Fostering Independent Learning through Fun and Engaging Speaking Activities

Fostering Independent Learning through Fun and Engaging Speaking Activities

Zeydan, Sultan

In the communicative model of language teaching, we should help our students develop authentic practice for real-life communication situations. The main objective of this session is to introduce a series of innovative and creative classroom activities increasing students’ motivation and confidence to speak more voluntarily inside and outside class. In this session I will demonstrate various speaking activities to be used all year round. The session starts with a fun ice breaker activity whose purpose is to warm up the conversation both in the session, and later on, in our classes. A picture is drawn on the board and the presenter invites the attendees to ask her some questions about the picture, which is only aim is to get information about the presenter. Afterwards, the attendees do the same activity in pairs, and later share what they have learned from each other to the others. The second activity, Fast and Faster, is a competitive and enjoyable game in which the attendees will have to speak faster at each lap to tell the key topics to their partners, which provides a meaningful communication with the least amount of correction. The next activity called “Mandatory Speaking” (The Practice of English Language Teaching, pg. 347) is based on fluency-based approach. In this activity the attendees will be given a speaking grid on which their names are written. Each box in the speaking grid stands for one minute conversation. Besides, the numbers show the order of the conversation that they need to follow when the presenter gives a topic. Lastly, I will show an activity depending on headline news and interview questions that the attendees will create their own stories (Teaching Unplugged, pg. 38). Half of the class line up with their own front pages, the other half stand in front of a partner to ask him/her questions to learn more about their headline. After a minute or so, the questioners rotate until they have spoken to each headline-holder.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2012-05-04

1046