This document summarizes Eddie Sobenes' lecture on teaching speaking. Some key points include: - Speaking requires creativity, flexibility and improvisation skills compared to just reading aloud. - Scaffolding is used to build students' speaking abilities through filling in blanks and role plays. - Both formal and informal assessments are important for evaluating students' speaking progress. - Authentic, real-world English differs from textbook English in its use of slang, grammar and flexibility. - An additive approach to language teaching moves students from single words to conversations.

1. Teaching Speaking
A speech by Eddie Sobenes

2. In this lecture, we will discuss:
• reading vs speaking
• informal, semi-formal, and formal
assessments
• taylord questions
• scaffolding (Echevarria)

3. topics continued…
• textbook English vs real speech
• different grammars
• levels of creativity
• The dreaded group work.

4. Disclaimer
• Many of the ideas in this lecture are not my
own. They were promulgated English as a
Foreign Language (EFL) researchers (英語教學
研究員) : Harmer, Horwitz, Echevarria, and Ur.

5. Why learn speaking?
我為什麼要說英文?
“My son is only going to be tested on
reading and writing. So, please don’t
spend too much time teaching him
speaking.”

6. Echevarria says:
• Each of the 4 [actually 5] language
skills enhance the other.
writing
speaking
listening
reading
Translating
This being the case,
please forgive me if I
talk about other stills
during this lecture.

7. Reading aloud vs Speaking (唸vs說)
• Reading aloud (唸) is good when the students
are struggling with new vocabulary, sentence
patterns, or pronunciation.
• Speaking involves sentence construction (句型
結構), improvisation (即興), response(回應),
and a basic understanding of the grammar
being used. Creativity and flexibility are also
important.

8. EXAMPLE of flexibility
• I want scrambled eggs and pancakes. (我要吃炒蛋
和煎餅)
• But I don’t know how to say scrambled eggs or
pancakes in a foreign language. (可是 我不知道怎麼
說 “炒蛋 或煎餅”的中文)
• But I can say eggs and bread. (但 我會說 “蛋，麵包”)
• I guess I’m having eggs and bread for breakfast.
(那我就點蛋與吐司吧)

9. Moral of the story
• Don’t get hung up on vocabulary
• Use words you already know.
• Be flexible … or lie

10. 語言應該怎麼樣?
A → B
A ← B
A → B
A → B
A → B
A → B

11. 簡單來講:
• Reading is actual.
• Speaking requires creativity, flexibility and
improvisational skills (必須有即興技巧).

12. Scaffolding
• Scaffolding is a process by which the teacher
removes parts of a structure and allows the
student(s) to complete it.
• To better understand scaffolding, we must
start with a goal. For example: The students
will be able to order food, or have a
conversation about ordering food in a
restaurant.

13. scaffolding flow
start with a goal
example of desired outcome
(scripted conversation)
scaffolded text
completely student created text
(written or spoken)

14. example of targeted speech ability
(能力目標例子)
A: Welcome to Cowboy Bob’s Restaurant.
May I take your order?
B: Yes. I would like a hamburger, fries, and
365 glasses of coke.
A: OK. Your total is 600 NTD. Please be
patient. Your order will be ready soon.

15. scaffolded or ommitted text
A: Welcome to _______________.
May I take your order?
B: Yes. I would like _________, __________,
and ____________.
A: OK. Your total is __________. _________.
Let’s try !

16. What’s next ?
然後內?
Reading from scaffolded texts is still not
speaking. It is merely a step in preparing
students to participate in conversations.
After filling in scaffolded worksheets and reading
them aloud, the students should role-play and
engage in conversations with classmates.
Remember:
Filling in the blank isn’t speaking.

17. Improvise your own conversation

18. 上課時老師應該要說多少?
• Have you ever noticed that in some
conversation classes, the teacher talks more
than the students ?
老師講講說說，講講說說。

19. Group work: How, Why ?
• Echevarria recommends groups of 4.
• Although you only need 2 for a conversation,
if there are 4 in a group, chances are at least
one person in the group knows what is going
on and can explain it to the other 3.
• Everyone must have something to do.

20. Review
複習一下
• Filling in the banks isn’t speaking. (要學生填入
空格並不是我們的目標)
• Don’t talk all the time. (後龍會痛)
• Give students time to respond. (給學生時間回應)
• REQUIRE student response. (學生必須回應)

21. What’s wrong with these sentences? —
下面的句子 哪裡錯?
I ride a bike yesterday.
I eat chicken for dinner last night.

22. • First order—least creative (選項)
• Second order—allows some creativity when
there is more than one possible answer.
• Third order, goal—improvised conversation
(例如自己造句，寫信，和阿兜仔溝通。)

23. First and second order, examples
I ________ rice for dinner last night.
a) had eaten b) ate
c) will eat d) will be eating
I ate _________ for _________.

24. Third order
(improvised conversation when student can’t
see A)
A: What did you eat for dinner last night?
B: _____________________________
A: Was it good?
B: ___________________________
A: Did you eat at home or in a restaurant ?
B: ______________________________

25. 3 kinds of assessments:
• formal assessments— a project or a test in which
the student gets a grade. Records are kept.
• Semiformal assessment—an assignment or quiz
in which a student a student is assessed by the
teacher. Grades, records and feedback may or
may not be given. Example, self-graded work
where completion of the assignment is
mandatory or a grade is kept.

26. • Informal assessments—These are
assessments for the teacher, student, or both.
For example, asking questions to a particular
student in class to get a general idea about
his/her ability in the subject, most self-
corrected tasks

27. Why is this important ?
評量跟英語會話有什麼關係啦?
Most of the time we are giving informal
assessments.
How does one formally assess speaking ?
oral tests,
presentations,
role-plays,
story tells, etc.

28. Oral test :
• What’s the weather like today?
• What does your uncle/father/grandfather do?
• What is your favorite food ?

29. Has this ever happened to you?

30. What happened in the video?
• Who practiced speaking English ?
• If something like that happens, just lie.

31. When is it OK to lie ?
什麼時候說謊是OK的?
1. It’s OK to lie in a foreign language class.
在外文會話班
2. It’s OK to lie when we’re telling a jokes.
說笑話時
Ethics of lying: _____________.
Perhaps it’s OK to lie when the lie not only causes
no harm, but also contributes to the peace and
security of others.

32. What does Peter Davison have to say about it ?
中文翻譯: Forgetfulbc.blogspot.com

33. What did we learn from the video?
• Why did he drop out (輟學) of college ?
• Does he know what race (種族) he is ?
It’s OK to lie…sometimes.

34. Textbook vs real English
What does Jesús Sandoval have to say about it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6M_Z9VYAfg

35. That conversation in America might
have gone like this:
David: What’s up Dad.
Mr Wong: Hey David, Who’s your friend?
David: Oh. This is Tony.
Tony: Hi. (Tony waves)
Mr Wong: Are you Chinese?
Tony: I don’t know what race I am.
My mom says I’m white.

36. Authentic (real) vs Textbook Language
• Authentic language—improvised, often
broken, improper use of grammar, slang,
modulatory, etc.
• (EFL) Textbook —basic, easily understood,
short, clear and complete sentences.

37. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
• Are you going to use authentic language in your
class room?
• If so, some things to consider:
Where are you going to get the material?
Are you going to allow students to choose
their own material?
How much time are you willing to devote?

38. Some sources
• www.youtube.com
• Your American (or South African) colleagues
• The radio (including call-ins)
• Blogs, websites, chatrooms etc.
• Urban dictionary
• iTunes podcasts. (download at www.apple.com)

39. Advantages and Disadvantages
Using authentic language in class
Advantages (好處) Disadvantages (壞處)
May spark students interest
Is more useful in the real world
Is more fun
Time is need to search for
materials (you won’t find much
in the textbook.)
It’s more difficult for students
to understand.
Can be difficult to assess

40. What did James Cook have to say
about language?
• “There is really no such thing as
different languages. There is
just language. You either
understand it or your don’t.”

41. • One difference between
English and Chinese:
In English, there are 26ish
letters. English is semi-
phonetic.
Although the 9th graders are
going to be tested on 1,200
words, many have never
even spoken.
烏龜

42. chunks (phrases) vs sentences vs
words
• We think in chunks. Incomplete sentences
and ideas strung together in a context.
• We have to write in complete sentences for
our teachers.
• My teacher makes me 背單字.

43. Towards an additive approach
• We must move from words, to phrases, to
sentences, to conversations and paragraphs.
And finally to essays and speeches.
words
phrases
sentences
paragraphs

44. We must be like a composer
• Go from one simple musical phrase or idea, to
a whole piece.

46. Quick review
• English teaching and learning should be
creative.
• Balance teacher talking time with student
talking time.
• Be funny.