Teaching Speaking Online 
TESL Ontario 
Judy Thompson
Technophobe’s Journey to Online Teaching 
• LINC, Peel Board, Sheridan College… 
• Speaking specialty 
• Developed some materials 
• Posted a LinkedIn profile 
• Trend Business School in Brazil – had a program 
• Got hired all over the world – my own program 
• Teach executives online
Agenda 
1. Basic Technology 
2. Assessment and Program Content 
3. Online Market/|Marketing
Tools of a Technophobe 
• Audacity – free voice recognition software 
recorder that shows amplitude 
• Skype – free voice, text & video sharing 
software 
• Dropbox – free cloud stored/shared files 
• Pamela – 90$/year Skype recording program 
• Otterwave – 10$ app voice recognition 
amplitude and individual sound assessment
Audacity
Skype Screenshot
Otterwave Screenshot
The Content is the Thing 
Coaching vs. Teaching 
Teaching is traditional, broad and forgettable – 
lots of information they can’t remember or use 
Coaching is customized, razor sharp and starts 
where the student is and takes them where they 
need to go - you get paid a lot more 
Get a niche and be the best at teaching it.
X Ray of the Fracture
Cry Wolf Diagnostic Passage 
Date: ___________________ 
Reader’s Name: ___________________ 
Listener’s Name: ___________________ 
Cry Wolf 
Once upon a time, a lonely shepherd boy sat watching his sheep. Nothing unusual ever 
happened on that quiet hillside, so the boy decided to play a trick on the townspeople. He 
cried, “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!” The villagers ran up the hill armed with sticks to drive the wolf 
away. There was no wolf. 
Everyone was angry that the boy was just pulling their leg, but the boy enjoyed his little 
joke. The next day he cried, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is eating the sheep!” Again the villagers 
ran to help. The boy laughed at them. 
On the third day, a big hungry wolf attacked the sheep. The terrified boy screamed for help, 
but no one came. The wolf ate all the sheep. The boy realized too late the importance of 
telling the truth. 
Comments:
You 
Are 
Here
Pattern Teaching Techniques 
1. Unteach – Remove blocks that aren’t real 
2. Only teach what is missing for each individual 
3. Anticipate issues from first language and use 
appropriate exercises 
4. Leave them with HW and real world examples 
5. Shift from teacher’s responsibility that they learn 
– to theirs 
6. It’s very fast, 10-15 hours for the complete 
program
The Color Chart is Loaded 
• 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 
The single most important feature of English 
• Stress-based language 
• 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 
• Grammar doesn’t matter when you are speaking 
• Grammar words are reduced to tiny grunts 
* Wolves Eat Sheep
Clear, Powerful Demonstrations 
WOLVES EAT SHEEP 
The WOLVES EAT SHEEP 
The WOLVES EAT the SHEEP 
The WOLVES will EAT the SHEEP 
The WOLVES have EATen the SHEEP 
The WOLVES will have EATen the SHEEP
Understand your Topic Deeply 
Linking is for better listening skills, they don’t 
have to do it themselves. 
1. Consonant Consonant 
bus _ stop bu stop 
2. Consonant Vowel 
turn _ off tur noff 
3. Vowel Vowel 
go _ away go waway
Expressions 
Conversation works because of: 
• Context 
• Collocations 
• Conventions 
Expressions and humor are marks of fluency.
Marketing 
• Who has money to pay for an expert and no time 
for English lessons? 
• Make graduated proposals – levels of content 
Budget, Standard, Deluxe and outline clearly 
what the client can expect 
• LinkedIn provides a world of possibilities for 
experts who make a difference quickly 
• Flesh out your profile and join groups 
• HR hires your niche for their bottom line
Big Finish 
http://elearningindustry.com/top-10-e-learning-statistics- 
for-2014-you-need-to-know 
In 2011, it was estimated that about $35.6 billion was 
spent on self-paced eLearning across the globe. 
Today, e-Learning is a $56.2 billion industry, and it's 
going to double by 2015. 
Teach what no computer can teach 
www.thompsonlanguagecenter.com 
judy@thompsonlanguagecenter.com 
(905) 757-1257

Teaching Speaking Online TESL 2014

  • 1.
    Teaching Speaking Online TESL Ontario Judy Thompson
  • 2.
    Technophobe’s Journey toOnline Teaching • LINC, Peel Board, Sheridan College… • Speaking specialty • Developed some materials • Posted a LinkedIn profile • Trend Business School in Brazil – had a program • Got hired all over the world – my own program • Teach executives online
  • 3.
    Agenda 1. BasicTechnology 2. Assessment and Program Content 3. Online Market/|Marketing
  • 4.
    Tools of aTechnophobe • Audacity – free voice recognition software recorder that shows amplitude • Skype – free voice, text & video sharing software • Dropbox – free cloud stored/shared files • Pamela – 90$/year Skype recording program • Otterwave – 10$ app voice recognition amplitude and individual sound assessment
  • 5.
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
    The Content isthe Thing Coaching vs. Teaching Teaching is traditional, broad and forgettable – lots of information they can’t remember or use Coaching is customized, razor sharp and starts where the student is and takes them where they need to go - you get paid a lot more Get a niche and be the best at teaching it.
  • 9.
    X Ray ofthe Fracture
  • 10.
    Cry Wolf DiagnosticPassage Date: ___________________ Reader’s Name: ___________________ Listener’s Name: ___________________ Cry Wolf Once upon a time, a lonely shepherd boy sat watching his sheep. Nothing unusual ever happened on that quiet hillside, so the boy decided to play a trick on the townspeople. He cried, “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!” The villagers ran up the hill armed with sticks to drive the wolf away. There was no wolf. Everyone was angry that the boy was just pulling their leg, but the boy enjoyed his little joke. The next day he cried, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is eating the sheep!” Again the villagers ran to help. The boy laughed at them. On the third day, a big hungry wolf attacked the sheep. The terrified boy screamed for help, but no one came. The wolf ate all the sheep. The boy realized too late the importance of telling the truth. Comments:
  • 11.
  • 13.
    Pattern Teaching Techniques 1. Unteach – Remove blocks that aren’t real 2. Only teach what is missing for each individual 3. Anticipate issues from first language and use appropriate exercises 4. Leave them with HW and real world examples 5. Shift from teacher’s responsibility that they learn – to theirs 6. It’s very fast, 10-15 hours for the complete program
  • 15.
    The Color Chartis Loaded • 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
  • 16.
    Words The singlemost important feature of English • Stress-based language • Accents don’t matter • Use their names first Every word in English is a color on that one page.
  • 17.
    Sentences • Somewords are important and some are not • Grammar doesn’t matter when you are speaking • Grammar words are reduced to tiny grunts * Wolves Eat Sheep
  • 18.
    Clear, Powerful Demonstrations WOLVES EAT SHEEP The WOLVES EAT SHEEP The WOLVES EAT the SHEEP The WOLVES will EAT the SHEEP The WOLVES have EATen the SHEEP The WOLVES will have EATen the SHEEP
  • 19.
    Understand your TopicDeeply Linking is for better listening skills, they don’t have to do it themselves. 1. Consonant Consonant bus _ stop bu stop 2. Consonant Vowel turn _ off tur noff 3. Vowel Vowel go _ away go waway
  • 20.
    Expressions Conversation worksbecause of: • Context • Collocations • Conventions Expressions and humor are marks of fluency.
  • 21.
    Marketing • Whohas money to pay for an expert and no time for English lessons? • Make graduated proposals – levels of content Budget, Standard, Deluxe and outline clearly what the client can expect • LinkedIn provides a world of possibilities for experts who make a difference quickly • Flesh out your profile and join groups • HR hires your niche for their bottom line
  • 22.
    Big Finish http://elearningindustry.com/top-10-e-learning-statistics- for-2014-you-need-to-know In 2011, it was estimated that about $35.6 billion was spent on self-paced eLearning across the globe. Today, e-Learning is a $56.2 billion industry, and it's going to double by 2015. Teach what no computer can teach www.thompsonlanguagecenter.com judy@thompsonlanguagecenter.com (905) 757-1257