Table Of Contents
Promoting effective speaking
In-class discussion and participation
Many of the students interviewed for this project nominated speaking in English, specifically in tutorials, as a major problem in their studies here. It is equally a major problem for lecturers and tutors who expect their students to be able to raise questions and engage in active discussion in class.
Typically both staff and students see this problem as a matter of inadequate English language skills; sometimes also as a matter of personality; but there is in fact a significant cultural dimension to it as well. [Use your browser's 'Back' button to return to this page.] The section above on
offers an extended examination of these issues.
This section looks at two other areas in which students' speaking skills are obviously important:
Download a printable version of this page (.doc ~10Kb)Problems? Questions? Comments? Please provide us feedback.
Which assessment method do you find the hardest?
Oral, 'cause sometimes it require your spontaneous act.
— Mabel
For me the speaking maybe is the most important for me to improve, because when I be study in China they made me focus on the grammar or the listening or reading.
— Anne
So for you, the real problem is speaking?
Yes speaking, communication. Especially in tutorials. In lectures, you just, you know, you just receive the information, you just listen so maybe the problem not big. But in tutorial, you should, you are supposed to communicate with your tutor but it's a little bit hard.
Do you think a lot of Chinese students share that same feeling?
Of course. We always, you know, discuss together...
— Gerry