MODERN APPROACHES IN TEACHING SPEAKING:Activities to Promote Speaking

1. Discussions

1.1. The students may aim to arrive at a conclusion, share ideas about an event, or find solutions in their discussion groups.

1.2. students learn how to express and justify themselves in polite ways while disagreeing with the others

1.3. this activity fosters critical thinking and quick decision making

1.4. the students should always be encouraged to ask questions, paraphrase ideas, express support, check for clarification

2. Storytelling

2.1. Story telling fosters creative thinking

2.2. helps students express ideas in the format of beginning, development, and ending, including the characters and setting a story has to have

2.3. Students also can tell riddles or jokes. In this way, not only the teacher will address students’ speaking ability, but also get the attention of the class

3. Interviews

3.1. Conducting interviews with people gives students a chance to practice their speaking ability

3.2. not only in class but also outside and helps them becoming socialized

4. Picture Narrating

4.1. This activity is based on several sequential pictures

4.2. Students are asked to tell the story taking place in the sequential pictures by paying attention to the criteria provided by the teacher as a rubric

5. Role Play

5.1. Students pretend they are in various social contexts and have a variety of social roles

5.2. the teacher gives information to the learners such as who they are and what they think or feel

6. Story Completion

6.1. This is a very enjoyable, whole-class, free-speaking activity for which students sits in a circle

6.2. Each student is supposed to add from four to ten sentences

7. Simulations

7.1. Simulations are very similar to role-plays but more elaborate

7.2. students can bring items to the class to create a realistic environment

7.3. Simulations are entertaining, they motivate the students

7.4. they increase the self-confidence of hesitant students, because they will have a different role and do not have to speak for themselves

8. Picture Describing

8.1. give students just one picture and having them describe what it is in the picture

8.2. This activity fosters the creativity and imagination of the learners as well as their public speaking skills