Student Learning

English Developmental Continuum P–10 – Speaking & Listening

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Purposes of communication: scaffolding learning from 2.0

 

Indicators of Progress

  • Students participate in everyday conversation, speak clearly when required in informal situations, pronounce most words accurately, use appropriate volume, pace their speech so that it is understandable, use appropriate intonation patterns to add emphasis, and use eye contact .
  • Students organise spoken texts using appropriate features to signal beginnings and endings.
  • Students make relevant comments in groups, and stay on the topic of a discussion about everyday events.
  • Students ask clarifying questions so as to facilitate communication.
  • Students participate in and contribute to small and large group discussions, display appropriate turn-taking behaviours, listen to and acknowledge others’ responses, and respond appropriately to what has been said.

 

Teaching Strategies

After speaking and listening: Consolidate and review

The learning and teaching approach for speaking and listening is illustrated for students responding to the serial story Little Obie and the Flood written by Martin Waddell and published by Walker Books Ltd, London in 1991.

Reflect on speaking and listening behaviours

Students are encouraged to reflect on the ways of behaving that helped them to learn and to share their ideas with others. They list good communicating behaviours and talk about why they are effective.

Good communicating behaviours:

  • Speak loudly and clearly.
  • Listen to what others say.
  • Don’t speak until others have finished.
  • Respond politely and appropriately to what others say.
  • Take turns to speak.

Students use this list to help them understand how to communicate effectively and to understand the communication context.

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