The different Classroom Speaking Activities
In the learning process, EFL learners need to practise the target language inside the classroom to enhance their speaking competences and explore their own thinking through using several activities. Teachers should implement a wide range of speaking activities in classroom to encourage their students to employ their ideas for providing a comfortable atmosphere to both teaching and learning the second language.
1- Role-Play
Role-play is one of the favourite and common used speaking activities for students because it creates a good environment in classroom and gives learners the freedom to practise and improve the language. Hedge (2000: 279) refers to role-play as a number of different activities, ranging from simple dialogues prompted by specific information on role cards to more complex simulations, which pass through a number of stages. Besides, role-play involves students in real life communication because they imagine themselves in the role and take several personalities with new and different thoughts.
2- Simulation
simulation is a very important type of speaking activities. It is similar to role-play, but simulation is more elaborated. According to Harmer (2001: 274), students stimulate real life encounter […] as if they were doing, so the real world […] as themselves. In simulation, students can bring items in order to engage in another identity or personality according to imaginary situation to be able to speak.
3- Discussion
Discussion is a popular and most useful form of classroom interaction in which students are encouraged to speak freely about a number of topics. Its objective is to develop learners’ listening and speaking abilities to speak more fluently and to participate effectively. Hedge (2000: 277) states free discussion can provide important opportunities for developing certain aspects of fluency […], free discussion activities will involve students in talking about a range of topics, which engage their interests, opinions, histories, and experiences.
4- Communicative Games
Communicative games are other activities, which are considered as essential in EFL speaking activity in classroom and a useful for a variety of communication. This kind of activity makes the classroom more enjoyable, changes students’ mood and increases learners’ motivation in learning the English language. Thornbury (2005: 79) says that communicative tasks fulfil two important language learning needs: they prepare learners for real-life language use, and they encourage the automization of language knowledge.
5- Dialogue
In this activity, students can exchange their thoughts about definite topics in which students perform in pairs or as group work in front of their classmates. Thornbury (2005: 72) states that teachers choose students to take the role of practicing a dialogue to speak. He adds this example: the teacher can ask a volunteer student to read about […], while the teacher takes the other role. This is repeated with another student, but this time the roles are reversed. At this point, when the teachers do this activity, they help their students to talk without correcting mistakes until the end to make them feel comfortable and appreciate the task. As Thornbury (ibid: 73) says that when pairs finish their dialogue, they can be asked to switch roles and do it again, or to change key elements in the dialogue. So, dialogue gives students the opportunity to practise pronunciation, stress and intonation, also it can help the students to develop accuracy and fluency in English language.
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