Teach English in DongshAn Jiedao - Maoming Shi

Speaking and writing are the productive skills used in language. Writing is the most often neglected skill as many students prefer to focus more on their speaking skills. Writing tasks may take more time to complete. Oftentimes, teachers may ask students to work on their write outside of class. This homework may not be completed. There are reasons why people communicate? They want to say something. They may have a purpose for communicating. If a person is interested in what is being said they will contribute to the discussion. When it comes to speaking there are two key ideas to think about: accuracy and fluency. Accuracy is important during the study phase where the teacher can correct common mistakes and control the activities during this phase. Fluency is practiced during the activate phrase where students are free to experiment and be creative. Both of these are equally important in speaking. There are some activities that will help teachers practice speaking . Controlled activities like drilling help with accuracy in speaking. Creative communication helps students improve their fluency. The scenario is created by the teacher but the language is provided by the student. Things like discussion, free role plays, or debates will help students focus on that. Sometimes students are reluctant to speak. A teacher should be aware of some possible reasons such as lacking confidence or fear of making mistakes. There are various ways to encourage students to speak more: working in pairs or in a group and changing the classroom dynamics may help a lot. When it comes to writing a teacher needs to focus on spelling, handwriting, punctuation and layout and help them practice creative writing as well. There was a nice example given in the reading about using cartoons to help students practice writing. This is a very creative and yet interesting way of practicing writing skills.