Learning to speak, speaking to learn: how to help students' speaking skills to be both accurate and fluent Chris Morris

Outline Why are students reluctant to speak? Learning to speak - accuracy Authentic speech vs classroom speech Speaking to learn - fluency

What students are afraid of making grammar mistakes (from over-correction?) appearing foolish sounding strange or foreign not having enough vocabulary not knowing what to say

As a result, they speak hesitantly there are long pauses they struggle for vocabulary often give up

Language Knowledge vocabulary and fixed expressions grammar and language rules spelling and pronunciation idioms Communicative Competence introduce myself and others ask for information follow movies and TV programmes describe my home talk about my family apologise for a mistake

Learning to speak - building good foundations for speaking Learner challenge 1 – searching for vocabulary and content Learner challenge 2 – accuracy. Drills for grammar and phonology Learner challenge 3 – fluency. Strategies for communication

Good foundations 1: vocabulary and content

Preparing to speak Listening as a model Speaking task allows for preparation and rehearsal

Good foundations 2: accuracy focus – grammar & phonology Build confidence through repetition and chain drills Make controlled activities into a game

Natural speed Attention to word stress and weak forms

Grammar exercise acted out as a role play

Speaking to learn – good foundations 3: fluency You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working;..... (Anatole France) By speaking together, students will: learn and consolidate grammar and vocabulary make errors and test hypotheses about language negotiate meaning

Speaking in the real world What features does natural, conversational speech have? Look at this native speaker conversation: Jo is a teacher and Alice is 9 years old (Thanks to Jo Abeels, final year TESOL undergraduate student, University of Wolverhampton, and Alice, her informant.)

Jo: Alice, you go to primary school. Tell me what subjects you take. Alice: maths literacy science... (2 secs.) erm handwriting... (4 secs) and history Jo:... and choose any one of those subjects and tell me what you do Alice: um, maths... I did a grid.... a grid you know the grid... yeah.... mmm... its for adding up... (3 secs) and um we do like sub...traction and addition... em... (2 secs) and... (6 secs) and graphs... (2 secs) and do a lot of homework Jo:... and what type of homework do you get for maths? Alice:... (2 secs) erm... (2 secs) we get we get like you know the grid we do that at school as well so you can do your times tables... yeah... its helped me... (3 secs) I feel more confident now Jo: Alice, you go to primary school. Tell me what subjects you take. Alice: maths literacy science... (2 secs.) erm handwriting... (4 secs) and history Jo:... and choose any one of those subjects and tell me what you do Alice: um, maths... I did a grid.... a grid you know the grid... yeah.... mmm... its for adding up... (3 secs) and um we do like sub...traction and addition... em... (2 secs) and... (6 secs) and graphs... (2 secs) and do a lot of homework Jo:... and what type of homework do you get for maths? Alice:... (2 secs) erm... (2 secs) we get we get like you know the grid we do that at school as well so you can do your times tables... yeah... its helped me... (3 secs) I feel more confident now

Speaking in the classroom Dialogues are frequent in teaching materials But they are usually controlled for vocabulary and grammar Turn-taking is unnaturally regular Therefore students are exposed to models of spoken discourse that are unnatural

A: Hello umm B: Can I help you? A: Have you by any chance got anything on Bath? B: Im awfully sorry we havent… um I dont know where you can try for Bath actually A: You havent no no B: Um I dont know really... you could perhaps try Pickfords in Littlewoods, they might be able to help you A: No... in Littlewoods is it B: Yes, theyre inside there now A: OK thanks

Hiroko: A man is uh... drinking c-coffee or tea with uh the saucer of the uh uh coffee set is in his uh knee Izumi: in him knee Hiroko: uh on his knee Izumi: yeah Hiroko: on his knee Izumi: so sorry... on his knee Hiroko: A man is uh... drinking c-coffee or tea with uh the saucer of the uh uh coffee set is in his uh knee Izumi: in him knee Hiroko: uh on his knee Izumi: yeah Hiroko: on his knee Izumi: so sorry... on his knee Learning correct language

G: have you got a bench screw? R: whats that ? G:you know the thing that you have on a bench, and its got a spindle so that you can tighten it up against it so you can bend things R: ah, you mean a vice G: a what? R: a vice G: a vice G: have you got a bench screw? R: whats that ? G:you know the thing that you have on a bench, and its got a spindle so that you can tighten it up against it so you can bend things R: ah, you mean a vice G: a what? R: a vice G: a vice Learning vocabulary

V:if you see Karima before she goes will you give her this? A:shes gone tomorrow morning V:will you have time to give it to her then before she goes? A: shes gone tomorrow morning eight about half past eight V: but will you see her before then? A: eh?... half past eight the plane went at half past eight tomorrow.. V: tomorrow? A: aaaah, no today, today morning. V: ah, shes gone... this morning. A: this morning... shes gone V:if you see Karima before she goes will you give her this? A:shes gone tomorrow morning V:will you have time to give it to her then before she goes? A: shes gone tomorrow morning eight about half past eight V: but will you see her before then? A: eh?... half past eight the plane went at half past eight tomorrow.. V: tomorrow? A: aaaah, no today, today morning. V: ah, shes gone... this morning. A: this morning... shes gone Negotiating meaning

Strategies Dont worry about making mistakes. Keep talking! Use gestures or mime if you cant think of a word you need. Dont stop speaking. Show that you are listening: smile, nod your head, make comments like Right, OK, yeah, mm Keep a conversation going: you know, I mean, Dont just give one word answers. Expand your answers whenever possible. Useful for exams!

Speaking tasks framework set the scene listening model of task analysis of model /controlled practice give instructions for task individual/group thinking time/note-taking task rehearsal task production feedback

listening model set the scene

Accuracy + controlled practice give instructions for task

Whats Missing? set the scene listening model of task analysis of model /controlled practice give instructions for task individual/group thinking time/note-taking task rehearsal task production feedback

Whats missing? individual/group thinking time/note- taking task rehearsal feedback