Appendix I, there are many other good expressions which aren't listed here.

Appendix ll: Classroom English For Students

• Excuse me?• (Are you speaking to) me?• I didn't hear you.• Again, please.• More slowly, please.• Just a minute, please.• Ms. ~/Mr. ~.• I'm thinking.• I don't understand. (Huh?)

Appendix ll: Classroom English For Students

• I don't know.• How do you say this word?• What does ~ mean?• What's ~ in English?• What's ~ in Vietnamese?• I think ~.• One more please.• That's easy/difficult/strange.• Please help me.