Tag: speak confident English

Influential people

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Objective: Practice speaking spontaneously, practice vocabulary, and improve fluency.

  • Click the “Start” button to open a box
  • You will see the picture of an influential person
  • Make full sentences to share the information you know about them
  • Try to speak continuously and express your thoughts clearly.
  • If you’re in a pair, take turns being the speaker and the listener

After several rounds, the teacher will pause the activity.

  • Reflect on how the activity went. Did you find it challenging? Did you learn new words?
  • Some students will share their favourite topics or responses with the class.
  • The class might discuss the topics further and ask questions related to them.

Remember, the goal is to improve your speaking skills, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Enjoy the challenge and have fun expressing your thoughts!

What someone does

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Objective: Practice speaking spontaneously, enhance vocabulary, and improve fluency.

  • Click the “Start” button to spin the random wheel
  • The wheel will show you a topic.
  • You have 1-2 minutes (depending on the topic) to speak about the topic on the wheel
  • Try to speak continuously and express your thoughts clearly.
  • If you’re in a pair, take turns being the speaker and the listener

  • After several rounds, the teacher will pause the activity.
  • Reflect on how the activity went. Did you find it challenging? Did you learn new words?
  • Some students will share their favourite topics or responses with the class.
  • The class might discuss the topics further and ask questions related to them.

Remember, the goal is to improve your speaking skills, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Enjoy the challenge and have fun expressing your thoughts!

Spin and Speak

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Learning goal:

This game is designed to help you improve your English conversation skills. By spinning the wheel and talking about different topics using conversation cards, you’ll improve your speaking, learn new words, and become more confident in using English. And the best part is, you’ll have a lot of fun while learning!

Instructions:

  • This is a special game to help you practice talking in English.
  • There’s a wheel with different topics on it.
  • We also have cards with questions about these topics
  • The team leader will click a button to make the wheel spin and choose a topic.
  • Find the topic below.
  • Click on “Start” to see the cards with the questions
  • It’s okay to take your time and speak slowly.
  • Listen carefully to others and be polite.
  • When you finish, you can talk about your favourite topics or moments from the game.
  • The teacher also will give you some helpful tips on how to improve your English.

TOPICS

Daily Routines

Future plans and aspirations

Technology and gadgets

Food and cooking

Family and relationships

I need some advice

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Objective: Practice speaking spontaneously, enhance vocabulary, and improve fluency.

  • Click the “Start” button to reveal a random card.
  • The card will have a topic or question.
  • You have 1-2 minutes (depending on the topic) to speak about the topic on the card.
  • Try to speak continuously and express your thoughts clearly.
  • If you’re in a pair, take turns being the speaker and the listener.
  • After several rounds, the teacher will pause the activity.
  • Reflect on how the activity went. Did you find it challenging? Did you learn new words?
  • Some students will share their favourite topics or responses with the class.
  • The class might discuss the topics further and ask questions related to them.

Remember, the goal is to improve your speaking skills, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Enjoy the challenge and have fun expressing your thoughts!

Give me an answer

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Objective: Practice speaking spontaneously, enhance vocabulary, and improve fluency.

  • Click the “Start” button to reveal a random card.
  • The card will have a topic or question.
  • You have 1-2 minutes (depending on the topic) to speak about the topic on the card.
  • Try to speak continuously and express your thoughts clearly.
  • If you’re in a pair, take turns being the speaker and the listener.
  • After several rounds, the teacher will pause the activity.
  • Reflect on how the activity went. Did you find it challenging? Did you learn new words?
  • Some students will share their favourite topics or responses with the class.
  • The class might discuss the topics further and ask questions related to them.

Remember, the goal is to improve your speaking skills, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Enjoy the challenge and have fun expressing your thoughts!

Speaking Practice 2

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Random Card Speaking Challenge Instructions

Objective: Practice speaking spontaneously, enhance vocabulary, and improve fluency.

  • Click the “Start” or “Next” button on the Wordwall page to reveal a random card.
  • The card will have a topic or question.
  • You have 1-2 minutes (depending on the topic) to speak about the topic on the card.
  • Try to speak continuously and express your thoughts clearly.
  • If you’re in a pair, take turns being the speaker and the listener.
  • After several rounds, the teacher will pause the activity.
  • Reflect on how the activity went. Did you find it challenging? Did you learn new words?
  • Some students will share their favourite topics or responses with the class.
  • The class might discuss the topics further and ask questions related to them.

Remember, the goal is to improve your speaking skills, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Enjoy the challenge and have fun expressing your thoughts!

Talk for a minute

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Instructions:

  1. Get into pairs or small groups.
  2. Take turns being the speaker and the listener.
  3. Choose a topic card.
  4. Start speaking about the topic on the card for one minute. Try to say as much as you can.
  5. The listener should pay attention and not interrupt the speaker.
  6. When one minute is up, switch roles. The listener becomes the speaker and vice versa.
  7. Repeat the process until both of you have spoken about different topics.

Remember, the goal is to practice speaking and listening skills, so don’t worry about making mistakes. Enjoy the activity and encourage each other’s efforts!

Click on the arrows < > to see the speaking cards

Speaking cards 👇

Click the arrow > to see the first card

What is ✨ Magical Thinking ✨ in Learning Languages?

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Dear English learner,

I know that learning a new language can be challenging, and sometimes it’s tempting to look for quick fixes or magical solutions that will make everything easier. Unfortunately, this type of thinking can actually hold you back from making progress in your English learning journey. In this post, I’ll explore what magical thinking is, why it can be problematic, and how to avoid falling into its trap.

What is Magical Thinking?

Magical thinking is when someone believes that two things are connected, even if there is no logical reason for them to be related. For instance, if you think that wearing a lucky charm will help you pass a test, even though there’s no proof to support that idea, then you’re using magical thinking.

It’s important to remember that believing in things like lucky charms, mantras, and positive thoughts won’t necessarily help you achieve your goals. To succeed in learning English, it’s better to focus on practicing regularly and using effective learning strategies.

When it comes to learning English, magical thinking can take many forms. Some examples include:

  • Believing that grammar is not important and that you can become fluent just by speaking with native speakers or watching TV shows.
  • Some people believe memorizing grammar rules or vocabulary lists will make them fluent, but this is not enough.
  • Thinking that you’ll magically “get it” one day, without putting in the necessary time and effort to study and practice.
  • Expecting that you’ll become fluent in a matter of weeks or months, rather than accepting that language learning is a long-term process.
  • Assuming that you’ll understand everything perfectly once you’re immersed in an English-speaking environment, without realizing that confusion and misunderstandings are a natural part of the learning process.
  • Assuming that you’re too old or too “bad at languages” to learn English, without giving yourself a chance to try and improve.
  • Assuming that it is normal to be confused ALL the time.
  • Assuming that an advanced English level class will help you learn faster because one day you will magically grasp the basics of the language that you can easily and smoothly learn in a lower level class.

In a nutshell: Magical thinking is when people think they can learn a language quickly without much effort.

Why is Magical Thinking Problematic?

Magical thinking can be problematic 2 main reasons:

1 Unrealistic expectations

Magical thinking can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment when things don’t go as planned. If you believe that you’ll become fluent quickly and easily, and then find yourself struggling with grammar or vocabulary, you may feel frustrated and demotivated.

2 Laziness

Magical thinking can prevent you from taking action and making progress. If you believe that there’s a magical solution to your language learning challenges, you may not be willing to put in the necessary time and effort to study and practice. As a result, you may not make the progress you’re capable of and may miss out on opportunities to improve your language skills.

How to Avoid Falling into the Magical Thinking Trap

To avoid falling into the magical thinking trap, it’s important to have a realistic and growth-oriented mindset. Here are some tips to help you:

  • Recognize that learning a language is a long-term process that requires time, effort, and practice. Don’t expect to become fluent overnight, and be willing to invest in your language skills over time.
  • Focus on the process of learning, rather than the outcome. Instead of obsessing over how fluent you are or how many words you know, focus on enjoying the learning process and making incremental progress.
  • Don’t be afraid of making mistakes or feeling confused. These are natural parts of the learning process, and they’re actually signs that you’re challenging yourself and making progress.
  • Seek out resources and support that can help you improve your language skills. This could include textbooks, online courses, language exchange partners, or a tutor.
  • Stay motivated by setting realistic goals and celebrating your progress along the way. For example, you could set a goal to learn how to use five new words each week, and then celebrate when you achieve this goal.

Don’t let magical thinking hold you back from achieving your language learning goals.

Language learners must practice speaking, reading, writing, and listening regularly. It’s also important to use various resources, like books, podcasts, and news articles. Avoid thinking that one method or tool is all you need for success. Remember, everyone learns differently. It’s good to practice speaking with English speakers, even if you make mistakes.

Wishing or visualizing won’t make you learn faster. The most effective way to learn is to study and practice consistently.

Remember that there are no shortcuts or magical solutions – the key to success is hard work, dedication, and consistent practice.

With love,

Why doesn’t my English teacher correct every single mistake I make?

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Dear English learner,

I understand that you may feel frustrated that your teacher doesn’t correct every single mistake you make. However, please keep in mind that teachers have to strike a balance between correcting errors and allowing students to express themselves freely.

It’s important to understand that correcting every mistake you make can be too much and not the best way to learn a language. Research has shown that too much feedback can actually make it harder to learn and make you less confident when using the language.

Giving feedback is MORE than simply correcting your errors or pointing out every single mistake you make. There are different types of feedback that English teachers usually give to their students to help them improve their language skills.

Here I’m going to explain briefly the different types of feedback many English teachers give to their students:

Corrective feedback

Corrective feedback is a type of feedback that is given when a student makes an error in their language use. For example, if you said “I goed to the store” instead of “I went to the store”, your teacher might give you corrective feedback by saying “It should be ‘I went to the store’.”

This type of feedback can be valuable for improving your language skills, but it’s not the only form of feedback that you can receive.

Positive feedback

Positive feedback is a type of feedback that focuses on what you did well. For example, if you gave a great presentation in class, your teacher might give you positive feedback by saying “You did a wonderful job presenting your ideas clearly and confidently.”

This type of feedback give praise for a job well done, and it can also boost your motivation and confidence.

Formative feedback

Formative feedback can come in various forms, depending on the context. For example, your teacher might give you feedback on a piece of writing you submitted or provide you with guidance during a conversation practice. The feedback might include suggestions on how to improve your grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, or communication skills.

This type of feedback focuses on addressing specific areas for improvement, can help you identify where to focus your efforts.

Summative feedback

Summative feedback is a type of feedback that is given at the end of a learning period or after a task has been completed. For example, at the end of a course, your teacher might give you a final exam or project and provide you with a grade based on your overall performance.

This form of feedback can help you identify areas where you still need improvement, as well as what you did well.

In addition to feedback from your teacher, you can also seek feedback from peers or language exchange partners. They may be able to provide a different perspective on your language use and offer suggestions for improvement.

I hope this explanation have answered your question.

With love,

Speaking Practice

teacherjulietaLeave a comment

Are you someone who wants to improve your speaking skills in English but often find yourself struggling to start a conversation?

Well, you’re not alone. Many learners face difficulty initiating a conversation, especially when they are not confident in their language abilities. However, having a good speaking starter can make a huge difference in overcoming this hurdle.

In this blog, you will find some useful speaking starters that will help you confidently start a conversation and keep it going. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this speaking/ sharing starters will help you have fun and interesting conversations. So, let’s dive in and explore the world of speaking starters!

Click on the arrows < > to see the speaking starters.