1. The importance of speaking

8. Getting teenagers to use English in class can provide a considerable challenge to most teachers.
BUT
You can nearly always find a way by experimenting with different techniques and activities.

9. Some of the reasons why it can be so difficult
Long-term and short-term memory
We retain information in two ways:
In short-term and long-term storage : We transfer information from one to the other by convincing our brains that facts in the short-term memory are valuable enough to be put in long-term storage - otherwise, the information is discarded.
Our native language is stored in the long-term memory. New information about a second language, however, is stored in the short-term until it is transferred.

10. Language fitness & agility
Language learning and maintenance uses a surprising number of muscles - most importantly, the brain, and the more obvious muscles in the mouth and jaw.
It follows logically that just as with any other muscle, the more you exercise it, the easier it is to use.
So how often do teenagers exercise the muscles required for speaking English? If their only opportunity is English class, they need to maximise on the time to exercise as much as possible.

11. Authenticity
Speaking is a way of expressing ourselves in whatever language we use.
The most motivating language to learn therefore enables us to talk in a way that is true to our personality.
Even the best coursebook cannot provide this resource for every individual in every class!
Students bring their personalities to every class - if we can keep English as the language medium, their authentic language requirements will become apparent. This means accepting their personalities - in terms of topic (e.g. music, fashion, gossip), and function (e.g. exaggerating, exchanging anecdotes).

12. Why teenagers often avoid practising spoken English in class:
They feel silly speaking a language in which they know they are making mistakes.
It is artificial to communicate with their classmates in a foreign language.
When they want to say something important to each other, they do so spontaneously in their mother tongue.
They do not have the English to express the concepts that the teacher wants them to express.
They do not understand the point of speaking English all the time in class.
It is very tiring to concentrate on producing a foreign language especially when your level is low.
The topic / activity that they are supposed to be talking about in English is boring, so they talk about something else in their mother tongue.
Speaking English is difficult.
Speaking English is not fun.

13. The other reasons Peer pressure
Even native speakers take years to master their language, so it's no surprise a foreign language learner has to make a lot of mistakes before even managing to produce anything approaching good English.
The spontaneous nature of speaking means you're likely to make more mistakes than you would otherwise

14. Lack of motivation
If you ask a teenager why they think they should speak English in class, what's the most likely answer? Stunned silence, a disdainful look, or a droned 'because we have to practise'?
They're following orders - and for what? So that in two or three years they may be better able to communicate effectively with another English-speaker? Not only is the motive external, but the end goal is too distant for many teenagers. For many students, instant rewards for speaking English are much more motivating.

15. Lack of support
There are two kinds of support: Classroom atmosphere and linguistic support.
It may not be realistic to expect teenagers to provide the generous and patient atmosphere ideal for language practice, but it is possible to encourage them to support each other, for example by working in teams.
It is easier to provide linguistic support, in terms of words and phrases that are required for classroom interaction.
Classroom language (e.g. 'Sorry I'm late', 'Can you repeat that, please?' etc.) is the only English they will need to repeat throughout the whole course, and it has an authentic context - it would be a waste not to capitalise on it!

16. How we can get students talking
Explain why it's important
Confidence tricks
This involves rewarding them for using 'easy language' - making them believe the goal is easy to achieve.
Classroom language is ideal for this, as are pronunciation games.
Drilling has a particular appeal, as the student's voice is safe in a crowd of voices,
Choosing a buzzword for a class can encourage even the weakest student to try to use their English. The word could either be very useful, or sound a bit strange or be a key word in the group of vocabulary just learnt. The use of the word then has to be rewarded - and how you do that is up to you.

17. Attainable goals
The lower the level of the group, the less English you can expect them to produce.
For very low levels, the aim may be to spend only five or ten minutes speaking English per class.
Initially this may be spent presenting and practising classroom language, which then allows them to extend 'English time' for themselves.
For higher levels, it is still worth identifying when it is more important to be using only English and when it is good to use their native language. This should be indicated by some kind of visual to remind them when to do what.

18. Some tips aimed at getting teenagers to speak.
Keep the conversation peer centred
Avoid asking discussion questions around the class
Give them a concrete list of statements or opinions
Keep to fairly short discussion activities (15 minutes)
Feedback on errors after speaking should be general

19. The Activities to Promote Speaking Skills

20. The main aim of group discussion is to improve fluency, grammar in probably best allowed to function as a naturally communicative context.

22. Role play has appeal for students because it allows the students to be creative and to put themselves in another person’s place for a while.

32. Students can also talk about whether they have experienced anything worth telling their friends in their daily lives before class.

35. Suggestions for teachers
Provide maximum opportunity to students to speak the target language by providing a rich environment that contains collaborative work, authentic materials and tasks, and shared knowledge.
Try to involve as many students as possible in every speaking activity.
For this aim, practice different ways of
student participation.

36. Reduce teacher speaking time in class
while increasing student speaking time.
Step back and observe students.
Indicate positive signs when commenting on a student's response.
Ask eliciting questions such as "What do you mean? How did you reach that conclusion?" in order to prompt students to speak more.

37. Provide written feedback like "Your presentation was really great
Provide written feedback like "Your presentation was really great. It was a good job. I really appreciated your efforts in preparing the materials and efficient use of your voice…"
Do not correct students' pronunciation mistakes very often while they are speaking. Correction should not distract student from expressing themselves.

38. Involve speaking activities not only in class but also out of class; contact parents and other people who can help.
Circulate around classroom to ensure that students are on the right track and see whether they need your help while they work in groups or pairs.

39. Provide the vocabulary beforehand that students need in speaking activities.
Diagnose problems faced by students who have difficulty in expressing themselves in the target language and provide more opportunities to practice the spoken language.

40. CONCLUSION Pay great attention to teaching speaking.
Make students more active in the learning process and reduce their anxiety.
Make their learning more meaningful and fun for them.

41. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF7zs z8fi64