Module 2: Speaking for Better Communication

Objectives

• enable teachers to help their students develop the ability to speak English effectively and with confidence;

• help teachers develop activities to encourage students to express themselves fluently using appropriate grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation;

• enable teachers to help students organise their ideas logically and to present them appropriately in various communication situations;

• help teachers make their students understand the importance of performing language functions in English such as requesting, greeting, clarifying, apologising, inviting and so on; and

• encourage English teachers to collaborate with teachers of other subjects to develop students’ academic skills such as oral presentations, extempore speech, debate, etc.

Outcomes

• teach students how to express themselves effectively using appropriate grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation;

• show students how to describe people, events and objects appropriately in English;

• teach students how to perform common language functions in social situations, such as making a request, asking for clarifications, giving and accepting invitations and so on; and

• help students develop their oral skills for academic purposes (making presentations, participating in debates, extempore speech, group discussions and so on).

How long?

You will need approximately 15 weeks to finish this module — eight weeks for formal study and seven weeks for self-directed study — to complete all the recommended activities.

This is a distance learning programme, thus the time frame is flexible and largely self-directed.

Study skills

As an adult learner your approach to learning will be different from that of your school days: you will choose what you want to study, you will have a professional and/or personal motivation for doing so and you will most likely be fitting your study activities around other professional or domestic responsibilities.

Essentially you will be taking control of your learning environment. As a consequence, you will need to consider performance issues related to time management, goal setting, stress management, etc. Perhaps you will also need to reacquaint yourself with such things as essay planning, coping with exams and using the Web as a learning resource.

Your most significant considerations will be time and space; that is, the time you dedicate to your learning and the environment in which you engage in that learning.

We recommend that you take time now — before starting your self-directed study — to familiarise yourself with these issues. There are a number of excellent resources on the Web. For example:

• http://www.how-to-study.com/

The “How to Study” website is dedicated to study skills resources. You will find links for tips on study preparation (a list of nine essentials for a good study place), taking notes, strategies for reading textbooks, using reference sources and coping with test anxiety.

• http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html

This is the website of Virginia Tech’s Division of Student Affairs. You will find links to tips on time scheduling (including one called “Where Does Time Go?”), a study skill checklist, basic concentration techniques, how to take control of your study environment, note taking, how to read essays for analysis and tips on developing memory skills (“Remembering”).

• http://www.howtostudy.org/resources.php

Another “How to Study” website with useful links to learning about time management, efficient reading, questioning/listening/observing skills, getting the most out of putting your knowledge into practice, memory building, staying motivated and developing a learning plan.

The above links are our suggestions to start you on your way. At the time of writing these Web links were active. If you want to look for more go to www.google.com and type “self-study basics,” “self-study tips,” “self-study skills” or a similar combination.

Help

Contact your Google Group support email, SMS number or your tutor.

Group email: orelt_tutors@googlegroups.com

Assessment

• Each unit of this module consists of a self-assessment activity. The assessments are for self-development purposes and need not be submitted to anybody. The goal of the module is to develop your teaching-learning skills, not to test you.

• Assessment is also meant to encourage you to think about and devise some innovative teaching practices that could make your teaching more exciting and relevant to your students.

• All assessments are to be completed at the end of every unit. You may cross-check your answers with your colleagues.