Fostering speaking in

the online classroom

Ceri Jones & Ben Goldstein

Outline
1 Speaking in the online classroom
2 The role of the teacher
3 A safe speaking environment
4 Strategies for fostering speaking
1 Speaking in the
online classroom
Why focus on speaking?
• Most students’ main aim in studying English is
being able to speak in English outside the
classroom.
Why focus on speaking?
• Most students’ main aim in studying English is
being able to speak in English outside the
classroom
• Students generally measure their progress through
their ability to speak both inside and outside the
classroom.
Why focus on speaking?
• Most students’ main aim in studying English is
being able to speak in English outside the
classroom
• Students generally measure their progress through
their ability to speak both inside and outside the
classroom
• Seeing progress in their speaking skill motivates
students more than anything else
Why focus on speaking?
Learners, through speaking, can:
• develop their conversational competence,
• become more proficient in the use of appropriate,
rather than just accurate language,
• deepen their understanding of difficult concepts.

(Maggie Kubanyova, Creating a safe speaking

environment)
Why focus on speaking?
Learners, through speaking, can:
• expand their analytic abilities,
• push each other beyond their current individual
capacities,
• learn to play with language and take risks with it.

(Maggie Kubanyova, Creating a safe speaking

environment)
Why focus on speaking in the online classroom?
For a lot of students following an online course, the
live online lessson may be the only place where they
get a chance to practice speaking, to develop their
speaking skills, get feedback from their teacher and
see that they are making progress.
Why focus on speaking in the online classroom?
Other skills and content areas can be focused on in
the asynchronous tasks, but the live online lesson is,
for many, the only place where students can interact
spontaneously with other people.
2 The role of the
teacher
The teacher’s role in the language classroom
“Traditionally the teacher was simply the
explainer, transmitting facts about the
subject matter, and the manager, maintaining
order and giving instructions”.
A shift from viewing language as simply a
body of facts to viewing it as a set of skills,
plus a commitment to the principles of
experiential learning, re-cast the teacher as a
coach, guide, model and facilitator.

Scott Thornbury, A-Z of ELT (2nd ed.)

The teacher’s role in language classroom
Teachers set up and monitor practice
activities, guide learners towards
discovering rules, and provide the
necessary scaffolding – including
modelling tasks and giving feedback –
for learning to take place”.

Scott Thornbury, A-Z of ELT (2nd ed.)

The online classroom: Online tasks vs the live lesson
Online tasks
• Presentation and controlled practice of grammar,
vocabulary & functional language
• Practice of receptive skills - listening & reading
The online classroom: Online tasks vs the live lesson
The live lesson represents an opportunity for
students…
• to clarify doubts & consolidate concepts
• to take part in communicative tasks
• to get effective feedback on performance and
progress
What are the main teacher roles in an online
language classroom?
Teacher’s roles in the online language classroom
Manager
Giving clear instructions and models, organising groups, ensuring
everyone is on-task, these are all key skills in the online classroom.
Teacher’s roles in the online language classroom

Feedback provider
More opportunities for learners to produce language means more
opportunities for monitoring and feedback
Teacher’s roles in the online language classroom

Motivator
Motivating students is our most significant role. We motivate by
setting achievable tasks; by helping students measure their
progress and by building a safe speaking environment.
Teacher’s roles in the online language classroom
Manager
Giving clear instructions and models, organising groups, ensuring everyone is
on-task, these are all key skills in the online classroom.
Feedback provider
More opportunities for learners to produce language means more
opportunities for monitoring and feedback
Motivator
Motivating students is our most significant role. We motivate by setting
achievable tasks; by helping students measure their progress and by building
a safe speaking environment.
3 Safe Speaking
Environment
What is a safe speaking environment?
Why do students need a safe space?
What is a safe speaking environment?
In a study conducted by Cambridge and Nottingham
University, students overwhelmingly identified that
speaking in English is the most fraught, risky and, at
times stressful aspect of using their second language.
What is a safe speaking environment?

A safe speaking environment seeks to eliminate this

stress. It supports, engages and encourages students
to take part in speaking tasks that don’t test, but
teach, that don’t judge but allow students to grow
and to learn.
 Creating a Safe Speaking Environment

1. Engaging, relevant topics Feedback

Time and
space

2. Immersive tasks
3. Positive peer interaction
4. Time and space Topic
choice
Immersive
tasks

5. Feedback
Peer
interaction
Engaging tasks and topics are student-centred
4 Strategies for
fostering speaking in
the online classroom
Planning effective speaking tasks in a safe
speaking environment
• Choose topics that students care about and/or value as important
• Use learners’ lives and experiences as input
• Link content to a real-world context, outcome or application
• Design tasks that are achievable and have a clear reason for
speaking
Planning effective speaking tasks in a safe
speaking environment
• Pay attention to staging and scaffolding
• Allow plenty of time for thinking, processing, preparing
• Build in repetition
• Always allow time for feedback and reflection
Give time and space
for planning
Including Positive Feedback
1 Use praise but be specific about what you’re praising.
2 Highlight good language use as well as errors.
3 Adopt a supportive manner (gesture, tone, etc.).
4 Encourage positive feedback from peers.
5 Show interest in the content of what students say.
 Creating a Safe Speaking Environment

1. Engaging, relevant topics Feedback

Time and
space

2. Immersive tasks
3. Positive peer interaction
4. Time and space Topic
choice
Immersive
tasks

5. Feedback
Peer
interaction
Evolve Digital:
Speaking is
everywhere!
Vocabulary: Get started
Remember and share words for gifts.

[Artwork from SB2 page 36 exercise 1A. Do not include any labels.]
Vocabulary practice: Gifts
Express your gift preferences.

What do you think of the gifts? Write them in the chart.

a bouquet of flowers a candle some candy a gift card some jewelry some perfume a phone charger
a purse some speakers a sweatshirt

[Table from TE2 page T-224

exercise B.]
Vocabulary practice: Gifts
Learn about your classmates’ gift preferences.

[TE2 page T-224

exercises B and C.]
Grammar and vocabulary practice: Choosing gifts
Choose the perfect gift for people you know.

[Re-use SB p37 ex 4]
39
A: OPEN CLASS -
CHAT
B: 1st BOR
PAIRS/THREES
C / D: 2nd BOR – GROUPS OF FOUR TO SIX
E/ F: OPEN CLASS - CHAT
 Unit 6 | Lesson 5
If everyone plants something...
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Decide if a green plan will work
 Unit 6 | Lesson 5
If everyone plants something...
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Decide if a green plan will work

Lesson overview
1 GET STARTED
2 RESEARCH: Benefits of plants and trees
3 PREPARE: City planners role play
4 PRESENT: A green plan for the city
5 DECIDE: A green plan?
6 UNIT 6 PROGRESS CHECK
7 UNIT 7 PREVIEW
GET STARTED
What is unusual about the roofs of these buildings? Do you think it is a
good idea or not?
RESEARCH
Benefits of plants and trees
Why is it good to have a lot of trees and
plants in a city? Think about the ideas
below. Go online to find out more!
• heat
• noise
• pollution
• shade
• the air
• visual impact
• wildlife

Vertical gardens in Sydney, Australia

PREPARE
City planners role play
Imagine you are city planners and are thinking about putting plants on every building in
your city. Brainstorm possible problems you’ll have and your solutions.

Problems Solutions
• high costs for building owners • financial help from the local government
• weather • ____________________________
• maintenance • ____________________________

If we put plants everywhere, it will be

expensive. Also, building owners won’t Maybe building owners can get money
want to pay for them. from the local city government to help
pay for the plants.
PRESENT
A green plan for the city
Presenters: Listeners:
Present your green plan. Discuss the benefits, Take notes and ask follow-up questions about
possible problems, and your solutions. the plan.
USEFUL LANGUAGE USEFUL LANGUAGE
A green plan will be good for our city because... What will you do about...?
We’ll need to... What will you do if...?
If we..., we’ll have to.... Have you thought about...?
DECIDE
A green plan?
Discuss the problems and solutions that
each group presented. Take a vote on
whether your city should put plants on
buildings.

USEFUL LANGUAGE
I (don’t) think it will work because...
I (don’t) think we can...
The city will need to...
It will be too...
I’m not sure about it.

The Canary Wharf sky garden in London, England

General tips for in-class work online
• Consider use of time, everything takes
longer online
• Only use BORs for collaborative
speaking tasks, make sure to allow for
feedback
• Remember, language level does not
necessarily equate to task complexity
• Use chat for shorter tasks such as
brainstorming, ideas generation
Tips for BORs
• Choose a simple task with a clear outcome.
• Give clear instructions, include a time limit and roles (e.g. a
spokesperson/note-taker) - think how students make a note of
the instructions (screenshot, photo on phone…) - check the
instructions before you open the BORs.
• Give thinking time before students start.
• Visit each room to check students are on task.
• Give a short (1-min/30-second) warning to finish.
Conclusions
Successful speaking online depends on …
• creating the right environment
• choosing engaging tasks and topics
• maximising speaking time
• varying interaction patterns
• prioritising peer interaction
• considering the role of the teacher
• allowing time and space to prepare
• providing careful monitoring and feedback
Thank you!

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