| Speaking is a productive skill which requires a lot of | | | | every learner is significant as a member and |
| back-up factors like knowledge, confidence, self | | | | contributes to the social ambience. A strong and |
| esteem and enthusiasm. Speaking a second language, | | | | successful community shows cooperation, sharing and |
| particularly, brings about its own prerequisites: | | | | caring. There is also evidence of two-way |
| exposure, consolidation, motivation as well as | | | | communication and group interaction which |
| acknowledgment. Whether we realize it or not, these | | | | consolidates relationship and togetherness. This |
| determinant factors can be made to exist in a | | | | supportive culture will encourage more openness and |
| supportive learning environment of an English as a | | | | acceptance among the members. In such an ideal |
| Second Language (ESL) classroom. | | | | environment, a learner may not have to think twice |
| To beginners, speaking activities can appear more | | | | about speaking up, contributing to discussions or even |
| demanding and even threatening than plain writing. | | | | offering constructive criticism. |
| Compared to writing as an academic skill, you can | | | | To promote more participation among learners, ESL |
| expect a bigger audience for speaking. The audience | | | | teachers can add variety to the speaking contact |
| may also be encouraging or vice versa. Well-behaved | | | | hours. Common activities like group discussions and |
| and attentive audience may be supportive of learners' | | | | group presentations remain as the foundation to the |
| attempt to speak; nevertheless, distracting members | | | | design. With a little take-home assignment on specific |
| will only dampen their spirit to try and speak up. | | | | topics and issues, learners can be encouraged to take |
| As much as learners may dread speaking in a group | | | | part in in-class academic forums where they get the |
| or in front of the class, speaking as a skill is essential | | | | chance to play the roles of experts in assigned areas |
| for acquisition and participation purposes. Nowadays, | | | | and fields. More extrovert learners will appreciate |
| every profession requires some extent of | | | | some debating activities in various styles i.e. British |
| communicative competence and interpersonal skills. | | | | Parliamentary, Australasian, and All Asian. Sometimes, |
| The nature of speaking at the workplace presents | | | | the whole class can be turned into an occasion and |
| itself in various forms: discussions, presentations, | | | | learners assume specific roles of an emcee, the |
| negotiation, and even debates. Professions like medical | | | | chairman ( entails an opening speech), the guest of |
| doctors and IT specialists also require communication | | | | honour (entails a speech) and also special interest |
| with clients, not to mention teaching, journalism, politics, | | | | groups (SIGs) who will ask impromptu questions at the |
| and public relations. In other words, ESL speaking class | | | | end of the event. |
| in this competitive era will have to do more than | | | | At this end, perhaps the ESL learners are not only |
| pairwork speaking practice by the middle of the | | | | participating but also contributing to the lively and |
| semester. | | | | animated learning environment. Some authors call this |
| Once ESL learners can cope with some extent of | | | | approach empowerment and learners' autonomy. If |
| discussion, more room should be given for real-life | | | | we were to provide a social context to the ESL |
| speaking context. This way, learners can be guided | | | | speaking class, we have to rely of learners' active |
| from speaking as acquisition to speaking as | | | | involvement and contribution. |
| participation. Multiple input in the form of language guide | | | | In a nutshell, ESL speaking class nowadays promotes |
| and videotapes of group discussions and meetings can | | | | more participation from the learners in order to prepare |
| be provided for exposure. Real-life involvement in | | | | them for functional roles in society, as well as |
| college activities i.e. organizing events, participation in | | | | employability. The lessons provide a social context that |
| students' forum and social work, may benefit the ESL | | | | position learners as players and the teachers as |
| learners indirectly. | | | | facilitators. By doing so, learners can be better |
| Since language plays a pragmatic and functional role in | | | | groomed to adapt to the demands of the new era |
| our everyday communication, the ESL classroom can | | | | since the emphasis is now moving from speaking as |
| also be perceived as a small community. Each and | | | | acquisition to participation, and hopefully contribution. |