Teaching Speaking: A Holistic Approach

Abstract

Overall, this is a very interesting book, grounded on recent research and with plenty of evidence of the authors’ expertise and wide experience in the classroom. It consists of an introduction and four parts. Each part contains from two to four chapters. Parts I and II deal with Speaking (130 pages) and Parts III and IV with Teaching Speaking (150 pages). Each chapter follows a set format: it starts with an abstract, which includes two or three questions and identifies related topics. The development is interspersed with three or four mini-tasks for discussion or reflection. Each chapter ends with a summary and three to four group learning tasks as well as a few suggestions for further reading. The layout, including figures, tables, and graphs, facilitates reading. The introduction provides a useful rationale for the approach and an outline of the contents of each chapter. The authors justify the need for the book by saying that although speaking is frequently practised, it is seldom explicitly taught. They propose a methodological framework and a pedagogical model to teach speaking systematically in a ‘teaching–speaking cycle’. The approach takes into account teachers, learners, and materials and is based on the idea that learning is a social as well as cognitive process. The ‘teaching–speaking cycle’ is described in detail in Chapter 7. It involves seven stages from drawing students’ attention through input, conducting and repeating the task, reflecting on learning, and providing feedback.

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