DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILLS FOR GCSE

Steve Smith frenchteacher.net

frenchteachernet.blogspot.co.uk@spsmith45

Developing speaking skills for GCSE Friday 12th February1. Introduction

Spontaneity and rote learning2. What do new GCSE

speaking tests look like?Examples

3. Developing spontaneityLong term strategies and techniques

4. Short break5. Mark schemes

Examples6. Preparing for exams

Strategies7. Questions/plenary

Introduction – evolution not revolution

• Balance of spontaneity and pre-learning• Catering for range of abilities• No easy fixes• Cumulative nature of language learning• May seem harder, but not CAs!• Devil in detail of mark schemes and grading

Structure of GCSE Speaking test

“Non-exam assessment” – conducted by teacher, recorded, marked by exam board

7–9 minutes (Foundation Tier) + preparation time10–12 minutes (Higher Tier) + preparation time60 marks (for each of Foundation Tier and Higher Tier)

The format is the same at Foundation Tier and Higher Tier• Role-play – 15 marks (2 minutes at Foundation Tier; 2 minutes at Higher Tier)• Photo card – 15 marks (2 minutes at Foundation Tier; 3 minutes at Higher Tier)• Conversation – 30 marks (3–5 minutes at Foundation Tier; 5–7 minutes at Higher Tier)

Role-plays (Foundation Tier) Example 1

Tu parles de ton collège avec ton ami(e) français(e).

• Ton collège – description (deux détails).• !• Sciences –ton opinion et une raison.• Projet – septembre (un détail).• ? Matière favorite.

Role plays (Foundation tier) Example 2

Estás hablando con tu amigo español/tu amiga española sobre tu familia y tus amigos.

• Descripción de una persona en tu familia (dos detalles). • Tu opinión sobre tu familia (un detalle). • Una actividad con tu familia. • ! • ? Mejor amigo/amiga.

Role plays (Higher tier) Example 1

Tu parles avec ton ami(e) français(e) de l’environnement. • Environnement – initiatives récentes dans ta ville (2 détails)• Problèmes de circulation dans ta ville (un détail). • !• Réduction de l’énergie à la maison (un détail).• ? Action pour améliorer l’environnement.

Role plays (Higher tier) Example 2

Sie sind in einem Restaurant in Deutschland. Sie sprechen mit dem Kellner / der Kellnerin.• Ihr Tisch reserviert – für wie viel Uhr.• !• Sie kommen zu spät zum Restaurant – warum.• Ein Problem mit dem Tisch.• ? Für Vegetarier.

Photo card (Foundation tier) Example

(PICTURE OF COUPLE GETTING MARRIED)

Your teacher will ask you the following three questions and then two more questions which you have not prepared. • Qu’est-ce qu’il y a sur la photo ? • Est-ce que tu es allé(e) à un mariage récemment ? • Tu t’entends bien avec ta famille ? … Pourquoi/pourquoi pas ?

Photo card (Higher tier) Example

(PICTURE OF COUPLE GETTING MARRIED)

Your teacher will ask you the following three questions and then two more questions which you have not prepared. • Qu’est-ce qu’il y a sur la photo ? • A ton avis est-ce que le mariage est nécessaire ? Pourquoi/pourquoi pas ? • Qu’est-ce que tu as fait avec ta famille le week-end dernier ?

Conversation

Two themes Student chooses first theme

“speak spontaneously” “extended sequences of speech”“past, present and future” “narrate events”“express and justify thoughts and points of view”“use repair strategies” “accurate pronunciation”“creative and more complex use of language”

Developing spontaneous talk

Key elements• Comprehensible input (TL) over several years• Opportunities for interaction• Practice, practice, practice – from controlled to free

Developing spontaneous talk

Target language input

All research from applied linguistics shows that meaningful input is a minimum requirement for acquisition

Departmental policy needed

Alison ChaseA Target Language Toolkit

Not about “phrases on the wall”

Developing spontaneous talk

• Full repertoire of teacher-student interactions• Questioning Teacher gives answer, pupils

question• True/false Phonics • Either/or Lexical work (synonyms, antonyms

etc)• Giving false statements• Aural gap-fill

Question types

• Yes/No - is this a dog or a cat?• True/false - he's going to the cinema, true or false?• Either/or - is he going to the cinema or the theatre?• Choice of more options - is she playing golf, tennis or

football?• Closed question word questions - where is the station? who

is he?• Open question word questions - what is she doing? what do

you think about...?

Developing spontaneous talk

• Controlled to free (PPP model)• Grammar in use, not just explained• Communicative approach strategies (pairs/information

gaps)• Limit tasks which may waste time – time is short• Recycling – “spacing effect” – maximise potential of

homework

Developing spontaneous talk – top tips (1)

• Teach lots of vocabulary• Lots of TL input, especially listening• Provide immersion opportunities• Build in opportunities for spontaneous talk in SoW e.g. tests• “Spontaneous speech activity cards” Try Word Wheel.• Use tech wisely e.g. recording presentations, “talking to

Siri/Google Now”, input-based tasks – not time-consuming production of “artefacts”• Use literacy mats

Developing spontaneous talk – top tips (2)

• Build spontaneity into routines• Be as demanding as you can be – tell pupils why – let them into

your secret• Reward use of spontaneous speech, bravery, risk-taking• Reward fluency more than accuracy• Do lots of compositional writing to encourage creative use of

language• Do plenty of homework. Set speaking for homework• Masses of listening, including “micro-listening” tasks

A departmental approach

• 4-5 year plan• Policy on TL use e.g. from Alison Chase Target Language Toolkit

(2015) – two approaches• 1. Teachers of languages should remain in L2 at all times but may

use the occasional single word of L1 to avoid unnecessary confusion. Where students speak L1 their contributions will be acknowledged but they will then be helped to word these contributions in L2.

• 2. Teachers of languages should use L2 whenever it is beneficial to students’ language learning and L1 should only be used in limited situations where it is common sense to do so.

A departmental approach

• The expectation is that L2 will be the main means of communications within the classroom.

• The expectation is that student to student L2 use will be encouraged, monitored and celebrated.

• New vocabulary or language will, initially at least, be introduced in L2.• At least one exclusively L2 activity should be included in every lesson.• It should be insisted upon that students always use L2 in situations

where they know the required language or can access it from displays around the classroom.

• (Alison Chase, 2015)

Mark schemes (AQA)

• Worth sharing with pupils and using at practice stage• Examples in the next few slides

General Conversation (F) Comm (10)9–10 “usually gives quite short responses” “occasionally givesextended responses” “Occasionally narrates events briefly” “Usually gives clear information” “lacks clarity from time to time” “Gives opinions, some explained”7–8 “quite short responses” “occasionalattempts at longer responses” “limited success in narrating events” Occasionally “unable to answer successfully or … responses are very unclear” “Gives opinions”5–6 “Short responses” Attempts at longer responses or narrating require an effort of concentration to be understood and some responses … unintelligible” “At least one opinion”3-4 “Very short responses” “longer responses or … narrating … very unclear or unintelligible” (Occasionally) “speaker is unable to respond”

General Conversation (F) Range/Acc (10)• 9–10 Generally good… mainly simple… structures and vocabulary… some

repetition… attempts to use more complex… structures and more varied vocabulary… some success in making reference to past and future… may be errors… do not generally impede comprehension.

• 7–8 Reasonable language… simple structures and vocabulary… repetitive at times… attempts… past or future events… limited success… frequent errors… may occasionally impede communication.

• 5–6 Basic language… simple structures… often… repetitive… little or no success in making ref to past or future…frequent errors… sometimes impede communication.

• 3–4 Limited language… very simple structures and vocabulary… repetitive… little or no success… past or future events… frequent errors… regularly impede communication.

General Conversation Pronunciation (5)

• 5 Generally good but some inconsistency at times. • 4 Pronunciation generally understandable with some

intonation. • 3 Pronunciation is understandable, with a little intonation,

but comprehension is sometimes delayed. • 2 Pronunciation very anglicised with almost no intonation,

making comprehension difficult at times. • 1 Pronunciation is only just understandable making

comprehension difficult.

General Conversation Spont/Fluency (5)

• 5 Generally good exchange in which the speaker shows some spontaneity, but also relies on pre-learnt responses. Sometimes hesitates and may not be able to respond to some questions. • 4 Reasonable exchange in which the speaker shows a little

spontaneity, but much of what is said involves pre-learnt responses. The flow is often broken by hesitation and delivery can be quite slow at times. • 3 Basic exchange in which the speaker shows little or no

spontaneity and relies heavily on pre-learnt responses. The flow is broken by hesitations, some of them long, and delivery is quite slow.

Preparing for assessment

•Masses of modelling and paired practice• Setting to memory and recording• Sharing mark schemes• Last minute practice with native speaker/teacher•Mock exam and Y10 exam practice• Playing the mark scheme

Understanding the mark scheme

Comm Knowl/use

Range/Acc

Pron/Int Spont/Flu

Total

Role-play 10 5 15

Photo card

15 15

Conv 10 10 5 5 30

Total 35 5 10 5 5 60

References

• The Language Teacher Toolkit, Steve Smith and Gianfranco Conti (2016)

• The Target Language Toolkit, Alison Chase (2015)

• AQA GCSE specification, first teaching 2016, first exam 2018