How to improve the speaking task

Question

Hi,I have a student who doesn't know English. She is at the elementary level and is so insistent on improving her speaking task because of her job. I started teaching her from the very beginning, but she still insists on speaking.Am I doing the right thing? How can I improve her speaking task more at this level?I appreciate any help in advance,Iman

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

imantaghaviAm I doing the right thing?

You haven't told us what you are doing.

Imantaghavi · Answer

Hi Dear Mistre Micawbre,
As I told you I started teaching her from the beginning, including Grammar,Speaking,Listening,Writing,... from Total English Books. But she still insists on learning to speak. I told her without learning English(Grammar,Vocabulary,...) it is impossible to be able to speak.
She brought some sample sentences in a piece of paper. Those sentences were some of the useful sentences common in social conversations such as an airport or in a shopping center which lets her speak in different circumstances in public.

So, am I doing the right thing?

Thank you in advance,

Iman

Mister Micawber · Answer

imantaghaviI told her without learning English(Grammar,Vocabulary,...) it is impossible to be able to speak.

That is not really true (except for the vocabulary). Native speakers learn to speak without any grammar training or vocabulary lists. I have a student who communicates adequately without being able to pronounce a single word written on paper.

imantaghaviShe brought some sample sentences in a piece of paper. Those sentences were some of the useful sentences common in social conversations such as an airport or in a shopping center which lets her speak in different circumstances in public.

These are one way to start, but memorization only carries a student so far, also. You cannot memorize a language. You rightly should let the student know this.

imantaghavi Total English Books

Those are typical ESL textbooks and are as competent as any, I suppose. They include speaking activities, and the teacher and student must speak to each other in virtually all the other activities as well. If the student is unhappy, you need to emphasize the speaking portions and minimize, even omit, other activities in each lesson.

A happy student is a productive student, and the skill of the instructor is in catering to the student's perceptions while making the most of them to introduce what the student really needs along the way.

Imantaghavi · Answer

Yeah you are right, but my student is learning English as a second language and as you said I told her that she can't learn English by memorizing some limited number of sentences.
Thank you very much for your comprehensive explanation.
I do not know how to thank you for your time.

Warmest Regards,

Iman

ForeignMan · Answer

Iman, my suggestion to you is that never go for teaching grammar to those who want to learn English for communication. What you have to actually do is that let them find some sort of connection with the language. Tell them to watch movies, listen to music, speak with English speakers if it is possible. Then in each session, work on the interesting expressions from the movies that they have watched before, find out what the actors say in those parts that it is hard for your students to figure out what they are saying, and then tell them what they are actually saying. Teach them some idioms and slang terms. Forget about the grammar, and instead keep talking to them, make conversation, a lot of conversations I mean, Speak rapidly and teach them how to use words in their mouths like the native speakers do. Create some controlled situations for them, like they are at a supermarket, or a bank, and they have some sort of problems, and tell them how they can get along using English. Don't start with boring grammar lessons, cause you will both risk scaring them away, and also waste their time, cause usually these kind of learners, are looking for fast results, and only want to utter their sentences like they do on rap songs, and they want to learn how to do this in less than a month.

Cheers,
good luck with the teaching man.

Imantaghavi · Answer

Hi ForeignMan,
That's what my student want. FAST LEARNING !
But she can't speak a word in English. She needs to learn a little English first. I can not expose a starter to movies and stuff. Those can deflect her or make her frustrated.

cheers,

Iman

Mrigyank · Answer

"Here are a few tips which I learnt while undergoing language training. I hope this tips will help you also in improving your English:

1) Listen and watch: Keep listening to internet radio stations like BBC, watch TV shows in English (use only subtitles).

2) Write and communicate: Try to find discussion forums from the web about things that you find interesting and FUN (music/various artists, hobbies, etc.) and start communicating there with other people using only English.

3) Buy yourself a proper dictionary, and each time when you see a strange word that you do not understand, look it up. "

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