How to Teach Speaking Skill?

Abstract

One of main concern of the most language teachers is how to help language learners to develop satisfying language proficiency. In this regard, speaking proficiency has received the greatest attention among both the language teachers as well as the language learners. This is because speaking is a crucial part of the language learning process. The major goal of teaching speaking skill is communicative efficiency. Language learners should be able to make themselves understood by using their current proficiency. They should try to avoid confusion in the message because of the faulty pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary. In the same line, a common characteristic of many language classes is a heavy focus on the language system. Vocabulary and grammar seem to gain far more attention than the skills needed to use this vocabulary and grammar. To help students develop communicative efficiency in speaking, instructors can use activities that combine language input and communicative output. To this end, the present paper tries to take a closer look at the type of activities that language teachers can utilize to promote speaking proficiency. Accordingly, effective instructors can teach students speaking strategies by using minimal responses, recognizing scripts, and language to talk about language. These instructors help students learn to speak so that the students can use speaking to learn.

Key words: Teach, Language proficiency, Speaking skill