Communication Skill: SPEAKING

Communication is a word that everybody hears a lot along our lives. When someone talks about communication, we are able to understand that there are different types and ways. Possibly the most common way known, are Oral Communication and Written Communication.

Children in the class have to communicate several times during the day and in addition, the adults “to survive” have to use the communication too. 
The KEY WORD in this reflection will be “Oral Communication” or “Speaking” (a similar concept). I am sure that if I go on the street and I ask someone: “Excuse me … Could you tell me what Oral communication is?” May be, that person has an idea about the concept, because it is something that we use all the time. However, I think that it will be difficult for that person to give me a good or complete definition about my question. 
For this reason, before continuing, it is important to express a simple definition: 

• Oral communication (speaking) is: “The act or an instance of communicating; the importing or exchange of information, ideas or feelings."  

(Word Reference dictionary)


If I connect the right definition of “speaking” with my memories from when I was a child in English classes, I can say that only the teacher knew what it was the competence that was written in the Primary Curriculum. But actually, nobody in the class worked the oral skill to learn English as a second language. Or if the teacher did some communicative activity with us… it was rarely and I do not remember. 

So, what is the place that takes Oral Communication in the classroom?

Is it important…? 

Can communication be in a second place when someone is learning a second language?

When I have investigated about this competence, I have seen that communication (speaking) can be related if we work this in a class or outside with other type of oral communication called: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION. “Interpersonal communication takes place when people of whatever age interact. They talk, listen, observe and react to each other, exchanging information in many different ways”. 
(Petrie, 1989-2011, 17) 

So, actually to talk about interpersonal communication can be similar to say oral expression or speaking because in both there are two processes:

 1. One person sends information. 

 2. The other person receives the message. 


Communication is something that we use in our daily day. For this reason, we can find different types of this competence inside and outside the class, or wherever you are. Previously, in this reflection I said that it is most common to know that there are two ways to communicate (oral and written) however, there are people who do not know that both ways to communicate can be: Formal and informal and in addition, it can be transmitted in verbal way and also that there are situations in where we use non-verbal communication. 

According to Diane M. Hoffmann. (The founder of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications.) I found the meaning of informal and formal communication: 

• Informal communication "is casual and spontaneous. Informal communication comes from communication activities outside of those formally learned through discipline or at school through education, or in business. It comes from the social communication of home family culture, casual conversations and grapevines, rumors, inter-relational activities outside of the formal or public areas. “ 

•  Formal communication "is more thought-out and prepared from learned experiences or organized training that presents rules. In a formal setting, people take the time to recognize the consequences of transmitting any wrong or incomplete information”. 

And in the other hand, I have to add: 

• Verbal communication: “face to face”. Oral expression. 

• Non- verbal communication where Kendra Cherry, (Writer and educator specialized in making psychology for students) says that: “A substantial portion of our communication is nonverbal. In many cases, we communicate information in nonverbal ways using groups of behaviors”.

I think that the way of communication that we are going to use, is connected with a teaching style. So, we can call it METHOD. 
The method which the teacher chooses to apply it in the class will be responsible of the skills that children will learn. So if we can develop the speaking we have to apply the Communicative approach method.
In the classroom, the communicative activities produce meaningful and real communication between the students. And if I find the principles in the communicative language teaching in my notes of “Didáctica del Inglés”, I can say the following: 

• Our aim is to communicate in the target language. So the teachers will facilitate communication and the students will be communicators. It is important to remember the 3 characteristics in the activities: Information gap (when someone is describing, and the other person does not anything about it).  Choice (they can choose what and how to describe it) and feedback.  
• We can use the first language if the students do not understand something. 
• Related with the evaluation we have to pay attention to the fluency and accuracy. But the errors are natural and necessary so, the teacher will do accuracy activities (It is important to know that during the activities the teachers should not correct the mistakes immediately. The teachers can write the mistake that she has listened and then, students can try to guess how to say it.) 
•  And finally, we have to use different techniques and materials such as LANGUAGE GAMES, ROLE PLAYS, PICTURES STRIP STORY…

(Larsen-Freeman, 2000)

I remember that I had little opportunities for learning English language through speaking games with my classmates. And nowadays, I realize that it is very important to acquire fluency and other things. 
It would be a good idea to explain some communicative activity, where the students can work the speaking. There are many types of games. We can find verbal and non verbal games where children have to describe or to imitate something only with the body´s movements or face´s expressions. 
Games like role plays or dialogues are very useful. However, while I am observing a book, I found one game that I liked it, because they use the” information gaps”. In addition, they can find “choice”  And finally, the students can give at the end of the activity, a little “feedback.” 

 -  Name: WALLFLOWERS. 

 -  Type of activity: PAIR WORK AND INFORMATION GAP.

 -  Function: DESCRIBING PEOPLE´S CLOTHES. 

 -  Exponent: WHO IS THE… GIRL/MAN? WHO IS THE GIRL/MAN WITH THE…? WHICH ONE? THE ONE WITH… 

 -  Lexical areas: CLOTHES, ADJETIVES DESCRIBING PYSICAL APPEARANCE.


 How to use the game? 

“Copy enough pictures for all the students in the class. Divide the class into pairs and give out copies of the picture A and B to each pair. They should not look at each other´s picture. Tell the students that they are at a party with a friend. They know the names of some people at a party, but not the others. The object of the game is to find the names of all the people at the party. They must to describe the people they do not know to their partner, and ask who they are.”

(Hadfield, 1984, 15)

After seeing all the most important information about the “speaking or oral communication” it is interesting to say that this competence or skill needs a good speaker like the oral comprehension needs a good listener. 

The communication, can offers many positives aspects related with learning. For instance, the communicative activities can help the students to improve and to develop the language more meaningfully and efficiently. However, it is important to know that the activities should be chosen correctly. So, we cannot forget the three characteristics (information gap, choice and feedback) of communicative activities. 

In my opinion, the activities or the actions which are related with communicative concept and that the teachers, can do inside the class need another preparation that the activity in which the student work grammar with a worksheet. 

 It is not the same to achieve the aim working grammar in groups and while everybody is speaking in a game, than to work it, with the English book. 

It shows that to work the oral communication or speaking in class requires more effort, motivating games, activities to do (with all the class, in pairs, in group…) and material to use. In fact, it is necessary to know that if we are working with pupils they will not be able to produce a spontaneous speech. So we have to work step by step and I think that the draws on the board can be very useful when the students do not know much about the second language.

My point of view about communication is completely positive and in addiction, it is important for learning a language. However, if we want to be professional in our job, we have to know that the students need to develop the four skills (not only oral communication skill) while they are learning a new language. 
For this reason, we have to use and work all the methods, all the strategies. Exactly, we have to create motivation and dynamic classes in where all the people can see that this place is meaningful. 


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 References: 


 • Hadfield, J. (1984) Elementary communication games (Collection of games and activities for elementary student of English). Nelson. Uk.

 • Larsen- Freeman, D. (2000) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press. Oxford. 

 • Petrie, P. (2011) Communication skills for working with children and young people Introducing social pedagogy. London. 



 Webs:

 • Cherry, K. Types of Nonverbal Communication 8 Major Nonverbal Behaviors. Recuperado el día 10 Octubre, 2013 de: http://psychology.about.com/od/nonverbalcommunication/a/nonverbaltypes.htm

 • Hoffmann, D. & Hoffmann, R. (2011) Blog Contextual communication Verbal and non-verbal . Recuperado el día 10 Octubre, 2013 de: http://communicationverbalnonverbal.blogspot.com.es/2011/04/formal-vs-informal-communication-how.html

 • Word reference Dictionary. Recuperado el día 10 Octubre, 2013 de: http://www.wordreference.com/es/