TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS IN ENGLISH THROUGH STUDENT CENTERED ACTIVITIES

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN:2395-0056

Volume: 09 Issue: 06 | June 2022 www.irjet.net p-ISSN:2395-0072

TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS IN ENGLISH THROUGH STUDENT CENTERED ACTIVITIES

Research Scholar in English, Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education, Kumaracoil, Thuckalay, Tamil Nadu, India. Principal, Geetha Jeevan Arts and Science College, Thoothukudi, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract

Student centered instruction has recently attracted the focus of many schools and universities due to the fact that this approach motivates the students and also provide interactive learning environment. This paper puts forward the significance of student centered approach in studying a target language. For centuries, Teacher centered approach has been practiced in second language teaching but the things seem to have gradually altered in the last two or three decades due to the fact that the learning becomes more interesting, meaningful and also democratic. Implementation of this method makes a huge difference in target learners. The paper also aims to point out the ways to generate a Student centered Classroom and also the characteristics of this approach. Also, the learners are exposed to judge the corroboration, evaluate others arguments and also give rise to hypotheses. They do not assume that students grasp such skills themselves innately. Hardly are few learners able to acquire these skills in Teacher centered instruction. Studies claim that speaking skills evolve rapidly in case that they are instruct directly together with the content

Keywords: Student Centered Instruction, Target Language, Speaking Skills, Approach, Implementation.

Introduction

Learners are very skillful to utilize the knowledge beyond the lecture room in Learner centered programs as the groupactivitiesispromotedtodevelopthespeakingskillsofthelearnerunliketheconventionalteachingwherethelearners rely on teachers. Students generate a sense of learning for the teacher, students consequently will causally not feel in particular improving their studies when the learners are prepared with the school set up. In addition to that, Liu & La Mont (2005) points out that the growth of teaching process has been determined by the progress in Information Communication Technology (ICT) by establishing Student centered teaching practices. For example: Multimedia teaching applications and Web based studying sources. Liu & La Mont also says that successively the ICT has fabricated numerous objectives at which studentsareunveiledtoabetterStudent centeredlearningencounter

Student Centered Instruction

By using Student centered approach, the four skills in English can be taught and developed. The four skills reading, writing, listening and speaking can be effectively taught through various activities like discussion activities, brain storming and mapping ideas. Jones, (2007) states that the communicating activities of negotiations are distinguishing features of Student centered classroom”. Such activities by all means not only limited to questions and answers (QA) activity besides encompasses tasks like role play, problem solving, pair work and group work. Active and amusing learning are required to managetoallowlearnerstoencounteraltogetherteachingEnglish

The key motto of Student centered classrooms is to assist students to set off self reliantly. According to Brown (2008),“Thestudentsareabletoachievefree spiritedintellect,thecapacitytoputtogether educationaldecisions,andvalue judgmentsthroughtheStudent centeredinstruction”.

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e ISSN:2395 0056

Volume: 09 Issue: 06 | June 2022 www.irjet.net p ISSN:2395 0072

Characteristics of Student centered Approach

TheStudent centeredmethodofteachingundergoesfollowingcharacteristics:

i. Occupy Learners in Learning Process

On a conventional wayoflearning,a targetlanguage in the majorityof classesteachers are employing extreme stronger whencompared tothestudents. Studentsdonotgenerateenlightenedlearningskillsastheydidnotgetchancetoapplythe skillsandalmostentirelyinclassroomstheteachergetsaverymuchaccomplishingwhencomparedwiththestudents.Apart from that, in Student centered teaching students have the chance to carry out a genuine piece of work and obtain contemporaryskillsandleadcapabilitiesthroughthelearningprocess.

ii. Explicit skill Instruction

In Student centered teaching, many skills that are necessary to acquiring material that encompasses are explicit skill instruction. Here the learners are taught to problem solving, think independently, risk management, and collaborative learning.

iii. Promotes Inductive Learning

Inductivelearningisfosteredthrough Student centeredteachingandaccordinglyfromtheexperiencethestudentsgainedby utilizingsecondlanguage.Thestudentsaregivenupontodiscoverorpersuaderulesandtheyarenotexposedtogrammatical orothertypesofrulesdirectly.Likemany methodologists,G.S.Murdoch(1990)alsoclaimsthatteacher’sjobisspecificallyto becomingengagedinactivitiesorworkingintasksthestudentsareengagedtocreateconditionsintheclassroom

AsstatedbyBlumberg(2009),Student centeredapproachdiffersfromTeacher centeredapproachinthemeansthat Student centeredactivitiestaughtintheclassroommakethestudentsawarethereasontolearncontentanditspracticalityto themontheotherhandinTeacher centeredprogramsteachlearnerstobesilentas theyareassessedas robotstosticktoin thedirectionsasorderedbytheinstructor.

Advantages of Student- centered teaching

Student centered teaching has numerous advantages in the teaching of target language. At the beginning, individual engagement, innate inspiration, trust in one’s potentialities to prosper, and a insight and leadership on the top of learning guide to progressive learning and great accomplishment Alexander and Murphy state that by comparing the previous knowledgethestudentsareabletocreatewiththeirownunderstandingofmaterialsinthisapproach

Secondly, as Mutlaq (2013) suggests that both learners and instructors are able to learn from one another. Also, Slavin, (1990) and Maxwell (1998) state that learners are enthusiastic, self directed and have the advantage of the learning hencethelearnersareactivelyparticipatedinthetasksallottedtothem.Becauseofthistoweringmotivationforlearningand farmorecontentmentwiththeschool,thereisdistinguishedscholasticaccomplishment.Inadditiontothat,Aaronsohn(1996) points out that the Student centered learners are encountered with triumphs, acquire self confidence and jovial about themselves Further, McCombs (1997) claims that Student centered teaching has become the outstanding way to enhance fraternizationamonglearnersinasociety.

Activities Used in Student centered approach

i. Role play

Incorporating role play into the classroom adds different varieties, and changes the pace of language production. The enjoymentinroleplayisthatlearnersareabletoenactasanyoneastheywishforashortperiodoftime.Todeveloplanguage skillsfamiliarrolesarechosenbythestudentssotheycan’thuntforideas

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e ISSN:2395 0056

Volume: 09 Issue: 06 | June 2022 www.irjet.net p ISSN:2395 0072

ii. Group discussion

Group discussion requires a quick presentation on the topic. Language fluency is improved through this activity. Here studentsaredividedintogroupsandtheyareencouragedtodiscussonthegiventopic.

iii. Seminar

ThroughSeminars,thelanguageproficiencyofthestudentsincreases.Itenhancestheconfidentlevelofthestudents. Instudent centeredclassroom,teacherallotsthetopictothestudentsbasedontheirefficiencyandtheyhavetopresentthe seminarsinaninteractiveway.

iv. Debate

Through debate activity, the students areable to communicate and give argumentsin English and it makesthe students moreactive.Hereitincreasescriticalthinkingaseverystudentanalyzestheprobleminacriticalway.

v. Pair work

Pair wok has a vital role in language classrooms. It motivates collaborative learning and students are very much encouragedwhileworkinginpairs.Theteachermakestheseatingarrangementthatfacilitatepairwork

vi. Narrating stories

Story tellingistheeffectivemethodasittriggersactivitiesthatarebasicsinlanguagelearningprocess. Also,thisactivity keepstheclassroomaliveanditisvitaltoselectstoriesthataidsthelearnerstoacquirenewlanguagestructureespeciallyin theviewofpracticaluseofthatlanguage.

vii. Narrating incidents

Inthisactivity,studentsareaskedtonarratereallifeincidents.Theyhavetonarrateincidentsfromtheirmemory,when they narrate, their language skill gets enhanced. The teacher has to provide the vocabulary if the student committed any mistakesandalsoteacherhastorectifythemistakeswhilenarratingtheincidents.

viii. Interviews

In these interviewing activities, learners can enhance their speaking skills very interestingly. Teachers have to allot two studentsofaturn onestudentactsasacelebrityandtheotheroneasinterviewer

ix. Extempore speeches

In the extempore speech activity, teachers have to provide the topic for the speech without any prior knowledge of the studentsandthetopicmustbeafamiliarwiththem.

x. Jigsaw method

Injigsawactivity,studentsareassembledtoworkingroups.Herethetargetlearnersrelyononeanothertosucceed. Thismethodenhancesthespeaking,listeningandproblem solvingskillsofthelearners.

Conclusion

Dewey (1938) noted that Student centered learning permits learners to become self aware of their potentialities. Students therefore are enthusiastic to gain knowledge as they set off self assertive in their own potentialities. On the other hand as Fink (2003) states, conventional approach of learning a new language has some limitations to concentrate on lively teachingandneglectstoincorporatetherealmottooflearningthesecondlanguages.

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e ISSN:2395 0056

Volume: 09 Issue: 06 | June 2022 www.irjet.net p ISSN:2395 0072

Also Student centered programs permit the students to resolve difficulties. Conventional Methods turned out to be denounced for encouraging rote learning and memorization in which students almost get by heart materiality to get good marks in the examination, however, are unable to implement the mastery that they gained to rectify the troubles they come across.

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