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Storytelling - benefits and tipsAdapted from a workshop by Paula Stoyle, British Council, Jordan

We often give stories to our students to read, but how often do we tell them a story? This article looks at the benefits of storytelling and gives advice on performance skills

● What can storytelling offer? ● Storytelling and intercultural understanding ● Other benefits of using storytelling in the classroom● Commonalities of cultures around the world ● Performance techniques ● A last word

What can storytelling offer?Children have an innate love of stories. Stories create magic and a sense of wonder at the world. Stories teach us about life, about ourselves and about others. Storytelling is a unique way for students to develop an understanding, respect and appreciation for other cultures, and can promote a positive attitude to people from different lands, races and religions.

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Storytelling and intercultural understandingThere are a number a number of ways in which storytelling can enhance intercultural understanding and communication. Stories can…

● allow children to explore their own cultural roots ● allow children to experience diverse cultures ● enable children to empathise with unfamiliar people/places/situations ● offer insights into different traditions and values ● help children understand how wisdom is common to all peoples/all cultures ● offer insights into universal life experiences ● help children consider new ideas ● reveal differences and commonalties of cultures around the world

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Other benefits of using storytelling in the classroom.Stories…

● Promote a feeling of well being and relaxation ● Increase children's willingness to communicate thoughts and feelings ● Encourage active participation ● Increase verbal proficiency ● Encourage use of imagination and creativity ● Encourage cooperation between students ● Enhance listening skills

Commonalities of cultures around the worldStories reveal universal truths about the world. Through stories we see how very different people share the same life experiences and how human nature can transcend culture.

Top of pagePerformance techniquesTelling a story can captivate an audience…that is, with the right techniques and a little practice:

Remembering and retelling the plot:

Literature contents

Creating a class play Using drama texts in classStorytelling

Motivating pupils to read 2

Motivating pupils to read 1

Children's literature

Other features

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Quizzes

Other sites

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BBC | British Council teaching English - Literature - Storytelling - benefits and tips

● map the plot as a memory technique ● use story skeletons to help you remember the key events ● think of the plot as a film or a series of connected images ● tell yourself the story in your own words ● create your own version of the story (adapt and improvise) ● retell it numerous times until it feels like a story

Performance skills.Remember to...

● vary the volume, pitch and tempo of your voice (enunciate clearly and exaggerate expression)

● use your face, body and gestures (let your body speak) ● make your body and face respond to the tale ● have a clear focus and maintain concentration ● maintain engaging eye contact with the audience/ individual listeners ● create a charismatic presence (make the audience believe in you) ● use different, exaggerated character voices ● use your space/ be dynamic ● remember to pace yourself ● always remember to regain your style as a narrator ● use silence and pauses to add dramatic effect

A last word…Young Learners share a remarkable variety of personal experiences, values and ways of understanding .The language they learn in the classroom is the tool they use to shape their thoughts and feelings. It is more than a way of exchanging information and extending ideas it is their means of reaching out and connecting with other people. Stories can link not only between the world of classroom and home but also between the classroom and beyond. Stories provide a common thread that can help unite cultures and provide a bridge across the cultural gap:

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© BBC World Service, Bush House, Strand, London WC2B 4PH, UK © British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN, UK

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Latest article

Testing and assessmentRichard Frost, British Council, TurkeyI will always remember the horror of receiving my chemistry result when I was thirteen years old. I knew it wasn't going to be high, but to come bottom of the class was very upsetting. It was all made worse by the fact that the chemistry teacher read the results to the whole class, from first to last place. My humiliation was complete. Students can have very negative reactions towards tests and it's no surprise when they too may have had experiences like this.

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Other articles

Exploring metaphors in the classroomGillian Lazar, Senior Lecturer, Middlesex University, LondonWhen our students listen to pop songs in English, browse web sites in English or watch movies in English they frequently meet language rich in its use of metaphors. Yet metaphors are often rather neglected in the classroom. So what kinds of metaphors should we teach, why should we teach them and how can we do so effectively?

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Storytelling in young learner classesPatricia Ielmini, ArgentinaAccording to David Vale and Anne Feunteun in 'Teaching children English: A training course for teachers of English to children', kids start developing their identity as readers and listeners from the age of three or four years old, because they start constructing their world of meaning and imagination when they are first exposed to different stories of life. It is vitally important that we, as teachers, support this development.

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Drilling 1 Julie Tice, Teacher, Trainer, Writer, British Council LisbonDrilling is a technique that has been used in foreign language classrooms for many years. It was a key feature of audiolingual approaches to language teaching which placed emphasis on repeating structural pattern practice through oral practice.

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Drilling 2Julie Tice, Teacher, Trainer, Writer, British Council LisbonDrilling is not a new or a fashionable classroom technique, but, used appropriately in the classroom, it can be of great value to our learners. This second article will focus on how we drill.

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Methodology contentsTesting and assessment

Exploring metaphors

Storytelling

Drilling 1

Drilling 2

Sense of humour

Dogme: A teacher's view

Which syllabus

Reflective teaching

Community language learning

Teaching English to the blind

Negotiated objectives

Learner training

A Task-based approach

Teacher as a teaching aid

Project work

Discipline problems

Circle games

Teen angst

Total Physical Response

Starting primary

Motivating teenagers

Intercultural learning 1

Intercultural learning 2

Advanced students' progress

Lesson planning 2

Content based instruction

Error correction 2

Error correction 1

Lexical approach 2

Lexical approach 1

Mixed-ability classes 2

Mixed-ability classes 1

Group v whole class

Visualisation

Personality approach

Professional competence 2

Additional educational needs

Professional competence 1

Managing young learners

Silent grammar

Peer observation

Repertoire

Learning styles

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Sense of humourNik Peachey, teacher, trainer and materials writer, British CouncilFor me, one of the most under exploited and neglected areas within language learning is humour. How many course books have a section on humour? How many syllabi include the ability to tell or understand a joke? Yet understanding the sense of humour of a people is a key element of understanding the culture and language and perhaps even more importantly of developing relationships with people from that country.

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Dogme: A teacher's viewJo Bertrand, Teacher, Materials writer, British Council ParisIn this article one teacher gives us her view of how the ideas and principles of a new approach to teaching have shaped her classroom practice.

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Which syllabusVanessa SteeleTraditional and holistic syllabuses reflect different views of language and language learning and teaching. Both viewpoints are quite valid, and most courses nowadays will reflect elements of both. It is the relative emphasis given to language as a body of knowledge to be mastered, or language as a communicative process to be developed, which will determine which of the labels 'traditional' or 'holistic' I would apply to a given syllabus.

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Reflective teachingJulie Tice, Teacher, Trainer, Writer, British Council LisbonReflective teaching means looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking about why you do it, and thinking about if it works - a process of self-observation and self-evaluation. By collecting information about what goes on in our classroom, and by analysing and evaluating this information, we identify and explore our own practices and underlying beliefs. This may then lead to changes and improvements in our teaching.

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Community language learningJo Bertrand, Teacher, Materials writer, British Council ParisCommunity language learning (CLL) was primarily designed for monolingual conversation classes where the teacher-counsellor would be able to speak the learners' L1. The intention was that it would integrate translation so that the students would disassociate language learning with risk taking. It's a method that is based on English for communication and is extremely learner-focused.

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Teaching English to blind studentsChok Seng of MalaysiaOf all the subjects teaching English to the blind is the easiest. Having said so there are one or two things teachers who are not trained to teach the blind may need to know before they can be an effective teacher to a blind student.

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Negotiated objectivesNicola Meldrum, British Council, Spain

Action research

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BBC | British Council teaching English - Think - Methodology

Many students, especially at intermediate level, express the feeling that they are not making any progress. This is because their progress is not as noticeable as it was when they started learning English. This tends to have a de-motivating effect on the students and can lead to students losing interest in the learning process. One tactic I have employed over the last two years has been to compile a negotiated list of objectives with the students to try to help them see their progress more clearly and thus become more motivated.

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Learner training with young learnersLynn Gallacher, British Council, SpainLearner training is about developing students' awareness of how they learn. It aims to develop students' learning strategies with the intention of making learners more effective and independent. Learner training can be started with students as young as 5 years old! The article that follows contains learner training activities you could try with your young learner students.

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A Task-based approachRichard FrostIn recent years a debate has developed over which approaches to structuring and planning and implementing lessons are more effective. This article presents and overview of a task-based learning approach (TBL) and highlights its advantages over the more traditional Present, Practice, Produce (PPP) approach.

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The teacher as a teaching aidSima Jalil "Although we now live in a high tech world and have access to a variety of teaching aids, there is one aid that is convenient, portable, uses no electricity, can be used effectively in light or dark and is available all the time. Yes, the teacher him or herself!"

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Project work with teenagersLynn Gallacher, British Council, Spain" Project work is becoming an increasingly popular feature within the ELT classroom. Common projects are class magazines, group wall displays about students' countries and designs for cities of the future. A project involves students in deciding together what they want to do to complete a project whilst the teacher plays a more supporting role."

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Discipline problemsNina M. Koptyug, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English, Lyceum # 130, Novosibirsk, Russia" In this article, we'll be looking at the causes of discipline problems, and at various ways of solving the problems. We shall try to see how the traditional four skills can be varied according to the class level and aptitude, and to work out some strategies for maintaining law and order in the classroom!"

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Circle gamesJoanna Budden, British Coucil, Spain

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"Circle games are a great way to encourage the whole class to work together. They also provide an often welcome change in working pattern. They are mostly used with young learners, but teenagers will play them and so will the right kind of adult class: one that doesn't take itself too seriously."

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Teen angstRichard Frost, British Council, Turkey"Effective teachers are those who can prevent problems from occurring in the first place and know what to do and feel confident when trouble starts. Following a few rules can help... "

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Total physical responseRichard Frost, British Council, Turkey"This is an introduction to the teaching approach known as TPR - total physical response."

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Starting primaryGail Ellis, Head of the Young Learners Centre, British Council, Paris and Special Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Nottingham It is common for teachers to be asked by their institution to teach young learners even though they don't have specific training. Those first lessons with the class, which are quite probably in a different institution to your regular work, can seem daunting. In this article I provide some advice on how to deal with starting work with primary level students and I give ten top classroom management tips.

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Motivating teenagers Joanne Budden, British Council, SpainIn this article I will discuss how teachers can aim to improve the motivation levels of teenage students. I will link three practical classroom activities to the ideas of American Psychologist Carl Rogers.

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Intercultural learning 2Chris Rose, British Council, ItalyThis is the second of two articles that deal with the topic of intercultural awareness and learning. The first article - Intercultural learning 1 - sets out the methodological background to this topic, and this, the second article, offers practical suggestions for the classroom. If our students are to have any hope of using their language skills to genuinely comprehend and communicate in the global village, intercultural awareness is crucial.

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Intercultural learning 1Chris Rose, British Council, ItalyThis is the first of two articles that deal with the topic of intercultural awareness and learning. This article sets out the methodological background to this topic, and the second article - Intercultural learning 2 - offers practical suggestions for the classroom. If our students are to have any hope of using their language skills to genuinely

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comprehend and communicate in the global village, intercultural awareness is crucial.

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How to Measure Advanced Level Students' Progress.Nina M. Koptyug, Ph.D., associate professor of EnglishLyceum # 130, Novosibirsk, Russia

In this article, we'll be looking at how to measure the progress of advanced level students. We'll be faced with the dual problem of both teacher assessment of student abilities and student self-assessment. We'll try to offer some new insights into using the traditional four skills as a tool for measuring student progress, and to provide a few suggestions for future work.

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Lesson planning 1 outlined the rationale behind lesson planning. This article looks at some of the elements to consider when planning an actual lesson; aims, concepts, contexts and marker sentences.

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"In recent years content based instruction has become increasingly popular as a means of developing linguistic ability. It has strong connections to project work, task based learning and a holistic approach to language instruction..."

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Error correction 2Rolf Donald, teacher and teacher trainer, Eastbourne School of English

Some students are only interested in developing their fluency at the expense of accuracy while others are so focused on accuracy that they have no fluency. While these are clearly extremes, it is not unusual to find students like this in a typical class. In Error Correction 2 we look at ways to deal with spoken errors and ways to raise the students' awareness of their own language production.

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Lexical Approach 1 - what does the lexical approach look like?Carlos Islam, The University of MaineIvor Timmis, Leeds Metropolitan University

"This article looks at the theories of language which form the foundations of the lexical approach to teaching English..."

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Lexical approach 2Carlos Islam, The University of MaineIvor Timmis, Leeds Metropolitan University

"We apply theories of language learning to a lexical approach and describe what lexical

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lessons could look like..."

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Error correction 1Rolf Donald, teacher and teacher trainer, Eastbourne School of English

When it comes to error correction we are dealing with one individual's reaction to a student's piece of writing or utterance. This inevitably means that there will be some disagreement among teachers about what, when, and how to correct. Therefore the aim of this article is not to be prescriptive, but to highlight some key areas

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Teaching mixed-ability classes 2 Gareth Rees, teacher/teacher trainer, London Metropolitan University, UK

You may often be teaching a class which has students who are clearly of different levels. They may have different starting levels of English or they may learn at very different speeds - for any number of reasons. There are several strategies that a teacher can use to deal with this situation

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Teaching mixed-ability classes 1 Gareth Rees, teacher/teacher trainer, London Metropolitan University, UK

You may often be teaching a class which has students who are clearly of different levels. They may have different starting levels of English or they may learn at very different speeds - for any number of reasons. There are several strategies that a teacher can use to deal with this situation

Go to this article >>

Group work v. whole-class activitiesSimon Andrewes, teacher, president of Granada English Teachers' Association

Group and pair work are so much a part of our everyday teaching routine that we hardly pause to think before partitioning the class to tackle some particular communicative task. But group work may not always be the best option. There will be a time and a place for whole-class activities in the English language classroom, just as there's a time and a place for group and pair work.

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An Introduction to using Visualisation Rolf Donald, teacher and teacher trainer, Eastbourne School of English

"Visualisation has been widely used in sports psychology over the last 30 years to enhance all aspects of performance. In this article I will be looking at some of the ways that it can be applied to language learning."

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Additional educational needsGail Ellis, Head of the Young Learners Centre, British Council, Paris and Special Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Nottingham

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"This article is about teaching English to children who may have learning difficulties or other additional educational needs. It deals with the rationale behind teaching English to such children and provides teaching strategies for the institution and the classroom...."

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Professional Competence 1 Saleh M. Abdo, English Language Unit, National College of Science & TechnologySalalah, Sultanate of Oman

"A selection of top tips to help teachers of English develop their professional competence that cover issues of professional conduct, strategies for dealing with students and their language production, the importance of meaningful communication and the example the teacher sets...."

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Professional competence 2Saleh M. Abdo, English Language Unit, National College of Science & TechnologySalalah, Sultanate of Oman

"This is a selection of top tips to help teachers of English develop their professional competence. They cover issues of professional conduct, strategies for dealing with students and their language production, the importance of meaningful communication and the example set by the teacher..."

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Managing young learnersGail Ellis, Teaching Centre Manager, Paris and Janet Leclere , Teacher, Young Learners Centre, Paris

"Ideas for classroom management and teaching strategies in the young learners classroom..."

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Rediscovering silent grammarSam Shepherd, Eastbourne School of English

"What exactly is the Silent Way, and how can it be used to teach structure in a modern classroom...?"

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Peer observationGraham White, Principal of Eastbourne School of English

"Peer observation helps provide effective teaching. This article looks at the basic principles of peer observation and its value..."

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RepertoireAndy Baxter, British Council, Portugal

"All teachers have a variety of techniques and activities that they regularly use - their

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repertoire. This changes all the time, but is that a good thing or..."

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Learning styles and teachingCheron Verster, teacher and materials writer, South Africa

Your students will be more successful if you match your teaching style to their learning styles...

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Action researchCheron Verster, teacher and materials writer, South Africa

A process in which teachers investigate their teaching and learning so as to improve their own and their student's learning...

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From mother tongue to other tongueLuke Prodromou - teacher, teacher trainer, writerBritish Council, Greece

The issue of whether or not to use the mother-tongue (L1) in the English language (L2) classroom is complex. This article presents the results of a survey into student attitudes towards the use of L1 in class and some suggestions for using the L1 and its culture as a learning resource...

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Teaching large classesTeachers in Action, BBC World Service / OLSET

Large classes are a reality in many countries and they pose particular challenges. This article suggests ways to help discipline, to use group work and to cope with limited resources...

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Lesson Planning 1Callum Robertson, BBC English

"Planning is one of those essential skills of the competent teacher. This article looks at some general lesson planning questions..."

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If you have any thoughts on teaching methodology you would like to share on this site, contact us.

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Home > Think > Resources

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ResourcesOn these pages you will find links to articles connected with resources

Latest article

WebquestsGavin Dudeney and Nicky Hockly, Educational Consultants, Spain

As more students gain access to the Internet, there is growing pressure on teachers to help their students use this valuable resource as an effective study tool. Webquests are just one way in which teachers can help.

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Previous articles

Using authentic materialsSam Shepherd, teacher, New Zealand

Using authentic materials is one of the mainstays of an imaginative and motivating higher level course, but rarely feature at levels lower than intermediate. There are several reasons for this, primarily a kind of fear that students will panic when faced with language that is largely unfamiliar, and a feeling that to prevent this the language should be edited to the students' level.

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The not so hidden resource - the studentsSam Shepherd, teacher, New Zealand

Students can be an invaluable resource, and for some perhaps the only resource. But how can we tap into this resource and use it effectively?

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Using flash cards with young learnersJoanna Budden, British Council, SpainFlash cards are a simple, versatile, yet often under exploited resource. I would like to offer some reasons for using flash cards and a selection of activities for use in the Young Learner classroom, although some of the activities could also be used with fun-loving, lower level adult classes.

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The home-scool connection 1Theresa Zanatta

If we accept that as teachers we need to invite, inform, and coach parents in ways to become active participants in the development of their child's literacy and language skill development, then we must begin to think about how to go about putting this objective into practice. Theresa Zanatta shows us how parents can be encouraged to create opportunities for their children to learn English at home.

Resources contents

WebquestsUsing authentic materials Students as a resourceUsing flash cardsHome-school connection 2Home-school connection 1Video and young learners 2Video and young learners 1E-learning and motivationLow-tech learnersICT, vocabulary, motivationUsing the internet 1Using the internet 2Learning circlesSelf-access frameworkSelf-access on a budget

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Go to this article >>

The home-scool connection 2Theresa Zanatta

If we accept that as teachers we need to invite, inform, and coach parents in ways to become active participants in the development of their child's literacy and language skill development, then we must begin to think about how to go about putting this objective into practice. Theresa Zanatta shows us how parents can be encouraged to create opportunities for their children to learn English at home.

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Video and young learners 1Lynn Gallacher, British Council

This first article will give an introduction to some of the issues surrounding video with young learners. It will discuss the benefits but also the potential drawbacks of using video, the different roles video can take and then present criteria for selecting videos. Some ideas for the kinds of video suitable for young learners are also given.

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Video and young learners 2Lynn Gallacher, British Council

The way the video is used and the materials prepared for use with the video will depend on the role the video is to take. Issues such as this are discussed in Video and young learners 1. This second article concentrates on classroom activities. In the Try Resources section there are sample lesson plans which relate to these activities.

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E-learning and motivation - a personal reflectionLeite Monteiro, English teacher, Language Centre, Civil Service College, Portugal

"This article concentrates on interactive learning classrooms and focuses on issues of student motivation. Self directed learning on the internet is becoming increasingly popular and it is one other way to encourage our students to practise their language outside the classroom, or it is a vital resource for the student who cannot get to a classroom."

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Low-tech learnersSam Shepherd, Eastbourne School of English"Some students are reluctant to work on computers. But how can we get around this...?"

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ICT, vocabulary and autonomyNina M. Koptyug, Ph.D., associate professor of English, Novosibirsk, Russia"Ways to encourage independent learning strategies using information and computer technology...."

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Using the internet 2Callum Robertson, Radio broadcaster and on line producer, BBC World Service

"This article looks specifically at using the internet as a materials resource and how to prepare for and manage internet lessons..."

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Using the internet 1 Callum Robertson, Radio broadcaster and on line producer, BBC World Service

"This article looks at searching the internet, online teacher development and using the net to increase students' communication practice..."

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English learning circles - a path to learner independence Karen Adams, professional development manager

"Getting students to use English with each other is a problem which is often difficult to overcome. Learning Circles are one way to help students recognise the importance of using English and to motivate them to do so in the classroom..."

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Self-access: a framework for diversityMichael Rodden, British Council, Lisbon"What is a self-access centre, why might your students benefit from using one, and how might you go about setting one up in your school."

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Self-access on a budgetMichael Rodden, British Council, Lisbon"Not all self-access ideas need to cost a fortune. Here are a few ideas for how you might develop resources in your school."

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If you have any ideas about resources you would like to share on this site, contact us.

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BBC | British Council teaching English - Think - Literature

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Home > Think > Literature

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LiteratureOn these pages you will find links to articles connected with the teaching of literature.

Latest article

Creating a class playRichard Frost, British Council, Turkey

"Studying German at school was a thoroughly depressing experience for me. Grammar translation, authoritarian teachers and constant tests. I can remember very little of what was 'taught' but something that I have never forgotten was thanks to a German native-speaker teacher who came to our school for one term and encouraged the class to take part in a play."

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Other articles

Using drama texts in the classroomHenry Robinson, MA Applied Linguistics and ELT, LCTL DIP TESOL

"In this article, I try to define what I mean by language learning through drama/theatre texts, outline some of the benefits it can bring to the language learning classroom and some of the differing methods and approaches that can be utilised to fully exploit the potential of drama and theatre texts."

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Storytelling - benefits and tipsAdapted from a workshop by Paula Stoyle, British Council, Jordan

"We often give stories to our students to read, but how often do we tell them a story? This article looks at the benefits of storytelling and gives advice on performance skills"

Go to this article >>

Motivating pupils to read 2Gail Ellis, Head of Young Learners Centre, The British Council, Paris and Special Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Nottingham

"This is the second of two articles that looks at ways to apply the process model of motivation as proposed by Dornyei (2001) to a number of suggestions and techniques for making the challenge of reading authentic literature accessible and motivating. This article describes ways to maintainl motivation, the first one shows how to generate this motivation."

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Motivating pupils to read 1Gail Ellis, Head of Young Learners Centre, The British Council, Paris and Special Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Nottingham

Literature contents

Creating a class play Using drama texts in classStorytelling

Motivating pupils to read 2

Motivating pupils to read 1

Children's literature

Other features

Questions

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Quizzes

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Send us an email

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/literature.shtml (1 of 2) [11/12/04 18.29.19]

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"This is the first of two articles that looks at ways to apply the process model of motivation as proposed by Dornyei (2001) to a number of suggestions and techniques for making the challenge of reading authentic literature accessible and motivating. This article describes ways to maintain motivation, the second one shows how to maintain this motivation."

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Learning English through children's literatureGail Ellis, Head of Young Learners Centre, The British Council, Paris and Special Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Nottingham

"A story provides the starting point for developing a wide variety of language and learning activities involving children personally, creatively and actively..."

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Related

Downloads - Brit Lit - Using short stories in the classroomClassroom activities - Reading

If you have any teaching listening ideas you would like to share on this site, contact us.

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BBC | British Council teaching English - Methodology - Error Correction 2

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Error Correction 2 Rolf Donald, teacher and teacher trainer, Eastbourne School of English

As mentioned in Error Correction 1, students can differ greatly in their attitude to producing spoken English. Some are only interested in developing their fluency at the expense of accuracy while others are so focused on accuracy that they have no fluency. While these are clearly extremes, it is not unusual to find students like this in a typical class. In Error Correction 2 we look at...

● A basic approach to improving fluency and accuracy ● Dictogloss - A way of raising students' awareness of their inter-language ● Criteria for dealing with spoken errors ● Practical techniques for correcting spoken errors ● Further reading

A basic approach to improving fluency and accuracy

In contrast to writing, students have very little processing time when it comes to speaking, so it is hardly surprising that the following may occur.

● Students don't experiment with new language presented by the teacher. ● At lower levels students' output is mostly lexical. ● The more accuracy-focused students test the patience of the listener in the time

they take to say something. ● The speech of some very fluent students is littered with errors and therefore may

have a negative effect on the listener.

Just as with writing we can help students to improve their accuracy and fluency. Teachers can help students improve their fluency by giving guided preparation time for a task. Students receive specific guidance in choosing appropriate language as well as rehearsal time. Task-based learning research shows that this leads to a greater range of language being used. When it comes to accuracy, research into second language acquisition says that the first stage of improving accuracy is awareness-raising. Namely, raising students' awareness of gaps in their inter-language. You can do this by using a recording of teachers / higher level students performing the same task that your students have done. Use awareness-raising exercises to focus on specific linguistic areas in the recording.

Top of page Dictogloss - A way of raising students' awareness of their inter-language Dictogloss (see 'Grammar Dictation' by R.Wajnryb OUP) is a very effective technique for doing this. After an introduction to the subject and some pre-teaching of essential lexis, students are read a text twice. The first time they listen to get the gist of the text. The second time they have to note down the key words. Then, in groups they work together to produce a version of the text. The emphasis is on successfully communicating the main points using their English. If they can reproduce the original text, that is great, but it is not essential. The teacher and groups then correct their texts and compare them with the original. The aim is to make students aware of the gaps in their inter-language.

Top of page Criteria for dealing with Spoken Errors In 'Correction' by M.Bartram and R.Walton present these questions as a guide to deciding whether to let an error go or not. Which do you consider to be the most important?

1. Does the mistake affect communication? 2. Are we concentrating on accuracy at the moment? 3. Is it really wrong? Or is it my imagination?

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BBC | British Council teaching English - Methodology - Error Correction 2

4. Why did the student make the mistake? 5. Is it the first time the student has spoken for a long time? 6. Could the student react badly to my correction? 7. Have they met this language point in the current lesson? 8. Is it something the students have already met? 9. Is this a mistake that several students are making? 10. Would the mistake irritate someone? 11. What time is it? 12. What day is it? 13. What's the weather like?

Top of page Practical techniques / ideas for correcting spoken English

● On-the-spot correction techniques. These are used for dealing with errors as they occur.

❍ Using fingers For example, to highlight an incorrect form or to indicate a word order mistake.

❍ Gestures For example, using hand gestures to indicate the use of the wrong tense.

❍ Mouthing This is useful with pronunciation errors. The teacher mouths the correct pronunciation without making a sound. For example, when an individual sound is mispronounced or when the word stress is wrong. Of course it can also be used to correct other spoken errors.

❍ Reformulation For example: Student: I went in Scotland Teacher: Oh really, you went to Scotland, did you?

● Delayed Correction techniques - For example, after a communication activity.

❍ Noting down errors Either on an individual basis i.e. focusing on each student's mistakes or for the class as a whole. 'Hot cards', as Bartram and Walton call individual notes, can be used to focus on recurring mistakes. The student then has a written suggestion of what to work on.

❍ Recording In addition to recording students (individually, in pairs etc.) during a speaking task to make them aware of errors that affect communication we can use a technique from Community Language Learning. Students sit in a circle with a tape recorder in the centre. In monolingual classes they check with the teacher, who is bilingual, about how to say something in English, then rehearse it and record it. At the end of the lesson they listen back to the tape and can focus on specific utterances etc. With higher level multilingual classes students take part in a discussion which they have prepared for in advance. When they have something to say they record themselves and then pause the tape. Just as with monolingual classes they can use the teacher as a linguistic resource. At the end of the discussion students analyse their performance with the teacher. The focus is on improving the quality of what they say and expanding their inter-language. Although this form of discussion may seem a bit artificial it has two main advantages:

■ Students pay more attention to what they say as they are taking part in a kind of performance (it is being recorded)

■ Students not only become more aware of gaps in their spoken English but also can see how their spoken English is improving.

Further reading 'Correction' by M.Bartram &R.Walton Thomson Heinle (2002)

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