Practice, practice, practice

We Asians are trying to be globally relevant by racing to get more of the outsourcing industry which demands good English speakers. Unfortunately, out of thousands of applicants only two, three, or four are really considered employable by call centers. The rest are either chopped out as unqualified while a few may be considered for training. This scenario has made students more and more aware of the importance of knowing one's spoken English very well. The trouble with this is that students who are in school to hone this particular skill get little or no opportunities to do this because English is rarely spoken anywhere on campus, not even in the classroom which is supposed to be the best place to practice this skill of speaking good English.

If we must become good English speakers then we must speak the language all the time most especially when you're in school.

I remember when I was in grade school and high school when we took seriously this business of speaking English inside the campus. We had badges that we gave to those who spoke the native language and the last person to hold the badge at the end of the day got to pay a certain fine. It worked well for our batch became very good English speakers.

I notice that some schools initiate this "Speak English campaign" but do not pursue it seriously enough to see the desired results. Schools must have "Speak English policy" anywhere on campus in order to train students into using the target language much of the time. The canteen, billing section, offices, classrooms, libraries are places where students should be given opportunity to use the language. Make these areas as "Speak English only zones".

Practice makes perfect. If you think you are the only one who is doing your best to polish your English speaking skills, don't despair. Very soon they will be joining you. Never mind what they think. Never mind what they say. Just think of the benefits you gain by doing so.

Will your teacher think it weird that you always make it a point to say something before your class ends?

In this part of the world where the opening of classes start in June, students are now gearing up for the coming schoolyear. Starting it with a bang may be the best advice that students can get from here. Or, putting your best foot forward will most likely lead to a very good ending---awards, medals, and citations.

The school is one great place for individuals to find opportunities to develop their potentialities. It is where great speakers, writers and leaders are hatched. It is important that students know how to find and when to use these opportunities for personal growth.

The classroom is the best place for training students the necessary skills such as speaking and writing. Students should be given equal opportunities to develop and show these skills or talents in guided class activities. However, it is generally observed that classrooms seldom offer or allow students to hone their gifts because teachers still use the traditional method of instruction wherein teacher talk still dominates the scene. In such a set-up, students are rarely heard or given the chance to say something. During the entire class time, students sit and listen to the teacher deliver his talk. The bell rings, teacher goes out, students wait for the next teacher and the same thing happens. The whole day at school ends without the students being able to practice any skill.

Let us break this monotony. A student who desires to excel not only in the classroom should find ways to interact with his teacher or classmates during the entire period. She should call the attention of the teacher at one point, and give her point of information in the form of a question or a statement. There are some teachers who do not even bother to ask the students for any questions but just goes on and on reading the book or copying information from the book to the board.

As a student you should make it a point to say something in every class. Let us say you have 9 subjects everyday. If you make it a habit to raise your hand and say something before the bell rings in all your 9 subjects, that makes a total of 9 sentences a day! Multiply that by 5 x the number of weeks then the months the whole year. See what I mean? You would have said so many at the end of the year!

Will teachers wonder why you are that active in class? Well, they should know better. If they are not giving you the opportunity, create it yourself. It will not hurt you nor your teacher if you make a daily goal of speaking up in every subject. It will only make you a better speaker everyday.

how do we make students speak up in class?

This is one problem many educators face today---making college students speak during class discussions. If a teacher is lucky he or she might be able to elicit the participation of one or two students in a class of say, 40 or 45. Whyyyyyy???



That is the big question.



Having dealt with different kinds of students for the past 25 years of teaching, I have heard students give almost the same reasons for this reluctance:



1) They are not used to it. They were never trained since elementary to high school to speak in front. The only time they spoke in front of their classmates was when they were asked by the teacher to recite the Panatang Makabayan from memory.



2) They are afraid to be ridiculed or laughed at when they make mistakes. This indicates low self-confidence resulting from poor or inadequate exposure.



3) Feeling of incompetence in speaking English which again is closely related to number 1 & 2.



When students are given more drills or practice in correct conversational English, this will give them the opportunity to use the language as often as possible and improve their fluency, thereby reducing their fear of making mistakes and developing them into better speakers of English.



However, this type of activity would need a lot of feedbacking from the teacher who should be actively listening and noting down errors in the students' use of the language. The teacher should not only sit there and listen to the students commit blunders and not do anything about it. The school did not pay her to just sit down, do nothing but wait for the bell. Her role is to improve students' performance. Feedback should be given at the end of every period, giving emphasis to the most common mistakes students make.



With such a class, the teacher starts with a motivation, reminding students what good speaking means, how important are audience contact and appropriate gestures, the significance of delivering the speech with a punch, the use of humor, poise, etc.



After a very good motivational opening, students begin their activity while the teacher should be actively noting down errors in language and delivery. Ten minutes before the time, the teacher goes up front to give the necessary feedback for the improvement of the students.