Most adult learners who enrol in an English language course are keen to learn how to speak the language, and often prioritise this skill above others. The skill of speaking involves more than just production of oral language. So, when teaching speaking, teachers need to consider the practice of target grammar, vocabulary, functional language, and spoken fluency. In the process of developing speaking skills, it’s useful if adult learners can learn to become effective communicators in English as well.
Download this free whitepaper from Cambridge English Empower authors Adrian Doff and Craig Thaine now and find out more about:
Speaking in the classroom
How do the design, the instructions given, and the way the task is set up affect the way a learner’s language production is controlled during typical classroom activities?
The nature of spoken language
What characteristics and skills are important when considering second language speaking competence? How are these related to more general communication skills?
Interaction strategies
What do we mean by interaction strategies? What can be learned from different types of strategies and example utterances?
The importance of communication for adult learners
Why is it particularly important to focus on the communicative aspects of speaking when considering the needs of adult English language learners?
Focusing on speaking strategies in the classroom
How can this research be usefully implemented to enhance the speaking activities that teachers are already using?
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