Speaking with support

When students beging to speak some English, teacher has to encourage them by:

1. Using classroom phrases:

• What learners need to say and ask:

2. Saying rhymes and singing songs to practise pronunciation, stress and intonation:

Children usually like singing and performing. It helps them feel at ease with English. They enjoy learning songs and rhymes. As children acquire more English, chants, rhymes, and songs can form a real port of the learning process. We can use them for:

• Enjoyment
• As part of your teaching plan
• As a change in activity
• To revise vocabulary
• To connect with new or familiar topics
• To practise up-to-date expressions
• For drama and to practise punctuation

When we choose a song or a rhyme, it should suit our pupil’s age group and their interests; match with their level of  English; and have a catchy, easy to remember melody.

3. Practising new vocabulary:

4. Playing vocabulary games:

Playing games and memory games are useful to help children become familiar with new vocabulary in an enjoyable way. When you show children what to do and at the same time give instructions for games in English, they are listening to you with a real purpose -to find out how to play. They are also absorbing new vocabulary and intonation patterns. Some examples of vocabulary games are:

5. Practising pronunciation of new sounds:

Children acquire pronunciation and intonation naturally by listening to you. When you talk they absorb the sound of the language. But this does not mean that they will produce perfect words or phrases when they begin to speak in English. They need:

•  to try out the sounds
• to play with sounds
• your help and praise all the time.

You can play games to encourage them to practise the sounds of English like: