Teaching Speaking 
Centennial College 
Judy Thompson
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. 
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a 
lifetime.
Agenda 
1. English – what’s broken and what’s missing 
2. The six point guide to spoken English 
3. Techniques for teaching speaking 
4. Classroom exercises
Information Doesn’t Make a Difference 
1. Information – Lesson 
2. Exercises – Practice 
3. Transformation - Experience of success with 
the new information 
Rita Baker – BRAIN POWER 
80% of our brains are interneurons whose job is to 
find patterns and use them
X Ray of the Fracture
You 
Are 
Here
Pattern Teaching Techniques 
1. Is it always true? 
2. Attach new ideas to information students already 
know, “You know this already.” 
3. Create a successful experience of the new 
information – transformation 
Ask me about videos
The Six Points 
What is most valuable for you to do today? 
Basic – CLB 1-3 
1. 40 Sounds - English Phonetic Alphabet (EPA) 
2. Words - Stress-based language 
3. Sentences - Content words 
Advanced – CLB 4+ 
1. Linking - words start with consonants 
2. Expressions – English is idiomatic 
3. Body language – 80% of the message
1A – Phonetic Alphabet 
_ b _ d _ f g h _ j k l m n _ p _ r s t _ v w _y z 
/Sh/ - shoe, sugar, nation, machine 
/Ch/ - church, cello, picture 
/TH/ - thing, thank, both, teeth 
/Th/ - the, them, these, mother, brother 
/Ng/ - singing, pink 
/Zh/ - Asia, garage, usual, Taj Mahal 
* Past Tense and Listening Skills Exercises
1B - EPA Vowels 
• The first thing people learn in a new language is 
the names of the colors 
• Inside the names of 16 common colors in 
English are the 16 vowel sounds of English 
• Students learn the colors of words and crazy 
English spelling is no longer a barrier to 
confident speaking 
* Listening Skills, Olive Maze, Word Search
Everything is in the Color Chart 
• Vowel sounds in an easy logical format 
• Bridge to pronunciation from spelling 
• Access to spelling from listening 
• Priority - All vowel sounds are NOT equally 
difficult they’re missing short vowels and 
Purple 
• Word stress dictates the word color 
• Linking is in the letters
Words 
*What color is your name? 
• Stress-based language 
• Elastic bands 
• Every word is a color 
• Accents don’t matter 
• Use their names first 
Every word in English is a color on that one page.
Sentences 
• Some words are important and some are not 
• Pablo’s Story – * context for students 
• Grammar doesn’t matter when you are speaking 
* Wolves Eat Sheep
Advanced (Fluency) 
(Keep asking me how to attach this to information 
they already know) *ABC… EPA Vowel Chart 
Linking 
c-c 
c-v 
v-v 
Listening tool – not for students to master
Three Predictable Places 
1. Consonant Consonant 
bus _ stop bu stop 
2. Consonant Vowel 
turn _ off tur noff 
3. Vowel Vowel 
go _ away go waway
All Words Start with Consonants 
Can I have a bit of egg 
ca ni ha va bi da vegg 
* Titanic Song, ABC
Expressions 
Grass is Black 
Teacher Judy’s Sound Dictionary App
Sound Dictionary App 
• Colors provide the bridge from reading to 
pronunciation 
AND BACK 
• Colors provide the bridge from listening to 
spelling
Big Finish 
• www.englishphoneticalphabet.pbworks.com 
• Sneak peak at the new posters 
• Thompson Language Center YouTube Channel 
• Teacher Judy’s Sound Dictionary app 
• Speaking Test app – accent/intelligibility 
www.thompsonlanguagecenter.com 
judy@thompsonlanguagecenter.com 
(905) 757-1257

Centennial College Teaching Speakng Workshop

  • 1.
    Teaching Speaking CentennialCollege Judy Thompson
  • 2.
    Give a mana fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
  • 3.
    Agenda 1. English– what’s broken and what’s missing 2. The six point guide to spoken English 3. Techniques for teaching speaking 4. Classroom exercises
  • 4.
    Information Doesn’t Makea Difference 1. Information – Lesson 2. Exercises – Practice 3. Transformation - Experience of success with the new information Rita Baker – BRAIN POWER 80% of our brains are interneurons whose job is to find patterns and use them
  • 6.
    X Ray ofthe Fracture
  • 7.
  • 9.
    Pattern Teaching Techniques 1. Is it always true? 2. Attach new ideas to information students already know, “You know this already.” 3. Create a successful experience of the new information – transformation Ask me about videos
  • 10.
    The Six Points What is most valuable for you to do today? Basic – CLB 1-3 1. 40 Sounds - English Phonetic Alphabet (EPA) 2. Words - Stress-based language 3. Sentences - Content words Advanced – CLB 4+ 1. Linking - words start with consonants 2. Expressions – English is idiomatic 3. Body language – 80% of the message
  • 11.
    1A – PhoneticAlphabet _ b _ d _ f g h _ j k l m n _ p _ r s t _ v w _y z /Sh/ - shoe, sugar, nation, machine /Ch/ - church, cello, picture /TH/ - thing, thank, both, teeth /Th/ - the, them, these, mother, brother /Ng/ - singing, pink /Zh/ - Asia, garage, usual, Taj Mahal * Past Tense and Listening Skills Exercises
  • 12.
    1B - EPAVowels • The first thing people learn in a new language is the names of the colors • Inside the names of 16 common colors in English are the 16 vowel sounds of English • Students learn the colors of words and crazy English spelling is no longer a barrier to confident speaking * Listening Skills, Olive Maze, Word Search
  • 14.
    Everything is inthe Color Chart • Vowel sounds in an easy logical format • Bridge to pronunciation from spelling • Access to spelling from listening • Priority - All vowel sounds are NOT equally difficult they’re missing short vowels and Purple • Word stress dictates the word color • Linking is in the letters
  • 15.
    Words *What coloris your name? • Stress-based language • Elastic bands • Every word is a color • Accents don’t matter • Use their names first Every word in English is a color on that one page.
  • 16.
    Sentences • Somewords are important and some are not • Pablo’s Story – * context for students • Grammar doesn’t matter when you are speaking * Wolves Eat Sheep
  • 17.
    Advanced (Fluency) (Keepasking me how to attach this to information they already know) *ABC… EPA Vowel Chart Linking c-c c-v v-v Listening tool – not for students to master
  • 18.
    Three Predictable Places 1. Consonant Consonant bus _ stop bu stop 2. Consonant Vowel turn _ off tur noff 3. Vowel Vowel go _ away go waway
  • 19.
    All Words Startwith Consonants Can I have a bit of egg ca ni ha va bi da vegg * Titanic Song, ABC
  • 20.
    Expressions Grass isBlack Teacher Judy’s Sound Dictionary App
  • 21.
    Sound Dictionary App • Colors provide the bridge from reading to pronunciation AND BACK • Colors provide the bridge from listening to spelling
  • 22.
    Big Finish •www.englishphoneticalphabet.pbworks.com • Sneak peak at the new posters • Thompson Language Center YouTube Channel • Teacher Judy’s Sound Dictionary app • Speaking Test app – accent/intelligibility www.thompsonlanguagecenter.com judy@thompsonlanguagecenter.com (905) 757-1257