Article presentation esl 501 developing classroom speaking activities
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DEVELOPING CLASSROOM SPEAKING ACTIVITIES: FROM
THEORY TO PRACTICEJACK C. RICHARDS
Article Presentation byCarinne Karlick
ESL 501
According to Richards,• The mastery of speaking English is a
priority for most second language learners.• The question that has long been debated: What is the best approach to teaching oral
language skills?• A variety of approaches have been
implemented by teachers and have been the focus of textbooks.
Direct Approaches focus on specific features of oral interaction. Examples: topic management, questioning
strategies and turn-taking Indirect approaches create conditions for
oral interactions through group work, task work and other strategies (Richards, 1990).
Research reveals complex spoken interaction in L1 or L2.
Louma (2004) cites some features of spoken discourse.
Composed of idea units (conjoined short phrases) Planned (ex: lecture) or unplanned (ex:
conversation) Employs more generic words than written
language Contains slips and errors reflecting on-line
processing Involved reciprocity (ex: interactions are jointly
constructed) Shows variation (ex: between formal and casual
speech) reflecting speaker roles, speaking purpose, and the context
Functions of Speaking According to Richards (2010), designing
speaking activities and instruction materials for L2 learners it is important to recognize the different functions speaking performs and the different purposes our students need speaking skills.
Brown and Yule (1983) distinguish between interactional (social) functions of speaking and transactional functions (exchange of information).
• After designing his own materials and collaborating with teachers in workshops, Richards uses an expanded three part version of Brown& Yule’s framework (after Jones, 1996 and Burns, 1998)– Talk as interaction– Talk as transaction– Talk as performance
1.Talk as Interaction
FEATURES
• Primarily social function• Reflects role
relationships• Reflects speaker’s
identity• May be formal or casual• Uses conversational
conventions and register• Reflects politeness• Employs generic words• Is jointly constructed
SKILLS
• Open and close conversations
• Choosing topics• Turn-taking• Recounting recent
experiences• Interrupting• Reacting to others• Making small talk• Using adjacency-pairs
Talk as Interaction…cont’d Commonly referred to as “conversation” According to Richards, mastering the art
of talk as interaction is difficult and may not be important to all learners.
Some students may feel awkward and at a loss for words in interactional situations.
They may avoid such situations. It puts students at a disadvantage when
conversation is important.
Teaching Talk as Interaction Most difficult to teach because it is
complex and has “unspoken rules”Best Taught
Naturalistic dialogues Modeling opening and closing conversation Recounting personal experience Practice reacting to what others say.
For example: Students are given dialogue and work in pairs adding reactions that have been omitted. Or students practice conversation starters and have to respond by asking 2 follow up questions.
2. Talk as Transaction
FEATURES
• It has an informational focus• The main focus is the
message & not the participants
• Participants make use of communication strategies to make themselves understood
• Frequent questions, repetitions, and comprehension checks
• Language accuracy is not always important
SKILLS
• Explaining an intention or need
• Describing something• Asking questions• Confirming information• Justifying an opinion• Making suggestions• Clarifying understanding• Making comparisons• Agreeing and
disagreeing
Talk as Transaction…cont’d The focus on what is said or done The message is the central focus and
ensuring that the speaker is understood clearly.
Burns identifies 2 types:- One focuses on giving/receiving info and on
what is said or achieved.- The second focuses on getting goods or services.
Teaching Talk as Transaction
More easily planned with use of current materials, role play and real-world transactions.
Best Taught Ranking activities Brainstorming Group discussion
For example: Students prepare a list of controversial statements, exchange and discuss them.
Simulation or Role Play For example: Students act out real world transactions in
three stages: preparation, modeling, practice/review
3.Talk as Performance
FEATURES
• Focus on both message and audience
• Reflects organization and sequence
• Form and accuracy are important
• More like written language
• It is often monologic
SKILLS
• Using appropriate format• Info presented in
appropriate sequence• Maintain engagement
with audience• Use proper punctuation
and grammar• Use appropriate
vocabulary• Use appropriate opening
and closing
Talk as Performance…cont’d
Refers to talk that transmits information before an audience like performances, public announcements and speeches.
In a school setting this type of talk could be presenting an oral report, conducting a
class debate or giving a speech. It is usually evaluated according to its impact on the listener.
Teaching Talk as Performance This requires a different teaching strategy. According to Jones
(1996), talk as performance need to be prepared for and scaffold the same way as written text and strategies used to make text accessible applied to formal uses of spoken language.
Best Taught Providing examples: Speeches, oral presentations, stories though video/audio. Examples are then analyzed to understand how
texts work and what their linguistic features are. Questions to guide the process are:
What is the speaker’s purpose? Who is the audience? What info does the audience expect? How does the talk
begin/develop/end? What strategies are involved? What language is used?
Students then work together on planning their own text to present.
Implications for TeachingWhen planning speaking activities: Determine what kinds of speaking skills will the
course focus on (interaction, transaction, performance.)
Perform an informal needs analysis through questionnaires, interviews, communicative tasks etc.
Then identify the teaching strategies for learners to acquire each kind of talk.
Determine the expected level of performance and the criteria used to assess.
AssessmentTeachers need to consider what the completion
of the activity involves according to the type (interaction, transaction or performance)
of talk and classroom activity. Teachers should ask themselves:
How will the activity be modeled? What language support will be needed? What resources will be used? What learning arrangements will be needed? What level of performance is expected? How will the feedback be given?
Assessment According to type It is suggested to assign one student be an
observer during a discussion Talk as Interaction
Introduces new topics effectively, contributes equally by taking turns, interrupting appropriately
Talk as Transaction The speaker’s need is expressed effectively, a description
is clear.
Talk as performance Clarity of presentation (is it organized and
comprehensible?) Use of discourse markers, repetition, stress to emphasize
important points. Audience engaged when appropriate
Richards, J. (n.d.). Developing Classroom Speaking Activities: From theory to practice. professorjackrichards. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from http://www.professorjackrichards.com/pdfs/developing-classroom-speaking-activities.pdf