Speaking—General Instructions
General Instructions for Building All Speaking Skills
When working on Speaking Skills, copy activities from each of the levels and benchmarks. Many of the activities and resources are appropriate for multiple levels, you’ll just want to adjust the content used.
The textbook used in new tutor training (Teaching Adults: An ESL Resource Book) contains more strategies; use it often!
When you plan well for conversation activities, it shows. Learners will appreciate it. There are few things worse for ESL learners than expecting them to start talking without some prep/background.
Do:
• Include learners as much as possible when planning future conversation activities. There’s no rule that says that conversation topics have to come from ESL books/websites. If planning ahead on a certain language point or topic, have learners list some possible topics for discussion.
• Model Skills – Individuals learn from watching other people and then practicing skills. Role play is a fun and extremely effective way to teach skills because it lets learners learn from examples. During role play, model an appropriate greeting or conversation. Let learners see how questions are asked and answered and how people remain on topic. Keep the ‘skits’ short and simple at first to establish the basic skills and then expand on them later.
• Practice Small Steps - Just like any other skill, social skills need to be broken into smaller steps and practiced repeatedly. Role play greetings by teaching the learner to say, “Hello” and then expand to, “Hello, how are you?”
• Develop Multiple Phrases, Settings, and People – Conversational skills should be developed with a variety of people, phrases, and novel settings. To promote generalization of skills, introduce different questions and wording when role playing such as: “Good morning,” “Hello,” and “Hi there!” By doing this, learners learn there are various greetings and responses. Since conversations occur throughout the day with different people, encourage learners to find others in their communities to help them practice.
• Remember Body Language – When practicing conversational skills, be sure to include key skills such as personal space (approximately an arm’s length is considered appropriate in the United States), body language, and facial cues. These unspoken aspects of conversation are often extremely difficult for learners to grasp and should be included in role play and instruction.
• Reduce Repetition – Learners frequently learn saying hello or asking someone their name is part of a conversation, so they may repeatedly incorporate these phrases in the same conversation. One way to practice saying something only once is to hold up a finger as a visual cue during role play. For example, if there is a question or phrase that should only be used once, hold up a finger during conversational practice time. After the learner asks the question, put your finger down. This is a cue that the learner already has asked the question. After learners have used this cue successfully a number of times, practice without the visual cue and then praise them for remembering to ask the question only once. Another strategy is to have the learner keep a hand (preferably the left hand if you are teaching them to shake hands) in their pocket with one finger pointed. After they ask their favorite question, have them stop pointing or remove their hand from their pocket. This allows learners to remind themselves they used this phrase or question and other people are not able to see this personal cue.
• Praise and Review - Praise learners for using a phrase once, expanding their vocabulary or complexity, or ending a conversation appropriately. To reinforce the skill, be sure to review what they did correctly. For example, “I like the way you asked Mr. James if he was having a nice day only once.” If a novel situation occurs naturally, role play it later and use it as a learning experience.
• Give them easy topics that they know a lot about... Them! –We all love to do it, recalling an amusing story about our lives in our home country, telling a tall tale about teaching a government minister. The most familiar topic anyone can talk about is oneself. We do it, they can too.
• Provide the cues, give them the ideas—use graphic organizers, outlines, word maps, etc. to give them the necessary cues to start speaking. If the cues fail, give the students a virtual template to work off. Write the language and the structures for the learners to fill in with the appropriate words.
• Listen to the real deal—A good dialogue that clearly outlines the language can be used as a starting point, while providing learners with a chance to “mimic” the accent and the style.
Don’t:
• Do not to introduce a conversation activity that requires language areas that most of the learners have not learned (i.e. do not ask them to talk about their past if you have not introduced Past Simple tense).
• Do not interrupt learners mid conversation. Even though you may hear mistakes, let them speak freely. Just make note of mistakes to discuss later.
• It may seem obvious, but avoid sensitive subjects about learners’ culture, religion, race, etc. Although some learners may seem open, you cannot guarantee that you won't possibly offend them or make them feel uncomfortable.
Speaking 2.2.1
Use correct subject and object pronouns.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
• Draw and photocopy a simple picture (there are several in workbooks and picture dictionaries).
• Make several small changes and photocopy again. Now you will have two almost identical pictures.
• Have learners find the differences by asking specific questions (without looking at the other picture).
• It can be useful to pre-teach some language for this activity. For example: on the right, in the top left corner, in the middle etc.
Two Unrelated Pictures
• Do a variation of the above activity with two completely unrelated pictures.
• Bring 6-10 pictures cut from magazines; spread them on the table and have learners choose two.
• Hold them up and ask how the pictures are related and what’s similar.
• Reassure learners that there are no ‘right’ answers.
• Have learners describe the differences between the two images.
Pronouns
• Write a list of object pronouns (me, you, him her, it, them); depending on learners’ familiarity, perhaps make two columns—singular in one, plural in another
• Say a sentence and have learners insert the correct pronoun (The bank is open on Saturday; It is open on Saturday)
• Go back and forth, asking learners to create sentences as well. Occasionally say the wrong pronoun and see if learners catch your “mistake.”
Storytelling
• Tell a short story that has several different characters
• Ask learners to retell the story using only pronouns
• Start with one sentence and gradually work up to several, adding characters and opportunities for pronoun substitution as you go
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
Survival English: English Through Conversations
A Conversation Book: English in Everyday Life
English as a Second Language; Phase One: Let’s Converse
Conversation in English: Points of Departure
Speaking 2.2.2
Use simple and complex conjunctions.
FILL IN THE BLANK
• Write a list of conjunctions so learners have a word bank
• Say two short clauses that should be joined by a conjunction, substituting “blank” for the conjunction
• Ask learners to repeat the sentences back to you, filling in the correct conjunction from one on the list
• Repeat, making your clauses more complex depending on learners’ progress and level
• Once learners are comfortable with conjunction usage, switch and say a conjunction, asking learners to create sentences around that word
Tell a Story
• Give learners a list of conjunctions and ask them to tell a story using as many of them as possible
• As they use each one, cross it off or put a star next to it so they can measure their own progress
• You could give them a few prompts to choose from if you like, such as a setting and character, and a problem the character faces
Connect the Conjunctions
• Write 6 conjunctions that learners need extra practice with, numbering each 1-6
• Have learners roll a die and say the corresponding conjunction
• Learners must create a sentence correctly using that conjunction
• You can also assign points to every conjunction, making and 1, as a result of 6, and see how many points learners can get within a predetermined time
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
Language for Writing: Book 5
Success: Communicating in English
Survival English: English Through Conversations
Speaking 2.2.3
Use basic grammatical structures.
KINGS
• Materials: 1 deck of playing cards
• Write or print out rules and a Card Legend; instead of pre-teaching the rules, explain the game basics and explain each rule as learners pull cards
Rules:
• Each card represents a different task.
• Depending on the card they pull, learners must perform the task given to them. If they perform the task correctly they are given points; if they make a mistake, points are subtracted.
Points:
• Correct answer = Plus five points.
• Incorrect answer = Subtract 2 points.
Card Legend (modify if necessary for learners current skills and needs):
o 2s – Make a sentence using (to be) + (adj.): all sentences must be 6 words or more
o 3s - Make a sentence using (to be) + (adv.)
o 4s – Ask a question using a past tense
o 5s – Ask a question using a future tense
o 6s – Make a sentence using the simple present tense
o 7s – Make a sentence using the present perfect continuous tense
o 8s – Complete this sentence, “Have you ever...”
o etc.
Conversation Cards
• Materials: Deck of playing cards
• Using the grid accompanying this sheet, choose a card from the top of the deck, find it on the grid, and answer the question using correct grammar to model this activity for learners
• Learners now draw a card, find the topic, and answer the question
• Continue for a predetermined time, or use the scoring system at the bottom of the page and continue until learners receive a predetermined number of points
Scrambled Sentences
• Create a list of sentences using level-appropriate vocabulary
• Write words on a sheet out of sentence order
• Learners must unscramble the sentences and say the sentence, making sure its grammatically correct
• To make this activity more tactile, cut each sentence into separate words beforehand an ask learners to rearrange the slips of paper
Chain Stories
• To practice the simple present for habitual action try starting the story with, "John always has a busy day. He wakes up at 6:00 o'clock every morning. At 6:10 he..."
• Ask learners to continue the story.
• In turn, everyone continues the story by adding an original, grammatically correct sentence.
• If necessary, end each of your sentences with a prompt ("after breakfast," "at 7:30," "then," "next," "before he eats lunch, etc...").
Error Correction
• Create a list of sentences, each containing a grammatical error in subject-verb agreement, noun/pronoun agreement, verb tenses, etc.
• Say each sentence aloud and ask learners to repeat the sentence aloud, correcting the error
• As learners progress, make the errors more subtle
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
Survival English: English Through Conversations
NorthStar: Focus on Listening and Speaking
Exploring English 1
Atlas 2: Learning-Centered Communication
Speaking 2.2.4
Explore and use language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Find Your Place on the Line
In this strategy, learners learn how to articulate an opinion and represent their opinion by moving to a spot on an imaginary line that is a continuum from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”
• Create a statement or question that will promote conversation and the formulation of an opinion that is relevant to the topic of study. (Think about possible learner responses with regard to sensitive issues.)
• Give learners the opportunity to clarify the statement to make sure they understand it and give them a few minutes to think about their position on the issue
• Ask learners to position themselves on an imaginary line according to their initial opinion—one side is fully in favor, one side completely against.
• Have learners share their opinion
• Choose a spot on a different point of the line and share opposing points
• Engage in conversation with learners, thinking about and re-evaluating positions and perspectives.
• After discussion, give everyone the opportunity to move to a new position on the imaginary line if their positions have changed.
• Practice using some simplified statements and move to more complex and sensitive issues (i.e. “Every student must do homework every day.” “Immigrants make rich contributions to the success of a country.”).
• Share sentence stems, concrete examples and context to provide connections so learners can make links to their background knowledge. For example:
- I agree because…
- I strongly disagree because…
- I think…
• Provide context with personal anecdotes, newspaper articles or pictures, pamphlets or print advertising.
After
• Engage in an open class discussion about how one’s perspective on a topic may change after talking to others.
• Record key points or vocabulary.
Sample Statements
1. Competition is always about winning.
2. Regular homework is important for success.
3. Physical activity is important to my health.
Just a Minute
This is a fluency activity that can build up learners' confidence in speaking English in front of other people.
• Write topics randomly around a board.
• Ask learners to throw a sticky ball (piece of rolled up paper will do) at the board. The topic that is closest to where the ball hits is their topic (if there’s no board, list topics on paper and have learners close their eyes and point to one).
• The learners must then stand and speak for one minute without hesitation or repetition about the topic.
• If the learner hesitates or repeats, stop them and write the time they spoke for on the board. Try to increase the length of time each week.
The Essentials
Helps learners share opinions and make appropriate conversation in social groups.
• Create a scenario that is pertinent to the life skill topic or subject matter currently being studied and a list of 8-10 items that may or may not be considered essential for the scenario using level-appropriate vocabulary.
• Examples: 1) Items in a purse (scissors, driver license, pencil, cash, social security card, candy, toothpicks, nail polish, notepad, wallet, photos of children, etc. 2) Successful job interview (arrive early, bring resume, shake hands, chew gum, speak only when asked questions, bring salary history, bring letters of reference, look employer in the eyes, ask your own questions, etc) 3) Packing a suitcase for a 3-day summer trip (swimsuit, sandals, coat, coffee, shorts, shirts, first aid kit, cold medicine, fruit, hairdryer, toothbrush, silverware, pillow, pajamas, shoes, books, etc.)
• Explain that learners are to decide which items are essential to include. They cannot accept everything on the list. They must discuss each item and decide whether it will be accepted or rejected and why.
• Teach politeness strategies such as, “I understand why you . . . but I . . .” and “I can see why . . . but . . .”
Movie Lines
To speak accurately in order to avoid misunderstanding and practice differences in sounds, pitch, stress and rhythm.
• Select a brief, high-interest, level-appropriate scene from a feature film, TV show, or TV advertisement and bring an audio or file of the scene (or video file, but don’t let learners watch the scene for body language clues—focus on audio only).
• Transcribe a few key (model) lines in the order they occur in the scene.
• Choose lines that demonstrate typical intonation patterns, contractions, reduced speech, stress patterns, or any pattern with which learners have difficulty. You don’t need to transcribe the entire scene – just a selection of key lines.
• Ask learners to say the selected lines and assist them with intonation, stress and meaning, as necessary.
• Play the segment once to set the scene and for learners to listen and identify where the model lines occur.
• Play the segment a second time, stopping after each model line to discuss the pronunciation, stress and intonation.
• Play the segment again, stopping before each model line.
• Ask learners to say the line in a manner as similar to what they heard as possible (not just to repeat the line for language).
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
A Conversation Book: English in Everyday Life
Speaking of Values: Conversation and Listening
NorthStar: Focus on Listening and Speaking
Mosaic Two: A Listening/Speaking Skills Book
Speaking 2.2.5
Demonstrate ability to use Standard American English in making presentations or reports.
DEFINITIONS FOR 2.2.5
Formal Language: is used for official or serious situations, or for when you do not know the people you are with very well. Example: Please excuse my lateness for this meeting.
Informal Language: suitable for ordinary situations or conversations that are relaxed and friendly. Example: Sorry I got hung up in traffic.
Colloquial Language: similar to informal, but contains regional variations. Example: "The traffic this morning was driving me bonkers." or "Look fellas, I live in the thumb, not the UP."
Basic Conversation Session
• Before your lesson, choose a conversation topic and write 5-10 questions about it.
• Choose a topic based on the level and interests of learners.
• Ask one question at a time, allowing learners to give their opinions or insight on the questions.
• After each question, verify the answer by repeating back, modeling correct word usage, pronunciation, and intonation.
Example: actors
1) Who is your favorite actor?
2) Who is your favorite actress?
3) Would you like to be an actor?
4) Are there any actors you really don't like?
5) Are actors overpaid?
Book Share
• Choose a book or long article you’ve been using for lessons
• Ask learners to talk about the book for 4 minutes; they can discuss anything: characters, plot, what they liked or didn’t like, etc.
• Then tutor discusses the book for 3 minutes, touching on different topics or responding to learner report
• Then learners speak about the book for 2 minutes, adding anything not already covered
• The first time you do this activity, tutors may want to go first to model basic format of introduction, body, and conclusion
Card Conversations
Materials: A deck of playing cards and the questions sheet.
This activity helps give learners conversational confidence and gets them used to answering general questions at a level that resembles normal speech.
• Distribute a specified number of cards to learners (you can play for a specific time or number of cards)
• If learners like the idea of assigning points to answers, award 4 points for a complete answer, 3 points for a reasonable answer, 2 points for an incomplete answer, and 1 point for any answer at all.
Spades (Describing things)
• Ace Describe your face.
• King Describe your clothes.
• Queen Describe your mother.
• Jack Describe your father.
• Ten Describe an apple.
• Nine Describe your bedroom.
• Eight Describe your best friend.
• Seven Describe what you had for breakfast today.
• Six Describe your English teacher.
• Five Describe the difference between a dog and a cat.
• Four Describe a pencil.
• Three Describe your favorite hobby.
• Two Describe this game.
Hearts (what questions)
• Ace What did you have for dinner last night?
• King What did you have for lunch today?
• Queen What is your favorite sport? Why?
• Jack What did you do last night?
• Ten What type of music do you like? Why?
• Nine What is your favorite game? Why?
• Eight What does your mother do?
• Seven What does your father do?
• Six What is your favorite lesson at school? Why?
• Five What did you do last Sunday?
• Four What is your favorite television program? Why?
• Three What would you do if you could do anything in the world?
• Two What is the one thing you would change about yourself?
Clubs (mixed questions)
• Ace What is your address?
• King What time do you usually get up?
• Queen Where did you go for your last trip?
• Jack Where were you born?
• Ten Why are you studying English?
• Nine Which do you prefer, summer or winter, and why?
• Eight Which magazines do you like to read?
• Seven How many hours do you usually sleep at night?
• Six Do you like shopping? Why?
• Five How often do you go to the movies?
• Four What was the last movie you saw?
• Three Would you like to travel to other countries? Why?
• Two How many neighbors do you have and who are they?
Diamonds (if clause)
• Ace If you could have a pet what would it be?
• King If you had a million dollars what would you spend it on?
• Queen If you could meet any person in the world who would it be and why?
• Jack If you could change something about your school what would it be?
• Ten If you had to live in another country which one would you choose?
• Nine If you could do anything in the world what would you do?
• Eight If you could speak three languages well, what would they be?
• Seven If you were rich, what would you do?
• Six If you had to spend a day alone at home, what would you do?
• Five If everyone in the world suddenly disappeared, what would you do?
• Four If you could choose how old you were, how old would you be and why?
• Three If you could choose any meal you wanted, what would it be?
• Two If you found $100,000 what would you do?
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
American Idioms Dictionary
American Slang
BLEEP! A Guide to Popular American Obscenities
What Are These Crazy Americans Saying?
The Idiom Adventure
The Idiom Advantage
Speaking 2.2.6
Maintain a focused conversation.
DICTATIONS FOR DISCUSSION
The activity offers practice for making appropriate conversation in social groups, supporting a point of view, and disagreeing politely.
• Locate or write a brief (1 paragraph) text on a high-interest topic about which learners would have differing opinions.
• Separate the alternating sentences of the text into Part A and Part B, putting the sentences on separate sheets of paper, leaving blank lines between.
• At the bottom of each page, write four discussion questions (use the same questions on both Part A and Part B).
• Put learners in pairs, sitting across the table, or pair as tutor/learner.
• Learners alternately dictate their sentences of the paragraph until both members of the pair have the entire paragraph.
• Remind learners to use clarification strategies during the dictation (Could you please repeat that?
• Please speak slowly. How do you spell that? Is this right?)
• Write some politeness strategies for agreeing and disagreeing (“I get your point, but I think . . .” “I understand what you’re saying, but I disagree.” “That’s a good point.” “We have different opinions about this.” “I see where you’re coming from, but from my point of view . . .”)
• Discuss the questions, using the text as a basis.
Thought Provokers
• Create decks of 10-15 cards or an 11” x 14” paper board game) on which are written level-appropriate thought-provoking statements or questions. (Examples: “Children should be paid for doing work around the house,” “Do you think it is easier to be a father or a mother? “At what age do you think a child should be allowed to go out on a date?” “It’s better to live in the countryside, not in the big city.”)
• Demonstrate to learners how to take turns drawing a card (or rolling a die and moving their piece on the board), reading the prompt aloud and stating their opinion.
• Learners must justify their opinion with at least three supporting statements.
"Where Am I?"
• Learners describe a place they would like to be without telling the name of the place.
• You can give them a few minutes to prepare beforehand, but they shouldn't write out their descriptions.
• Others must guess where the place is, asking questions if necessary.
• You can model this activity with the following description: "There are many people here. Some people are swimming. One little girl is building a sand castle. Where am I?" (Answer: you're at the beach.)
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
Speaking of Values: Conversation and Listening
NorthStar: Focus on Listening and Speaking
Tapestry: Sound Ideas, Advanced Listening and Speaking
Mosaic Two
Speaking 2.2.7
Tell and retell stories sequentially.
Sentence Stems
• Before your lesson, ask learners to decide what they will be summarizing (scene from a move, favorite television program, something they’ve read, etc.)
• Write several sentence stems, or prompts, to help learners outline their summaries (examples include first, next, then, after that, finally, this part was about...)
• Ask learners to orally summarize the piece in roughly 5 minutes, letting them use whatever prompts help them organize their summary.
• Continue doing this every few lessons until learners no longer need the prompts.
Summary Ball
• Before your lesson, ask learners to decide what they will be summarizing (scene from a move, favorite television program, something they’ve read, etc.). Tutors need to watch/read the item as well.
• Bring a light beach ball or other harmless ball that can be tossed about the room with relative safety.
• Tutor begins with the ball and says one short sentence about the item, like how the story begins. Tutor then tosses the ball to a learner, who must continue the summary for 10 seconds, then toss the ball back.
• Play continues until they’ve reached the end of the story summary.
3-2-1
• Before your lesson, ask learners to decide what they will be summarizing (scene from a move, favorite television program, something they’ve read, etc.).
• Ask your learner to describe:
o 3 Things I Learned from what I read/watched/heard
o 2 Things I Found Interesting
o 1 Question I still have
Somebody-Wanted-But-So
Used during or after reading or watching/listening to help learners summarize conflicts and resolutions.
• Before your lesson, ask learners to decide what they will be summarizing (scene from a move, favorite television program, something they’ve read, etc.).
• On a sheet of paper, write four different columns and at the top of each, write Somebody, Wanted, But, So
• Use the sheet as a prompt to help learners summarize; they must identify who wanted something, what they wanted, what conflict arose, and the resolution.
Example:
|Somebody |Wanted |But |So |
|The Big Bad Wolf |Pigs for dinner |They hid in the brick house. |He went hungry. |
| | | | |
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
Main Ideas and Summarizing (short, easy texts used for speaking/listening practice)
Real-Life English
NorthStar: Focus on Listening and Speaking
Speaking 2.2.8
Respond orally to multiple text types.
What Would I Do?
• Choose a text that is appropriate for learners’ interests, vocabulary, and level
• Depending on learners’ skills, either read it aloud or have learners read silently or aloud
• Ask learners to speak for a few minutes about what they would do in the situation described; how would they act differently than the characters, what would they do the same?
• Offer prompts and ask questions as necessary.
Compare and Contrast
• Choose a text that is appropriate for learners’ interests, vocabulary, and level
• Find another text (same level, vocabulary) about the same subject that has a different perspective (example: two articles about climate change, only one from a scientific perspective)
• Depending on learners’ skills, either read them aloud or have learners read silently or aloud
• Ask learner to speak for a few minutes about the differences in the articles; offer that they can write key words as prompts if necessary to help them remember their points.
• Ask questions as necessary.
Let Me Be the Author
• Choose a text that is appropriate for learners’ interests, vocabulary, and level
• Depending on learners’ skills, either read it aloud or have learners read silently or aloud
• Ask learners to speak for a few minutes about how they would change the beginning, ending, or key plot points if they had written the piece
• Learners should justify why they would make the changes
• Ask questions and offer prompts as necessary
• Alternatively, learners describe what they would have happen 20 years after the story ends.
10 Facts
• Choose a text that is appropriate for learners’ interests, vocabulary, and level
• Depending on learners’ skills, either read it aloud or have learners read silently or aloud
• Learners describe ten facts they learned from the item
• Each fact must be presented as a complete sentence, and learners should include details they didn't know before reading the book.
• As a bonus, learners describe something they learned about themselves while reading the book.
Online Resources:
Printed Resources:
16 Extraordinary Persons series
The Contemporary Reader
Pathfinders in Exploration
Community Issues
Shared Umbrella series
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