Lecture Oral English and English

Learning
 meatbag, surrounding chess, stone
oil, talk love,
 What do you play?
 It’s my duty.
 You’d better leave now. (S to a
foreigner)
 You are not interested?
 -Yes. (He is in fact not interested.
No.)
 1. The need to improve oral English
 2. Receptive skills vs productive skills
 3. How to improve oral English
 4. Learner’s role
 5. What is good speaking?
 6. Strategies
 1. The need to improve oral English
 Xu Lanying (2006) conducted a survey with
246 sophomore students at Zhejiang
University. The results also indicate that
speaking is the weakest skill and the skill
students want to improve the most, and for
which they need the teachers’ help the most.
The following are specific data: 62.6% of the
students think their weakest skill is speaking,
writing comes next (20.3%), and then listening
(13.8%) and reading (3.3%).
 Speaking (58.1%) also ranks first when asked
which skill they want to improve the most,
compared with listening 17.9%, writing 13.4%
and reading 10.6%.
 As to the skill that they want teachers to help
improve the most in the classroom, speaking
also ranks first with a percentage of 56.1%,
compared with listening 17.9%, writing 17.1%
and reading 8.9%.
The four skills from the students’ viewpoint (expressed as the percentage of
total population)

70
60
the weakest skill
50
percent

40
30 skill students
want to improve
20
most
10
0
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C:

D:
B:
A:
 2. Receptive skills vs productive skills

 Receptive skills: involve reading and

listening
 The learner is receiving the written or spoken
language
 Productive skills: involve speaking and
writing
 The L is producing the language.
 Their relation:

 Receptive skills are the prerequisite

of productive skills. They provide the
input.
 But exposing Ss language input is
not enough. They should also have
the opportunities to activate the
knowledge they obtain via
understanding the input.
 Language production allows Ss to
rehearse language use while
receiving feedback that allows them
to rehearse language use while
receiving feedback that allows them
to adjust their perceptions of the
language.
 Using the language frequently also
helps to turn passive voc into
active voc.
The integration of the 4 skills

 The 4 skills are interrelated. In many

cases, people employ a combination
of skills at the same time to
communicate with each other.
 Can you provide some examples?
 Without reading and listening, we
cannot get a “feel” of the language;
without speaking and writing, we
cannot internalize the language.
 3. How to improve oral English

 Input Hypothesis:
 Krashen’s Input Hypothesis claims that
humans acquire language in only one way—by
understanding messages, or by receiving
“comprehensible input.”
 Swain’s Output Hypothesis:
 Output provides the opportunity to test out
hypotheses—to try out means of expression to
see if they work.
 Producing the language could provide the
learner with the opportunity to notice the
differences of the language forms between
their interlanguage and the target language,
test their hypotheses of language use, and then
think about their own language, thus help his
L2 acquisition.
 The Interaction Hypothesis states that
interaction may facilitate L2 learning by
providing learners with negative feedback,
drawing their attention to language form in the
context of meaning, and pushing them to
produce more complex or accurate target
forms so as to make the communication
successful and go on smoothly.
 Students’ involvement:
 Xu Lanying (2006) revealed the following results:
36.2% of the students show positive attitude towards
the statement that “You actively participate in the
speaking activities organized by teachers.” Only 5.3%
show a very positive attitude. Most of them choose
the answer C which is “just so so or moderate.” As
high as 58.9% of students claim they don’t actively
participate in the speaking activities.
 Percentage of students participating in oral activities
in the class

60
50
40
percent

30
20
10
0
A:very B: positive C:moderate D:negative
positive
 It is clear that classroom interaction is a two-
way process.
 Teachers need to ask themselves questions
like: Are the topics interesting? Are they
related to the students’ daily lives? Do they
represent real life? How are the activities
organized? What kind of activities do they
belong to? Does everyone have specific tasks?
Is everyone required to share information? Are
they satisfied with their group members? Are
they given enough time to discuss? Are they
provided with the necessary linguistic devices?
 The students, on the other hand, should also
be aware that they should take responsibility
for their own learning. They should grasp the
precious opportunities to practise English
under the guidance of teachers, because only
by practicing can they improve the quality of
their output.
 But many students are used to being receptors of
knowledge and are not used to taking the initiative in
discussions. For too long, they have received rigid
formal schooling and are taught to be competitive and
to be the best in the class so they have no experience
in cooperative learning and they are too shy or too
scared or too self-conscious to talk. If they do not
participate, teachers will be discouraged and will not
bother doing this kind of activity again.
 It is generally agreed that student-student
interaction in small groups or pairs produced
a greater quantity of language and also better
quality language than students in a teacher-
fronted classroom setting.
 Gass (1988) has argued that in order for input
to become useful to a learner in eventual
restructuring of his or her grammar, it must
first be “noticed.” It is meaning negotiation
which focuses a learner’s attention on some
part of a NNS utterance which requires
modification. In other words, negotiation can
be viewed as the trigger for acquisition.
 Ur (1981:7-8) gave a detailed account of the
advantages of group work. The main points are
summarized below:
 1) Group work can increase students’ participation.
Group discussions are more efficient than class
discussion, because when you have eight groups,
there will be eight times the amount of talking. Shy
students who find it painful to talk in front of the
class will find it easier to express themselves in a
small group.
 2) The motivation of participants also improves when
they work in small groups. The person speaking is
only a short distance away, facing the others and
addressing them personally. The whole activity is
immediate and engaging.
 3) Group work can also relieve the teacher from her
usual role of instructor-corrector-controller, and
allows her to wander freely round the class giving
help where needed.
 4) Finally, there is scope for peer-teaching. In
the course of group discussion, students will
learn more from each other, whether
consciously or unconsciously. They may
correct each other’s mistakes, and help out
with a needed word.
 4. Learner’s role

 From a Quiet Listener to an Active Participator

 From a Recipient to a Creator
 From a Follower to an Initiator
 From a Speaker to a Communicator
 From a Passive Learner to an Autonomous
Learner
 5. What is good speaking?

 1. Accuracy: good pronunciation,

good choice of words, pronunciation
 2. Fluency: not too many pauses,
hesitation, natural
 3. Appropriacy: culture-specific,
customs, social status, time,
occasion
 4. Relevance: content, ability of
listening,
 Appropriacy 1

 1) use directives,  1) I wonder/ I was

interrogatives: age, wondering
salary, nationality  2) I suggest you go
 2) use: You’d better, there early…
You can, You should…  If I were you, I would
 3) Taboo topics:  How about…?
Where are U going?  Why not doing…?
politics, religion,
abortion,
 Appropriacy 2

 1) What’s your name?I’m Tom.

 2) You’d better leave now. If I were you, I would
leave now.
 3) (S to T )Can you lend me the book? I was
wondering whether you could lend me this book.
 4) (S to T) You should give us more time for
discussion. I wish we could have more time for
discussion.
 5) Is this a good restaurant? Of course!(C to a
foreigner) Yes.
 6) Perhaps you could read this through by this Friday. 
Could you possibly read through this by Friday?

 Appropriacy 3
 7) You haven’t changed much. You look very well.
Haven’t seen you for a long time. How’s everything?
 8) Well, I didn’t expect your wife could make such pretty
curtains.  What beautiful curtains!
 9) a) Do you think you could…
 b) Could you possibly…
 c) I’m afraid…
 10) I am sorry to hear that your grandma killed herself.
 I’m sorry to hear about your Grandma.
 1. Imitate native speakers:
pronunciation, intonation
 2. Pay close attention to teachers’
speaking
 3. Be aware of the differences bt C
and E.
 4. Read aloud
 5. Enunciate words clearly
 6. Watch E videos and imitate
 A good student:

 -be active in class, especially in

spoken activities
 -be a contributor: share your ideas,
experiences with the class
 -take the initiative in learning
 -listen carefully not only to the
teacher but also to your classmates
 -Do not be shy.
 -Do not be afraid of making mistakes.
Some common mispronunciations

 a c, g, h, i, j, r
 very thank you sword love
work walk girl house horse
pizza think university dislike
guide Chicago Cambridge time
 Common mistakes
 *In my opinion, I think…
 *Can you repeat it again?
 *I am come from…
 *I very like English.
 *What?Pardon?
 *Really?Did you?
 strategies
 1) use fillers; such as: Well, I am
afraid, you know, Actually, Yes,
 2) Pardon?
 I didn’t quite catch you.
 Can you say that again?
 3) Yes, but I’m afraid I don’t agree
with you entirely.
 Sorry to interrupt, but…
 Excuse me, but there is one point I
want to make.
 Er…, I still want to add something.
 4) That’s all I want to say.
 That’s my point of view.

 Common American daily
expressions

 Greetings:
 Hi!
 Hey!
 Hi there!
 How are you doing?
 How’s everything?
 How are things?
 Possible reply
 Pretty god. How are you?
 Great. How about you?
 Things are good, thanks. What about
you?
 Not bad. And you?
 Can’t complain.
 What’s going on?
 What’s up?
 Not much. What’s up with you?
 S’up?
 Nothing much, and you?
 What are you up to?
 Not too much. How ‘bout you?
 What’s happening?
 Nothing really. What are you doing?
 What’s going on?
 Just hanging out.
 Thank you
 Thanks a million.
 Thanks a bunch.
 Thanks a lot.
 Thanks much.
 Many thanks.
 I can’t thank you enough.
 I simply don’t know how to thank
you.
Responses to thank you
 (It was) my pleasure.
 Anytime.
 Sure.
 No problem.
 Not at all.
 No sweat.
 It’s nothing.
 You are welcome.
 Don’t mention it.
 Forget (about) it.
 Saying I’m sorry
 Sorry.
 Excuse me.
 Pardon (me).
 Forgive me.
 Oops.
 I am terribly sorry, but…
Responses to I’m sorry
 That’s all right.
 It’s cool.
 Don’t worry about it.
 Never mind.
 Forget it.
 (It’s ) No big deal.
 I appreciate your apology.
 I’ll forgive you this time.
 Don’t let it happen again.