<![CDATA[iTeach: Blog Orsolya Reinbold-Matyas]]> https://iteach.ro:443/pg/blog/orsolya.reinboldmatyas/archive/1472677200/1475269200?view=rss https://iteach.ro/pg/blog/orsolya.reinboldmatyas/read/64056/study-types-of-oral-fluency-activities Sun, 11 Sep 2016 14:48:15 +0300 https://iteach.ro/pg/blog/orsolya.reinboldmatyas/read/64056/study-types-of-oral-fluency-activities <![CDATA[Study - Types of oral fluency activities]]> Of the four skills, speaking seems to be the most important, after all we ask people, “Do you speak English/Spanish/German?”. Classroom activities that help to develop learners’ ability to express themselves effectively through speech would seem to be an essential component of any language course. But what do we mean by a ‘successful’ speaking activity:
- good choice of words?
- accurate grammar?
- fluency?
Characteristics of successful speaking activity:
1. Learners talk a lot: the time allowed is filled with learner talk
2. Participation is even: the discussion is not dominated by one or two learners, they all have the chance to speak.
3. Motivation is high: learners are eager to express their feelings and ideas because the topic is motivating and attractive.
4. Language is on an acceptable level: learners express themselves in a language that is relevant, accurate and on an acceptable level.
What about correction? Most teachers agree that correction inhibits the learner or breaks the flow of the activity. It is best to take notes and discuss them at the end of the task. The teacher may even teach the theoretic aspect of some typical errors.
It is very important how the teacher organizes group-work. In order for all learners to participate fairly equally the teacher has to give each member of the group specific roles and check occasionally whether they achieved the target. It is also a good idea to limit the time each learner can speak, because some learners tend to speak more and also deviate from the topic.
It is not enough to make learners speak. Listening is also very important. Speakers need feedback that motivates them and also makes them realize what mistakes they had made. Speakers become listeners and listeners become speakers. It is the case of presentations, because many teacher complain about learners not paying attention to the presenter. Teachers in such situation should work on presentation techniques and skills. I good idea is to let the class choose the topic, so that they become engaged during a presentation and they feel free to ask questions and activate the entire presentation.
It can be very frustrating for learners not to be able to express themselves in the target language. One solution is to do as much free speaking activities as possible and encourage learners to make meanings from the language they have. They can also use mimics, body talk and other ways of making themselves understood. Fellow learners may jump in and help others, because there is hardly any group of learners that are not mixed level. Some learners have a wider vocabulary then others, some have good grammar skills.


Type of activities:

1. Ranking: learners rank qualities/ideas on a particular topic and explain their choice. This is free talking and gives the learners opportunity to express their own ideas and feelings.

2. Conflicting opinions: learners discuss two conflicting opinions about the same topic in groups, come up with a list of pros and cons, and then try to convince the other group that their opinion is valuable.


No matter the type of activities, whether they are task-based or topic-based speaking activities, the aim is to engage learners in speaking freely, as naturally as possible and try not to inhibit them with regular corrections. Teachers have to be observers and only intervene when is absolutely necessary. The key to successful speaking is topic. The topic has to be interesting, suitable for the age of the learners and according to their interests.

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