6.0
Introduction
Introduction
Speaking is perhaps the most demanding of the four skills, both for the learner and for the teacher. It is also one which is often overlooked, and yet, as Bygate argues (1987: vii):
| Our learners often need to be able to speak with confidence in order to carry out many of their most basic transactions. It is the skill by which they are most frequently judged, and through which they may make or lose friends. It is the vehicle par excellence of social solidarity, of social ranking, of professional advancement and of business. It is also a medium through which much language is learnt, and which for many is particularly conducive for learning. |
This module aims to encourage higher education teachers to consider the place and role of speaking skills in the foreign language curriculum. It will look at the purpose of teaching oral skills, examine the perceptions of students regarding their spoken language, consider ways of developing speaking skills both inside and outside the classroom, and develop issues surrounding assessment of oral work.
