NCTE 2021

Most people learn a new language because they want to be able to speak it, so it is logical that teachers would focus on speaking in their classes. It is also true that you can't speak a language well without a good grasp of grammar and vocabulary, so it is also logical that teachers would focus on grammar and vocabulary in their classes. Most teachers, unfortunately, focus on grammar (with a little vocabulary thrown in incidentally) and then include some speaking activities. To help our students go beyond their comfort zone and push themselves to do more so they will improve their English speaking, we need activities that will help us achieve these goals. In this presentation, we will consider characteristics of speaking activities that are more likely -- but not guaranteed -- to increase student production of English. While some of today's information comes from research findings, we will focus on what is realistic and practical for most teachers. Participants will leave today's talk with a concrete list of successful speaking activities that they can either implement as is or adapt to their local situation.