1. Teaching Oral English for Employability Using
Communicative Language Techniques

Michelle Stabler-Havener

Senior English Language Fellow

2. Objectives
Participants will be able to…
List, give examples of, and practice different activities and
teaching techniques for speaking for employability
http://onida.com/share-your-ideas

3. 1 Thumb + 2 Fingers Up = Silence

4. Warm-Up: Small Group Discussion

What are some activities and teaching techniques that
you use to teach speaking for employability purposes?
http://programmedevelopment.com/

5. http://www.shakenmama.com/
Speaking Activities
and Teaching Techniques
For Employability Purposes

6. Model Based Dialogues
Example
How to make suggestions
A: Let’s + simple present tense verb
B: I would like to, but + (specific reason)
Context: At Work
A: Ask your colleague “B” to have tea with you. Be
persistent.
B: Find polite excuses for refusing. Refuse your partner
at least three times.
Image p. 2: http://drsheltie.blogspot.in

7. Model Based Dialogues: Example
A: Let’s go to tea.
B: I would like to, but I still have a lot of work to do.
A: Come on. Let’s go to tea.
B: I would like to, but I really must get this work done quickly so that
I can get home and prepare dinner.
A: Please, let’s go to tea.
B: I would like to, but I am afraid I don’t have the time now.
A: Let’s go to tea. We will be quick, just 5 minutes.
B: Ok. Tea will give me energy to work faster. Just 5 minutes.

8. Model Based Dialogues
Model Based Dialogues
Personalize
Choose volunteers and
students at random
Change partners
http://homemadedad.ca/groovy-lounge-jazz-tunes-for-cocktail-part/

9. Role Play
 Role as a mask
 Relate the role play to
lesson/ unit/ course
objectives
 Make sure to give
students time to
prepare their role play
http://media.beta.photobucket.com/

10. Example:
Objectives:
The learner will be able to…
Use language functions to invite someone to dinner as well as
politely accept/decline an invitation.
Instructions:
In pairs, take turns doing the following:
A.Invite “B,” a city official, to a special function on your boss’s
behalf.
B.“B” -- Accept or decline the invitation.
Switch roles. Make sure to use the language functions during
your role play.

11. Example Role Play:
Language Functions
Accepting an Invitation
Inviting Someone:
Would you like to…?
Thank you. I’d like to very
much.
I’d love to.
Why don’t you come over?
I’d be delighted to come.
I would be delighted if you were
able to…
Declining an Invitation
I’m sorry. I don’t think I can.
Sorry I can’t, but thanks
anyway.
I’d love to, but unfortunately I
already have plans.
http://thenewindianbride.com

12. What is a language function?

The term “language function” refers to the purpose of a speech or
text.

We are focusing on speech in this session.

An “utterance” is a spoken word or statement.
Example: What is the
language function for this student’s
speech? In other words,
why is he saying, “Present”?
What is the purpose of his
utterance?
“Present.”

13. Practice
Examples:
Function: Giving instructions
Utterance: Turn to page 33, please.
http://catechesisinthethirdmillennium.wordpress.com
Function: Encouraging students
Utterance: ?????
Answers: Well done, that’s great, You’ve really done well, good try, etc.
Function: ???????
Utterance: Would someone be willing to share first?
Answers: Eliciting, facilitating a group discussion

14. Interviews
Interviews


Gets students moving
http://www.byu.edu/

Can reflect students interests or unit theme
Example

In 5 minutes, talk to as many different people as you can.

Write down their names and their answers to the following question:
Do you think it is important for students in rural India to learn English?
Why or why not?

15. Small Group Problem Solving
Small group problem
solving may involve:


Making a decision

Prioritizing a list

Listing steps

Planning activities
http://www.behavioradvisor.com/ProblemSolving.html

16. Small Group Problem Solving:
More Examples
Making a decision:
Listing Steps/Planning Activities
A colleague has an important
presentation to give in one
week. Her mother suddenly
becomes ill and is admitted to
the hospital. How should your
colleague spend her time this
week?
A group of 3 people are put on
a committee to plan a national
day celebration event for the
company. One person is a good
administrator. One person
accomplishes tasks quickly. One
person is an excellent speaker
and performer.
What tasks need to be done to
prepare for the national day
event and which person should
accomplish each task?
http://workplacecoachblog.com

17. Debates and Discussion
Facilitation Suggestion

Specific topics

Topics students know
something about

Students should have time to
prepare
Split the class into 2-4 groups depending
on the topic.
Traditional debate is when the class is
split into 2 groups where one group is for
an issue, the other is against it.
Break the groups into smaller groups of
2-4 people to prepare for the debate.
At the time of the debate, a different
person must speak each time.
The person speaking needs to address
what has just been said by the other
group before they make a different
point.
http://dumais.us/newtown/blog/?tag=debate

18. Debate

Should there be a mandatory dress code at the workplace for men
and women?

19. THANK YOU!

Comments? Questions?