Why is it Vital to Maximize Our students’ Oral Production?

                                                              By Mayra Yaranga

It may seem obvious to say that students should be given the opportunity to speak as much as possible in language class. Although “TTT” has become a sort of monster that we should avoid at all costs, the truth is that it remains high in our lessons. Let’s revisit some of the rationale behind maximizing our learners’ talking time:

For students, there are several clear benefits of speaking repeatedly in class. First of all, the classroom is the safest setting where learners can practise what they have been learning in class. Teachers should correct mistakes which impede communication and provide feedback on the speaking activities so that students can reflect on what they did well or not. Furthermore, practising speaking from very basic levels –-with carefully graded activities and language patterns, of course-- can boost the students’ confidence and prepare them to face greater challenges in the real world. Finally, when activities, interaction patterns and degrees of challenge vary from lesson to lesson and within lessons, students will need to adjust their effort to meet the demands of the language class.

Teachers can also see benefits in having their students talk most of the time. Obviously, this has a very positive impact on classroom dynamics, because the students become the centre of attention; what they say is the most important thing, much unlike the traditional “let-me-tell-you-about-my-life” teacher that we’ve all had at some point. Lessons in which the students are doing most of the talking are less predictable and the teacher will have the chance to try different activities or techniques to cater for their groups. This extra effort, which may seem exhausting in the long run, can be truly appreciated by students in the end. Let’s not forget that the result of a good class will always be identified in students’ production. If we decide to show off our command of the language and not provide chances for experimentation, we are talking to ourselves, not teaching.

All in all, leading a change in class towards helping our students to maximize their oral production sounds logical though very challenging; nonetheless, we should not neglect it.

It’s your turn

What do YOU think?

What do you do to maximize your students’ oral production in class?

Biodata

Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed Doctorate studies in Education at UNIFÉ; Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and Identity from Roehampton University (London) revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s Degree in Education - UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada - IPNM. Currently she is Cambridge Oral Examiner and Member of the Research Area for Universidad del Pacífico Language Centre. She is also ESP coordinator and Pre-University Centre Director at UNIFÉ.

ENGLISH SUMMER COURSES FOR CHILDREN

By  María de la Lama

Summer is the  time of the year in which many parents enroll their kids in English  summer courses. So, it’s a very good opportunity to reflect a little bit on the process kids go through when learning a foreign language. Let me share with you some of the findings on the topic.

Are your activities meaningful?

Carry out    activities that   make sense and are relevant to your students. The activities as well as the materials used need to be meaningful. Unless information carries meaning, children will not be able to acquire the language. 

The following checklist will help you to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities conducted in class:

	Yes/No
Was the activity  meaningful for them?
Did it have the right degree of difficulty? (not too easy nor too difficult)
Did the children have fun?
Did the activity arouse children’s  curiosity?
Did it help them to develop their thinking  skills?
Did they use English to do something real?
Did it help them to develop a feeling of achievement?
Did the activity involve more than one skill?

ü  Have you included enough variety?

As we know, not all individuals learn in the same way. When we vary the format of our lesson activities, we maximize learning opportunities for all our students.

ü  Did they have a chance to build on previous knowledge?

Children need a chance to work things out from what they know. So, continuous recycling of previous learning contents in different contexts is really important.

ü  Do your students remain seated during class?

If your answer is yes, stop doing this! Kids need to move since movement and exercise make our brain work better.

ü  How is  your rapport with your students?

Students’ emotions impact on the quality of their learning.  Always work on building a supportive learning environment. Also, remember that each class should aim to increase their self confidence in learning languages.

What about you? 

Do you have any other ideas to share?

BIODATA:

DE LA LAMA, MARIA, Bachelor in Education, has a master's degree in Applied Linguistics and a Bachelor's in Linguistics, both obtained at the University of California, Davis. She also holds an MBA from Universidad del Pacífico. She currently serves as the Director of the Language Center at Universidad del Pacífico.