Suggested Activities to Improve Speaking Skill
Suggested Activities to Improve Speaking Skill by Yusuf Doğan
Language skills are composed of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Listening and reading are categorized as “receptive”, speaking and writing are
categorized as “productive” skills. Listening from receptive skills and speaking from
productive skills are acquired earlier than other language skills. Thus, children are
predominantly taught on reading and writing when they start school. Even though
children have acquired the ability to speak at some level till they start school,
speaking education must be given to them in Turkish language classes because those
children have acquired this speaking skill from family members and friends in a
haphazard way instead of a scheduled education program. This acquired language
skills are taken on according to a planned and scheduled program with the start of
formal education. Each of the language skills should be considered as a part of a
whole, and studies should be carried out for balanced development of all of them.
One cannot claim knowing a language perfectly unless he has the command of all of
the language skills at a certain level.
Education of the speaking skill has always been a neglected issue in Turkish
language teaching. Most of the students graduating from primary and secondary
schools, and even from universities cannot state their thoughts and opinions
correctly and effectively. However, speaking is one of the most significant
indicators of knowing a language.
As social beings, people need to communicate with the people around them.
When we say communication, what comes to mind is speaking which is an oral
process taking place between people. Speaking skill is one of the most important
elements that make man. Teaching and learning takes place as a result of a
communication process. Learning ability of individuals is mostly related to how
effective they use the oral communication skills. One’s being unable to state his
thoughts and opinions, in a way not thinking, and as a result of this not taking part in
classroom activities means being unable to learn.
Both children and adults use the “speaking” ability more often than the
“writing” ability. The speaking ability, which takes more place in our lives than
writing, is used at all levels and any environment to inform, exchange of words, and
to share feelings and thoughts. Man shapes the innate speaking ability he has
according to his environment, and uses it throughout his life.
In our country, graduates of primary schools do not have to attend high
schools. This also means that some of the graduates of primary school might not
have the chance to study at a formal education institutions anymore. In other words,
for the students who will not study at high schools primary school means the first
and the last formal education institution they have ever attended. Thus, the education
provided at primary schools must be of a certain quality to prepare the students for
life in any aspects. Due to all these reasons, the speaking education given at schools
is crucial.
One of the commonly encountered problems in speaking education is
students’ retaining accent characteristics. This issue had better been dealt with in
studies on speaking education. The reason of this is that psychology states that
training on accent correction is effective in childhood or adolescence because one’s
vocabulary is formed at these ages. If no serious and healthy speaking education is
given between ages 4 and 18, it is difficult to get success in speaking education at
later ages. Speaking education should be given in forms of games, practice and
education rather than just teaching. Speaking is not a skill that can be taught, but a
skill that develops with practice and education.
In the frame of points highlighted above, speaking training is crucial both for
individuals and the society. Hence, class teachers and Turkish language teachers
have a great responsibility. It is impossible to develop the speaking skill by
memorizing some rules and making them be memorized. In order to achieve this
development in speaking, it is necessary to expand knowledge, to have plenty and
various practices, to listen to people who speak well and effectively, and to take
them as models.
The Quality of Speaking Education
The main aim in speaking education should be to supply a person with the
ability to tell their feelings and thoughts to others easily sometimes without
preparation, and sometimes by being prepared.
The studies about speaking education should be planned considering the
easy-to-difficult principle, which is one of the essential principles of education.
Most people hesitate to speak in front of a person or a group of people. This
hesitation sometimes turns into fear. Starting with simple examples will increase the
productivity expected from this study.
As the study progresses, students will notice that their speaking skill has
improved, and they will be able to participate in more comprehensive speaking
practices.
The speaking education for children should have the quality to make them
speak smoothly, easily and fluently. Therefore, students’ lack of knowledge should
first be overcome, and then they should be given practices by considering the real
communication situations in daily life. The permanence of what is taught is in
parallel with the fact that what is taught is seen in daily life. When one has the
chance to practice what he has learned in daily life, this learning becomes more
meaningful. When a student does not encounter the practices that he had at school in
daily life, this education is not realistic, and it is difficult to get the expected
productivity as a result of these practices.
There is a close relationship between the language skills. It is impossible to
think of a skill independently. Thus, the activities in Turkish language classes should
be done by having transitions between language skills where necessary.
Some other points to be noted about speaking education can be listed as
follows:
* During the activities about speaking education, teachers should provide the
students with examples about how to ask for permission to speak, when and how to
ask questions, which expressions to start and end a speech, and how to get ready for
prepared speeches.
* The activities should attract the attention of students, should be enriched by
considering the other fields of curriculum, and should be applied to daily speeches.
* Students should be warned about the importance of vocabulary and general
knowledge in giving good and effective speeches. The importance of being a good
reader and listener should be emphasized.
* The fact that students are more active than the teacher in a classroom is an
often emphasized point in getting productivity in educational studies. Teachers
should provide students with a classroom environment where they can present
themselves freely. Every chance to make students speak should be used to achieve
this.
This study also includes some example activities about speaking education
that classroom teachers and Turkish language teachers can practice in their classes.
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- Teaching speaking skills 1
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