Techniques for Improving Oral Techniques for Improving Oral Communication SkillsCommunication Skills

Johanna Katchen Johanna Katchen ((柯安娜柯安娜 ))

National Tsing Hua University, National Tsing Hua University, TaiwanTaiwan

katchen@mx.nthu.edu.twkatchen@mx.nthu.edu.tw

http://mx.nthu.edu.tw/~katchenhttp://mx.nthu.edu.tw/~katchen

Student SkillsStudent Skills

Reading is usually their best skill; Reading is usually their best skill; this is useful for reading textbooksthis is useful for reading textbooks

Memorize grammar rulesMemorize grammar rules Speaking and listening skills often Speaking and listening skills often

not very goodnot very good

Society’s NeedsSociety’s Needs

More tourists, so more jobs in the More tourists, so more jobs in the service industry demand English service industry demand English speaking skillsspeaking skills

More international trade and More international trade and professional contacts, so professional contacts, so professionals need Englishprofessionals need English

More international studentsMore international students

Computer dealers may need to sell Computer dealers may need to sell or repair English operating systemsor repair English operating systems

Doctors and nurses may have to Doctors and nurses may have to treat injured or ill tourists or foreign treat injured or ill tourists or foreign residentsresidents

Taxi drivers and store clerks deal Taxi drivers and store clerks deal with touristswith tourists

Many more needsMany more needs

What techniques can we use to What techniques can we use to motivate our students to take motivate our students to take

more interest in developing their more interest in developing their listening and speaking skills?listening and speaking skills?

Using Video in ELTUsing Video in ELT

For years we have been using For years we have been using videotapevideotape

With modern technology, we have With modern technology, we have DVDs and digital recordingDVDs and digital recording

What do we do with video?What do we do with video?

Showing videos to studentsShowing videos to students Videotaping student activitiesVideotaping student activities

Advantages of Using VideoAdvantages of Using Video Input in target languageInput in target language Naturally used language (although Naturally used language (although

scripted), varieties (regional, scripted), varieties (regional, socioeconomic, ethnic, gender, age), socioeconomic, ethnic, gender, age), levels of formality, etc.levels of formality, etc.

Show nonverbal behaviorsShow nonverbal behaviors Show cultural artifacts and behaviorsShow cultural artifacts and behaviors Appealing, colorful, story line Appealing, colorful, story line

motivatingmotivating

Purposes for Using VideoPurposes for Using Video

To provide language inputTo provide language input To provide a stimulus for language To provide a stimulus for language

output—speaking or writingoutput—speaking or writing To illustrate pragmatic and To illustrate pragmatic and

nonverbal behaviorsnonverbal behaviors To illustrate elements of cultureTo illustrate elements of culture To teach content, media literacy, To teach content, media literacy,

etc.etc.

Authentic LanguageAuthentic Language Different varieties—regional, Different varieties—regional,

ethnic, age, genderethnic, age, gender Situational differences—level of Situational differences—level of

formality, social positionformality, social position Individual differences—speed of Individual differences—speed of

speech, voice quality, speech, voice quality, talkativeness, clarity, situation talkativeness, clarity, situation (e.g. on telephone, with food in (e.g. on telephone, with food in mouth)mouth)

What are Authentic Tasks?What are Authentic Tasks?

Watching moviesWatching movies Watching sitcomsWatching sitcoms Watching news storiesWatching news stories Watching travel showsWatching travel shows And so forth … And so forth …

Listen and comprehendListen and comprehend Write down some key Write down some key

informationinformation Talk about what we Talk about what we

heard with othersheard with others Summarize it in a letter Summarize it in a letter

or e-mailor e-mail

Might practice note-taking, Might practice note-taking, comprehension questions, ticking offcomprehension questions, ticking off

May also do less authentic things in May also do less authentic things in the classroom for practice, such as the classroom for practice, such as filling in the blanks of a transcript to filling in the blanks of a transcript to focus on lexical or grammatical focus on lexical or grammatical usageusage

DANGER: don’t overteach transcriptDANGER: don’t overteach transcript

Strategy UseStrategy Use

Using background knowledge to fill Using background knowledge to fill in gaps in information—educated in gaps in information—educated guessingguessing

Prediction—what will happen next?Prediction—what will happen next? Use knowledge of genre typeUse knowledge of genre type Use knowledge of context/situation Use knowledge of context/situation

and human natureand human nature

Asian students tend to decipher Asian students tend to decipher word by word, bottom-upword by word, bottom-up

Turn off sound and force them to Turn off sound and force them to read the nonverbal behaviour and read the nonverbal behaviour and imagesimages

Look at how nonverbal behaviour Look at how nonverbal behaviour as well as paralinguistic as well as paralinguistic (intonation, stress, volume) modify (intonation, stress, volume) modify the meaning of the wordsthe meaning of the words

Comprehensible InputComprehensible Input

Many EFL materials do not Many EFL materials do not challenge students—they just challenge students—they just memorize and pick over the text memorize and pick over the text word by wordword by word

Students and their teachers fear Students and their teachers fear authentic material is too hardauthentic material is too hard

The teacher can choose film clips The teacher can choose film clips and design activities such that and design activities such that students are challenged but can students are challenged but can complete the activities—e.g. with complete the activities—e.g. with the same clip beginners can listen the same clip beginners can listen and just check off a list of things and just check off a list of things they heard; higher level students they heard; higher level students can answer completion questionscan answer completion questions

Careful and appropriate pre-Careful and appropriate pre-teaching helpsteaching helps

Multiple IntelligencesMultiple Intelligences

Gardner 1983. Frames Gardner 1983. Frames of Mind: the Theory of of Mind: the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.Multiple Intelligences.

Tatsuki 2001. Multiple Tatsuki 2001. Multiple Intelligences and Video.Intelligences and Video.

Use of video and film in relation Use of video and film in relation to multiple inteligencesto multiple inteligences

To profile multiple intelligences—To profile multiple intelligences—view a complex film and then view a complex film and then debrief; which features of the debrief; which features of the segment were attended to?segment were attended to?

Film may provide an alternative Film may provide an alternative route to understanding a concept route to understanding a concept (good teachers provide (good teachers provide explanation/illustration in more than explanation/illustration in more than one mode)one mode)

Linguistic—videotape storytelling Linguistic—videotape storytelling and provide immediate feedbackand provide immediate feedback

Logical mathematical—illustrations Logical mathematical—illustrations of physics concepts (DVD, CD-of physics concepts (DVD, CD-ROM)ROM)

Visual spatial—stop film Visual spatial—stop film and predict what will and predict what will happen next; students happen next; students make videotapes or make videotapes or documentaries instead of documentaries instead of written reportswritten reports

Bodily kinesthetic—Bodily kinesthetic—student uses remote student uses remote control; using moving control; using moving images to illustrate images to illustrate conceptsconcepts

Musical—interactive Musical—interactive video disks (e.g. video disks (e.g. Beethoven’s Ninth Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: see score as Symphony: see score as it is played, hear it is played, hear individual instruments, individual instruments, read about composer)read about composer)

Uses of the Video CameraUses of the Video Camera

Primary purpose—students see their Primary purpose—students see their performances and self-critique, see performances and self-critique, see non-fluencies, nonverbal behaviours, non-fluencies, nonverbal behaviours, etc. They can track their improvements, etc. They can track their improvements, see their good performances and be see their good performances and be proud of them.proud of them.

Secondary purposes—(1) don’t have to Secondary purposes—(1) don’t have to grade in class, can grade more grade in class, can grade more thoroughly later; (2) use the best thoroughly later; (2) use the best examples as teaching materialsexamples as teaching materials

After teaching the new unit (process, After teaching the new unit (process, comparison and contrast, cause and comparison and contrast, cause and effect, etc.)effect, etc.)

Students say by seeing the example Students say by seeing the example speeches, they have a good idea what I speeches, they have a good idea what I want them to dowant them to do

Why Use Previous Student Why Use Previous Student Speeches?Speeches?

They are not perfectThey are not perfect However, most native speakers cannot However, most native speakers cannot

speak as well as the best native speaker speak as well as the best native speaker examples. Why should we expect more of examples. Why should we expect more of our students?our students?

It is not necessary for our students to be It is not necessary for our students to be perfect speakers, but it is possible for perfect speakers, but it is possible for them to be reasonably them to be reasonably effectiveeffective speakers speakers

Seeing peers, previous students Seeing peers, previous students they may know, students who they may know, students who have been where they are now—have been where they are now—is motivating.is motivating.

Students get ideas from seeing Students get ideas from seeing what previous students have what previous students have done, and they are motivated to done, and they are motivated to do even better. do even better. “I can do that.” “I “I can do that.” “I can do better than that!”can do better than that!”

What to ModelWhat to Model Introductions and conclusionsIntroductions and conclusions Working with audio and visual materialsWorking with audio and visual materials Using Power PointUsing Power Point Types of speeches—process (show and Types of speeches—process (show and

tell), also comparisons, descriptions, tell), also comparisons, descriptions, argumentationargumentation

When will students view the When will students view the video?video?

In-class? In-class? What about individual embarrassment and What about individual embarrassment and

face?face? Will the rest of the class be bored?Will the rest of the class be bored? In conference with the teacher?In conference with the teacher? Make sure you tell them something Make sure you tell them something

positive about their performances. Help positive about their performances. Help them build up their confidence.them build up their confidence.

Out-of-class?Out-of-class? What kind of guidance will you give What kind of guidance will you give

students?students? All students think they look terrible at All students think they look terrible at

first. Encourage them.first. Encourage them. Show students how videotaping is a tool Show students how videotaping is a tool

for future improvement.for future improvement. Have them look for one good point and Have them look for one good point and

one point they would like to improve one point they would like to improve next time.next time.

What Can Students See?What Can Students See?

Their fluency or hesitationsTheir fluency or hesitations How well they preparedHow well they prepared Their gestures and other nonverbal Their gestures and other nonverbal

behaviourbehaviour Their use of audiovisual aidsTheir use of audiovisual aids Their interaction with their audienceTheir interaction with their audience

Uploading to the InternetUploading to the Internet Most important question: How Most important question: How

much space do you have?much space do you have? Our school gives each professor Our school gives each professor

500MB shared among personal 500MB shared among personal website and e-mail. It’s not website and e-mail. It’s not enough for my coursesenough for my courses

If one uses the school’s e-learn If one uses the school’s e-learn (Blackboard), each course has (Blackboard), each course has 500 MB500 MB

Real Media using the free Real Real Media using the free Real Player compresses more, 1 Player compresses more, 1 MB/minute, quality is not so good MB/minute, quality is not so good for language teaching materials and for language teaching materials and students have complained about students have complained about thisthis

Low quality Windows Media gives Low quality Windows Media gives about 3 minutes per MB, but the about 3 minutes per MB, but the quality is even worse. Recently I quality is even worse. Recently I have used medium quality (about 5 have used medium quality (about 5 MB per minute) to show student MB per minute) to show student speeches and students have said it speeches and students have said it is acceptable.is acceptable.

PodcastingPodcasting

Most often this refers to making your Most often this refers to making your own internet radio programs what own internet radio programs what can be downloaded to an iPod or MP3 can be downloaded to an iPod or MP3 player; can include video player; can include video

Students practice their speaking Students practice their speaking skills and have a purpose for skills and have a purpose for speaking; sort of like an audio blogspeaking; sort of like an audio blog

All you need is a computer with All you need is a computer with speakers and a cheap microphone. speakers and a cheap microphone. Can record one’s voice with the Can record one’s voice with the Sound Recorder on your computer, Sound Recorder on your computer, other free software like Audacity, or other free software like Audacity, or downloadable podcasting software.downloadable podcasting software.

An excellent article for advice: Yeh, An excellent article for advice: Yeh, Aiden, (2006) Using Podcast for Oral Aiden, (2006) Using Podcast for Oral Skills, Selected Papers from the 15Skills, Selected Papers from the 15thth International Symposium on International Symposium on Language Teaching, pp. 609-617. Language Teaching, pp. 609-617. Crane.Crane.