I’ve focused much attention on teaching speaking in an ESL class. Due to my working experience in tackling with IELTS speaking module, I’ve encountered with some interesting ideas about teaching speaking.
1. The importance of logical organization in producing discourse. With well organized structure, same discourse could be easier understood by listener, which to certain degree enhanced students’ communicative competency on a sustained linguistic level. Communication is a two way interaction with speaker and listener and effective communication indicates effective exchange of information. One example of this would be, when being asked to talk about advantages and disadvantages of certain topics, an answer which lists advantages than disadvantages would be easier to follow than an answer which tends to hop over advantages and disadvantages randomly.
2. The importance of discourse marker. Due to lacking knowledge of applying “filler” in a conversation, students tend to have no choice but remain silent while encountering difficulties while organizing discourse. Applying discourse marker in communicating can help students to achieve higher fluency and obtain more real life English practice.
3. The importance of seeking common backgrounds in understanding. While trying to convey an image or idea through speaking, it would be more effective through projecting that against a common knowledge background with the listener, such as using metaphor. This common knowledge background would definitely help listeners better understand discourse. One example would be: “He is a very famous businessman in my country, just like Bill Gates in yours.”
4. The importance of utilizing L1. Although we encourage students to think in English rather than translate L1 thinking in their mind, this seems to be an inevitable process among low level English learners. Tense anxiety on attempting to organizing discourse with English thinking easily distracts students’ attention on what they want to say. I’d encourage low-level students try to organize ideas with L1 first, than try to express the gist through L2. After all, if they don’t know what to say, how to say it won’t be a problem at all.
5. The importance of identifying different discourse modes. The introducing of discourse modes to students would enable them to be more function-focused while producing discourse. For different modes, different purpose leads to particular style of discourse. For example, modes for describing procedure would have more demands for logical structure while modes for explaining would focusing more on eliciting causation.
Having students aware and practice these skills, which seems more like communicative competency than linguistic competency, not only can help hem produce more effective discourse on a sustained English level, but also can help them build up confidence in further study in English.
