What are speaking skills?
The ability to speak confidently and fluently is something which children will develop
during their time at school, and something that will help them throughout their life.
Speaking skills are defined as the skills which allow us to communicate effectively. They
give us the ability to convey information verbally and in a way that the listener can
understand.
Children will learn English speaking skills as well as speaking skills in other languages,
in primary and secondary school. Learning how to develop English speaking skills is so
important for ESL students and EAL students too. It's one of the most important parts of
language learning as speaking is how we tend to communicate in everyday life.
Speaking is an interactive process where information is shared, and if necessary, acted
upon by the listener. So, it’s important to develop both speaking and listening skills in
order to communicate effectively.
The four elements of speaking skills
Vocabulary:
To develop our speaking skills, we first need to know the right words. Vocabulary
development begins when we are infants, as we learn to describe the world around us
and communicate our needs. This progresses from single words to sentences when
children are 2 or 3, at which point they will normally have a vocabulary of 150-300
words.
Vocabulary development is where students understand the meanings and
pronunciations of words necessary for communication. When they understand what a
word means, they can check what the word or sentence means. This is so important so
they can keep up a conversation. If they understand what the other person is saying
and they know what vocabulary to say back, they are halfway there to communicating
effectively.
Did you know that to be considered fluent in a language, you need to have a vocabulary
of around 10,000 words?
Grammar:
You may think that grammar is something we only need for written language. But
grammar includes lots of important areas for spoken language such as an
understanding of tenses and the correct way to structure sentences. Grammar helps us
to convey information in a way that the listener will recognise and understand.
Pronunciation:
Understanding how to correctly pronounce words is another important element of
speaking skills. We learn how to pronounce words by listening to those around us, such
as our parents, friends and teachers. Pronunciation varies from country to country, and
even city to city!
A lot of this comes from phonemic awareness. This involves understanding the small
units that make up spoken language. English can differ quite a lot compared to other
languages. Some phonemes might not be in ESL students' native languages and
children's minds are trained to categorise phonemes in their first language, so it can
become confusing. Developing this ability in English can come from playing language
games and using songs and poems to reiterate rhythm and repetition. Phonics is where
students start to see the relationship between the sounds of spoken language and
graphemes which are the letters and spellings representing sounds in written language.
Fluency:
Fluency in spoken language is something that naturally develops as children go through
school, as they are using and practising speaking skills every day. Reading widely (and
out loud) is a good way to improve fluency as it introduces children to new vocabulary
and reinforces their knowledge of spoken language.
Fluency is the ability to hear words and understand them straight away. If they see a
word written down, they can read it aloud and pronounce it properly. Ways to develop
this include guiding your students to read passages out loud. You could also get your
students to read aloud in front of the class. This builds their confidence and also helps
them to annunciate better.
The more fluent your students are in English, the more interesting, exciting and
insightful conversations they can have.
Why are speaking skills important to learn?
Speaking skills are one of the most important skills we learn, as they allow us to
communicate with others and express our thoughts and feelings. Speaking skills can be
separated into formal and informal speaking skills, and we use both types of speaking
skills in a variety of contexts throughout life.
Informal speaking skills are important for conversations with friends and family, helping
us to form emotional connections. Formal speech, on the other hand, is necessary for
workplaces, in presentations or for conversations with people you don’t know. Formal
language is important as it helps us to make a good impression on people and
communicate politely.
As an ESL or EAL student, speaking skills are considered the most important part of
learning a language. In fact, many language learners measure their performance by
how well they can speak it. As most effective foreign language learning takes place
through interaction, it's a skill that can be honed to really build an understanding of the
language and culture of English-speaking countries.
Yet it can be so easy to find speaking daunting or challenging. It isn't as straightforward
as we may like. Teachers need to encourage students to speak as much as possible.
They can make it as fun as the structure of their lessons will allow. This might be
through role-play, group work or even projects.
Speaking skills on the National Curriculum
The National Curriculum states that spoken language is a crucial part of learning
English in schools. Throughout primary school, children will learn to:
Listen and respond to teachers and classmates
Build their vocabulary
Use spoken language to express feelings, give explanations and describe
Ask questions to increase their understanding
Participate in drama, conversations, role play, discussions and debates
Understand formal and informal speech
Listen and understand different points of view
Hold the attention of the listener
How to develop English speaking skills with ESL students
Practice makes perfect when it comes to developing English speaking skills. Listening
to English, understanding grammar and reading can all help slightly, but they're never
going to improve English speaking skills to the extent it is possible. Your class need to
actually speak. As ESL students, understanding the nature of English can be a real
struggle. Students with different native languages can be at a disadvantage because of
the nature of English.
Here are some helpful tips on how to develop English speaking skills:
Learn new vocabulary in phrases - although learning new words and their
pronunciation is always beneficial, some words need to be learnt in phrases to be
of much use when speaking in English.
For example, a cup of coffee might be more useful than just learning "coffee"
Focus on pronunciation. Although learning lots of vocabulary can boost English
skills, if these words aren't pronounced correctly it can be easy to misunderstand
what the student is saying. A top tip to ensure students pronounce the words
they've learnt correctly could be to try some tongue twisters. For example, this
PowerPoint full of tongue-twisters would be really useful to get your class
practising.
Ensure they understand how English flows. With ESL students, an important focus
on how to develop English speaking skills is to get them into the flow of how
English is usually spoken. This is because often their native language has a very
different flow. Native speakers of English link words together, often resulting in a
sound disappearing, or a new sound being made. There are often some syllables
stressed that wouldn't be in other languages or a different rhythm overall.
Get them to practice self-talk. This involves getting them to talk loudly in English to
themselves. This could be before completing a task, such as "shall we go and
grab a coffee?" to "I need to go to the gym tonight."
Encourage your students to download practice apps. This can break down difficult
language into manageable chunks that can be practised on the go at regular
intervals.
Improving speaking skills with EAL students
Children who are learning English as an additional language may need extra help
developing their speaking skills and fluency in English. We’ve put together some ideas
for assisting EAL children in learning spoken English:
1. Give children a language buddy. Get EAL children to work on tasks in pairs with a
native speaker so they can practise their skills and pick up new vocabulary.
2. Create a synonym display board so children can learn new words and have a
more varied vocabulary
3. Encourage children learning English to spend time reading out loud every day.
This will help them improve their fluency and confidence with English.
Resources to improve children’s speaking skills
We have a wealth of resources designed to support your children’s learning and
improve their speaking skills.
One great idea is to hold a No Pens Day, which encourages children to communicate
verbally and listen actively. This ready-to-use PowerPoint will introduce your class to No
Pens Day and explain why it's useful.
Develop speaking and listening skills with this handy set of posters, which include
helpful tips on how to have engaging conversations with others. And, for children who
are struggling with speaking skills and need a little extra help, we have the KS2
Speaking and Listening Catch Up Pack, including a range of activities to bring children
up to speed. Perfect for small group interventions.
What’s more, you can help children develop their speaking and listening skills through
drama activities. Try out this fun improvisation activity to improve fluency and spoken
language skills in a fun way.
And for more information on speaking skills, make sure to visit our Conversation
Skills or
Resources to improve children’s speaking skills
We have a wealth of resources designed to support your children’s learning and
improve their speaking skills.
One great idea is to hold a No Pens Day, which encourages children to communicate
verbally and listen actively. This ready-to-use PowerPoint will introduce your class to No
Pens Day and explain why it's useful.
Develop speaking and listening skills with this handy set of posters, which include
helpful tips on how to have engaging conversations with others. And, for children who
are struggling with speaking skills and need a little extra help, we have the KS2
Speaking and Listening Catch Up Pack, including a range of activities to bring children
up to speed. Perfect for small group interventions.
What’s more, you can help children develop their speaking and listening skills through
drama activities. Try out this fun improvisation activity to improve fluency and spoken
language skills in a fun way.
And for more information on speaking skills, make sure to visit our Conversation
Skills or Public Speaking Skills pages.
hat are the three types of speaking?
There are various types of public speeches one can give, but they often are grouped
into three different categories based on their purpose and intention. Persuasive,
entertaining, and informative are the main types of speeches given.
How can I become a good English speaker?
How to speak English better in 10 easy steps
1. Imitate away. ...
2. Avoid learning word by word. ...
3. Use what you've learned immediately. ...
4. Be an actor. ...
5. Listen to others as much as you speak. ...
6. Listen to yourself and get feedback from native speakers. ...
7. Become visual. ...
8. Narrate your life.
Start speaking English as much as possible.
Start speaking English with a personal tutor.
Expose yourself to English every day.
Make the most of technology.
Use resources made for your level.
Don't be afraid to challenge yourself.
Work on your pronunciation.
Learn whole phrases, not just individual words.
How can I improve my speaking of English?
How to improve your spoken English: 8 tips
1. Speak, speak, speak. Let's start right off by saying that there isn't a magic pill for better
speaking. ...
2. Reflect on your conversations. ...
3. Listen and read. ...
4. Prepare cheat sheets. ...
5. Pick up the phone. ...
6. Record your voice. ...
7. Learn phrases rather than single words. ...
8. Have fun.