ELT Journal Advance Access published online on March 10, 2009
ELT Journal, doi:10.1093/elt/ccp018
© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
Dealing with learner reticence in the speaking class
Xiuqin Zhang is a professor in the English Department, College of Foreign Studies at Yanshan University in the People's Republic of China. Her current research interests focus on ELT and cross-cultural communication
Katie Head is programme leader of the MA in ELT at Nottingham Trent University, where she teaches modules on learner autonomy, teacher education, and ELT management
Email: xiuqin2004{at}yahoo.com.cn
Email: katiehead{at}ntu.ac.uk
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Abstract |
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This paper describes an oral English course for non-English majors at a university in the People's Republic of China. In the first year of the course, the students were very resistant to participating in group-based speaking activities, and their end-of-year results were disappointing. In the second year, the teacher decided to involve the students actively in designing their course and planning activities which would meet their needs and reasons for wanting to speak English. The aim was to increase their motivation and overcome reticence by getting them to talk about what and how they wanted to learn. It was expected that both their confidence and their ability to speak English would improve through more personal engagement with the course. The effectiveness of this approach was assessed using self-evaluation forms, classroom observations, and tests which showed significant progress in the students’ speaking.