Oral Presentations

When we make an oral presentation the planning time is vital. If you use your time correctly you will be prepared and relaxed for speaking.

In your planning time you will plan:

1. The structure

The structure will always be the same:

• introduction (OR opening paragraph)
• body
• conclusion (OR closing paragraph)

2. The content

The content will vary according to what you are asked to speak about, but alway think about what you are going to say and organise your ideas.

Write key words to help you develop your ideas later. Do not write full sentences, that is a waste of time and they will confuse you when you are speaking.

3. The language

Think about useful vocabulary, expressions, verb tenses, etc. you will need according to what you are going to say.

If you don't know a word, look for a synonym or try to paraphrase it. 
If you don't know how to say something, change your information or omit that part.


For homework you have to talk about your favorite photo. 

Your notes should have an aspect similar to this:



STRUCTURE & IDEAS

Introduction

photo with my husband & daughters

in the swimming pool at Costa Los Gigantes 

Body

long weekend with the family

games with the children in the swimming pool

meal all together

great time

Conclusion

no special place, on my laptop

love it, smiley faces, happy photo, fantastic weekend


USEFUL LANGUAGE

there is/ there are

adjectives to describe the physical appearance

present tenses: past simple & continuous

prepositions of place

Paraphrasing

We all hesitate when we speak and we all forget words from time to time. What is more, we are not walking dictionaries, therefore there are words we don't know. And this is how it works, speaking a language doesn't mean knowing all its words. It's all about communication, getting your message across. For this reason, if you don't know a word in English, it's not big deal, you have to live with this amount of "not knowing things" and try to look for strategies to express what you want to say. In this case you just have to paraphrase the word you don't know.

You already know how to paraphrase in your own language, when you don't know or don't remember a word you try to explain its meaning using other words. Well, this is what you have to do in English as well, even in your speaking test!! If you don't know a word, don't panick, it's ok, try to find other words to explain its meaning.

Imagine you want to say your husband is a doctor, but you've forgotten the word "doctor". You can say he works in a hospital or that his job is similar to that of a nurse, etc.

Sentence Stress (2)

The other day we practised sentence stress and we used  this conversation as an example.

A: Where were you  at six o'clock in the evening?
B: I was at work.
A: What were you doing?
B: I was having a meeting with the boss.

Keep practising at home and remember to pay attention to intonation and rhythm. Try to apply the rules to other conversations and think about it when you practise speaking in class.

If you want to know more about sentence stress go to my previous post

Connected Speech (1)

When native speakers of English speak they connect words and sometimes you can't recognize them because several words sound just like one word.

In order to be able to recognize connections when listening you have to be aware of them and you have to use them also to make them active in your mind.

Watch the video to listen to some examples.

Now practise with the sentences you worked on in class and pay attention to connected speech as well as sentence stress.

1. What are you going to do tonight?

2. Are you going to see a film?

3. I'm going to cook a meal for you.

4. I think it's going to rain.

5. We aren't going to have a holiday this year.

Reacting and asking for more information

When you ask someone a questions and they answer, it is normal to show interest. 

How can he show interest?? Phrases such as 

Really? 

Oh yes? 

Yes, me too, 

Me neither

I know what you mean

You're (so) right!

That can't be true!

You must be joking

will let the other person know that you are interested in what they are saying.

Another strategy is to ask for more information, either with a full question

And what happened then?

So what did you do?

Have you though what you're going to do?

What did she say?

Or with a question word?

Why?

When?

How?

From now on, when you speak think about these strategies to help you show interest in what the other person is saying.

Speaking Techniques - Interaction

SPEAKING TECHNIQUES-Interaction

Speaking Techniques - Presentation

SPEAKING TECHNIQUES – Presentation

Strategies for Developing Speaking Skills

Strategies for Developing Speaking Skills

PROBLEM: I have very poor pronunciation. Native speakers often don’t understand me.

Imitate the rhythm and intonation of the language you are studying

Compare your pronunciation to the model(s) on the recordings

Look at the format

Listen carefully and repeat aloud after your teacher or a native speaker

Ask your teacher how certain sounds are formed

Practise a sound separately at first; then use it progressively in words and sentences

Make a list of words that give you pronunciation trouble and practise them

PROBLEM: I keep making the same mistakes over and over again

Distinguish, whenever possible, between a casual slip and a recurring error

Try to understand why you consistently make a certain kind of error

Note the relative seriousness of your errors

Accept some corrections on faith

Determine how much error is tolerated in a particular language

PROBLEM: I have very few opportunities to speak in the foreign language

Perform every classroom activity

Interact with native and skilled speakers, including your teacher

Interact with classmates or other students in your language programme

PROBLEM: I don’t say much because I am not sure that I know how to say something correctly

Be prepared and practise on your own

Rehearse silently in the foreign language

Learn to live with uncertainty

Avoid the vicious circle of not saying things because you are worried about mistakes

PROBLEM: Sometimes I get stuck in the middle of a conversation and can’t get myself out of trouble

Involve the person you are speaking with

Get help

Use your own resources

Paraphrase

Use synonyms

Gamble on cognates

Use gestures

Avoid problem areas

PROBLEM: I’m so slow in conversation that my conversational partner(s) usually take(s) over

Use hesitation fillers

Warn your partner

Buy your time with certain expressions

PROBLEM: I find that native speakers don’t understand me at all

Learn expressions from dialogues and texts

Learn idioms or expressions for future use

PROBLEM: I don’t think native speakers enjoy talking to me in the foreign language

Learn some phrases for beginning and ending conversations

Learn expressions that show you are paying attention and following the conversation

Learn how to express your reactions

Learn to involve the other person

Learn ways of managing a conversation

Learn some routines for refusing and accepting invitations

Rubin & Thompson (1994: 100-109)