Speaking

Speaking can be broadly divided into language system elements such as phonology, grammar and vocabulary, and skills elements such as your ability to speak appropriately in a lecture or seminar.

Pronunciation
Note there is a separate section devoted to Phonology.


 * Resources involving speech recognition i.e. you can practise speaking and testing if machines understand you https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/best-speech-to-text-app

Grammar range and grammar accuracy
Many (most) aspects) of spoken grammar are the same as grammar in writing, so the best starting point is the grammar section of Canan.

Fluency & Coherence
Fluency and coherence are often viewed as part of the same general category since they very much overlap. Fluency is more focussed on our ability to talk on a topic without getting stuck too often when looking for content or language. Coherence is more focussed on how easy it is for others to follow the logic of what we want to say, so is influenced by ideas such as structure or organisation.

Skills of Speaking
In academic and/or professional contexts, there are a number of skills we might call "communication skills". These may involve the following:


 * Engaging
 * Negotiating
 * Presenting
 * Giving and receiving feedback
 * Academic discussion including seminar participation
 * Switching - changing the register and complexity of what you say e.g. from technical to simple
 * Group work
 * Initiating discussion - getting others to talk
 * Resolving conflict
 * Building rapport
 * Encouraging and motivating others
 * Active listening

You will find some useful phrases to give examples of some of these skills in the next section.

Some links for speaking practice
University of Westeminster - phrases for seminar discussions

Cambridge.org list of useful phrases for discussion.

Games to practise speaking
A major challenge for learning language can be who to practise with. Language is largely a social activity yet we may not find it easy to locate social activities to use the language in, particularly with a fluent speaker. One option is to play games with other learners. Click on the following link to a page with ideas for games you can play > speaking games