For most EFL learners, the English lesson is their only opportunity to practice English. Once they leave the class, they have no opportunity to speak or communicate in English. That’s why the teacher should dedicate enough time during the class to teach and develop their speaking skills giving them as much time as possible to speak and communicate orally using English.
In this respect, a teacher should consider the following principles when teaching and developing speaking in his/her students.
1. Creating Realistic Situations
It will help the students if they practice and use English in a realistic situation. The teacher should think of a situation where the type of language he wants to introduce is commonly used.
2. Engaging All Students
When teaching speaking, the teacher should see the classroom as a community. The students should communicate with each other, and not only with the teacher. The teacher should think of ways to engage all the students and make them speak with a reason to do so.
3. Supporting the Qualities of Spoken Language
When we speak our own language, we sometimes use different ways to communicate, to make sure people understand us and that we understand them. For example, we ask someone to repeat, or use different body language … students should learn to do the same when they speak a foreign language and teachers should support these qualities when teaching speaking.
4. Personalizing Speaking Topics
It will be easier for students to speak in a foreign language about topics they are interested in: Personal topics and topics close to their lives. The teacher should think about his students’ lives and interests when he plans to teach and develop speaking.
5. Creating an Unfearful class
A lot of students are afraid of speaking in class, they are too shy, or they don’t want to make mistakes. It is the role of the teacher to create a friendly class where students feel happy and relaxed. It encourages them to speak without fear or hesitation.
6. Planning Different and Various Types of Speaking Activities
It is a good idea to plan two types of activities: one where students practice vocabulary and grammar in a more controlled way, and another type where students can speak freely.
Why Students Don’t Speak In EFL Classes?!!
“Mute English learners” is a phenomenon prevailing in many EFL classes. These kinds of learners are not low achievers. They may be able to read and write English well but as a result that many EFL teachers neglect to teach or promote the speaking skill in their students, they find it difficult to speak and some of them are reluctant to participate in speaking activities. Consequently, they became unable to communicate in English orally with ease and comfort.
Drawing on these considerations and in order to show EFL teachers how to teach their students to speak in the best way possible, I’ve created a new eBook:
Teaching Speaking to EFL Learners – Practical Activities to Promote Speaking in EFL Classes
I included in it enough practical activities (which can be applied in EFL classes easily) to promote students’ speaking, together with some suggestions to overcome the problem of students’ reluctance to speak in the classroom.
In addition,
I included the most important characteristics of spoken English that a teacher should be aware of to support his/her students’ speech. Moreover, I tackled, in brief, some important points to consider when assessing students’ speaking in the classroom.
Of all the four skills, speaking seems to be the most important language skill since students who speak a language well can communicate well both orally and in writing, and good speakers always prove that they are good listeners and readers.
However, teaching and developing EFL learners’ speaking skills is a real challenge for many EFL teachers.
If you want to overcome this challenge, and achieve success with your students in the journey of teaching and developing speaking in your students, this eBook will help you FOR SURE.
(https://elttguide.com/6-principles-for-teaching-speaking-in-efl-classes/#)
