ERIC EJ923450: Using Public Speaking Tasks in English Language Teaching

2009·0.19 MB·English

by  ERIC

Gina Iberri-Shea
Using Public Speaking Tasks
in English Language Teaching
The purpose of this article is The advantages of public
to provide suggestions for speaking
using public speaking tasks There are several clear advantages
in English language teaching (ELT) to using public speaking tasks in ELT.
and to highlight some of their many I have highlighted three that I think
advantages. Let me first describe are most noteworthy: practice with all
what I mean by public speaking four language skills (listening, speak-
tasks: these include any task where ing, reading, and writing), develop-
the participant addresses an audi- ment of critical thinking skills, and
ence orally. For the purpose of this improved learning. Each of these is
article, I will focus on two types discussed in more detail below.
of these tasks: student presentations
Advantage 1: Public speaking
and debates. Student presentations
provides opportunities to practice all
may consist of either individual or
four language skills.
group speeches based on class les-
Presentation and debate tasks uti-
sons or outside projects. Debates are
lize and strengthen listening, speak-
interactive tasks, and usually require
ing, reading, and writing skills. There
a greater degree of organization.
is naturally a strong focus on speaking;
They can be held with two or more
spoken language is vital in delivering
students who take turns speaking on
a clear, coherent speech. Peer evalu-
either side of an issue. The public
ation can promote careful listening,
speaking tasks suggested here rely on
which becomes especially meaning-
authentic language use and commu- ful during debates if participants are
nication toward an audience. In this required to take notes and respond
article, I will introduce advantages to their classmates’ speeches. Addi-
of using these tasks in the language tionally, students will develop strong
classroom, describe their implemen- reading and writing skills during task
tation, and provide examples of their preparation. Students must skim and
use. scan a wide variety of sources and
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read key materials in depth as they search Advantage 3: Public speaking promotes
for information to use in presentations or learning.
debates. Writing practice is highlighted Presentations are an ideal way for stu-
as learners take notes and complete argu- dents to display their knowledge. Through
mentative essays in preparation for oral their presentations, students are given the
presentations. opportunity to demonstrate what they have
learned. This type of task pushes students
Advantage 2: Public speaking supports to synthesize knowledge from a variety of
development of critical thinking skills. sources and to take on a teaching role by
Presentation and debate tasks promote explaining their topic to the rest of the class.
a variety of critical thinking skills in addi- This kind of self explanation has been found
tion to specific language skills and strate- to correspond with higher levels of compre-
gies. While preparing for a public speaking hension and conceptual understanding (Chi
assignment, students are asked to develop a et al. 1994). Students learn more through
position, explore beliefs and theories, analyze having to explain information to others.
arguments, evaluate the credibility or bias of Additionally, planning for presentations (and
a source, and distinguish between relevant potential questions from peers) leads to
and irrelevant information. Students are deeper processing and a more complete
encouraged to question deeply, develop and understanding of the content.
assess solutions to problems, compare and These three advantages accompany both
contrast, make inferences, recognize contra- presentation and debate tasks. Debate tasks
dictions, and explore implications and con- require more planning and involvement than
sequences. The insights gained during prepa- presentations but are well worth the effort.
ration activities allow students to approach In preparing for a debate, students practice
the materials with a critical eye, and these reading and note-taking skills, and construct
skills can be transferred to new materials and written arguments. Debate preparation also
contexts. requires extensive collaboration and coopera-
tion among teammates as they collect informa-
Public speaking tasks require students to
tion and develop ideas. Whether you choose
conduct research and develop support for
to include student presentations or debates in
their arguments. Once the students have
your curriculum, your students will certainly
identified a topic of interest, they may carry
reap the benefits of integrated skills practice,
out an extensive search of materials using
critical thinking practice, and improved learn-
library and online search tools. Then the
ing. Students will gain confidence in speaking
students skim, scan, or read select articles
and will learn to express themselves in clear
to gain knowledge of their topic. Alterna-
and articulate ways.
tively, students may tap local resources for
useful information. Public meetings, news-
Using public speaking tasks in the
papers, interviews, and narratives are great
classroom
sources of evidence for both presentations
Both presentation and debate tasks require
and debates. This process promotes strong
students to research, demonstrate, and review
organizational skills and encourages students
language and content. The following is a
to discriminate between primary and sec-
description of each of these phases, followed
ondary information. Students can also learn
by a brief discussion of the assessment of pub-
about bias in reporting and the difference
lic speaking tasks.
between interesting trivia and important
facts. As students bring several sources of Research phase
information together, they must synthesize During the research phase, students are
their findings into cohesive arguments with asked to develop an argument and search
logical support. Furthermore, this informa- for information to support their position.
tion will need to be integrated into the stu- Thus students utilize reading strategies as well
dents’ existing knowledge base so they can as library and interview skills. Note-taking
make sense out of what they find in order to is made more meaningful as it is used for
develop clear presentations. individual research goals. During this phase,
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students must anticipate and research vari- ment. Students sometimes do not realize just
ous perspectives to prepare for questions and how far they have come. Providing an audio
opposition to their arguments. A graphic or video record of student presentations and
organizer is a good way for students to clarify debates allows students to recognize the prog-
what they know and what they want to find ress they have made.
out, and it can help students prepare for pre- Following public speaking tasks it is use-
sentations and debates. ful to ask students to reflect on what they
While preparing for public speaking tasks, have learned and how their opinions and
students also gain conceptual knowledge rath- knowledge may have changed as a result of
er than simply memorizing facts. Conceptual the information presented. Reflection can be
knowledge refers to an integrated network of facilitated through class discussion or a short
knowledge, where students understand how individual paper. This is a powerful lesson in
pieces of information relate to one another. critical thinking and provides closure to the
Students need to synthesize information from activity and topic area. Reflecting on what was
a variety of sources and integrate it into their learned can encourage metacognitive aware-
existing background knowledge. Individual ness and may lead to increased motivation and
students must take the information gathered satisfaction in learning.
through this research and collaboration and
Assessment
then prepare written speeches for presenta-
Instructors may be inclined to avoid
tion. Students can take part in group or class
speaking tasks because they perceive them
discussions, share ideas, and resolve conflicts.
as difficult to assess. Depending on your
Written essays can be developed through a
learning goals, presentation and debate tasks
process approach, allowing for additional col-
can be assessed in several ways. You may
laboration between students and their teacher
find it useful to include both peer and self
and/or peers.
assessment, using a rubric to assess audio-
Demonstration phase and video-recorded speaking tasks. (See the
The demonstration phase allows students Appendix for a rubric which may be used to
to share their knowledge and hard work. assess student presentations.)
There is a natural focus on language because Some instructors may choose to assess
students want their arguments to be under- the oral presentation less formally and
stood. Immediately following the public instead concentrate on assessing the written
speaking task is a good time to open the floor work produced during preparation activi-
to class discussion. Students may answer ties. The method of assessment used for a
questions about their own presentation or particular task will be strongly influenced
debate and also respond meaningfully to by the goals and objectives of the instructor.
others. Public speaking provides students Regardless of the type of assessment chosen,
with a forum to express their ideas and dem- the preparation, practice, and focus on
onstrate their knowledge to both peers and language will undoubtedly enhance student
instructors. learning.
Review and reflect phase Teacher planning and preparation
The final phase of presentation and debate Public speaking tasks may be central or
activities is the review and reflect phase. This supplementary to your lessons; there are
is an important and sometimes overlooked advantages to including these activities at
stage of public speaking tasks. One way stu- any level. There is no one set method or
dents can reflect and focus on their language time commitment necessary for including
use is by recording their presentations and these tasks in your curriculum. They can
using these recordings for self assessment. be used as a formal culminating activity or
If public speaking tasks are used repeatedly, at the end of a single lesson to summarize
each activity could be added to the same tape information and make connections with
throughout the term. In this way, students previous work.
would have an opportunity to view their prog- Presentations can be used to prepare stu-
ress and notice gaps in their language develop- dents for later debates. The following six steps
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can be used as an outline to develop student 1. Write potential topics on strips of
presentations in the classroom. paper. The topics should be in line with
your learning objectives. If you would
Step 1: Identify suitable topics. Depend-
like to use these debates to simply get
ing on your learning objectives, the topics
students speaking, think of topics your
may be based on a lesson, unit, or individual
students can have fun with (e.g., cats
project.
are better than dogs, or red is better
Step 2: Research the topic area. Stu-
than blue).
dents are asked to brainstorm and may be
2. Number students off in pairs, so that
guided through the use of a graphic organizer.
each pairing has a first and second
Research may take the form of interviews,
speaker.
review of media sources and textbooks, atten-
dance at public meetings, library work, or 3. Give each pair a strip of paper with a
internet searches. topic written on it.
Step 3: Organize and outline key points. 4. Give the first speakers three minutes
Students are asked to critically review the to tell their partners the reasons they
information they have gathered, decide what support the topic on their paper. Then,
is relevant, and synthesize new information give the second speakers three min-
into their existing knowledge. utes to respond and provide arguments
Step 4: Write argumentative essays. In an against the topic.
argumentative or persuasive essay the author 5. Finally, ask if any students were per-
tries to prove or defend a point, rather than suaded to change their minds based on
simply providing information. The written their partners’ arguments.
work may be done as an in-class exercise or
Using debates, you can introduce the class
assigned as homework. Early drafts of the
to controversial issues that produce opposing
essay can be read by peers for additional
viewpoints and require students to recognize
feedback.
perspectives different from their own. The
Step 5: Give oral presentations based on
following steps may be used when including
the essays. The teacher should describe the
a longer and more formal debate task in the
format and expectations of the presentations
classroom.
ahead of time (e.g., 10-minute presenta-
tions; the use of notes is permitted; students Step 1: Identify suitable topics. Topics may
should practice vocabulary and be prepared be generated by the students or the instructor
for questions). but must have opposing viewpoints.
Step 6: Review and reflect. The review may Step 2: Identify a motion (or motions).
take the form of a class discussion or a short The motion is the specific wording of the
reflection paper. topic for the debate and appears in the form of
Teachers can be intimidated by the amount a statement that students can agree or disagree
of organization and planning they anticipate with. Once the motion is set, each student
with class debates, but it is important to will be assigned to one side of the issue.
remember that debates only need to be as Step 3: Research both sides of the issue.
formal and extensive as you want them to be. Graphic organizers may be useful in iden-
The planning and organizational phases of tifying what information is unknown. Stu-
formal debates provide more extensive oppor- dents conduct research and sort through
tunities for a wide range of learning. You may information to understand the arguments on
have students prepare for a debate in order to both sides of the issue, using the techniques
synthesize information and conclude a unit, described above for presentation tasks.
or you may begin a class with an impromptu Step 4: Develop arguments and counter-
debate to tap students’ background knowl- arguments. A writing assignment may be
edge and encourage them to start thinking used to develop arguments, and students can
about a topic. You can also put students in receive peer feedback by sharing their ideas
pairs for unstructured mini-debates as a class in groups.
warm-up. A sample debate warm-up activity Step 5: Debate. The debates may follow a
follows. variety of formats. Speaking times, number of
E n g l i s h TE a c h i n g F o r u m | Number 2 2009 21
speakers, and the emphasis on research may findings is by asking them to create a flow
vary. Students should be prepared to answer chart like Figure 1 to demonstrate the
questions and should practice key vocabulary relationships between different pieces of
ahead of time. information.
Step 6: Review and reflect. As a written or Step 4: Write argumentative essays. Each
oral exercise, participants and observers may student will prepare a written argumenta-
comment on the most persuasive arguments tive essay about rights and responsibilities,
presented on either side of the debate. organized to include his or her main points
and supporting ideas, as developed in the
Public speaking tasks in practice previous steps.
In order to illustrate the use of student pre- Step 5: Give oral presentations based on
sentations and debates in ELT, I will describe essays. The presentations can be seen as the
these tasks within a thematic unit on democ- culminating activity for the unit, where stu-
racy. This theme lends itself well to multiple dents synthesize what they have learned and
perspectives. However, any topic that taps demonstrate their in-depth understanding of
students’ interest may be implemented. their topics. Students take on a teaching role
as they demonstrate their expertise and share
Student Presentations
their research with classmates.
A thematic unit on democracy provides
Step 6: Review and reflect. Following
rich ground for presentation tasks. You can
the presentations, ask the class to review
utilize the six steps presented earlier to devel-
and reflect on what was learned and what
op student presentations on democracy.
new questions have come up as a result of
Step 1: Identify suitable topics. As you
their research. Ask students to identify new
discuss a unit on democracy, ask students to
information and comment on any part of the
identify issues they find particularly interest-
presentations they found interesting or that
ing or relevant. For instance, a student who
made them alter their perspective.
displays interest about rights and responsibili-
ties might choose to present this topic to the Debates
class. When planning class debates, it is very
Step 2: Research the topic area. Once important to select topics that have support-
the students have decided on topics, have able positions to argue on either side. Let’s
them brainstorm what they already know and take the same example of rights and respon-
what they want to know. In addition to the sibilities using the six steps described earlier
parameters of rights and responsibilities in for developing debates. You would first brain-
a particular country, a student could search storm suitable topics for debate: ask the class
for information to compare and contrast per- for suggestions, write them on the board, and
spectives on rights throughout the world and then guide the class in choosing a set of debat-
question when these concepts may come into able topics. Then, identify the wording of a
conflict. Students can work independently or motion for each topic, such as “We should
in groups to research their topics, depending value human rights above all else.” Next,
on the amount of time you want to devote assign students to either side of the issue and
to the task. This is a good way to integrate ask them to research the arguments for and
research and reading skills into the unit. against their side. Students can complete an
Step 3: Organize and outline key points. organizer like the one below while they con-
One way to help students synthesize their duct research.
Who is responsible What rights may
Many descriptions
Who has this for providing this conflict with this
of rights include
right? Citizens of x right? Government, right? Freedom of
the right to
country/countries military, law speech/expression,
protection/safety.
enforcement migration
Figure 1: Flow chart organizing research on rights and responsibilities
22 2009 Number 2 | E n g l i s h TE a c h i n g F o r u m
Motion: We should value human rights above all else.
Pro Con
Human beings have certain rights which must Do rights create unnecessary entitlement?
be respected. The Universal Declaration of Why should everyone have a right just because
Human Rights states that all humans have he or she is born?
these rights from birth.
Rights are based on the way people want to There is no single definition or agreement
live. about what human rights are. Different cul-
tures could have extremely different interpre-
tations of human rights.
The need for personal security and security of There is debate over what rights we have or
possessions is universal. should have. Some rights may come into con-
flict with others.
While developing arguments, students can Points to remember
collaborate and share ideas in groups to help The following guidelines will help in the
identify the strongest arguments as well as development of public speaking tasks for any
the crucial weaknesses of a position. Students level.
need to critically analyze all of the infor-
1. Explicitly state your language and con-
mation presented and provide responses to
tent objectives. Determine what skills and
counter-arguments. The teacher should intro-
content you need to teach. Public speaking
duce a format for the debate, which gives each
tasks may support many of your instructional
student a set amount of time to present his or
goals; decide what you want to focus on so that
her arguments and respond to the arguments
the lesson does not become overwhelming.
of the other side. An example of a possible
2. Remember that topics which allow for
debate format is shown below.
student input are most effective because they
Speaker 1: Five minutes to present argu- increase motivation and allow students to have
ments for the value of human rights a stake in their own learning. Students do not
need to have absolute free reign over their
Speaker 2: One minute of questions
topic areas; they can be guided and supported
Speaker 2: Five minutes to respond and in making choices that reflect the instructional
present opposing arguments content. The important point is that they have
some sense of control over their learning.
Speaker 1: One minute of questions
3. Keep in mind that presentation and
Speaker 1: Five minutes to respond and debate tasks are not limited to any one set of
summarize position themes. These tasks can be used with many
different content areas including literature,
Speaker 2: Five minutes to respond and
science, history, and current events (see Snider
summarize position
and Schnurer 2002 for additional content area
Following the debate, students should debates). There is no limit to what you can do
reflect on what they have learned and on ways with public speaking tasks and the ways you
their opinions may have been reinforced or can use these tasks to increase the students’
changed during the task. Students will soon engagement with the material.
realize that there are multiple sides to any 4. Provide a variety of authentic resources.
issue. Debating a controversial topic encour- In order to prepare, you may conduct some
ages students to look beyond their own beliefs personal research to familiarize yourself with
and recognize other viewpoints. Participating the content and resources available. A famil-
in a debate incorporates lessons on tolerance iarity with text resources will help you guide
in a meaningful way. your students toward fruitful searches and
Continued on page 35
E n g l i s h TE a c h i n g F o r u m | Number 2 2009 23
Using Public Speaking Tasks…
(continued from page 23)
suggest directions for their investigations. Conclusion
The Internet is a useful tool to expand Public speaking tasks are an easy way to
the resources available to your students. If enhance language learning. As students partic-
these resources are not available, you may ipate in lively presentations and debates, they
have students draw on existing background develop increased motivation and engage-
knowledge, investigate issues within their ment with the materials. Language skills will
community, or conduct local interviews. improve because students are using language
Part of the learning process involves sorting in meaningful ways for specific purposes and
through different kinds of information and are working toward personal goals. Students
making decisions about what to include and learn how to access information and gain
exclude. You can provide materials in the knowledge. These are skills that can effectively
classroom (texts, newspapers, or films) or use transfer to future learning and employment
the information-gathering process as a lesson contexts. Public speaking tasks empower stu-
in library research, oral (interview) skills, or dents by allowing them to take charge of
computer use. their own learning and to communicate their
5. Encourage students to be critical and knowledge to others in authentic ways.
to look at different sides of an issue. They
should be prepared to answer questions from References
various perspectives and to challenge their Chi, M., N. DeLeeuw, M. Chiu, and C. LaVancher.
own assumptions. Expose students to a variety 1994. Eliciting self explanations improves
understanding. Cognitive Science 18: 439–77.
of texts on the same topic and ask them to
Snider, A., and M. Schnurer. 2002. Many sides:
identify differences in the way the topic is pre-
Debate across the curriculum. New York: Interna-
sented. This will help launch a discussion on tional Debate Education Association.
potential bias and source credibility. Encour-
age questioning at every stage of the task.
Gina iberri-Shea has taught English and
6. Remember to have fun. Questions,
public speaking in the United States, Italy,
disagreements, and moments of confusion all
and the Czech Republic. She is a PhD
contribute to critical thinking. As long as the candidate in Applied Linguistics and
students are engaged with the content and are coordinator of the Forensics (speech and
using language in meaningful ways, they are debate) Program at Northern Arizona
learning. University.
Continued on page 36
E n g l i s h TE a c h i n g F o r u m | Number 2 2009 35
Using Public Speaking Tasks…
(continued from page 35)
Student Presentation Rubric
Using Public Speaking Tasks in English Language Teaching • Gina Iberri-Shea
Language (1-5 points each)
Vocabulary
The vocabulary is appropriate for the
speaker’s level. There are no serious
errors in word choice or form.
Usage
There are no serious errors in structure;
the ideas are presented clearly.
Intonation
The pitch patterns and pauses are used
effectively.
Diction
All phrases are spoken clearly; accent and
syllable stress are used appropriately.
Pace
The speaker speaks at a good pace that is
easy to listen to and comprehend.
Content (1-5 points each)
Organization
The speaker is well prepared and the
presentation is well organized.
Introduction
The speaker states the topic and previews
the main points of the presentation.
Body
There is enough supporting information
to fulfill the assignment. The information
is relevant to the topic.
Conclusion
The presentation includes a summary
statement and a review of the main
points.
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