Developing Oral Communication Skills

by Carol J. Orwig

Complete Table of Contents

Summary

This book gives a detailed analysis of the tasks involved in developing listening comprehension and speaking ability in a second language. It breaks down each composite skill into the sub- skills involved for each level of proficiency in speaking and listening comprehension and suggests techniques and activities you can use to develop these skills. This information can be helpful in planning a self-directed language learning program.

Developing your oral communication skills

How to develop your desired level of listening comprehension

Reaching high novice listening proficiency

Learning to distinguish contrasting sounds within words

Learning to distinguish contrasting consonants and vowels

How to use the IPA tutor to learn to discriminate and produce phonetic sounds

Learning to distinguish contrasting tones

Learning to distinguish contrasting word stress patterns

Learning to distinguish question, answer, and command intonation

Learning to understand statements, questions, and commands

Learning to understand common words

Learning to interpret basic survival functions

Learning to recognize typical interaction patterns in survival situations

Reaching intermediate listening proficiency

Learning to distinguish contrasting sounds in connected speech

Learning to recognize tones on words used in complete sentences

Learning to distinguish contrasting stress patterns

Getting used to the rhythm patterns of the language

Learning to distinguish basic sentence intonation patterns

Learning to understand different sentence types

Learning to understand basic vocabulary

Learning to understand simple reference

Learning to understand connectors

Learning to interpret simple communication functions

Learning to distinguish formal versus informal speech

Learning to recognize typical interaction patterns of everyday encounters

Reaching advanced listening proficiency

How to learn to recognize intonation patterns typical of paragraphs

Learning to understand complex sentences of various types

Expanding your comprehension vocabulary

Learning to understand short connected discourses

Learning to recognize functions for managing conversations

Learning to understand social functions without complications

Learning to recognize the way people interact in predictable scripts

Reaching superior listening proficiency

Learning to understand speech sounds at normal speed

Learning to understand emotional nuances of speech

Learning to understand all structures commonly used in oral speech

Broadening the range of vocabulary you can understand

Expanding understanding of complex oral discourses

Learning to understand abstract relationships between ideas

Learning to understand indirect speech acts

Learning to understand colloquial speech and idioms

Learning to understand whether speech is polite, insulting, or rude

Reaching distinguished listening proficiency

Learning to recognize regional and social variations in pronunciation

Building encyclopedic comprehension vocabulary

Learning to follow formal oral discourse

Learning to interpret variations in the style of discourses

Learning to recognize the rules of interaction in a social situation

Learning to understand references from within the cultural framework

How to develop your desired level of speaking proficiency

Reaching high novice speaking proficiency

Learning to pronounce contrasting sounds within words

Learning to pronounce contrasting consonants and vowels

Learning to pronounce contrasting tones

Learning to pronounce contrasting word stress patterns

Learning to produce question, answer, and command intonation

Learning to make short statements, questions, and commands

Learning to say common words

Learning to express basic communication functions

Learning to interact appropriately in survival situations

Reaching intermediate speaking proficiency

Learning to pronounce words understandably in connected speech

Learning to pronounce tone words in sentence-length utterances

Learning to pronounce contrasting sentence stress patterns

Learning to use the rhythm patterns of the language

Learning to produce basic sentence intonation patterns

Learning to use different types of sentences in conversation

Learning to use basic vocabulary in speech

Learning to refer to people already mentioned

Learning to use sentence and phrase connectors

Learning to perform simple communication functions

Learning to use appropriate pronouns and forms of address

Learning to interact appropriately in everyday encounters

Reaching advanced speaking proficiency

Learning to use complex sentences of various types

Learning to narrate events in past and future time

Expanding your active vocabulary

Learning to link sentences together smoothly to form discourses

Learning to manage conversations

Learning to perform social functions without complications

Learning to take your part in predictable scripts

Reaching superior speaking proficiency

Learning to speak with an accent that does not disturb native speakers

Learning to convey emotional nuances through intonation

Learning to converse at normal speed

Learning to use all structures commonly used in oral speech

Broadening the range of vocabulary you can use

Learning to produce more complex oral discourses

Learning to express abstract relationships between ideas

Learning to express indirect speech acts

Learning to use colloquial speech and idioms

Reaching distinguished speaking proficiency

Expanding vocabulary to enable you to talk about any subject with ease

Learning to produce complex formal oral discourse

Learning to vary the style of discourse to fit the audience

Learning to make references from within the cultural framework

Learning to use appropriate rules of interaction in any social situation