SPEAKING SKILL
SPEAKING SKILL
MEANING
Speaking is the delivery of
language through the mouth
To speak, we create sounds
using many parts of our body – lungs, vocal tract, vocal chords, tongue, teeth
and lips
Act of making vocal sounds
Speaking means to converse
or expressing one’s thoughts and feelings in spoken language
SPEAKING
SKILL: Skills that give us the ability to communicate
effectively
Speaking skills are the
skills that give us the ability to communicate effectively. These skills allow
the speaker, to convey his message in a passionate, thoughtful, and convincing
manner. Speaking skills also help to
assure that one won't be misunderstood by those who are listening.
OBJECTIVES
OF TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL
To enable the students to:
v Spell
out words clearly
v Introduce
students to common idiomatic expressions
v Acquire
directional vocabulary
v Study
request phrases
v Highlight
main ideas
v Speak
with more clarity
v Speak
with accuracy and efficiency
v Take
roles
v Master
communicative effectiveness
IMPORTANCE
OF SPEAKING SKILL
§ Ability
to inform, persuade and direct
§ Ability
to stand out from the rest
§ Ability
to benefit derivatively
§ Career
enhancement
§ Personal
satisfaction
§ For
better understanding
§ Express
oneself to others
§ Grow
socially personal as well as professional
§ Avoid
conflicts
SUB-SKILLS
OF SPEAKING
1. Producing segmental
features of English at word level [especially vowel and consonant sounds,
stressed and unstressed syllables]
2. Using supra-segmental
features of English [especially intonation, stress in sentences, word-linking
and weak forms] accurately in spoken utterances
3. Expressing grammatical
[syntactic and morphological] relationships in spoken utterances at the level
of the sentence
4. Expressing relationships
between parts of a spoken utterance through cohesive devices [especially
grammatical cohesion such as noun-pronoun reference]
5. Using markers in spoken
discourse, in particular
ü introducing
an idea
ü developing
an idea
ü transition
to another idea
ü concluding
an idea
ü emphasising
a point to indicate important information
ü explaining
or clarifying a point already made
ü anticipating
an objection or contrary view
6. Sustaining communicative
dialog with and without explicit markers
o
single exchange
o
double exchange
o
multiple exchanges
7. Expressing conceptual
meaning in spoken utterances
8. Expressing attitudinal
meaning in spoken text and utterances [especially by intonation]
9. Marking the main points
or important information in spoken text and utterances [especially through
emphasis or vocal underlining and through verbal cues]
10. Expressing information
or knowledge in informal and semi-formal utterances
11. Planning and organising
information in formal expository discourse
•
oral narrative
•
oral description of phenomena or ideas
12. Oral descriptions of
process or change of state
Sub-skills
|
Application
|
Fluency
Students practice speaking with a logical flow
without planning or rehearsing.
|
Activities which require students to focus on
meaning in
communication
without immediate concern for accuracy (errors can be corrected afterwards).
|
Accuracy
with Words & Pronunciation Students
practice using words, structures and pronunciation accurately.
|
Students need to be able
to use and pronounce words and structures correctly in order to be
understood. Controlled practice
activities are
the most common way of working on spoken accuracy.
|
Using Functions
Students use specific
phrases for pur- poses like giving advice, apologizing, etc.
|
Activities which stress
that verbal communication is for a reason or function. Role plays and
simulations are ideal.
|
Appropriacy
Students practice using language
appropriate for a situation and making decisions about formality and choice
of
grammar or vocabulary.
|
Activities which stress that the purpose of talking determines what
language is appropriate. Students are required to make choices about grammar
and vocabulary and also other aspects of communication like intonation and
length of turn. For example,
“What’s
the damage?” is inappropriate in a four-star restaurant.
|
Turn-taking
Skills
Students
practice ways of interjecting, eliciting an interjection or preventing one.
|
Turn-taking skills involve
knowing how and when to interject, eliciting an interjection or preventing
one. Students can practice listening for appropriate gaps in order to take
their turn without irritating the speaker. While speaking they can practice
techniques such as pausing which purposely allows others to take a turn or they
can practice using hesitation devices such as 'ums' and 'errs'
to hold on to a turn while they search for the
next thing to say.
|
Relevant Length
Students practice speaking at a length appropriate
to a situation
.
|
Activities which
demonstrate that the purpose of speaking or the context determines the
appropriate length of a turn. For example, a one-word answer is acceptable
for a market research survey but would not be sufficient in a job interview.
Activities which require
students to elaborate or be concise are useful.
|
Responding
and Initiating Students
practice managing a conversation by making responses,
asking for a response or introducing a new topic
or idea.
|
Activities which get
students to practice managing a conversation in an appropriate way with
specific words and phrases such as, “What do you think about…”, “Speaking
of…”, “Really?”, etc.
Gestures and
other paralinguistic tools are also used in conversation management.
|
Repair and
Repetition
Students practice repeating or
rephrasing parts of a conversation when they suspect that what was said was
not understood.
|
The spontaneous nature of
conversation requires that participants constantly have to make sure that
what’s being said is understood. When misunderstanding is suspected, a
participant will ‘repair’ parts of the conversation. The most common form of
repair is repetition and individual words or groups of words can be repeated
by either the speaker or listener. Students can practice repairing when they
suspect they haven’t been understood or as listeners
they can repeat to seek clarification or
correction from the speaker.
|
Range
of Words and Grammar Students
practice using particular grammar and/or vocabulary for speaking on a
specific topic or for doing a specific
task.
|
Students need to know a
range of words and grammar and have the ability to choose from that bank the
most appropriate words and structures for a specific task or topic. They are
taught or made aware of words or structures appropriate for specific tasks or
contexts and then are required to use them
appropriately.
|
Discourse
Markers
Students practice using words/phrases which
organize a talk (e.g. firstly,
secondly, on the other hand, to summarize)
|
When speakers are required
to take a particularly long turn, for example when giving a presentation,
they use specific words and phrases to help the listener recognize how their
talk has been organized. Activities can be used which teach discourse makers
and then require students to use them
appropriately.
|
TYPES
OF SPEAKING
PRONUNCIATION
DEVELOPMENT
1.
Learn to listen
Before you learn how to
speak, you’ll need to learn how to listen. Some sounds can be hard to tell
apart when you’re listening. Did the speaker sleep or slip? Did he hurt his
chin or his shin? If you can hear the difference, it will be easier to speak
the difference.
There are many guides to
get you started in learning to listen. We have some great articles here about
learning to listen from movies, songs and music and podcasts. You can also find
listening exercises online, like this one from Rong-chang.
The pronunciation practice
at Many Things is really slick, especially its huge selection of lessons on
minimal pairs. Minimal pairs are pair words like sleep and slip that are only
different by one sound. You can click on each word to hear a complete sentence
with each, then quiz yourself in the second box and click the correct answer.
2.
Notice how your mouth and lips move
When you speak, you move
your mouth. How you move your mouth affects how you pronounce a word.
The first step to correct
your mouth shape is to notice it and pay attention. There are a few ways you
can check that your mouth and lips are making the correct shape:
• Use a mirror.
• Put a finger in front of
your lips (like you’re saying “shh”). As you speak, don’t move your finger. You
should feel your lips moving away from or pushing against your finger.
Watch other people and
notice the shape their mouth and lips make when they talk. Try following along
with your favorite TV show or movie.
3. Pay attention
to your tongue.
The main difference
between rice and lice is in your tongue. When
you speak, you move your tongue to make sounds. You probably didn’t even notice
that, since you do it without thinking. To improve your English pronunciation,
it’s a good idea to check what your tongue is doing.
Some difficult sounds for
non-native speakers to make are the letters “L” and “R,” and the sound “TH.”
Pronouncing them correctly is all in the tongue!
- To make the “L” sound,
your tongue should touch the back of your front teeth and the top
of your mouth, just behind your teeth. Try it now: Say
the word “light.” Say it a few times. Feel where your tongue is in your
mouth. Make sure it touches the top of your mouth.
- To make the “R” sound,
your tongue should not touch the top of your mouth. Pull
your tongue back to the middle of your mouth, near where it naturally
rests if you weren’t saying anything. As you say the sound, your lips
should be a little rounded. Try it now: Say the word
“right” a few times. You should feel air blowing between your tongue and
the top of your mouth as you speak. You should also feel your lips get a
little rounder when you make the sound.
- Now for the “TH” sound. This
one may seem strange if you don’t have a similar sound in your native
language. To make this sound, put your tongue between your top and bottom
teeth. Your tongue should stick out a little between your teeth, and as
you push air out of your mouth, let some air escape between your tongue
and teeth—that’s what makes the sound. Try it now: Say
the word “think.” Repeat it a few times. Make sure you push your tongue
between your teeth.
4.
Break words down into sounds
Words are made up of
syllables, or parts. The word “syllable,” for example, has three syllables:
syl-la-ble. Turning words into parts can make them easier to pronounce.
To check how many syllables
a word has, place your hand flat just under your chin. Say the word slowly.
Each time your chin touches your hand, that’s a syllable.
You can even write the word
down in parts. Leave a space or draw a line between each syllable (every
syllable should have at least one vowel: a, e, i, o, u, y).
5.
Add stress to sounds and words
English is a stressed
language. That means some words and sounds are more important than others. You
can hear this when you say a word out loud. For example, the word “introduce”
is pronounced with a stress at the end, so it sounds like this: “in-tro-DUCE.”
Sometimes where you put the
stress in a word can change the word’s meaning. Say this word out loud:
“present.” If you said “PREsent,” you are talking about a noun that means
either “right this moment” or “a gift.” If you said “preSENT,” you are talking
about a verb that means “to give or show.”
There are rules for where
the stress goes in each word. Here’s one rule:
• Most two-syllable nouns are stressed on the first syllable,
and most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable.
That’s just like the word
“present.” Here’s another example: the noun “ADDress” is the place where you
live, and the verb “addRESS” is to speak to someone.
If this all sounds too
complicated, don’t worry about memorizing all these rules—the best way to learn
is by listening and practicing. Remember that most native English speakers
don’t know the rules either, they just say what “sounds right.” With enough
practice, you can get what sounds right too.
Sentences have stresses
too; some words are more important, and are said with more clarity and strength
than the rest of the sentence. Try reading this sentence aloud: “I ate some
toast with butter in the morning.”
The sentence should have
sounded like this (the bold words are the stressed ones): “I ate some toast
with butter in the morning.” Notice how you slow down every time you get to an
important word, and quickly pass over the less important ones?
Keep practicing by reading
out loud, having conversations and listening well to where others place stress
when they speak.
6.
Use pronunciation podcasts and videos
There are some excellent
video and audio guides on English pronunciations that you can use to improve.
The English Language Club has videos that show how to make different sounds in
English. Rachel’s English has friendly videos on how to speak and pronounce
American English in everyday conversations.
If you like podcasts
better, Pronunciation has over 200 audio files that help with everything from
pronunciation to stress and pitch (how you raise and lower your voice while you
speak).
If none of these are what
you’re looking for, there are many more to choose from. Find the one that’s
right for you.
7.
Record yourself
One way to tell if all your
practice is working is to record yourself with a camera. Use a camera and not
just a sound recorder because it’s important to see how you speak, not only
hear it.
You don’t need to download
any special software to record yourself; most computers and mobile devices have
built-in video recorders. You can use PhotoBooth on a Mac or Movie Moments on a
Windows computer. Your phone or mobile device also has a video capturing app,
usually as part of the camera app.
Compare your recording to
someone else saying the same words or sounds. Find a video of your favorite
part from a movie, like this clip from “Earth to Echo.” Choose one or two
sentences and record yourself trying to match the stress, tone and
pronunciation of the video. Then you can compare the two and see what you did
differently, and try again.
Ask a friend or watch a
video to check. If your pronunciation doesn’t sound the same, ask yourself some
questions: Are you moving your mouth the right way? Is your tongue in the right
place? Are you stressing the right part of the word? Use everything you learned
in this article!
8.
Practice with a buddy
As always, “Practice makes
perfect!” And it’s easier to practice with a friend. Find someone to practice
pronunciation with, either in person or through online communities like
Language Exchange or InterPals.
Practicing with a buddy
(friend) will give you a chance to try everything you learned, and learn new
things from each other. Plus, it’s fun!
Pronunciation
is as important to learning English as vocabulary and grammar
VOCABULARY
DEVELOPMENT
Vocabulary
can be defined as a word within a particular language which is known to the
person.
o
With increasing age, people tend to develop
vocabulary.
o
It is considered as a very important
communication tool which improves a person’s knowledge.
o
It also helps one to acquire the knowledge
and help in better communication.
o
Vocabulary is a list or collection of words
or of words and phrases usually alphabetically arranged and explained or
defined where all the words known and used by a person are related to a
particular subject.
o
In any language, one of the biggest
challenges is to acquire good vocabulary.
o
The common definition of vocabulary is “all
the words known and used by a particular person.”
o
The words that are used in any language are
known as vocabulary.
Vocabulary is:
v All
of the words in a language
v The
words used in a particular context
v The
words an individual person knows
Examples
of Vocabulary:
Minute - Extremely or
infinitely small.
The CBI will find out every minute detail
about the fraudulency.
Complicated- difficult to
understand, analyse, or explain.
This sum is too complicated.
Evident- Clear
understanding.
It was evident that his boss was
dissatisfied with his performance.
Appoint-to assign to a
position or designation.
He was appointed as Company Secretary by
Human Resource Department last month.
Why
is Vocabulary important?
Vocabulary is vital to
communicate with others and understanding what one is reading. Many words have
several different meanings; one must study the meanings of the words and the
part of speech, the words in context etc. Apply what you learn by writing sentences with
your words. If one’s vocabulary is very strong, it will help the person to
write accurately and speak fluently. It
is very important and vital while communicating with others.
Hence, Words, or phrases or
group of words can be termed as vocabulary.
Vocabulary includes synonyms, idioms, antonyms or word lists. A
Vocabulary usually develops with age and serves as a fundamental tool for
communication. To have mastered vocabulary is of much importance because you
will be judged based on the words you use. The more words you know, the more
you will be able to understand what you hear and read; and the better you will
be able to say what you want to when speaking or writing.
An
extensive vocabulary aids expression and communication. Learn
the words that are important to the subjects you are studying Learn
the words that you read or hear again and again Learn
the words that you know you will often want to use yourself Associate
words with pictures or use a graphic organiser Write
the words in a notebook along with the translations and meaning
Kinds
of Vocabulary
A person’s knowledge of
words is divided into two broad kinds of vocabulary. There are two kinds of
Vocabulary:
Active
Vocabulary - Working Vocabulary or Functional Vocabulary
It consists of words a
person uses for a speech or writing as he fully understands the meanings of the
words.
Passive
Vocabulary - Recognition Vocabulary
It consists of words a
person encounters in a newspaper and editorials or in others speech. These are
unfamiliar words where it can be judged based on its context of use.
An active piece of
vocabulary is a word a person uses and a passive word is one that a person
understands, but does not use.
Example of Active Vocab:
Writing Vocab & Speaking Vocab
Example of Passive Vocab:
Reading Vocab & Listening Vocab
Types
of Vocabulary
A vocabulary means both a
list of words and the range of words known by any one person. There are four
main types of vocabulary.
Reading
Vocabulary - A learned person's reading vocabulary is all the
words he or she can identify when reading.
Writing
Vocabulary - Words are used in various forms of writing from
essays to Twitter feeds. A writer will have his own preference as to which
synonyms to use from the entire word list.
Listening
Vocabulary - A person's listening vocabulary is all the words he
or she can recognize when listening to speech or communication.
Speaking
Vocabulary - A person's speaking vocabulary is all the words he or
she uses in communication.
Vocabulary simply means
words, and English vocabulary means lots and lots of words. A native English
speaking person knows between 10,000 to 20,000 word relations. Without a large
vocabulary, even the best understanding of English grammar will not allow you to
speak English. Vocabulary is the cornerstone of your English skills.
Basic
English Vocabulary includes
Alphabets
|
Clothes
|
Football
|
Money
|
Phrases
|
Synonyms
|
Animals
|
Countries
|
Food
& Drinks
|
Nationalities
|
Proverbs
|
Songs
|
Antonyms
|
Days
& Dates
|
Greetings
|
Numbers
|
Seasons
|
Sizes
|
Appearances
|
Education
|
Idioms
|
People
|
Shapes
|
Time
|
Buildings
|
Entertainment
|
Language
|
Politics
|
Shopping
|
Transport
|
Colours
|
Elections
|
Life
& Death
|
Profession
|
Sport
|
Weather
|
PUBLIC
SPEAKING SKILLS
Even if you don't need to
make regular presentations in front of a group, there are plenty of situations
where good public speaking skills can help you advance your career and create
opportunities.
For
example, you might have to talk about your organization at a
conference, make a speech after accepting an award, or teach a class to new
recruits. Speaking to an audience also includes online presentations or talks;
for instance, when training a virtual team, or when speaking to a group of
customers in an online meeting.
Good public speaking skills
are important in other areas of your life, as well. You might be asked to make
a speech at a friend's wedding, give a eulogy for a loved one, or inspire a
group of volunteers at a charity event.
In short, being a good
public speaker can enhance your reputation, boost your self-confidence, and
open up countless opportunities.
1.
Stage Presence
Good public speakers appear
1.
confident
2.
friendly
3.
enthusiastic
4.
energetic
Confidence
comes from choosing a topic you like and researching it well.
Friendliness
can be conveyed simply by smiling at your audience.
Enthusiasm
and energy will naturally follow when you enjoy your topic and are well
prepared.
If you feel that your stage
presence is lacking, view clips of speakers whom you admire. Aim to imitate
their style. Then, "fake it until you make it." In other words, act
confident until you feel confident.
2.
Voice Control
Your voice is the most
important tool you will use as a public speaker. Improve the quality of your voice
through diaphragmatic breathing; breathing from your diaphragm instead of your
chest. This is how professional singers breathe. It is what helps to make their
voices sound fabulous and enables them to hold notes long after most people
would be out of breath.
Doing so also reduces
feelings of breathlessness caused by speech anxiety. This type of breathing
will allow you to better control the following aspects of your voice:
ü tone
(quality)
ü pitch
(high or low)
ü volume
of your voice
A quick tip to implement
diaphragmatic breathing is to lie down on the floor and place one hand on your
abdomen. As you breath, try to make your stomach rise. Count to 10 as you
inhale and fill your stomach, then count to 10 again as you exhale. Try to
remember to breath from your diaphragm as you speak in public.
3.
Body Language
§ Consider
your body language and the message that it conveys.
§ Practice
standing with a relaxed upright posture.
§ Place
your hands at your sides or clasped in front of you, unless you are making a
gesture to emphasize a point.
§ Become
aware of your facial expressions as well; they should match the message you are
delivering. If you're giving an upbeat speech, try to have a relaxed and joyful
look on your face.
4.
Delivery
When it comes to public
speaking, delivery is everything. Even if you have a great voice and good body
language, your message will get lost if the audience can't easily follow what
you say. Below are some tips for developing good delivery skills.
Speak slowly and
deliberately. Here's a tip: it will probably seem too slow for you.
Pause between ideas to give
the audience time to digest what you are saying.
Carefully articulate and
pronounce your words. A mumbling public speaker is hard to understand.
Avoid filler sounds like
"Um" and "ah." It detracts from what you are saying and is
distracting to the audience.
Vary the pitch and volume
of your voice to add interest. Speaking in a monotone is a sure-fire way to
lose the interest of your listeners. Listen to podcasts of upbeat public
speakers and try to imitate how they talk. One good example is Paula Pant of
the Afford Anything podcast.
5.
Audience Relations
Good public speakers are in
tune with their audience. Public speaking is more than standing in front of a
group and talking.
Acknowledge your audience
right away and begin talking as soon as all eyes are on you. This helps to make
you seem more like a "real" person and keeps a conversational tone.
If you need to set up
equipment, converse with your audience at the same time to keep their attention.
Make eye contact and watch
for communication from the audience. Smiles and nodding are good; fidgeting or
confused looks may mean that you need to adjust what you are doing. However, if
you live with social anxiety, be careful not to focus too much on negative
faces. It could be that they are just having a bad day, and their facial
expressions have nothing to do with what you are saying. A good rule of thumb
is to find a friendly face at the start of your talk. If that person seems to
be confused or bored, that is when you know it is time to address issues with
your public speaking.
Inoculation
Messages
Research has shown that
inoculation strategies can be useful to help individuals remain calm before and
during public speaking. What is an inoculation message? In short, it is a
message that helps you to interpret your fear differently. The term "inoculation"
is used to indicate that it is something that is done prior to public speaking,
to "inoculate" you from your fear.
It is presented in this
way:
1. You are told that
speaking in front of an audience may cause you anxiety. This is something that
happens to many people.
2. You are presented with
typical worries that go along with that fear, such as that the audience will be
bored or laugh at you.
3. Then, your worries are
followed up with refuting points, such as that it would be rare for an audience
to laugh, or that even if things do go badly, the audience is likely to
sympathize with you.
SEMINAR
SPEAKING SKILL
§ Make
sure your presentation has an introduction, recognisable sections and a clear
end.
o
A clear structure will help the audience to
understand better
§ Use
visual aids to highlight the main points
o
Information that can be seen helps your
audience’s understanding of what they hear
§ Reinforce
important points by summarising them at the end of a section
o
It will help engage your audience in the
topic if you are both clearly visible and looking at them
§ Check
that visual aids do not have too much information and can be read easily
o
This ensures the audience grasp the
essential points that you want to communicate
o
Visual aids need to be read easily and
quickly while listening
§ Have
a ‘little’ rehearsal beforehand with a friend acting as the audience
o
This helps ensure that you can keep up time
and will help you develop confidence
§ Try
to project your voice, speaking loudly enough to be heard
§ Stand
to deliver your presentation and try to use eye contact
§ Voice
control is important for your audience to be able to follow you
Presentation Preparation
- Defining
the presentation goal
- Modifying
your presentation for an international audience
- Creating
a clear message (structuring the content, improving clarity)
- Using
rhetorical strategies effectively
- Selecting and developing appropriate
supporting visuals
Speaker Presentation
- Developing
voice quality and improving pronunciation skills
- Speaking
more confidently and expressively
- Increasing
awareness of body language effects
- Creating
a stronger physical presence and adjusting distracting mannerisms
- Thinking
on your feet: developing presentation spontaneity
- Enhancing your message to build
audience confidence and rapport
Influencing Your Audience
- Creating
an immediate impression
- Using
language to influence your audience
- Conveying
your message in the first 60 seconds
- Effective
use of body language, gestures and eye contact
- Interactive
techniques to engage and maintain audience attention
- Managing questions and answers sessions
STRATEGIES
TO TEACH SPEAKING SKILLS AT SCHOOL LEVEL
1.
Conversation
Conversation is interactive
communication between two or more people.
The development of
conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The
development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus of
language teaching and learning.
Conversation analysis is a
branch of sociology which studies the structure and organization of human
interaction, with a more specific focus on conversational interaction.
Phases of conversation
Phase 1: Starting the Conversation
Phase 2: Elaborating on a Topic
Phase 3: Extending the Conversation with
More Questions
Phase 4: Exploring a Topic Further
Phase 5: Asking for Opinions
Phase 6: Changing the Topic
Phase 7: Inviting Your Conversation Partner
to Talk Longer
Phase
8: Closing the Conversation
2. Topic-based discussion
Methods are a variety of
forums for open-ended, collaborative exchange of ideas among a teacher and
students or among students for the purpose of furthering students thinking,
learning, problem solving, understanding, or literary appreciation. It helps in
generating more ideas about a topic
Group discussion involves
exchange of ideas where important things are learnt from each other. Learning
only from text-books is not always enough. Students may also need to acquire
learning from other sources to understand a topic.
v Knowledge
based topic
v Opinion
based topic
v Abstract
topic
v Controversial
topic
3.
Individual,
Pair & Group tasks
Group
work
is when the learners work together on a task or activity in groups.
Example
Learners in threes, a class
separated into two, and an open class, are all examples of groups.
In the classroom
Group work increases the
opportunities for all learners to speak the new language, it allows them to
learn from each other, and frees the teacher to monitor individuals and give
them feedback. Examples of typical group work activities include ranking
discussions, jigsaw activities, project work group and group writing tasks.
Pair
work is learners working together in pairs. One of the main
motivations to encourage pair work in the English language classroom is to
increase the opportunities for learners to use English in the class.
Example
The learners are answering
comprehension questions in pairs after reading a text. This allows them to
compare answers, and clarify problems together using English.
In the classroom
Teachers can evaluate the
impact and effectiveness of pair work on their learners by using action
research tools such as asking the learners how they feel about working like
this or by actually participating in an activity in a pair and evaluating this
experience afterwards.
4.
Narrating
incidents/events/stories
In writing or speech,
narration is the process of recounting a sequence of events, real or imagined.
It's also called storytelling.
The person who recounts the
events is called a narrator. Stories can have reliable or unreliable narrators.
For example, if a story is being told by someone insane, lying, or deluded,
such as in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," that narrator
would be deemed unreliable. The account itself is called a narrative. The
perspective from which a speaker or writer recounts a narrative is called a
point of view. Types of point of view include first person, which uses
"I" and follows the thoughts of one person or just one at a time, and
third person, which can be limited to one person or can show the thoughts of
all the characters, called the omniscient third person. Narration is the base
of the story, the text that's not dialogue or quoted material.
5.
Language
games
A language game is a system
of manipulating spoken words to render them incomprehensible to the untrained
ear. Language games are used primarily by groups attempting to conceal their
conversations from others.
Games help us refine every
single one of our skills: pronunciation, spelling, grammar, syntax, listening
and written comprehension, oral and written production, among other things.
What’s more, games get rid
of the pressure or anxiety of making mistakes in front of our peers (which
we’ve all felt at a certain point), and this makes the learning process run a
lot smoother.
That’s why when it comes to
teaching and learning a foreign language, games are an essential tool for the
process. They offer a break from all the hard work.
You know how it goes; we
spend so many hours studying, trying to understand and assimilate new
structures, doing grammar exercises, listening to and repeating dialogues, etc.
It gets exhausting after a while! Games offer a break from tedious work, but
not a break from learning.
Top 10 games are: Twenty
questions, Pictionary, Taboo, Stop!, Hangman, Spiderweb, Word jumble, Charades,
Translate the song and Hot seat
6.
Parallel
structure
"Parallel
structure" refers to using two or more words, phrases, or clauses that
have similar patterns. Even beginning
ESL students can master parallel structure.
Parallel structure will make your writing clearer and easier to read. Teaching
ESL students how to write English sentences with parallel structure can improve
sentence clarity, style and impact not to mention good grammar. As the level of
writing progresses, ESL students may find that sentences with parallel
structure can serve many purposes, such as a thesis sentence in an essay or the
concluding sentence of a paragraph.
Here
is an example of a sentence that does not have parallel structure.
· Mary likes cooking, skating and to ride
a motorcycle.
This
sentence lists three things that Mary likes to do. The list has two gerunds and
one infinitive. That is not parallel and in English, that doesn’t read well or
easily. Here are two better options:
· Mary likes cooking, skating and riding
a motorcycle. (all gerunds)
· Mary likes to cook, skate and ride a
motorcycle. (all infinitives)
7.
Dialogues
A dialogue is nothing more than
communication between two people through either speaking or writing.
5 reasons for using dialogues in classroom:
1. They
represent real-life speech
2. They
teach culture in different social situations
3. Students
love to role-play
4. They
are springboards for learning new vocabulary and sentence structure
5. Scaffolding
learning leads to improved conversation ability
Why
dialogue?
·
It's the nearest course book can get to face
to face conversation.
·
Memorization / recall can be aided by
visuals, flashcards, stick figure drawings.
·
Avoids Q & A formats and undue length.
·
The language of dialogues can be natural,
appropriate, sufficiently redundant, giving plenty of scope for practice of
weak forms - conversational English.
·
Dialogues provide scope for recombination,
development e.g. re-enactment, parallel production, skits.
Recreational
dialogues or skits
o
Adapt situational element (character/place)
of the original
o
One-sided (e.g. tel conversation)
o
Response pair beginning or middle - Students
extemporize completion
o
Punch-line but no lead-up given
o
List of words as guide.
o
Students use word list to thread together
basic elements of character, situation and plot.
o
Puppet plays using particular settings of
previous dialogues
o
Picture based dialogue creation: cartoons
with captions
o
Dialogue invented to illustrate particular
differences.
8.
Role-play
Role playing is a method of instruction that
meets these needs; individuals take on the roles of other people and act out
the others' feelings, thoughts, and behavior.
Advantages
of role playing
Students immediately apply content in a
relevant, real world context. Students take on a decision making persona that
might let them diverge from the confines of their normal self-imposed
limitations or boundaries. Students can transcend and think beyond the confines
of the classroom setting.
9.
Dramatization
Dramatization is an excellent activity for
learning oral skills in a safe environment of the classroom. In this way,
students are given particular roles. It gives them the chance to practice the
target language before they do conversation in real environment. Drama is an
active approach to learning where participants identify with roles and
situations to be able to engage with, explore and understand the world they
live in. This goes beyond language, as social interaction involves communication
on multiple levels that cross cultural and language boundaries. By being part
of a drama ensemble and participating in a fictitious context, the class is
experiencing a shared moment of intensity that involves emotions, facial
expressions, gesture, movement and a heightened awareness of others, that would
not necessarily be experienced outside the drama environment. Students are thus
freed from the constraints of precision of language, that may be required in
the conventional language classroom, and are equipped with many other tools
with which to communicate meaning.
Humans are physical, mental and
psychological beings. When encouraging our students to learn another language
we need to recognise and satisfy their ‘whole person’ needs and abilities. In
other words we need to address physical, mental and psychological as well as
purely linguistic needs. Typically language learning is confined to the mental
world of problem-solving, rule application and artificial contexts. Drama is a
way of unlocking the ‘whole-person’ and developing physical, creative,
imaginative and emotional responses to learning contexts.
Essentially drama liberates the student from
the confines of the conventional classroom environment and structure and gives
the student the opportunity to draw on their own experiences and imagination,
in creating the material on which part of the language class is based. These
activities draw on the natural ability of every person to imitate, mimic and
express him or herself physically. They are dramatic because they arouse
interest by drawing on the unpredictable emotional power generated when
emotional memory is triggered by a stimulus and when a person is brought
together with others.
10.
Group
discussion
"Group" is a collection of
individuals who have regular contact and frequent interaction and who work
together to achieve a common set of goals. "Discussion" is the
process whereby two or more people exchange information or ideas in a
face-to-face situation to achieve a goal. The goal, or end product, maybe
increased knowledge, agreement leading to action, disagreement leading to
competition or resolution or perhaps only a clearing of the air or a continuation
of the status-quo.
"Group Discussion", popularly
labeled as GD, is a methodology used by an organization (company, institute,
business school, etc.) to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality
traits. GDs form an important part of the short-listing process for recruitment
or admission in a company or institution. In this methodology, the group of
candidates is given a topic or a situation, typically given some time to think
about the same, and then asked to discuss it among themselves for a specific
duration (which may vary from one organization to another). As in a football
game, where you play like a team, passing the ball to each team member and aim
for a common goal, GD is also based on teamwork, incorporating views of
different team members to reach a common goal.
So, a group discussion refers to a
communicative situation that allows its participants to share their views and
opinions with other participants. It is a systematic exchange of information,
views and opinions about a topic, problem, issue or situation among the members
of a group who share some common objectives.
GD is Learner-centred. It gives an
opportunity to all members to give their ideas and opinion on a certain topic.
It increases one's listening skills and confidence in speaking
11.
Debate
Debate refers to a
discussion in which two or more people advocate opposing positions on a topic
or question in an attempt to make an audience (or the other advocates) accept
their position. Most people are familiar with participating in informal
debates, such as trying to persuade friends why a particular film, song, book,
artist, etc. is better than another; however, as these often devolve into
circular arguments, personal ‘attacks’, tangents, etc., formal debates often
have rules to ensure that the discussion remains on the original topic. Debate
has long been an integral part of politics, particularly parliamentary
politics, but has become increasingly high-profile over the past few years with
televised debates on issues such as Scottish independence and continued
membership of the European Union – though, as is frequently seen on the BBC’s
Question Time debate programme, political debate is not immune to the potential
pitfalls of informal debate.
A reasoned debate allows
students to explore and gain understanding of alternative viewpoints and, for
the participants, develops communication, critical thinking and argumentation
skills. The approach is often used in disciplines where practitioners are required
to present and defend particular positions against other parties, such as Law,
Politics, and Social Work. However, while the use of debate as a teaching
approach is clear for those subjects where it is a relatively common part of
the working environment, the skills that it helps develop are widely applicable
and so many other disciplines could also benefit from requiring students to
develop debating experience.
12.
Extempore
speech
Extempore speaking is the term used for a
non-formally prepared speech. Every time you speak you are preparing for
extempore speaking. You probably prepare without even knowing it. You have to
read to learn new things for this type of speaking. When doing extempore
speaking, you need to use the knowledge that you have and use a strong
delivery.
The key to extempore speaking is that the
words spoken are chosen as we speak them, and what is delivered is a stream of
consciousness that is fluent, erudite and articulate, while being unscripted.
Historically, Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) (a top notch business school
affiliated to Delhi University) has been known for conducting an extempore
session along with the GD/PI rounds in its selection process.
Extempore tests the candidates on the
following:-
· Ability
to think on the feet
· Ability
to connect with the panel
· Ability
to think outside the box
· Analysis
of the topic and identification of the issue to be addressed
· Ideation
· Prioritization
and sequencing displaying logical thinking
· Communication
skills
· Overall
presentation skills-body language, confidence, poise, composure etc.
TESTING
SPEAKING SKILL
Oral
test is used to test:
13. Pronunciation
14. Fluency
15. Comprehension
– auditory, reading, picture & story comprehension
16. Expression
– ability to report, express, converse ideas…
Types
of oral test
§ Continuous
Assessment
o
Giving mark for general willingness and
ability to speak in all the lessons
o
By noting down marks for certain oral
activities done in class
§ Short
oral tests
o
Talk about yourself
o
Talk about your pet animal
o
Talk about your summer vacation
Kinds
of tests
ü Diagnostic –
find out what a student still has to learn in language (his lagging part)
ü Achievement –
determines how much of a particular course of study has been mastered
ü Prognostic –
predict how well a person will succeed in learning the target language
Reference
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