| What do you do when students don't want to put that | | | | presenting statements that are not true about |
| extra mile to do a speaking presentation, so they get | | | | themselves, and then asking their friends to decide |
| cold feet and read from their notes just to get by. | | | | whether they are true or false. Students have a lot of |
| Improving speaking skills takes a lot of classroom | | | | fun with this one. |
| practice, motivation to speak, and skill. Sometimes it is | | | | 2. Play Adjectives All Around! Students have one |
| necessary to think beyond the box, adding creative | | | | minute to present all the adjectives they can in a |
| elements wherever possible depending of course, on | | | | sentence. |
| the skills of your students and how open they are to | | | | 3. This person is |
| creative thinking. | | | | ___________. |
| Improving the speaking skills of your students may be | | | | 4. The other student then tries and guess who the |
| difficult, but the added benefit is building confidence in | | | | person is. Make sure they include a minimum of five |
| students for speaking skills and strategies. Even though | | | | adjectives and no more than seven or eight. A |
| the professional years are still way in the future, help | | | | teacher can use this activity to draw the students' |
| your students by starting small. Teach both speaking | | | | attention to the different categories that make up an |
| and listening activities, sometimes even in one lesson, | | | | adjective. |
| while preparing them for that future presentation. That | | | | Additional Tips for Improving Speaking Skills |
| way, students don't feel the pressure and burden | | | | *Allot a time limit for each and every speaking activity. |
| when it comes their turn to present a presentation due | | | | Take into consideration those activities that involve |
| to remembering the fear of those earlier years during | | | | either group or pair work. |
| those speaking activities. | | | | *Keep the activity fun and simple. Make sure the |
| Teaching Activity Using Speaking Activities | | | | instructions are also crystal clear. |
| 1. Use picture prompts. Depending on the variety of | | | | *Don't overdo speaking activities in one lesson. |
| visual resources and class level and ability, a teacher | | | | *Make sure you aim for a balance between speaking |
| can brainstorm with the class a variety of sentences, | | | | and listening. |
| (key) words, and phrases around a particular category | | | | *Have a back-up plan for the entire class and for |
| or situational context that is the building block for a | | | | individual students who are withdrawn. |
| presentation. | | | | *Always reflect on what can you do as a teacher to |
| 2. Follow-up with a memory game or exercise. | | | | help students improve their speaking skills. |
| Students then work in pairs writing down or translating | | | | *The more diverse and creative your speaking |
| the words they remember. | | | | activities become, the easier it will be for you to train |
| Effective Teaching Continues | | | | your students to improve their speaking skills and |
| 1. Another teaching activity involves asking questions or | | | | speaking exercises will become much more automatic. |