IDIOMA EXTRANJERO II (INGLS)

Learning to speak in English

THE INITIAL STAGES
It is important that children leave their first few lessons with some English to 'take away'. It is therefore useful to begin an English programme by teaching children vocabulary, for basic concepts, such as numbers, colours, and so on, which can provide the basis for subsequent activities. First lessons often focus on teaching simple greetings and introductions, for example, Hello! What's your name?/My name's ./This is ... Pupils could be given English names, although they should be allowed to keep their own name if they wish. Where possible, give the closest English equivalent, or anglicize a name, for example, Mehdi/Meddy: the learning of English names provides pronunciation practice. Teaching pupils a few rhymes and songs at the beginning of their course will also give them the impression that they are learning to speak English quickly. It is also important to find out about pupils' previous language learning experience and attitudes to English. Thus many language programmes begin with a lesson to help pupils understand why they are learning English. For example, they may be asked to think of famous people who speak English; where English is spoken in the world; and so on. They may also be asked to think of any English words they know, such as hamburger, steak sandwich tennis, football, jeans, hotel, taxi, television, etc. Their attention can be focused on how these words are pronounced in comparison with their own language. This will provide a useful Introduction to the features of English pronunciation. The aim of this type of reflection is to heighten children's awareness of the use of language and to build up their confidence by making them realize how much English they know already.

FORMULAIC LANGUAGE
In the early stages of learning, not much spontaneous speech can be expected from pupils. Much of the English they will learn to produce in the initial stages will be what is known as formulaic language. This consists of routines or patterns which children memorize and which enable them to communicate with a minimum of linguistic competence. As this type of language is repeated regularly, children learn it quickly and have the impression that they can speak a lot. Such language consists of: simple greetings: Hello! How are 'you?/ I'm fine, thank you. And you? . social English: Did you have a nice weekend?/ Have a nice weekend! routines: What's the date? What's the weather like today? classroom language: Listen. Repeat. Sit down. Work in pairs. Good. Its your turn. Be quiet! asking permission: Pupils can be encouraged to do this if you prepare five or six cards with common requests written on them, for example, Can/May I go to the toilet? Can I clean the board? Can I wash my hands? Can I put the book away? etc. Attach these to a board at the front of the class. Each time a child wishes to ask one of the above questions, he/she must take the appropriate card and ask you the question. This will combine reading with speaking practice and can also be used throughout the school day and not just during the English class. communication strategies: If you want children to use English as much as possible in the classroom, it is important that they learn a number of phrases to enable them to participate and maintain communication in English, for example: Can you say that again, please? How do you say ... in English, please? What does...mean, please? I don't understand! Can I have a , please?

By hearing this language over and over again, children learn to use it and soon realize that certain questions and requests can be made in English. Very often, pupils will tell other pupils to listen if they are chatting or to sit down if they are moving round. These phrases could also' be written out in speech bubbles and stuck around the classroom.

IDIOMA EXTRANJERO II (INGLS)

SPEAKING PRACTICE
Speaking practice in the early stages of learning will mainly be initiated by the teacher and will often consist of simple questions and answers. However, many games provide pupils with opportunities to initiate conversation.

FEATURES
Below is a list of common activities which provide opportunities for pupils to learn to speak in English. The features of these activities include the following: Activity type Activities range from those which offer controlled practice to those offering communication practice. Fun Games, songs, rhymes, interviews, and so on provide a less formal context for practising English and often provide 'hidden' practice of specific language items. Memory skills are developed and the pupils are thus given chunks of language that they can take with them out of the classroom. Interaction patterns It is important that interaction patterns in the classroom are varied as much as possible to avoid the situation where it is always the teacher who asks a question and the whole class who replies. Other interaction patterns include: teacher/individual pupil; individual pupil/teacher; pupil/pupil, for example, pupils speaking in turn in front of the class; whole class working in pairs or groups at the same time. Response Activities range from those which require a one word response to those requiring whole sentences or dialogues. Confidence building Activities should allow all pupils to participate according to their ability and stage of learning. Accuracy/Fluency Some activities should allow for practice in accuracy, others for fluency. It is important that children know which aspect an activity is developing and why they are corrected more in activities focusing on accuracy than they are in those focusing on fluency. Amount of talking time Each pupil in an average class of twenty-five pupils will have very little time to speak English if exercises are always done around the class, with each pupil saying one sentence. This would also become very boring. Pupils will have many more opportunities to practise speaking if opportunities are built into lessons for pupils to work together in pairs or groups. They then feel much more involved in a lesson and it helps them to learn to work together.

ACTIVITIES
The speaking activities shown in the chart progress from those which provide tightly controlled practice to those which provide freer communication practice.

ORGANIZING SPEAKING
Some of the activities described below require pupils to work together in pairs or groups or even to move around. Consideration will need to be given on how to arrange the classroom in order for these activities to be carried out smoothly.

IDIOMA EXTRANJERO II (INGLS)

Pupils may also like to record themselves from time to time and listen to their recordings afterwards. For example, activities such as retelling a story could be recorded and played to pupils in other classes. Most pupils find this activity very motivating and it can help them become aware of the structures and vocabulary they are using and of certain aspects of English pronunciation, such as stress, rhythm and intonation, pace and voice variation. Ideally, a quiet area or comer in the classroom is needed for the recording to take place. This could be integrated into the 'listening comer'.

IDIOMA EXTRANJERO II (INGLS)

SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Activity type
1 Look, Iisten and repeat The teacher shows a picture, says the word and pupils repeat: Look! An elephant. Repeat! When the teacher is satisfied with her pupils' pronunciation, she can move on to another word. Once several new items have been introduced, the teacher can check by showing a picture and asking. What's this? and pupils reply. 2 Listen and participate Examples of this are often found in storytelling sessions or when rhymes or poems are recited in class. Pupils are encouraged to participate by repeating key vocabulary and phrases.

Purpose

Materials
Picture cards, for example, animals, food, colours, actions, clothes Word cards, as above

To

introduce new vocabulary or structures The same technique, using a word card Instead of a picture card will provide basic reading practice

To Involve pupils actively when

listening to stories or rhymes

Storybooks, rhymes, riddles, poems.

To provide a meaningful and

familiar context In which to repeat language items

3 Reading aloud Some games, like phonetic Bingo or Snap, require pupils to read words or sentences aloud. 4 Memory games Games like 'I went to market and bought ... and Chinese Whispers require children to repeat a certain structure or word.

To

practise pronunciation and sound/letter combinations

Bingo boards and cove cards Snap cards

To develop memory skills To practise pronunciation To provide hidden pattern

practice

Short spoken messages or lists of items

To improve concentration and

listening skills , 5 Dramatization A story or situation can often be acted out, thereby involving pupils in a variety of different English related activities such as learning lines, making costumes and props, making posters and invitations.

To provide a memorable
occasion for practising spoken To develop confidence

Storybooks Scripts (optional) Various materials for related activities

To develop memory skills To provide Integrated skills

practice

6 Rhymes, action rhymes, songs, chants These are learnt as chunks of language and involve pupils In imitating and miming. Rhymes or songs with actions also provide exercise and encourage body control. 7 Retelling a story This activity involves pupils In retelling a .simplified version of a story. Children can often be helped in this activity with picture prompts or by matching speech bubbles with pictures.

To develop memory skills To provide pronunciation practice To consolidate or introduce new

language

Rhymes, songs, chants

To check if pupils have

understood the main events in a story To provide pronunciation practice as well as some storytelling techniques, such as disguising the voice, alternating pace and so on

Storybooks Captions written on cards or in speech bubbles, picture prompts

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8 Look and ask This activity is often used to prepare pupils for freer activities such as pair work or questionnaires and surveys. The teacher can use a picture to prompt a pupil to ask a particular question. For example, the teacher gives a picture of three oranges to a pupil and instructs him or her to ask another pupil: Benjamin, ask Mary. Benjamin shows Mary the picture and asks, How many oranges are there? Mary replies. The teacher then asks the class. Is that right? 9 Guessing games These types of games usually involve pupils in asking questions or describing something or someone. For example, pupils draw a picture of an animal or think of an animal they would like to have as a pet, without showing the class. The class must guess what it is: Is It a cat? and so on. Pupils can also describe someone In the class without saying his or her name: She's got long hair. She's wearing a red pullover, and so on, and the other pupils must listen and guess: Its Sarah! 10 Information gap These activities are usually carried out in pairs or groups and often involve pupils in asking and answering questions. One partner has some information that the other does not. The aim is to find out what this is in order to complete a task. 11 Questionnaires and surveys Pupils interview other classmates about, for example, their abilities, their likes and dislikes, and collate the information on a chart. .

To provide controlled practice

were pupils are focusing on producing the correct grammatical form and pronunciation'

Picture cards, for example, fruit, objects, clothes

None

To provide a realistic context for

practising the pronunciation of specific structures

To

give pupils a chance to work independently of the teacher To practise fluency

Worksheets for pupils A and B (1)

As above and To practise listening skills

Worksheets for pupils to complete. (2)

To use the Information collected

for a specific purpose

12 Roleplay Roleplay provides an opportunity for language that has been presented in one context to be used In another. For example, pupils could act out a shopping dialogue, making use of the shop corner

To provide fluency practice To extend language use

Pupils may be given role cards. (3)

IDIOMA EXTRANJERO II (INGLS)

(1) Information gap

IDIOMA EXTRANJERO II (INGLS)

Work in pairs. Do not show each other your worksheet. Pupil B begins. Ask pupil A, How many lemons are there? Pupil A reply, There are 7 lemons Pupil B completes the chart. Continue. When you have finished, check the answers with each other. (2) Worksheets for pupils to complete
Do you like ...

me Tom Sarah

X X

(3) Role cards

Pupil A Pupil B

You want to buy some bread

You havent got any bread

customer

shop assistant

THE PRIMARY ENGLISH TEACHERS GUIDE. Jean Brewster, Gail Ellis and Denis Girard.