TIPS FOR LEARNING OR IMPROVING SPOKEN ENGLISH FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS/ STUDENTS.

For practice in speaking English, go up to Italki Resources & click onto 'How to speak English like a native speaker'.

You can improve your spoken English in the following ways.

1. Read a lot and in a loud voice.

When you find that there is a word and you don't know its right pronunciation, you can go to www.webster.com and you can check to see if you have the right pronunciation. Start with simple children's books.

2.Talk with English native speakers near your home / at your work place or via Italki . Ask them that if they notice that if you say something wrong or pronounce a word in a wrong way to please correct your pronunciation.

3.Concentrate while you are talking and use the the correct tense (past or present or future) eg I AM pleased to see you today. present Yesterday I WAS pleased to see you. past Tomorrow I WILL BE pleased to see you.future

4, Improve your listening skills, because listening will help you to imitate English speech patterns and to speak correctly. Please refer to my other post 'Improving your listening skills' for more tips.

5.You can watch English movies with subtitles in your own language so that you can listen to speech patterns and pronunciation.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS/ DEBATES/IMPROMPTU SPEECHES/ORAL BOOK REVIEWS

Pronunciation in Spoken English is very important. Students can learn Phonetic Symbols as each one has a special sound. Once you learn them you will be on your way to correct pronunciation. Unfortunately there are no set pronunciation rules for English.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/ to learn Phonetic Symbols and all about Pronunciation.

Your oral presentation depends on your audience!

What is your audience looking for?

What is the topic on which you will speak?

Is it meant to be serious or humorous?

Make sure that whatever the subject and whatever the audience, talk to them as if to an individual...

Look them in the eyes and make them listen by using persuasive words/phrases e.g. I am sure you'll all agree with me, how would YOU feel if......etc to get to their emotions.

Be sure that you are aware of what your body language is saying at all times.. be careful how you act, stand, hold your notes/cue cards. Your body speaks the loudest and can be understood by everyone in any language.

HELP IS AVAILABLE FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.

There are 2 DVDS available for purchase for English teachers who want their students to enter Public Speaking contests. One DVD is the 2007 Victorian State final and the other provides professional development for teachers & students.

The cost is $AUS20 including postage and the order form is available from the VCAA website VICTORIAN CURRICULUM and ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY Go to: www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/excellenceawards/plainenglishspeaking/index.html

TIPS FOR MEMORIZING VOCABULARY USED IN DEBATES/TALKS/IMPROMPTU SPEECHES.

Use Mnemonics, which are techniques to encode the information in your brain through the use of; brightly coloured index cards,eg oral presentations, speeches etc formulas to remember that Gallipoli is in Turkey, write GT & association of facts with vivid or weird images.

AN EASY LESSON USING SPOKEN ENGLISH- INTERVIEWING EACH OTHER

For example tell the class that today we are going to be journalists & practice interviews they can use a pen as a microphone Divide the students into pairs.Write the interview questions o the board that you want the students to ask each other, depending on their level of vocab, eg what's your name? where do you live? How many brothers & sister do you have etc. Each pair interviews each other and then writes down their friend's answer. Give them 10 minutes. Then each pair comes up to the front of the class and interviews each other. The class can vote for the best interview. That pair can leave class 2-3 minutes early as a reward.

ITALKI HELP IS AVAILABLE FROM NORMAN TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' SPOKEN ENGLISH.

Students can join Norman's forum: "The English Reading Club" http://onemansword.com/simplemachinesforum/ Just click on "Register" and fill in the information. There are also other Italki members there, he also runs a "live classroom" where he teaches English. Norman also recommends a couple of good websites where you can hear them pronounce the words you want to learn in English: http://www.elllo.org/ and http://www.howjsay.com/ and http://shiporsheep.com

USING MOVIES TO IMPROVE SPOKEN ENGLISH

This is an excellent site full of useful suggestions on how to Use Movies to Improve Your English Language Speaking Skills.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Movies-to-Improve-Your-English-Language-Speaking-Skills-in-One-Week-

LANGUAGE GAMES AS A WAY OF LEARNING SPOKEN ENGLISH

1. Games- pair work- elementary and intermediate for learning English

http://www.italki.com/files/doc/f3aac893-0f32-402e-aae3-62eca86bbf80.htm

2. Games and Activities for learning English

( http://www.italki.com/files/doc/43202c55-8231-4200-8350-6deb5ea82b19.htm)

3. ENGLISH BRAIN STORMERS!

(http://www.italki.com/files/doc/49712d2c-9f1a-4ce2-9802-e3f2874915d5.htm)

4. ALOUETTE- Lyrics and Music to a game learning parts of the body for BEGINNERS.

English Translation: Alouette means "Lark", so you will find it is much harder to sing this song in English since "lark" has only one syllable, ... just sing Aloutte & then say the part of the body , as in the song. You might find this translated on the net in your mother tongue.

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/alouette.htm -

5. You can play SIMON SAYS which is similar to Alouette . eg the teacher stands in front of the class & says: Simon says put your hands on your HEAD. If anyone gets it wrong they have to stand to one side. then you go through most parts of the body. The teacher can alter the pace of the game depending on the ability of the students.

6. You can also visit http://esl.about.com/od/advancedenglish/Learning_English_for_the_Advanced_Level_ESL_EFL_Advanced_English.htm http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/headway