Talk About It: Speaking Resources

I found this site useful: English Conversations. It's important for students to hear the interchange between speakers. There are sections titled "Easy English" and "Bilingual." I think I saw a link for a Liverpool accent as well. Seeing full conversations will help students become more aware of discourse rules.
One that would work well in my context is this re-telling of "Jack and the Beanstalk." It will give students some information on Western culture, help them practice using technological resources critically, and give them access to authentic speech beyond the classroom. After they hear this example, I would ask the students to retell a fairy tale or folk tale of their own choosing--either from their own culture or a foreign one. The main focus of such story-telling is conveying the passage of time and making sure the listener understand the sequence of events. When students are able to move back and forth in time, they are able to be more creative with their compositions.

Tongue Twisters can help students practice troublesome sounds. It's better for them to have a model of some kind, but many online resources don't offer that. I did find one site, Tongue Twisters for English Language Learners that offers audio along with the text, and explains which specific phoneme the twisters can help students practice. It takes a while to load, but sound files seem to be intact. A favorite of mine "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck?" is good for when I teach rhythm and rhyme. Practicing tongue twisters can help teens better understand pop lyrics. The ways that native speakers connect speech and omit sounds should not be foreign to them. There is a different register for the classroom than what they will use with their peers when they study in an English-speaking country.

EnglishClub.com offers a useful page on pronunciation. The writers discuss some distinctive features of English and how students can practice using them. Attention is paid to word stress, sentence stress, linking, and homophones. Some students are more analytic. This kind of focus will help them identify weaknesses in their speaking patterns and offer some practice exercises. There is no way for students to check their progress, so I would probably use this in class and then break into individual work to check the features. Perhaps a good way to synthesize this information is with a role play or skit.

Skype offers a few communities that could be helpful to learners: AddLang, Worldia, and Osnavi. When you click on the link, you can read user reviews. I think these sites were rated 3 of 5 stars. My only caution is that learners beware of online predators and bullies. Again, I would like my students to become familiar with the applications these software programs offer. Using an online chat can help them gather new language partners away from the classroom. This can be an exciting process for students because they will use their English to share information about their country, culture, interests and studies.

The most fun way to practice speaking outside of class is to find a friend. Language exchanges are a good way to learn about culture, build relationships, and expand your vocabulary. Newspaper classifieds have these type of listings, but there are also Facebook communities, list serves and school resources. The Language Exchange Community can help you find a partner, but I think face-to-face communication is what students in a foreign language setting lack most. For my junior high students, exploring the language through social connections can help them create a different sense of self and express themselves beyond the classroom. With friends, people are somehow more themselves. Students present themselves one way to their teacher, but they should have opportunities to fully share their ideas with someone who is not evaluating them. Interacting with others brings up questions about culture and current events. This will generate more speaking, which will give students fodder for academic writing and research because they will be building background knowledge naturally.