Teaching language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in the secondary classroom

Handout 2: Speaking activity

Task 1

Put the lesson stages in the correct order to create an effective guided speaking activity. Write the aim of
each lesson stage.

A. Stage aim:

The teacher asks learners with completed diaries to put up their hands. The teacher then tells the class
what the learners did well in the task and gives them some advice on how to improve. This includes
writing some good examples of language the learners used and some bad examples. The learners
correct the bad examples.

B. Stage aim:

The teacher explains that they are going to fill every evening and weekend day in their diary with one
activity. Each activity should be with a different learner in the class.

C. Stage aim:

Learners work in small groups and write a list of free-time activities that they could do with other
learners in the class. They write as many activities as they can in 3 minutes. The teacher elicits two or
three from each group in front of the class.

D. Stage aim:

The learners have 10 minutes to speak to six or seven different learners in the class. With each learner
they arrange to do something one evening or at the weekend. They complete their diaries.

E. Stage aim:

The teacher tells learners to imagine they have no plans for the week but they want to make a lot of
plans. They want a fun, interesting week. The teacher gives the learners a copy of a diary page for one
week. Every day is free.

F. Stage aim:

The teacher elicits useful phrases that learners can use to do the task, e.g. Would you like to (go to the
cinema on Friday)? I’d love to! I’m sorry I can’t. How about (6 p.m./Thursday)?

Cambridge English CELT-S | Module 3 | © UCLES 2015 15

Teaching language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in the secondary classroom

Task 2

Your partners are going to tell you how they have ordered the stages of the writing activity and what the
aim of each stage is. Use the key below to check their answers.

Stage 1 = F. The aim is to introduce the topic.

Stage 2 = B. The aim is to provide a model text for learners. This task checks they understand it.

Stage 3 = D. T
 he aim is for learners to analyse the way the text is organised. N.B. Stages 3 and 4 could be
reversed.

Stage 4 = A. The aim is for learners to pick out some useful phrases from the text that they can use in
their own messages. N.B. Stages 3 and 4 could be reversed.

Stage 5 = E. The aim is for learners to write their own texts to develop their writing skills.

Stage 6 = C. The aim is for learners to self-correct their work and for the teacher to give useful feedback
that helps learners to improve and gives them confidence.

16 Cambridge English CELT-S | Module 3 | © UCLES 2015