Michelle Lees 29 th July 2011. Aims To help students gain more confidence in their speaking...

Michelle LeesMichelle Lees

2929thth July 2011 July 2011

To help students gain more confidence in their speaking abilities

To encourage them to voice and

express their thoughts and ideas in English using the language they have

Focus more on fluency than accuracy

Introduced the idea of the workshop to the students directly

Made posters and gave them to the students to act as a reminder

Put up a poster outside the LLC

Reminded students each week at the end of class about the workshop

Let’s talkWhat: Improve your conversation skills through group discussion and conversation on a range of topics that will change each weekWhen: Thursday 2nd June 2011Who: Students in Professor Latham’s second period English Writing Class IWhy: Do you want to use English one day for work, travel or just for fun? Reading and writing are important skills but so are speaking and listening – especially if you want to become an English teacher or work using English!Where: LLCBring: Your journal

Thursdays 4:30 – 6:00pm

At the beginning of each workshop a strict ‘no Japanese/Korean’ rule was set

Each workshop was set up so students worked in small groups which they stayed in for that workshop.

The groups were in competition with each other for points and prizes

Used group activities which encouraged students to share their thoughts and ideas with each other using language they had

Island survival activity

Charity work

Bank robbery

The perfect university

First workshop: 20 students+ 1 tutor

Second workshop: 8 students + 2 tutors

Third workshop: 5 students+ 2 tutors

Fourth workshop: 8 students+ 1 tutor

Self evaluation questionnaire at the end of the first and last workshop

Comment and opinion sheet at the end of each workshop

What spoken level of English did you feel you were at before? And now?

Do you enjoy studying English more than before?

How confident did you feel in speaking to students/teachers before? And now?

What spoken level of English do you think you are at now?

The majority of students felt more confident in their own abilities

In spite of language difficulties e.g. gaps in knowledge, misunderstandings etc students were able to keep conversation flowing

I could observe positive changes in student’s attitudes e.g. more willing to ask for help, asking questions, more outspoken

‘I want to be an English teacher so I want to be good at English’

‘I don’t like English. But I like English now!’‘I enjoyed every time! I started enjoy talk in

English!’‘[We] don’t speak Japanese, so we have to do

our best’‘I don’t ever have a speaking chance. I want

to communicate with other student in English’

‘

In a short period of time it is possible to change the attitudes of students

Students are willing and eager to practice what they learn

Students want more opportunities to speak English

Students can stick to rules and instructions if you enforce them

Students understand how important it is to be able to communicate in English