Class Activities to Promote Speaking

Every person who attempts learning a second language wants to start speaking it as soon as possible. It is best to incorporate learning activities which enhance the learning process while making it fun. Activities not only help increase understanding of the language but also provide adequate opportunity to students to speak the language. The article suggests some fun activities that can be incorporated in the classroom giving students enough exposure to practice speaking the language. The activities discussed in the article can be customized for students of all age groups.

Memory game is a double edged sword; it can be used to acquire words of a particular category and practice speaking at the same time. The method of playing this game is:

• Discuss the words under a particular heading in the class. For example, let us take the ‘Names of Fruits in English’.
• Select a group of ten students and ask them to stand in a semi circle.
• The teacher starts the game by speaking out, ‘I went to the market to buy some apples’
• The first student in line is supposed to repeat the sentence and add the name of another fruit. He would say something like, ‘I went to the market to buy some apples and peaches’.
• The sentence is passed on to all the students one by one and every student adds the name of a fruit when his chance comes. For example the second student would say, ‘I went to the market to buy some apples, peaches and pomegranates.’
• The condition that has to be taken care of is that the order in which the names of fruits have been added cannot be altered.
• It is a game of elimination, the moment a student says the wrong word or the wrong order of things, he would be eliminated.
• Make sure students do not use a paper and pen and rely on their memory for adding words to the list.

It is an excellent game to acquire basic nouns. This works well with students of all age groups. The activity also helps to check the pronunciation of words and also helps to emphasize the importance of listening while learning a language.

Junkie the monkey is a game which once again can be customized for students of all age groups. It is a fun activity and even grown up students enjoy it. The method of undertaking this game is:

• Prepare a cut out of a monkey with junkie written on it;
• On the white board in the classroom, draw a tree and a swing hanging from it, a stream, a road, a hut etc. Add as many features as possible;
• With a piece of cello tape, paste the monkey at different places and ask students to speak something about Junkie the Monkey. For example a student could say, ‘Junkie the monkey is on the tree, Junkie the monkey is inside the hut, Junkie the monkey is wearing a red shirt...'
• For beginners, keep the activity very basic and for senior students, the level of activity can be made difficult by introducing a cut out of another animal or bird.

Senior level students can be asked to construct a story from all the sentences that were spoken out in class. The activity helps students acquire vocabulary and form basic sentences at the same time. Speaking sentences in front of the class increases their confidence while speaking the language. The activity can further be used to discuss parts of speech too. For example, the students can be asked to speak a sentence which contains an adjective. (Junkie the monkey is on the tallest tree in the jungle)

It is best to deal with the pronunciation of the words after the activity has got over, doing it midway hampers the momentum of the activity. Care has to be taken to involve every student in these activities and try to make them as much fun as possible.