In this vlog post for Pavilion ELT, Damien Herlihy turns his focus to the latest issue of the Modern English Teacher (Issue 32.1, (January/February 2023). The theme is ‘Speaking’.

In this episode, he looks at the article, Speaking: What is it and how can we teach it? by Rhona Snelling. Damien shares an anecdote of his own recent language learning to illustrate how learners might feel about speaking, before focusing on the five ‘R’s of teaching speaking that will help boost their confidence in the classroom. As part of the video, he recaps a vlog post he created on practising English outside the classroom and how virtual speaking practice to motivate students to use English orally beyond the confines of the (online) classroom. The ideas shared will provide you with plenty of opportunities for your learners to interact, for you to quietly observe and assess their speaking abilities, as well as ways you can effectively give feedback to encourage your learners and improve their progress. It is one not to be missed!

In other words, there are many ways your learners can get speaking in and out of the classroom – you can also learn about others in the current issue of Modern English Teacher. We would love to know what works for you, how this post is making you reflect on your own teaching and/or which ideas you have found most useful, so do let us know in the comments under the vlog or below our shares on the Pavilion ELT social media.

[C-head] References

Snelling, R. (2023). ‘Speaking: What is it and How Can We Teach It?’ Modern English Teacher, 32.1