Teachers, parents and students agree that the best way of learning English is to speak it. Both State and private schools insist on constant verbal communication in English.
Verbal participation in the classroom builds up confidence: it leads students to improve intonation; to speak without shyness; to make solo efforts without embarrassment. Declaiming talks on topics and even reciting poetry and drama from memory rubs off any inhibitions of fear or of making mistakes.
On fielding direct questions, teachers stimulate debate. Prodding students to ask questions extends discussions. Any form of dialogue becomes an exercise in the learning process. Who? what?, when?, which?, where?, why? stimulate amplification and exploration. These interrogatory forms also test the students’ power of understanding and of concentration.
Drama is the best method of learning. It convinces others to listen and to understand; it conveys rational thoughts and emotional feelings. A toddler delivering one sentence on microphone demands courage.
I recall my wife’s experience as a teacher in a private school in England. On Monday morning during assembly these tiny tots were encouraged to come to the microphone and speak out news that happened during the weekend. One such pupil came out saying that Miss Candida had fallen into the River clothes and all. There was echoing laughter and the ripples even travelled to their parents. My wife had confided the punting incident to a teacher colleague who gave her away. It was harmless fun. Yet humour is the relief of discursive teachers. It encourages narration of personal anecdotes even from pupils.
The art of public speaking should be one of the goals in the learning process. Nowadays, not only newscasters on radio and television but also newly appointed teachers should speak correct English. A novel introduction in the Faculty of Education was micro-teaching.
This meant that student teachers prepared a 10-minute lesson on a particular speech skill to a group of 10 pupils. The camera recorded their performance. Then the lesson was played back on screen.
Encouraged to be constructive critics, they concentrated on speech skills: the steps followed in building up the lesson, the choice of words, the correct pronunciation, the length of sentences, the cadences, the questions asked and how she/he distributed the questions.
Above all they commented on body language: the smiles and nodding of approval, the words of encouragement.
Nowadays technology facilitates learning: anyone may choose English friends on Facebook and communicate with them on Skype. Thus, the spoken word enshrines success if given its importance in the teaching and learning process.