Language Skills of Speaking

macroskills or microskills. In designing speaking activities, there are seven principles which should be considered, as proposed by Brown 2001: 275 – 276: 1. Use techniques that cover the spectrum of learner needs, from language – based focus on accuracy to message – based focus on interaction, meaning, and fluency. 2. Provide intrinsically motivating techniques. 3. Encourage the use of authentic language in meaningful contexts. 4. Provide appropriate feedback and correction. 5. Capitalize on the natural link between speaking and listening. 6. Give students opportunities to initiate oral communication. 7. Encourage the development of speaking strategies. For the principles above, teachers do not only teach how to speak English fluently, but also have to be taught on how to encourage the development of speaking strategies in order to know how to maintain the communication activity. Besides considering the principles of designing speaking tasks above, teachers have to know their roles in teaching speaking, as proposed by Harmer 2007: 347 – 348: 1. Prompter. Sometimes, students get lost on what they want to say next or sometimes they get lost their fluency in what they say. In this role, teachers have to help the students by offering the best options or suggestions to help the students leaving out their sense of frustration if they come to the dead end of language or ideas. 2. Participant In this role, teachers have to be good role models when asking students to produce language. It can be achieved by setting up an activity clearly with an enthusiasm. Another way to be good participants is by introducing new information related to the topic to help the students engaged to the teaching and learning process and also maintaining a creative atmosphere. 3. Feedback Provider Here, teachers have to know how to give feedback for every student’s speaking performance. The feedback given to the students has to be suitable with the students’ performance. If there is a students who gets difficulties in his or her performance, the teacher has to give helpful and gentle correction to help the student maintain his or her communicative activity. For the students who performed well, teachers have to assess what they have done, and tell them that their performance went well. In the process of teaching and learning oral communication, there is some guidance for teachers which have to be considered when they want to teach this skill to the learners, as proposed by Nunan 2003 in Kayi 2006: 1. Provide maximum opportunity to the students to speak the target language by providing a rich environment that contains collaborative work, authentic materials and tasks, and shared knowledge. 2. Try to involve each student in every speaking activity; for this aim, practice different ways of student participation. 3. Reduce teacher speaking time in the class while increasing student speaking time. Step back and observe students. 4. Indicate positive signs when commenting on a student’s response. 5. Ask eliciting questions such as “What do you mean? How did you reach that conclusion?” in order to prompt students to speak more. 6. Provide written feedback like “Your presentation was very great. It was a good job. I really appreciated your efforts in preparing the materials and efficient use of your voice…” 7. Do not correct students’ pronunciation mistakes very often while they are speaking. Correction should not distract students from his or her speech. 8. Involve speaking activities not only in class but also out of class; contact parents and other people who can help. 9. Circulate around classroom to ensure that students are on the right track and see whether they need your help while they work in group or pairs. 10. Provide the vocabulary beforehand that students need in speaking activities.