Teaching English speaking at the beginning stage

There are more approaches, e.g. the topic approach, which can be useful for teaching speaking (17).

2.2 The Topic Approach

The topic approach begins with a subject that is of relevance and/ or interest to the learners and then designs activities for learner that will involve them in investigating that topic and using language as an integral or central part of that investigation. Advocates of the topic approach suggest that learner will be more likely to be motivated to use the new language if their attention is focused on a topic or subject that they have an interest in or care about. Language objectives are thus integrated with content study (14).

2.3 Penny Ur's activities

Penny Ur (11) offers a variety of types of oral activities, including communication games, but also including a wider variety of group activities. These she classifies into three main types: brainstorming activities, organizing activities, and compound activities.

There are several subtypes under each category. We offer some examples of each in the accompanying list.

Brainstorming activities

- Guessing games: guess the object/ profession/ country; (clues: first sound or letter; a piece of mime; strange picture; a puzzle clue).

- Finding connections: between incongruous prompts (verbal or pictorial); combining elements into story; finding things in common.

- Ideas from a central theme: listing objects with the same qualities; listing different uses of the same object; associations; what will you need; characteristics (e.g. of a good teacher, or a car).

- Implications and interpretations: doodles; pictures; sounds; faces; foreseeing results; explanations for strange situations.

Organizing activities

- Comparisons: odd man out; categorizing.

- Detecting differences: picture differences; alibi.

- Putting in order: picture sequence; sentence sequence.

- Priorities: rating; survival games; features and functions.

- Choosing candidates: grant-winners; heirs; prisoners; victims; teachers.

- Layout problems: animals in a zoo; dinner placings; marital pairings.

- Combining versions: combining two or more similar texts into one which will make sense.

Compound activities

- Composing letters

- Debates

- Publicity campaigns

— Surveys

— Planning projects.

The most useful and important for elementary students are Organizing activities and Brainstorming activities.

3. Practical part

There are some practical activities and parts of different lessons, which show how to use tips from theoretical part of the work.

3.1 The Communicative Approach: Shapes

A fun way of exploring the concepts of colour, shape and size in a foreign language is illustrated in the following graded series of activities around theme of «shapes».

1. In groups the children are given a variety of mathematical shapes of different colour, both large and small. These can be cut out paper shapes. The first activity is simply to ask the children to sort the pieces of paper into sets. Interestingly some children will not only sort them into sets (the same colour, the same shape or the same size) but will simultaneously sort them into sub-sets - colour, shape and size.

2. They are then asked on what criteria they sorted the pieces of paper and they are required only to say согласно size, colour, shape.

3. The teacher then asks each group to bring a variety of shape, colours and size, for example, bring me please two red big circles, three small green triangles and one big yellow квадрат. At this point normally the children (or adults) start to remonstrate that (a) the teacher is talking too fast or (b) there is too mach to remember and this provides the teacher with the opportunity to talk about various strategies they might adopt to overcome these perceived difficulties. These might include repeating «silently» in their heads what the teacher is saying, whilst simultaneously looking for the required shapes, and so on. It might include each child in the group assuming responsibility for a particular shape or colour or size. When the strategies have been discussed in each group and responsibilities allocated, the game is played again - this time without a hitch and accompanied by lots of laughter.

4. The children are asked to pick out a given shape, for example, a big green triangle. Thereafter they have to form a line of 10-15 shapes changing one element each time, for example a big green circle or a small green triangle. When they have completed the task they say I change size or I change colour or I change form.

5. Now they are asked to make a line of 10-15 shapes changing two elements each time. On this occasion they would say, for example, I change colour and size or I change form of colour and an end or I change size and colour. This provides quite a demanding task for some children and for some adults - not linguistically, but conceptually, and it is revealing that the foreign language here is servicing development in mathematical concepts and not being used solely as an end in itself! There is much more intensity of motivation in having to access the foreign language in order to come to terms with something here and now. They are acquiring new subject-matter through the medium of the foreign language.

6. The children then make a picture using some of the shapes they have in front of them - this might be a clown, a house, a street with vehicles - anything! Once the pictures are complete, the children move around the classroom looking at and admiring their classmates' compositions, commenting favorably on what they see - it is stipulation of the activity that all comments should be positive and favorable (it is nice / pretty / amusing).

7. Finally each group has to present its picture and be prepared to answer any questions which teacher or other pupils might ask. The degree of fluency, accuracy and range will vary greatly, but it provides the children with the opportunity to recycle and revisit many of the language areas previously presented and practiced, for example, name, age, likes and dislikes, colours, habitat, and so on. At this point there is frequently a breakdown in the children's ability to talk: they want to say much more than they have the resource for and this is one of many object-lessons in language acquisition - it is a normal stage in linguistic development and one that we as teachers should neither shirk from acknowledging nor discussing with them. Because motivation is high, because they are engages there is a greater likelihood that they will incorporate some of the coping language which they will undoubtedly have been taught. How do you say…?

Finally, in this section on developing the skills of speaking, it would be unwise not to mention the child's love of language and sounds and the role we have as teachers in encouraging this playing with language (3).

3.2 Three example lessons

The first lesson: Talking about my room (Using here is / there are / is there…? / are there…?)

Pre-teach or revise items of furniture and right, left, top, bottom and if a teacher hasn't already taught these, «there is» and «there are».

The children should sit in pairs back to back. If this isn't possible the teacher can use large card or their books to 'hide' the individual child's work.

Each child draws their ideal room or favorite room in their house on the top half of a large sheet of paper. They should not show anyone.

On the bottom half of the paper, each child draws an empty 'box'

Children take it in turns to describe their room/ draw their partner's room on the paper.

The teacher then comments on content and does a small amount of correction.

The second lesson: Parents (Using adjectives which describe character / comparatives)

Pre-teach or revise 10 character adjectives e.g. kind, fair, intelligent, honest etc.

Write the list on the board.

Ask the children to decide which 8 qualities are important in a parent (or teacher).

Each child writes their own individual list of 7 in order of importance.

Children then share their lists in pairs and try to agree on one list.

Children can then work in groups of four together and see how similar or different their lists are.

Get group representatives to give feedback to the class.

The teacher can then comment on content and give a small amount of correction if necessary.

The third lesson: Teenage advice (Using: should)

Find or write a simple story about a teenager with a 'problem'. The story should be believable and should include a number of decisions. Leave it open-ended.

Cut the story into four or five separate paragraphs so that at the end of each section there is a decision to be made.

Children then work in groups of four, with a chairperson.

Give out the first paragraph. Children read and decide for themselves what they think s/he should do.

Groups then compare ideas.

Get some brief open class feedback from around the class, but don't correct errors.

Do the same with each paragraph, with feedback after each section. Monitor throughout.

Final feedback on what s/he should do at end of story from group representatives (19).

3.3 The Direct Method: How to teach the names of subjects

Among the first lessons to be given to beginners are those that teach the names of common objects. Many and repeated opportunities must be given for

seeing the objects and hearing their names,

seeing the objects and saying their names,

pointing to the objects on hearing their names,

answering such questions as What's this? What's that? What are these? etc.

That is to say, the pupils must so associate the objects with their names that when they hear the name they think of the object and when they see the object they think of its name. All lessons that teach the names of objects come under the heading of «Lessons based on the question what?»

The usual procedure is as follows.

I The teacher first selects a number of objects, in batches of say from 10 to 20.

If he chooses too many at a time, the pupils are likely not to remember them all; too many words at a time results in «mental indigestion».

If he chooses too few at a time, the lesson is likely to be monotonous.

The objects should be chosen wisely. They should be in the first instance the commonest and most general objects - the things we talk about very often and not the things we talk about rarely.

Teach for instance, tree before shrub, head before eyebrow, stick before twig, etc.

The objects may be

those that are usually to be found in the place where the lesson is given, e. g. door, window, knife, match, book; or parts of the body and articles of clothing.

those collected specially for the purposes of the lesson, e. g. a stick, a stone, a nail, a piece of wire, a piece of string, etc.

those represented by pictures, such as those printed on picture cards or wall charts, or by rough drawings on the blackboard.

The teacher shows or points to each object in turn and names it. He says the name clearly (but naturally) three or four times.

He should say, for instance pencil as we usually say the word, not pen-sill; or garden (rhyming with pardon) and not gar-den.

It is usually considered better and more practical to put a (an) or the before the name. Thus, not simply table or chair, but a table, a chair or the table, the chair.

But a, an, the (and other similar words) should be pronounced naturally as in ordinary speech, and not as ay, Ann, or thee.

2. The teacher shows or points to the same object saying this time

This is a book (pencil, button, etc.).

This is an envelope (umbrella, etc.).

That's the door (window, etc.).

It is usual to say This is a for small objects close to the teacher, and That's a for larger objects a short distance away from him.

While a (or an) can be put before the objects, it is usual to speak the door, the window, the table, the floor, etc. meaning the one table, window, floor, etc., which belongs to the room. Much must be left to the judgment of the teacher, who will in each case use what seems to him the most natural form.

Some teachers prefer to use from the very start This is a book, This is an envelope, That's the - table, etc., instead of merely book, a book, table, the table, etc.

Such words as this and that should always be accompanied by a suitable gesture, thus:

This (tapping or holding up the object) is a,

That (vigorously pointing to the object) is the

So far the pupils have been listening and looking; they have been receiving words and sentences and not giving them.

Some teachers at this point would begin making the pupils say the words and sentences or answer the question What's this? But it is generally considered wiser to give the pupils more chances of hearing and recognizing words before they are called upon to speak. Other teachers even go so far as to spend several lessons on. listening practice before allowing the pupils to say anything. Their point is that the more the pupils have heard the words and sentences repeated the more easily and correctly they will speak when the time comes. And indeed if pupils are forced to say words before they have properly «digested» them, they will generally say them with great difficulty and not at all in the English way.

He will then proceed to the questions for yes or no answers. In all examples of questions and answers the words printed in italics are to be emphasized or stressed.

Is this a book? Yes, it is.

Is this a pencil? No, it isn't

Is this a pencil? Yes, it is.

Pupils generally find it amusing when they hear the teacher (when pointing to, a table) ask himself: Is that a button? and before long will themselves call out: No, it isn't.

Then he can continue by asking himself «alternative questions» and answering them.

Is this a book or a pencil? It's, a book.

Is this a pencil or a button? It's a button.

Is that the window or the door? It's the door.

Finally he should ask and answer a «series» of three questions for each object always in the same order and in the following way:

Is this a book? Yes, it is.

Is this a pencil? No, it' isn't

What is it? It's a book.

Is that the door? Yes, it is.

Is that the window? No, it isn't

What is it? It's the door.

etc.

Such «series» of questions and answers should be executed in regular drill-like manner so that the «pattern» of the sentences stands out in a distinct rhythm.

As we shall see later, this «series drill» is of great importance, and the teacher would do well to practise the system until he can execute it (or cause it to be executed) without the slightest hitch of hesitation. It is comparable to the commands and movements of military drill in which the succession of movements is carried out in perfect order and with machine-like accuracy.

Note that:

Question One is to obtain yes as the first word in the answer.

Question Two is to obtain no as the first word in the answer.

Question Three is to obtain the main answer.

Note which words in the questions and answers are stressed or put into prominence. The success of the drill depends largely on this.

Note also that the rise or fall of the voice must be natural:

Is this a book? (Voice rises on book.)

Yes, it is. (Voice drops on is.)

Is this a pencil? (Voice rises on pencil.)

No, it isn't (Voice drops on isn't)

What is it? (Voice drops on is.)

It's a book. (Voice drops on book.)

Such «series» and indeed all drill-like question-and-answer work should be used as indicated and not varied by the substitution of Indirect for Direct questions (see pp. 8-10). Indirect questions may be introduced later, when the pupils have practised the Direct form until they are thoroughly familiar with it.

4. When the pupils have had sufficient opportunity to hear the words and sentences (and to grasp their meaning) they are called upon to say them.

In the first instance they may repeat them after the teacher

Teacher Pupils

a book a book

This is a book. This is a book.

That's the table. That's the table.

Next they must answer the questions:

Teacher	Pupils
Is this a book?	Yes, it is.
Is this a pencil?	Yes, it is.
Is this a button?	Yes, it is.
Is that the table?	Yes, it is.
etc.	etc.
Is this a pencil?	No, it isn't,
Is this a button?	No, it Isn't.
Is this a book?	No, it isn't.
etc.	etc.
What's this?	It's a book.
What's this?	It's a pencil.
What's this?	It's a button.
etc.	etc.
Is this a book or a pencil?	It's a book.
Is this a pencil or a button?	It's a pencil.
Is this a button or a book?	It's a button.
etc.	etc.
1. Is this a book?	Yes, it is.
2. Is this a pencil?	No, it isn't
3. What's this?	It's a book.

When the pupils are proficient in answering such questions in more or less drill-like form, the question may be asked in irregular order:

Pupils

Teacher

What's Ms? It's a stone.

Is that the table or the floor? It's the table.

Is that the window? No, it isn't.

Is this a match? No, it isn't.

What's that? It's the wall.

At a certain moment (this depending on the aptitude and proficiency of the pupils) various pupils in turn will be called upon to play the part of teacher, and will carry on the work of naming and questioning - the objects and types of questions being of course those with which they are familiar.

At the end of the lesson the list of suitable words is given (17).

3.4 The Topic Approach: Animals

In thinking about animals the following content might be identified:

· Kinds of animals;

· Physical characteristics of animals.

Beginning with this content, it would then be possible to identify specific language-learning goals, which would be that children would be able to:

· Identify a variety of animals by name (This is/That is a ___.)

· Describe animals according to their size (It's big, small, etc.), colour (It's brown, white, etc.)

The learners could use what they already knew as they worked with the subject matter of animals in English as they increased their English abilities. The activity, which is described below, is appropriate because it involves children actively, because allows children and teacher work together and learn from each other, and because paired and group work provide for the social interaction and the experimentation with language that are central parts of language development.

Pairs of children receive cards with pictures of animals on them, but not al the pairs receive the same animals. One at a time, the teacher holds up a card and names an animal, saying for example: «Here is a picture of a horse. Who else has a picture of a horse?» all of the pairs who have a horse give the cards to the teacher, and teacher and children can count the number of horse cards that were distributed around the room. This activity may be repeated several times as a way of introducing the names of different animals. The cards could also be used for paired games such as Concentration or Memory, where children take pairs of cards, turn them upside down and mix them up, and then take turns trying to match the pairs by turning over two cards at a time. To make language essential to the game, a rule is that when you find a pair you have to identify the animal. Additionally, animal bingo games could be constructed to identify particular animals within the context of participating in a game that is fun.

The activity just described is tied both to the topic of animals and to the language goals set out previously. The focus of this activity has been listening and speaking - that is, children's understanding and production of spoken English. (14).

3.5 Language learning games

· Bingo - Use numbers, letters of the alphabet, or word families: furniture, fruits, sports, jobs, colours, actions

· Memory - Put 10 everyday objects on a tray. Say what they are in English, cover them. Can your child remember what's there and tell you in English? You can also use photos from magazines or newspapers of different word families.

· Alphabet Game - Say a letter of the alphabet. Can your child find an animal, something to eat, etc. beginning with that letter? Or ask your child to write five words beginning with one letter.

· Spy - Say that you are thinking of something beginning with a letter. Your child has to guess what it is. Example. «I spy with my little eye, something beginning with W.» «Is it water?» «No.» «Is it Window?» «Yes!»

· Twenty Questions - Think of an object or animal. Your child has to ask questions to find out what it is. Example: «Is it big?» «No.» «Is it very small?» «No.» etc…

· Definition Game - Give your child a definition, they have to guess what you're defining. Example: «It is very big and it has a long nose.» «Is it an elephant?» «Yes!»

· Treasure Hunt - Your child has to find the things, or follow the clues you've written in English (21).

Conclusion

To sum up our work we just want to say that it is very important to teach English speaking to children from the very beginning of their learning. As we have said children are transplanted to a foreign environment and pick up the local language with apparent ease. Adults are also can be taught in spite of their age.

In our work there were described psychological peculiarities of children and adults, examined different techniques and methods of teaching speaking, revealed how to deal with mistakes in oral speech.

There is also a big sum of different activities, which are very useful for every English teacher, who works with elementary students, children and adults.

There were used materials from different English books for teachers, materials from Internet. They are theoretical and practical, such as descriptions of different games, lessons, activities.

There is a good help for teacher in putting marks to speakers, giving the appraisal to learners while their speech. We have known about adult's attitude to teachers, their motivation sphere, and how children can be motivated to learn and to speak.

We have viewed such techniques as The Direct Method, which is based on questioning; The Communicative Approach, which is based on group work and work in pairs; The Topic Approach, which is based on giving topics to learners to make them speak; Penny Ur's oral activities, which include brainstorming activities, organizing activities, and compound activities.

After such researching work we have been convinced of actuality of this theme because when a teacher comes to the class of beginners he does not know what to start with, how to work with those who know nothing about English. And a lot of researchers and pedagogies found and write different techniques for us, young specialists, to help us in working with beginners. Speaking is important and difficult skill, which should be learned how to teach it to learners at the elementary stage of English teaching.

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18. www.englishteachersforum.com. Motivating young children to learn English. By Shelley Vernon

19. www.englishteachersforum.com. Don't get disheartened when you have to teach beginners.

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21. www.englishclub.com Learn English: Young Learners

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