Ministry of Education and Training of THAI NGUYEN

VTTN vttn Workshop Ministry of Education and Training THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 What is speaking? What inputs/skills/knowledge do students need in order to speak in English? Knowledge: knowledge of grammar systems, knowledge of appropriate language to use, knowledge of suitable exchange patterns to use, knowledge of phonology, knowledge of topic, awareness of what your speaking partner knows and is interested in… Inputs: interesting topic, ideas and questions to respond to, teacher’s and students’ enthusiasm, personal experiences, listenings, readings, short video clips, memories etc Suggestion: Skills: ability to pronounce clearly, ability to organise and develop ideas in real time, being able to produce chunks (phrases), being able to ask for clarification, being able to check understanding ... What is our aim in speaking? A. To say sentences without making mistakes? B. To communicate with others in English? What is speaking? What level of quality of speaking should we expect from our students? Why? How is speaking different to writing? Why? What roles does the teacher have in a speaking lesson? Why? Problems in teaching speaking and suggested solutions VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 Characteristics of speaking that cause our students to have problems the need to operate in real time the unpredictability of most speaking events how information or meaning is conveyed ( structure, phonology) the ability to listen effectively Problems: (See handout) Possible solutions: Too much time pressure can negatively affect a speaking activity. You need to make sure that the time you set for a speaking activity is realistic and allows students thinking and planning time. Ensure the tasks are clear, focused and meaningful for the students. 2. Don’t ask students to do a speaking activity that you know won’t interest them – even if it is in the textbook! Try to personalise speaking as much as possible. This makes it real and motivates students to want to communicate. Problems: (See handout) Possible solutions: 3. How you group the students needs careful consideration. Don’t be afraid to move students around. Think about allocating roles in an activity which will give all students a role and therefore a reason to speak 4. During speaking classes, ensure that students have the opportunity to develop conversation skills/strategies as well as simply practice speaking. Set up an activity carefully so that students know the language and strategies to complete the task successfully. Problems: (See handout) Possible solutions: 5. Encourage students and praise them. Provide correction for controlled activities, but limited correction during fluency activities. Praise students for ideas in a dialogue or discussion, not for accuracy of language 6. Give students plenty of planning time. Make speaking a part of most of your lessons so that students become more fluent over time Problems: (See handout) Possible solutions: 7. Set up speaking activities carefully. Plan your instructions and check them. Make sure the task is clear and meaningful. Always ask yourself why you want the students to work in groups or pairs. Does the activity need to be done in group work? If there is no reason for students to work in groups to achieve a set goal, then they won’t! 8. This links to solutions 7, 1 and 2 Problems: (See handout) Possible solutions: 9. Anticipate problems with the activity and pre-teach/revise anything necessary. Lower level students will speak more confidently if tasks involve language they are familiar with. Lower level students also cope better with more concrete tasks e.g. planning a tour of an interesting place, rather than a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of television, for example. Speaking DVD VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 TIME AFTER TIME ICE CUBE REPEAT AFTER ME MISSING YOU ONE IN MILLION NO ONE TO BLAME TRY TO UNDERSTAND FORGIVE AND FORGET MADE IN CHINA WALK IN THE PARK RED IN THE FACE ILL IN BED DOWN TO EARTH HEAD FOR COVER FALL IN LOVE READY FOR MORE AN AFTERTHOUGHT MANY THANKS DVD section WHAT MAKES A GOOD SPEAKING LESSON VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 What makes a good speaking lesson? Work in groups of 5 or 6 and prepare your own lists of guidelines You have 20 minutes What makes a good speaking lesson? Idea presentation WHAT MAKES A GOOD SPEAKING LESSON? What makes a good speaking lesson? Guidelines and reasons (Handouts) Work in pairs Choose 3 of the guidelines to write the reasons for them You have 10 minutes What makes a good speaking lesson? Guidelines and reasons (Handouts) Change your partner please One speaks the reason The other guesses the guideline Controlled to free(r) speaking activities VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 15. A recent party 14. Sports you like 13. Last film you saw 12. A thing you hate 11. A bad student 10. Favourite singer 7. A good student 2. Cooking 3. Pets 4. Job – something you like A perfect day 6. Your motorbike 16. type of food you like 1. Your family 9. Your house 8. When you were at school Introduction – Disappearing text Aidan: Why do we do controlled speaking practice? Laura: Because sometimes free practice is too demanding. Aidan: Yes, and sometimes it helps prepare students for later free/freer practice. Laura: We must remember that students need free practice activities if they are going to learn to speak in real ways. (1) Aidan: W__ do w_ do c__________ speaking p________? Laura: Because s________ free practice is t__ d__________. Aidan: Y__, and sometimes it h___ prepare s_______ for later free/freer p______. Laura: We m____ remember that s______ need free p______ activities if t____ are going to l_____ to s____ in real w____. (2) Introduction – Disappearing text Aidan: W__ d_ w_ do c__________ s_______ p________? Laura: B_______ s________ free p______ is t__ d__________. Aidan: Y__, and s________ it h___ p_____ s_______ for l____ free/freer p______. Laura: We m____ r________ that s______ need f___ p______ a_______ if t____ are g_____ to l_____ to s____ in r___ w____. (3) Introduction – Disappearing text Aidan: W__ d_ w_ d_ c__________ s_______ p________? Laura: B_______ s________ f___ p______ i_ t__ d__________. Aidan: Y__, a__ s________ i_ h___ p_____ s_______ f__ l____ f___/f____ p______. Laura: W_ m____ r________ t____ s______ n___ f___ p______ a_______ i_ t____ a__ g_____ t_ l_____ t_ s____ i r___ w____. (4) Introduction – Disappearing text Work in groups Make a list of types of controlled and free activities You have 5 minutes Types of controlled and free(r) practice activities Types of controlled and free(r) practice activities Drills Role-plays Prompts Information gaps Disappearing texts Interviews Transformations Surveys Empty slots Presentations Reading aloud Teacher student talk Milling activities Drama Discussion Suggested activities Advantages and disadvantages Work in groups Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages controlled and free(r) practice You have 5 minutes Advantages and disadvantages Guideline provision Work in groups Prepares a set of guidelines for your given activity You have 15 minutes MOTIVATION AND SPEAKING VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 Motivation and speaking Work in pairs Discus these question: + How motivated are your students to do speaking in class? + Why do you think this is? You have 5 minutes I. Discussion questions Motivation and speaking I. Discussion questions II. motivational factors Stop the bus! Write 5 answers for each of the questions - How can we increase our students’ motivation? - What things decrease our students’ motivation? Motivation and speaking I. Discussion questions II. motivational factors III. Jeremy Harmer’s motivation check list Jeremy Harmer Motivation and speaking I. Discussion questions II. motivational factors III. Jeremy Harmer’s motivation check list IV. Rate a lesson and make suggestions - Study TA 10 p159 TA 11 p157 to complete the handouts Demos of fun speaking activities VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 Demos of fun speaking activities I. Some of the features of a good speaking activity it’s motivating there is a clear learning purpose ( i.e. that it practises language, provides freer/controlled practice etc) there is a clear goal for the students ( i.e. that there is an outcome at the end of the activity) it is easy to set up within the constraints of the classroom the instructions are not too complicated … Demos of fun speaking activities Some of referential speaking activities I. Some of the features of a good speaking activity ‘Guessing a proverb’ ‘I like neighbours who……’ ‘Go out of the room’ 3rd conditional practice. ‘Creative speaking’ from TA11 unit 3. Phone call role-play. The world cup Evaluating, correcting and giving feedback to students on their speaking skills VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Match the definitions/purposes to the words Correction a) To determine the level of performance of the students Feedback b) To put right students’ mistakes Evaluation c) To let students know what they have done well and what they need to improve Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Match the definitions/purposes to the words Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Answer: Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. - Look at exercise 3 from p26 TA11 - Watch the Movie and do your given tasks Watch 2 students and identify the errors Phuc: Have you ever cook? Quan: Yes, (I) have. Yes, I have. Phuc: What is your special……. What is your special food you can cook? Quan: Ummm…. I have special, I am spe… special…. Phuc: What is your special food you can cook? Quan: I can cook noodles and err…. Yes.. yes…. Yes Phuc: Oh yeah. … And how long does it take? Quan: Umm.. It err…. Five minutes. Phuc: Oh err and how did you….have you learn cook from someone? Quan: Again… again Phuc: Have you learned cook from someone?.... From someone? …..Are you……can cook yourself? Quan: Yes. Phuc: And is it…Errr…does it taste good? Quan: Yes Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Adian Pelly ’s Correction Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Some ways of managing correction Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Some ways of managing correction Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Some ways of managing correction … - Work in pairs Discus the the advantages and disadvantages of those methods above You have 5 minutes Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Some ways of managing correction Evaluation of speaking skills – Why? Evaluation, correction and giving feedback. Some ways of managing correction Evaluation of speaking skills – Why? When can we evaluate students? What evaluations categories can we use? Speaking activities to use in the Language Focus lesson VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 Speaking activities to use in the Language Focus lesson I. Warmer: ed/ing adjectives speaking activity Speaking activities to use in the Language Focus lesson I. Introduction – ‘Why’ and ‘How’ discussion Work in groups Discuss these questions: + “Why should speaking activities be integrated into other skills lessons?” + “How do you integrate speaking with other skills?” You have 7 minutes Speaking activities to use in the Language Focus lesson I. Introduction – ‘Why’ and ‘How’ discussion + “Why should speaking activities be integrated into other skills lessons?” There is no speaking without listening Reading and listening often provide the context or starting point for speaking Some speaking activities are ways of practising grammar Writing is often a fist-step before speaking as it allows more thinking time and it is easier to help with accuracy Integrating with other skills in more like real life Integrating with other skills in more interesting Speaking activities to use in the Language Focus lesson I. Introduction – ‘Why’ and ‘How’ discussion II. Practice Work in groups Choose one of Language Focus lessons on Student’s Textbook Think of speaking activities you can do on that lesson Write them down on your Flipchart You have 20 minutes Pronunciation VTTN THAI NGUYEN AUGUST 2008 Warmer Stand up stress The qualities of stress What are the qualities of stress? Syllables are: Louder Longer Different in pitch (usually higher) The sounds are more clearly spoken Accompanied by larger jaw, lip and other facial movements The qualities of stress Ways of marking stress The qualities of stress Ways of marking stress Finger technique Telephone number technique Hum Stress