In recent years, more and more non-English majors have been enjoying such an advantage in China. Consequently, the need for English teachers has increased, especially at colleges and universities. Teaching oral English classes gave me an excellent opportunity to organize a communicative English class. I began by analyzing the learning background of my students and trying to find a way to eliminate the students' psychological barriers so they would speak voluntarily in class. This article discusses some activities I used to encourage speaking in my classes.
Chinese students are very self-conscious when asked to express their views in public.
This is true even if their language abilities are comparatively good. Due to the large class size in high schools and the emphasis on examinations, students learn language skills so they can pass tests. Therefore, developing students' communicative abilities is not emphasized. As a result, college students are not as competent in speaking, and almost all have difficulties in pronunciation. This makes them unwilling to communicate in the target language for fear of being ridiculed.