The development of speaking and listening skills is of primary importance for students to be able to feel comfortable and participate both academically and socially in an English-speaking community. Speaking and listening skills are practiced in all CELCIS classes; however, Speaking and Listening class provides a time for focused instruction in speaking and listening tasks. CELCIS recognizes that the first need that Elementary students have in the area of speaking is to learn basic communication skills in English in order to develop fluency and comfort level in informal conversational settings.

The speaking and listening tasks covered in this class are considered to be communicative activities. Therefore, the primary emphasis is on successful communication. There is a secondary emphasis on specific sound features of the language. However, accuracy in pronunciation is treated as one aspect of the communication process and not an end in itself.

Areas of development in speaking and listening include developing fluency, learning how to participate in both small group and whole class discussions, and giving short talks on personal and modified academic topics. Practice in these speaking tasks will include use of conversation management strategies, use of active listening techniques, and compensation strategies for mispronunciation. Listening practice focuses on developing aural comprehension strategies with primary emphasis on building vocabulary as well as learning to predict the topic, recognize word/phrase patterns, and listen for the general meaning of conversations and classroom lectures.

PROCESSES

APPLICATION & TASKS

Develop fluency in speaking in: social interaction

• classroom situations

• increase comfort level in expressing ones ideas in English
• increase control of spoken English
• increase quantity of spoken English
• demonstrate self-confidence
• use newly acquired vocabulary

Learn basic communication skills in English for:

• social interaction
• classroom situations

• develop fluency in speaking
• develop basic recognition and production of the English sound system (speech reductions, stress and intonation patterns in words and phrases)
• use compensation strategies for mispronunciation (paraphrase, give examples, use context, gestures/visual aids, and written text)
• develop basic English vocabulary for conversation management and classroom interaction
• use top-down listening strategies (activate background knowledge, recognize key words, and predict topic)
• use active listening strategies (use question format to get information and clarification)

Learn to participate in small group and whole class discussions in situations:

• brainstorming
• problem-solving
• discussing class topics
• volunteering to answer/ respond to questions
• following instructions
• asking for clarification

• contribute to discussions with opinions, agreement, or disagreement
• use compensation strategies for mispronunciation
• use top-down listening strategies
• use active listening strategies
• develop awareness of appropriate question format
• respond to and elaborate on instructor elicitation if necessary
• participate actively in class

Practice giving short talks on:

• personal topics
• modified academic topics

• communicate self-confidence (eye contact, appropriate gestures, volume and speed)
• learn to use clear organization with transitions
• develop awareness of audience (adjust to needs, encourage and field questions)
• use appropriate visual aids and notes

Learn to use aural comprehension strategies for:

• everyday conversations
• radio/TV broadcasts
• classroom interaction

• predict topics
• listen for the general meaning of conversations and short lectures
• recognize word/phrase patterns and formulaic expressions
• guess vocabulary in context
• develop methods to increase vocabulary
• learn to filter out irrelevant details

PROCESS-ORIENTED(Learner-centered)

To diagnose student strengths and weaknesses, modify appropriate instruction and guide students toward course outcomes

PRODUCT-ORIENTED(Criterion-centered)

To determine whether (and to what extent) students have learned specific skills; this evaluation focuses on outcomes

Develop fluency in speaking

• Learn basic communication skills
• Learn to participate in small group and whole class discussions
• Practice giving short talks
• Learn to use aural comprehension strategies

Use of ongoing assessment tools that are student-centered and student or instructor reflective:

• self-evaluation of presentations
• peer evaluation of short talks
• checklists of short talk guidelines
• self-evaluation of small group and whole class participation
• self-evaluation of note-taking skills
• reflection of conversation management, compensation strategies, and class participation
• documented observations
• behavioral checklists

Use of assessment tools that are based on the performance of the student:

• formal and informal teacher evaluation of short talks
• record of class and group participation
• tests of aural comprehension
• dictation passages
• recorded samples of oral production