1) Before You Speak
Lower your anxiety
• deep breathing
• positive self-talk
• visualize yourself succeeding
• relaxation techniques
• feel prepared
• other anxiety-lowering techniques?
Prepare and plan
• Identify the goal and purpose of the task: what is it you are to
learn/ demonstrate in this exercise?
• Ask for clarification of the task if you are unsure of its goal,
purpose, or how you are to do it.
• Activate background knowledge; what do you already know about
this situation/task?
• Relate the task to a similar situation; make associations.
• Predict what is going to happen:
Predict the vocabulary you will need. Make word maps,
groupings.
Think of how you might circumlocute for vocabulary you do
not know. Think of synonyms, antonyms, explanations, or
nonverbal communication that can substitute.
Translate from English to French any words you predict you
will need that you do not already know.
Predict the structures (grammar) you will need.
Review similar tasks in your textbook.
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Transfer sounds and structures from previously learned
material to the new situation.
Predict the difficulties you might encounter.
• Plan your responses and contributions:
Organize your thoughts.
Prepare a general "outline" (use notes, keywords, draw
pictures).
Predict what the other party is going to say.
Rehearse (practice silently, act out in front of a mirror, record
yourself and listen).
Cooperate in all areas if it is a group task.
Encourage yourself to speak out, even though you might make
some mistakes.
2) While You Are Speaking
Feeling in control
• Take your emotional temperature. If you find you are tense, try to
relax, funnel your energy to your brain rather than your body
(laugh, breathe deeply).
• Concentrate on the task, do not let what is going on around you
distract you.
• Use your prepared materials (when allowed).
• Ask for clarification ("Is this what I am supposed to do?"), help (ask
someone for a word, let others know when you need help), or
verification (ask someone to correct pronunciation).
• Delay speaking. It's OK to take time to think out your response.
• Don't give up. Don't let your mistakes stop you. If you talk yourself
into a corner or become frustrated, back up, ask for time, and start
over in another direction.
• Think in the target language.
• Encourage yourself (use positive self-talk).
Be involved in the conversation
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• Direct your thoughts away from the situation (e.g., test!) and
concentrate on the conversation.
• Listen to your conversation partner. Often you will be able to use
the structure or vocabulary they use in your own response.
• Cooperate to negotiate meaning and to complete the task.
• Anticipate what the other person is going to say based on what has
been said so far.
• Empathize with your partner. Try to be supportive and helpful.
• Take reasonable risks. Don't guess wildly, but use your good
judgment to go ahead and speak when it is appropriate, rather than
keeping silent for fear of making a mistake.
Monitor your performance
• Monitor your speech by paying attention to your vocabulary,
grammar, and pronunciation while speaking.
• Self-correct. If you hear yourself making a mistake, back up and fix
it.
• Activate your new vocabulary. Try not to rely only on familiar
words.
• Imitate the way native speakers talk.
• Compensate by using strategies such as circumlocution ,
synonyms, guessing which word to use, getting help, using
cognates, making up words, using gestures.
• Adjust or approximate your message. If you can't communicate the
complexity of your idea, communicate it simply. Through a
progression of questions and answers, you are likely to get your
point across, rather than shutting down for a lack of ability to relate
the first idea.
• Switch (when possible) to a topic for which you know the words.
(Do not do this to avoid practicing new material, however!)
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3) After You Speak
Evaluate your performance
• Reward yourself with positive self-talk for completing the task.
Give yourself a personally meaningful reward for a particularly
good performance.
• Evaluate how well the activity was accomplished (Did you
complete the task, achieve the purpose, accomplish the goal? If not,
what will you do differently next time?)
• Identify the problem areas.
• Share with peers and instructors (ask for and give feedback, share
learning strategies).
• Be aware of others' thoughts and feelings.
Plan for future tasks
• Plan for how you will improve for the next time.
• Look up vocabulary and grammar forms you had difficulty
remembering.
• Review the strategies checklist to see what you might have
forgotten.
• Ask for help or correction.
• Work with proficient users of the target language.
• Keep a learning log (document strategies used and task outcomes,
find out what works for you).
