A person's skill with English as a foreign language (EFL) is often measured by the speaking ability of the students. The student may score well on tests or have an extensive vocabulary, but he/she also needs to smoothly express information in a conversation.

As teachers, we determine the strengths, weaknesses, and abilities of our students. We then take this information to craft effective lesson plans which often work towards greater communicative skills. We balance fluency (getting the words out) and accuracy (using grammar and vocabulary correctly) too. What follows are several steps which serve as a framework for how to teach English speaking. These steps also work towards free use of the language.

Let's first define conversational ability. Conversation requires a person to use the language, listen to the language, process the information, and then appropriately respond to it. The purpose of the conversation affects the process, as does the place and the people involved. English spoken at work or in a teleconference will drastically differ from English used at the doctor's office, for example.

A good speaker uses grammar and vocabulary effectively and accurately. Someone who speaks well should understand when to use various grammar points. At more advanced levels, there is nuance, associated meaning, and a host of other points that must be understood. Lessons which involve speaking activities should always work towards improving these skills. Over time, decisions in language usage become more easily understood and automatic.

To achieve this, you should first let your students to prepare for the tasks ahead with an effective warm-up. This lets everyone in the class have sufficient opportunity to get their English wheels turning; after all, it may have been a day, a week, or more since they last used English. Adequate time translates into fewer mistakes while you're presenting and drilling the target language. Comprehension and use of the new language move at a quicker pace.

Next, present the grammar or any vocabulary that you have selected for the lesson. It should be noted that the warm up can serve as a first step into the lesson. For example, If students inadvertently use some of the target language, you can use these sentences in your presentation portion of the lesson. Information from the warm up gets recycled, and so provides a more efficient use of class time. Students remember the grammar or vocabulary more easily too because these were generated by the students.

Moving on, the class needs to practice the new material after the presentation. It's unfair to expect them to make use of the material without enough practice. Controlled drills work to achieve automaticity, even with high-level students. Tightly controlled drills with new grammar points or vocabulary lay the foundation and provide examples. Activities should then move into less controlled and eventually free use of the language. This will allow each student to integrate the lesson material with pre-existing language.

Lastly, you should always work towards real use of English. Whereas the first part of the lesson focuses on accurate production of the language, it's done to allow students to later speak more smoothly, quickly, and with greater expansion. Activities in the latter portion of the lesson allow students to connect the day's focus with grammar and vocabulary from past lessons. These open-ended activities also allow students to tie the language to their personal interests and needs, which then improves retention.

If a student wants to improve his/her English, then he/she needs to speak it well. Teachers should work towards incorporating preparation, presentation, practice, and finally free use of the language in any lesson.

These steps allow you to teach English speaking more effectively, and for the students to do more with the language in each class and course.

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