| Especially
for Teachers - About English
Speaking
and Listening
Speaking
and listening have become increasingly important in English courses. Although
these are often the language modes they find most challenging to tackle,
teachers are also keenly aware of the need to do so because of the vital
role oral language plays in students' lives within and outside school.
There
are a number of places in this site where teachers can find information
about developing speaking and listening skills. Below are some useful
starting points.
Teaching
strategies
The table at the top of the Teaching Strategies page identifies the language
modes each strategy calls on. Strategies that are particularly useful
in developing speaking and listening skills include:
Key
Learning Processes
Reflection, negotiation and collaboration are essential learning processes
that both involve and help to develop speaking and listening skills.
Reflection:
Teachers
often find that the kind of review and goal-setting described in Reflection
is useful in helping students focus on their speaking and listening. The
English profile outcomes (in this case the Speaking and Listening outcomes)
can be used to help students to set useful goals.
Collaboration:
Teachers
who actively plan for collaboration create excellent opportunities for
students to speak and listen purposefully and productively. Look here
for a list of the oral communication skills involved in working with other
people and a range of practical ideas for teaching these skills.
Teachers
talk teaching
Most
of the teachers interviewed talk about how they approach speaking and
listening. Below is a brief list of teachers who focus on particular aspects:
Mandy
Paske talks about implementing a whole
school program in speaking and listening and peer and self assessment
in speaking and listening.
Christine
Topfer explains how she uses talking
circles to encourage all students to listen and speak in kindergarten.
Anne
Bloomfield talks about oral presentations and
peer assessment of speaking and listening in grade 8.
Carol
Arnold talks about strategies such as
the community circle and JOY that can be used to create worthwhile opportunities
for speaking and listening within a large group.
Many
of the teachers, including Doug Bruce and Angela Bird,
talk about how they organise their classrooms so that students can discuss
their work easily in small groups.
Judy
Wiggins and Kate Northam and Elizabeth
Robinson talk about how they create a permanent
space within their classrooms for students to gather as a whole class.
They explain how valuable this is in supporting listening and whole class
discussion.
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