Microsoft Word M03 How To Teach Speaking 2002-03. doc

Observation tasks 

They are used to encourage students to become sensitive to particular features of 

conversation. Observation should always be directed through the use of task sheets and these 

can be used to focus on: 

-  audio recordings of people talking; 

-  video recordings of people talking; 

-  conversations as they occur in real time. 

The simplest observation tasks require the observer to mark the presence or absence of a 

particular feature.  

ENCOURAGING NOISES 

LEVEL 

Elementary and above (from A2) 

TIME 

15-20 minutes 

AIM 

Making students sensitive to expressions 

which encourage the other speaker to 

continue. 

PREPARATION 

Select an audio or video tape that contains 

examples of this type of expression. Hand out 

---

the task sheet below to the students. 

TASK SHEET 

Listen to the extract of people talking. Make a tick (√) next to each of the expressions in the 

list whenever you hear one of the speakers using it. 

‰

 

Really?                                                     Uh huh.                                                         

‰

 

Does He?                                                   Is it? 

‰

 

Is that right?                                              Yes. 

‰

 

That's nice.                                                I see. 

‰

 

How interesting.                                         Mmmm. 

PROCEDURE 

1.  Introduce the task so that the students get 

some idea of what they are looking for. 

2.  Give out a copy of the task sheet to each 

student. 

3.  Play the tape two or three times before 

focussing on the specific expressions in 

context.