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Abstract
Speaking is one of the most important skills to be
developed and enhanced as means of effective communication. For ELT
(Elementary Level Teaching) the question of how to increase communicative
competence was and tends to be the most crucial one.
In a short period of time English displaced other
languages and became one of the leading means of communication worldwide. Its
domination continues to extend. The modern world of media, mass
communication, and Internet demands good knowledge of English, especially of
spoken English. Nevertheless, most Russian students are not able to
communicate in English fluently for many reasons. The present study is
devoted to the research of the issue of speaking skills of today's students
in Russia and to the existing methods of enhancing speaking skills of
elementary level students. It is also related to discovering the reasons of
unwillingness to communicate and the ways to overcome the language barrier.
Keywords: Speaking skills, communicative competence,
enhancing, methods, oral communication background, motivation, psychological
competence.
1. Introduction
 n a short period of time English displaced
other languages and became the leading means of communication worldwide. Its
domination continues to extend. The modern world of media, mass
communication, and Internet demands a good knowledge of English, especially
of spoken English. Every person wishing to get the benefits of modern
education, research, science, trade, etc., knows that it is impossible
without a working knowledge of the English language and good communication
skills. A person without oral communication skills will suffer in this era of
competition and may find it difficult to achieve a higher position.
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The main reason of poor speaking skills of Russian
students is their unwillingness to communicate due to many factors.
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Thus,
the problem of teaching English to students, especially the problem of oral
communication has not yet been solved, and one can find much to explore in
this field. Because of the significant role of speaking, many researchers
like Bailey (2005) and Goh (2007) have proposed methods to enhance speaking
skills by means of syllabus design, teaching principles, types of tasks and
materials, and speaking assessment.
This issue has also been in the focus of the Russian
researchers GalskovaN.D., Gez N.I., Passov E.I., Rogova G. V., Shchukin A.
N., and Skalkin V. L. Working on it they proposed ways to enhance speaking
skills of Russian students with the help of different methods of teaching,
the use of appropriate exercises, and learner-centered approach to studies.
Most researchers are sure that, since speaking is one
of the four major skills necessary for effective communication in any
language, speaking skills should be developed along with the other skills, so
that these integrated skills will enhance the students' ability to communicate.
Effective communication by means of speaking usually creates a number of
benefits for both speakers and business organizations.
In general, for students it is essential to understand
spoken utterances and give appropriate answers. Communicative competence, the
ability and readiness to communicate (speaking and listening comprehension)
is thus formed. To achieve this, students should be given integrated tasks
which help them develop both skills.
The aim of this article is to define the strengths and
weaknesses of speaking skills of today's students in Russia and to
demonstrate the possibilities of enhancement of the speaking skills of
students learning English.
Research suggests that the integrated use of modern
techniques can yield positive results and lead to the improvement of
communicative competence. Learning English by using new methods in education
and traveling and working abroad encourages students to learn the language,
develops their ability to speak fluently, and helps them overcome the language
barrier.
2. Literature review
Existing literature deals with three main topics:
speaking skills of today's students in Russia, existing methods of enhancing
speaking skills of elementary level students, and ways to overcome the
language barrier.
2.1. Speaking skills of today's students in Russia
Lately, interest in the English language as a means of
international communication has grown substantially. English has already
become the language of professional communication in various spheres of life.
Most students wish to learn to speak English; that is why speaking plays a
primary role in teaching oral communication.
Speaking is considered to be one of the four macro
skills necessary for effective communication in any language according to
most research, particularly when speakers are not using their mother tongue.
As English is universally used as a means of communication, especially on the
Internet, English speaking skills should be developed along with the other
skills so that these integrated skills will enhance communication competence.
In Russia, like in many other countries, the problem of
speaking skills is crucial. A number of researchers investigated this field
and came to the conclusion about students' low level of speaking ability and
their inability to speak confidently and fluently. One among the many reasons
to take into consideration might be the lack of confidence and anxiety about
making errors as stated by Trent (2009) and in other related studies. Most
college students are not confident in their ability to learn to speak;
teachers must overcome their reluctance in order to change this situation.
As a rule, being willing to communicate is part of
becoming fluent in a second language, which often is the ultimate goal of
language learners. For example, Julius Kuhl's [1]1 theory of action
control is introduced as an expansion of the conceptual framework for the
study of Willingness to Communicate (WTC). Kuhl proposed three key concepts:
preoccupation, volatility, and hesitation, which form part of the base from
which WTC in the second language is built.
Other factors dealing with willingness to communicate
can be divided into individual differences in the linguistic and
non-linguistic outcomes of language learning, such as motivation, aptitude,
language learning strategies, language anxiety, and others ( Dörnyei, 2005). They have been a key focus of
second language research for over 50 years ( Gardner, 2009).
Recently, MacIntyre (2007) drew attention to the
learner's decision to voluntarily speak the language when the opportunity
arises, even as basic language skills are being acquired. Nevertheless,
despite the emphasis on communication in modern language pedagogy and the
well-accepted view that learners require practice in speaking in order to
learn ( MacIntyre, 2003), some language learners
habitually choose to remain silent.
In addition to the above, some researchers observe that
not enough time is given to various exercises and opportunities for the
improvement of speaking ability. Students often complain of scolding, and
discouraging by their teachers for not speaking correctly. Although both
teachers and students are responsible for the poor speaking ability of the
latter, the teachers, who have the professional knowledge and skills, bear a
greater responsibility.
Zaremba and Zhang hypothesize that, of the four macro
English skills, speaking seems to be the most important skill required for
communication (Zaremba, 2006). Students who study English as a foreign
language usually have limited opportunities to speak English outside the classroom
(Zhang, 2009) and also limited exposure to English speakers or members of the
international community. This might be one reason for teachers to provide
more situations and activities for students to strengthen their speaking
competence.
In addition, there are a number of factors relating to
speaking skills to be considered for effective English speaking performance.
Pronunciation, vocabulary, and collocations are singled out as important
factors to be emphasized in building fluency for EFL speakers. Providing
students with a variety of situations and frequent speaking tasks plays a
significant role in the improvement of students’ fluency when speaking (Tam,
1997). Confidence and competence usually reinforce English speaking skills.
Patil (2008) asserted that building up the learner’s confidence to eliminate
their fear of making errors was a priority that a teacher should consider in
order to make learners feel comfortable with their language use. Confidence
and competence in speaking could be developed from appropriate syllabus
design, methods of teaching, and adequate tasks and materials (Bailey, 2005;
Songsiri, 2007).
Regarding speaking effectiveness, Shumin (1997) pointed
out a number of elements involved, including listening skills, sociocultural
factors, affective factors, and other linguistic and sociolinguistic
competences such as grammatical, discourse, sociolinguistic, and strategic
competence. Grammatical competence enables speakers to use and understand
English language structures accurately and unhesitatingly, which contributes
to their fluency, which, in turn, develops confidence in communication.
In general, the problems of Russian students related to
learning to speak can be divided into four main groups:
1. Students feel shy speaking English because they are
afraid of making mistakes. It is usually seen at the initial level as they
are afraid of being criticized by teachers and other students.
2. Working in pairs (or groups), students often begin
to use their native language.
3. Students don’t have enough information on the topics
discussed even in their native language.
4. Students feel a lack of linguistic and verbal
resources for solving the given task. In that case the teacher should create
a friendly atmosphere of collaboration so that students will not be afraid of
admitting their mistakes and will accept criticism.
Analyzing the topic of speaking skills, it becomes
clear that speaking skills of most students, especially in Russia, are
insufficiently developed. It is a real problem in the field of ELT and it
should be solved by the use of different methods of enhancing speaking
skills.
2.2. Existing methods of enhancing speaking skills of
students
In ELT, every teacher chooses a definite set of methods
of enhancing students' speaking skills. Nowadays it is possible to use
traditional and modern technologies either separately or in integration.
Internet communication tools have begun to be used in education, especially
in English language teaching. New technologies are supplementing traditional
English teaching methods. Students learn faster and easier than before
because of the use of technology in schools. If they are trained during their
school years, they learn language and technology simultaneously. Learning
English through the Web and using new trends in education in schools and
colleges make students willing to learn the language. Web-based technologies
and useful Internet sites provide new possibilities and latest trends for
teachers and students.
English has become easier to learn than ever before
with the availability of many sources to help people learn in an effortless
and enjoyable way. Web-based learning is one of the fastest growing areas in
education. It is widely accepted that advances in information technology and
new developments in pedagogy provide opportunities to create well-designed,
learner-centered, interactive, affordable, efficient, and flexible e-learning
environments (Khan, 2005). For this reason, it could be suggested that
internet-surfing is an alternative way to study English. Web-based
technologies and useful Internet sites provide various new possibilities and
latest trends for teachers and learners. Today it has become possible to
enhance speaking skills with the help of tools such as Skype, e-mail, blogs,
chats, and mobile devices.
To build effective communication skills students must
learn to:
1. communicate using digital media and environments to
support personal and group learning.
2. share information efficiently and effectively using
appropriate digital media and environments.
3. communicate thoughts and ideas clearly and
effectively to different audiences using various media and formats.
Basic communication skills are at the core of every
organization. It is crucial that we as teachers help students build this
vital set of 21st century skills. Everything depends on our
ability to be creative and to use modern teaching methods. The following is a
suggested list of such activities:
- Reading aloud
- Students give their thoughts on topic assigned by
teacher
- Students listen to classmates’ thoughts and respond
- Oral diary; oral weekly report
- Group presentations on a completed project
- Oral book report
- Picture description
- Storytelling
- Chained storytelling
- Creating riddles
- Role play
- Debates
- Dramatic monologues
- Radio drama
- Jazz chants.
We can choose any methods in ELT because all of them
help to develop speaking skills. It is possible to use them in integration or
separately to get positive results.
As it was mentioned above, given the significant role
of speaking, Bailey (2005) and Goh (2007) proposed methods to enhance the
development of speaking by means of syllabus design, principles of teaching,
types of tasks and materials, and speaking assessment.
Promoting speaking confidence, together with
appropriate task design, was recommended for the English skills development
of EFL/ESL learners (Bailey, 2005; Nunan, 2006; Patil, 2008; Trent, 2009;
Zhang, 2009). Other out-of-class factors that enhanced participants’ speaking
abilities included frequent listening to English materials, such as listening
to music, watching movies, listening to the radio, watching television
programs, and accessing multimedia websites. Previous studies supported the
finding that speaking and listening skills were usually intertwined in terms
of language learning and development (Noon-ura, 2008). In addition,
suggestions for EFL learners’ speaking improvement included a variety of
course activities, encouragement of more listening through the media, and
seeking opportunities to speak in real situations. Moreover, practice and
exposure to both listening and speaking activities in real-world situations
appeared to be a practical method to promote speaking confidence (Songsiri,
2007).
Classroom interaction is also necessary and useful as
an educational strategy to enhance speaking skills. The role of interaction
in a classroom context in enhancing speaking skills comes from the
understanding of its main types: teacher-learner interaction and
learner-learner interaction, where negotiation of meaning and the provision
of feedback are highlighted. Classroom interaction involves verbal exchanges
between learners and teachers. Teachers should know that the learners need to
do most of the talk to activate their speaking, since speaking skills require
practice and exposure.
Some authors consider that, at the basic level, more
emphasis should be placed on books and speaking ability, since learning is a
step-by-step process and such competencies cannot be improved abruptly.
English should be taught as language, as well as a subject, so that more time
may be available for the students to perform various activities/exercises in
a natural way. Some individual activities, such as speaking on a certain
topic for a minute or so should be assigned to students in the beginning
speaking stages. Students should be given motivation, encouragement, some
psychological training, reassurance, and counseling for removing their
shyness and fear of being laughed at by their classmates and scolded by their
teachers. Teachers should also be trained not to discourage the students and
to control the other students in order to provide a friendly and stimulating
environment in the classroom.
Linguistic skills such as familiarity with grammatical
structures, vocabulary, and phonetics should be emphasized by the teachers in
the classroom. Students should develop the habits of listening to BBC, CNN
and similar programs for the improvement of their speaking skills. Checking
the students' language competency at various levels viva-voce as a compulsory
part of the examination system may be included. There should be a balance
between literature and language in reading materials, since presently they
are more literature-oriented and lack language competency activities.
The problem of poor speaking ability is a crucial one
in many countries and Russia is no exception. This is why Russian authors pay
much attention to the issue of enhancing speaking skills of students because
English has become very popular in our country and it is necessary to build
communicative competence of learners. We can name such well-known researchers
of this field as Zimnaya I.A., GalskovaN.D., Gez N.I., Passov E.I., Rogova G.
V., Shchukin A. N., Skalkin V. L. and others. Some of them (Zimnaya I. A.,
Galskova N.D) highlight the necessity of integration of communicative and
personal-pragmatist approach and offer to connect aspects of ELT with
personal psychological characteristics of students. Others, like Gez N.I.,
Passov E.I., Rogova G. V., Skalkin V. L., discuss the role of modern teaching
techniques like the development of skills of monological and dialogical
speech, various verbal exercises, and different types of work with texts.
Almost all Russian researchers mention the necessity of use of audiovisual
means of learning and emphasize their importance in enhancing speaking
skills. Teachers should create motivation for communication (Rogova G. V.)
using various forms of dramatization/improvisation according to students’
interests. Shchukin A. N. highlights methods such as projects (role-playing,
creative work like composition, translation, rendering. He also speaks about
the necessity of computer and audio-visual technologies in enhancing speaking
skills.
It is evident that foreign and Russian authors have
many common views on the problem of enhancing speaking skills of modern
students. In general, to improve the speaking ability of students, the
following steps should be taken:
1. place more emphasis on the quality of study books at
the basic level,
2. give enough time to speaking and phonetic drill of
students,
3. no scolding but rather providing a friendly
environment,
4. use practical and applicable strategies by teachers
for students while speaking in English most of the time,
5. develop boldness and confidence in students to ask
questions of their teachers,
6. no overcrowded classes,
7. awards and motivation for students,
8. encourage listening to CNN and BBC, keep up-to-date
and constantly retrain teachers,
9. arrange various activities and balance in the
courses with respect to literature and language.
If teachers take these rules into consideration and try
to use them in their work, they will be able to build communicative
competence of EFL speakers and improve their speaking ability.
Analyzing all the existing methods of enhancing
speaking skills of today's students it became clear that those methods are
not as difficult as they seem to be and every teacher can choose those that
she considers more appropriate for her students according to their level of
knowledge of English. In Russia like in many other countries we try to use
modern technologies in ELT, including Internet-based techniques, listening to
audio and video, creative tasks like role-playing, storytelling, describing
pictures, and the like. All these,together with students’ interest in
learning and their WTC, help teachers enhance speaking skills and make
progress in ELT.
2.3. Ways of overcoming the language barrier
During our research we found out that the main reason
for poor speaking skills of Russian students was their reluctance to
communicate for many reasons, including psychological discomfort and fear of
making mistakes. It is no secret that with increasing emphasis on authentic
communication, WTC has been proposed as one of the key concepts in L2
learning and instruction. Given that language development can occur only
through interaction, it can be assumed that more interaction leads to more
language development and learning. Under this assumption, it is reasonable to
argue that WTC, which has been found to influence the frequency of
communication (Clément et al., 2003; MacIntyre and Charos, 1996; Yashima et
al., 2004), can contribute to second language acquisition (SLA) and needs to
be emphasized in L2 pedagogy.
Researchers have suggested that generating WTC is a
crucial component of modern language instruction (MacIntyre et al., 1998,
2003). WTC as a goal of language learning and instruction can lead to
outcomes that may not be achieved when communicative competence is the only
goal of language learning and instruction. The current emphasis on
communicative competence may produce students who are technically capable of
communicating, particularly inside the classroom, but may not be amenable to
doing so outside the classroom (MacIntyre et al., 1998). Dörnyei (2003) also
stated that many competent L2 learners tend to avoid L2 communication.
If this is the case, L2 learners with high
communicative competence may not utilize their opportunities to learn language
through authentic communication. By engendering WTC, on the other hand,
language instruction may achieve its social and political goal of bringing
cultures into contact and nations together (MacIntyre et al., 1998). In
addition, when we create WTC in L2 learners, we can expect to produce more
active language learners. First, L2 learners with a high WTC are more likely
to use L2 in authentic communication, which facilitates their language
learning. Second, they can function as autonomous learners, making
independent efforts to learn the language through communication, without the
teachers’ help. Third, they can extend their learning opportunities by
becoming involved in learning activities not only inside, but also outside
classrooms.
Based on these expected advantages of L2 learners with
WTC, it is believed that they are apt to achieve the ultimate goal of
language competence, authentic communication, and to learn L2 more
successfully. If this is the case, WTC is a significant factor in determining
the success of SLA, which in turn supports the need for WTC as a goal of L2
learning and instruction.
A number of researchers have examined the effect of an
individual’s characteristics on WTC. Two among these
characteristics--perceived communicative competence and communication
anxiety--have been found to be the key predictors of WTC (Baker and
MacIntyre, 2000; MacIntyre et al., 2001; McCroskey and Richmond, 1991). Other
individual characteristics, such as sex and age (MacIntyre et al., 2002),
attitudes towards the international community (Yashima, 2002; Yashima et al.,
2004), and prior immersion experience (MacIntyre et al., 2003) have also been
found to influence WTC.
WTC is influenced by immediate situational
antecedents--the desire to communicate with a specific person and the state
of communicative self-confidence--and more enduring influences, such as
interpersonal motivation, intergroup motivation, self-confidence, intergroup
attitudes, social situation, communicative competence, intergroup climate, and
personality.
Reflecting this situational view, researchers have
investigated how WTC can be affected by situational variables, such as social
contextual variables. MacIntyre
et al. (2001) showed that social support, particularly
from friends, influenced WTC outside the classroom. Clément et al. (2003)
also showed that L2 WTC was influenced by the frequency and quality of L2
contact, which interacted with each other, through the mediation of L2
confidence.
These findings, as well as MacIntyre et al.’s (1998)
model, have convinced us that WTC is subject to situational variables. And to
build it we should motivate students to speak and help them overcome the
language barrier.
One of the most effective ways of enhancing WTC and as
a consequence, of speaking skills of Russian students, can be considered work
and studies abroad. Nowadays we have a number of programs such as “Work and
travel USA or Canada” which give our students a chance to overcome the
language barrier and improve their speaking ability. Many students from the
UralFederalUniversity participate in such activities every year and they
prove the fact that students are more willing to communicate after a stay
abroad. They show more interest during classes and easily communicate on any
topic.
Another way of strengthening one's WTC is to study any
foreign language in language schools where teachers use modern methods of
teaching English. Students who attended such institutions show higher level
of speaking skills and can communicate freely without the fear of making any
mistakes.
Nevertheless, some authors are sure that before helping
students to enhance their speaking ability any teacher should assess the
reasons for the language barrier and choose the materials that will awake
interest in learning English accordingly. But the main condition is
confidence in one's own strength. It appears when a speaker ceases to
concentrate on his mistakes in language practice. So to begin speaking any
foreign language, one has to overcome his lack of confidence.
Some teachers allege that the language barrier does not
exist, or that it was created by people. That’s why any person who begins to
learn a foreign language should not think about any possible mistakes and
misunderstandings. Everything depends on the ability to concentrate on the
material and being a good listener. So, at the initial level one should
listen and repeat as much as it’s possible. The best way to express one's
thoughts is by simple words and phrases. One can train the ability to
understand the gist of speech using key words. More than that, it’s more
important to discuss interesting topics. And, of course, the conditions of
communication should be comfortable.
Sometimes, to overcome the language barrier, it is
necessary to use fairy-tales, poems, jokes, or to become a part of a
situation where one should speak only the foreign language.
In our opinion, whether the language barrier exists or
not, we should try to overcome it and find the best way to build WTC.
Otherwise it will be impossible to enhance our speaking skills and become
fluent in any foreign language.
3. Conclusion
In this study we discussed the issues of communicative
competence, methods of enhancing oral communication, motivation and ways of
overcoming the language barrier. It was significant to learn different views
of Russian and foreign researchers on the problem of speaking skills of
students.
So, the aim of this article: “to define strengths and
weaknesses of speaking skills of today's students in Russia and to
demonstrate the possibilities of speaking skill enhancement of students
learning English” was achieved as we proved that the integrated use of modern
techniques may yield positive results and lead to the improvement of
communicative competence. Learning English by using new methods in education
and traveling and working abroad makes students willing to learn the
language, develop their ability to speak fluently, and help them overcome the
language barrier.
The findings from this study also show that the main
reason of poor speaking skills of Russian students is their unwillingness to
communicate due to many factors We can conclude that WTC needs to be an
important component of SLA. So, the main suggestion is to overcome the
language barrier and build a strong WTC. Only then will it be possible for
the student to be a fluent speaker and not to be afraid of communicating in
any situation
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