The development of speaking and listening skills is of primary importance for students to be able to feel comfortable and participate in an English-speaking community, both academically and socially. Speaking and listening skills are practiced in all CELCIS classes; however, speaking and listening class provides a time for focused instruction in, and refinement of, speaking and listening tasks. CELCIS recognizes that students first needs in the area of speaking and listening are to develop fluency in informal conversational settings. For this reason, extensive practice in this area is provided to develop the underlying skills necessary for performing academic tasks similar to those students will encounter in their university classes. The academic speaking and listening tasks covered in this class are considered to be communicative activities. Therefore, the primary emphasis is on successful communication. There is also an emphasis on specific sound features of the language. Accuracy in pronunciation is treated as one aspect of the communication process and not as an end in itself.

Academic speaking tasks include participation in both small group and whole class activities, as well as giving formal and informal oral presentations. Practice in these speaking tasks will include conversation management strategies, active listening techniques, and compensation strategies for mispronunciation. Note-taking and lecture listening skills will be introduced and practiced over long periods of time so that students can develop strategies for recognizing organizational patterns of lectures and systems for processing lecture notes.

Tasks to be completed in speaking and listening

Skills that will be developed and/or mastered

Communicate with and comprehend English speakers:

• in social situations
• in class situations
• in interviews of Americans and other English speakers
• in teacher-student interactions

• speak with fluency
• develop understanding of and proficiency with the English sound system (speech reductions, stress and intonation patterns in words and phrases)
• use compensation strategies for mispronunciation (use context, paraphrase, use gestures/visual aids and examples)
• use conversation management strategies (initiate, maintain, and close)
• use top-down listening strategies (activate background knowledge, recognize key words, and predict topic)
• use active listening strategies (paraphrase what has been heard, ask for clarification or feedback)

Participate in small group discussions in academic situations such as:

• brainstorming
• problem-solving
• debates/seminars
• class topic discussions

• understand and take on roles as leader, recorder, reactor, and/or observer
• contribute to discussions with opinions, agreement, or disagreement
• use top-down and active listening strategies
• use conversation management strategies
• use compensation strategies for mispronunciation

Participate in whole class discussions and activities by:

• volunteering to answer /responding to questions
• following instructions
• asking for clarification

• develop awareness of appropriate question format and content
• respond to and elaborate on instructor elicitation if necessary
• participate actively in class
• use top-down and active listening strategies
• use compensation strategies

Give oral presentations on:

• formal academic topics
• informal academic/ personal topics

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

Take comprehensible lecture notes from:

• audiotaped/videotaped /live academic lectures
• seminars
• newscasts

• use top-down listening strategies
• demonstrate understanding of organizational patterns
• recognize lecturers verbal/nonverbal cues
• give lecturer verbal/nonverbal feedback
• use abbreviations/symbols rather than repetition
• recognize off-topic comments and infer lecturer bias
• develop system for processing notes (reviewing, filling in, rewriting, highlighting, finding more information, etc.)

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

• Communicate with and comprehend English speakers
• Participate in small group discussions in academic situations
• Participate in whole class discussions and activities
• Give oral presentations
• Take comprehensible notes

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

• self-evaluation of presentations, peer evaluation of presentations
• checklists of presentation guidelines
• self-evaluation of note-taking skills
• reflection of conversation management, compensation strategies, and class participation
• interviews with Americans and other English speakers
• documented observations
• student learning logs
• behavioral checklists

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

• formal and informal teacher evaluation of presentations
• record of class participation
• essay exams based on lecture notes
• dictations