ESL Development 5: How can I speak when I don’t speak English that much?

One recent Google search that reached my website was, "How can I speak up when I not speak English that much" (sic). "I believe this inquiry by a frustrated language learner speaks for itself. Teachers often ask, "Why aren’t my students talking more?" We think we are doing our utmost to bring in fascinating articles, thought-provoking video clips, humorous trailers, engaging audio recordings, and even popular song videos—and yet our audience sits silently or, even worse, devotes time (in secret) to texting or FBing on their cell phones. These students only seem to get interested if it is time to click on a computer, while our concern is getting them to speak up and not remain passive spectators to their teachers’ futile attempts at arousing their interest. So what should we do to get them to speak?

Quality teacher talk vs. language skills

Experts tell us we must give our students "quality teacher talk," but isn’t that just hammering yet another big nail of guilt into our already guilty brains? The teacher trainers say we must be even more clever and ask the best and most intelligent questions to "guide" the students through a pertinent analysis of the text or video at hand! Not only do we have to train our students in critical thinking and teach them how to fend for themselves in this very competitive society, but we’re also supposed to make them understand what is morally right or wrong in our world!

Now, that is an enormous task, and I think it should be the aim of education as a whole and not something language teachers are responsible for on their own. We can help in this development, but it is not our role.

Our role is to teach language skills. Do we ask math or physics teachers to teach students moral values? Teachers will probably inculcate such values by example, by being the people they are, but they are, above all, supposed to "teach" their subject.

Moreover, I believe we shouldn’t be pretentious and claim we are experts in economics, business, science, and so on when we lack actual competence or, at times, have less experience in those domains than our students. We can interest our students in many topics and make them aware of important issues. Still, our task is to improve their foreign language skills—which is a complex undertaking.

Stressing speaking skills is not downgrading a teacher

Many teachers and teacher-trainers will object to my comments and say, "You are downgrading English teachers! You claim they know next to nothing. You think they should stick to the only fields they are competent in, i.e., grammar and pronunciation. You say they are not good teachers!"

That is not at all my position. I am only saying students won’t speak up if they haven’t received enough "speech training." We mustn’t neglect this essential part of a language course because teaching critical thinking, culture, or professional competence is more important than language. Speaking skills are crucial, and they are difficult to come by even in our age of Web 2.0 with countless iPhone Apps and endless buzz-making videos. We need teachers who are good at making students produce oral language during class. Teachers should be able to motivate students to do substantial work outside of class to hone their skills. It takes many hours of hard labor to reach a reasonable level, yet language courses are often limited to 20 or 30 hours a year. Without considerable homework, this goal cannot be reached.

Learning grammar and vocabulary

Another frequent topic in teacher training involves "student-initiated learning." The idea is for students to learn on their own. I agree that students enjoy choosing the issues they will discuss or the materials they want to work on. Still, students can feel extremely frustrated at the beginning (and even after several years) if they don’t know the basics enough to read fluently and speak, making complete and understandable sentences. So, they need help in understanding the logic of the structures in the language they are studying—in other words, grammar.

Furthermore, they need to know the exact meanings of the new words they are learning and not just have a vague notion of cognition. Students need to acquire references and signposts. They need to master different techniques for memorizing vocabulary. It is not enough to tell students to look up the words they don’t know. Such vocabulary searches are time-consuming and can better be done by the teacher, who will include practical acquisition exercises in assignments for language competence vs. the communicative approach.

I have seen during my career that once students are competent in producing oral language, the whole situation in the classroom changes. They become active agents in their learning and initiate speaking about whatever subject the teacher or a fellow student brings up. So, it is vital to carry on this training until the students become competent at expressing themselves and even later when they are proficient. By being capable, I mean speaking without making too many grammatical or pronunciation errors and being understood by as many people as possible.

Respect for the language they are learning

Students should learn to show respect for the new language they are mastering. It is mainly for their own sake, so they will not feel embarrassed, humiliated, or neglected and cut off from their interlocutors. I am surprised that at most teacher conventions today, "grammar’" and, even more so, "grammar drills" are frowned upon and considered taboo subjects.

The communicative approach is everywhere—as though by merely being in touch with a foreign language, students will acquire it without the slightest effort. But students today are not progressing much faster than they used to. They may be better at reading English and navigating the Web. Still, I don’t hear many teachers say, "My students speak fluently, and they come in and initiate conversation immediately, asking pertinent questions and writing fault-free compositions." No, I hear the same old stories of passive, silent, uninterested students who seem to have little or no vocabulary and can’t produce a correct sentence.

Avoid "education zapping"

So what should we do? I have always believed that quality is preferable to quantity. It is far better for students to learn 200 often-used expressions every year, be able to use them in real-time conversation, and never forget them rather than be exposed to 2,000 or more structures, vocabulary items, or facts about culture, geography, or politics, and retain next to nothing.

Let us avoid "education zapping," which means going from one supposedly fascinating topic, video, or activity to the next without a definite plan or fundamental objective. Why not let the students pick what they wish to present and discuss by themselves? Why not let them lead the class? They can do so if you teach them the language they need. Very often, the best way to do this is through reference to their native tongue. This use of translations does not mean speaking L1 in the classroom instead of English.
On the contrary, the class should be conducted entirely in English. Still, the goal is to use all possible tools for language acquisition—including explanations in the native language and linear translation exercises—so that the students learn to use new vocabulary and structures independently. Then, they will soon become proficient and participate actively in class, "speaking" all the time!

Marianne Raynaud

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