TEACHING T 0 SPEAK Language skills do

TEACHING T 0 SPEAK

Language skills do not exist in isolation. Speaking, as well the other language skills, is an integrated one. The use of any skill may lead to the use of another. Presentations of language material, reading and listening are followed by speaking and writing. The main thing is to integrate these skills in real life as effectively as possible, to create a mechanism, which leads to the activity of different skill. In such a way we provide the learners with a reason for exercising, motivate them to carry out different communicative tasks.

The Procedure of Teaching to Speak

It is rare for people who study a foreign language not to have desire to speak it. Most children equate learning English with learning to converse it and they want immediate results. They expect to be able to express in the foreign language their thoughts, emotions, to communicate in English with other people.

At the first lessons nearly all children are strongly motivated to learn and they need to be given opportunities to speak English as soon as possible. If a teacher fails to engage them into speaking activities the pupils begin to regard English as classroom mental gymnastics, rather than as a means of communication.

Speaking is the most demanding skill for the teacher because it is rather doubtful to involve children into conversation when they know some words and structures or nothing of the English language. Nevertheless it is important that pupils leave their first lessons with some target language.

It is useful to begin teaching with simple greetings and introductions. For example, Good morning! Hello! What’s your name? My name is… They listen to the first teacher’s instructions and can use them in their speech: Sit down! Stand up! Ect. As this type of language is repeated at each lesson, children learn it quickly and use in everyday speech.

Elementary learners and beginners require recycling of language material, therefore the teacher provides the learners with opportunities to practice it, first, separately through pre-communicative activities, which follow presentation and consist of drills and questions-answer practice. It is essential that they recycle this language very frequently so they do not forget the material they have learned at the previous lessons.

As soon as the pupils have mastered presented patterns they can use them in the controlled conversation. Controlled activities can be made communicative if the pupils talk about real events and their own opinions.