Speaking Skills for English Language Learners

McVeigh p. 2

Literacy New York April 17, 2010

Spring Tutor Symposium Joe McVeigh

Saratoga Springs, NY

Speaking Skills for English Language Learners

Needs assessment

· Who are your students?

· What do they want to do that they can’t do?

· What do you need to know to help them?

Power tools

· Using language to get more language

· Making recordings

· Writing things down

Listening and pronunciation basics

· Distinguishing sounds – minimal pairs

· Word stress

· Sentence stress and reduced forms

· Basic intonation patterns

Cultural differences

· Nonverbal communication

· Directness (and indirectness)

· Language differences & interference

Working with speaking

· Controlled to less controlled activities

· Repetition and drills

· Dialogs

· Information gap activities

· Free conversation

· Who is doing most of the talking?

Questions and discussion

Useful resources

Power tools

I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you said.

Could you please repeat that?

I’m sorry. I don’t speak English very well.

Could you please speak more slowly?

What does ______mean?

How do you pronounce this word?

How do you spell that?

How do you say ______in English?

Tutoring record sheet

Name ______Date ______

Pronunciation / Expressions / Grammar
Vocabulary / Presentation / non-verbal / Notes

Minimal pairs

shoe chew light right tree three

this diss made mate birth Bert

ship sheep bet bat moon moan

1. He went for a ride on a (sheep/ship.)

2. Ann can’t (shell/sell) the corn.

3. Norma wants to (race/raise) horses.

Word stress

today pencil yesterday tomorrow

On a Diet

First she gave up smoking.

Then she gave up gin.

Then she gave up chocolate cake.

She wanted to be thin.

Then she gave up breakfast.

Then she gave up lunch.

On lazy Sunday mornings

she even gave up brunch.

No matter what she gave up,

Her skirts were very tight.

‘Cause she ate twelve cans of tuna fish

For dinner every night.

Working with speaking

Controlled ß------à Less controlled

I’m going to drive to the supermarket.

Tomorrow morning I’m going to drive to the supermarket.
Resources: Books for Students

Adelson-Goldstein, J., & Shapiro, N. (2008). Oxford picture dictionary (2nd ed.) New York: Oxford University Press

Carver, T. K., Fotinos-Riggs, S.D., with Lynn, S. (2006). A conversation book: English in everyday life (4th ed.) White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.

Graham, C. (1978). Jazz chants: Rhythms of American English for students of English as a second language. New York: Oxford University Press.

Molinsky, S. J., & Bliss, B. (2000). Side by side (3rd ed.) White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.

Murphey, R., with Smalzer, W. R. (2000). Grammar in Use Intermediate with answers (2nd. Ed.) New York: Cambridge University Press.

Palmer, A. S., Rodgers, T. A., with Winn-Bell Olsen, J. (1985). Back and forth: Photocopiable cooperative pair activities for language development.. Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center.

Reed, M., & Michaud, C. (2005). Sound concepts: An integrated pronunciation course. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Resources: Books for Tutors and Teachers

Bailey, K. M., & Savage, L. (Eds.). (1994). New ways in teaching speaking. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.

Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd. Ed.) White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.

Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M., with Griner, B. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd Ed.) New York: Cambridge University Press.

Cowan, R. (2008). A teacher’s grammar of English: A course book and reference guide. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Dalle, T. S., & Young, L. J. (2003) PACE yourself: A handbook for ESL tutors. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.

Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching (4th Ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Longman.

Lane, L. (2010) Tips for teaching pronunciation: A practical approach. White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.

Parrott, M. (2000). Grammar for English language teachers with exercises and a key. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reynolds, D. W. (2010). One on one with second language writers: A guide for writing tutors, teachers, and consultants. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.

Swan, M. (2005). Practical English usage (3rd. Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Swan, M., and Smith, B. (Eds.) (2001). Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems (2nd Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Thornbury, S. (2005). How to teach speaking. Harlow, UK: Pearson Longman.

Download an electronic copy of this handout and other resources at www.joemcveigh.org/resources.