Chapter 7 – Speaking or Signing Skills
Introduction
Logan Fisher; Abhay Pawar; Keli Yerian; and Bibi Halima
Speaking is one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of learning a language. Trying to speak in an L2 (or trying to produce signs for Sign languages) can be daunting, especially since we are simultaneously juggling both receptive and productive skills in interpersonal mode. Before we tell you it will all be fine and give you our tips in the rest of this chapter, let’s go to Abhay again as he shows us how he navigates a specific scenario ordering food at a local taco truck in Spanish. Note that before recording this, Abhay explained to the person in the truck what he was doing and asked for permission to record.
Now that you have watched the video, think about the major takeaways. Here are a few we decided to highlight.
- Abhay prepped for the conversation by reviewing relevant phrases and checking with a friend who speaks Spanish well, but since this interaction unfolds in real life, it was not fully predictable, and he embraces this spontaneous aspect of interaction.
- He doesn’t hesitate to show when he doesn’t know what the other person means, and asks for him to clarify by using the question ¿qué? (what?).
- They understood each other, hiccups and all, and Abhay’s goal of ordering tacos in Spanish is accomplished. Practicing this way will make the next interaction even easier!
Effective communication doesn’t need to be “pure”. Rather it just has to get meaning across. So how do we do that? We saw a couple of examples in the video, such as the strategy of using circumlocution, but in this chapter let’s dive into more ways to practice speaking or signing, why they work, and how we can use them.
Media Attributions
The original video on this page © Abhay Pawar is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 (Attribution NonCommercial) license.
Any language learned after the first language(s). The term "second language" does not necessarily refer to the 2nd language in time that a person learns. It can be a third, fourth, or other additional language
Having the quality of receiving, taking in, or admitting. In the context of language, taking in input in the form of language
Having the power of producing; generative; creative. In the context of language, creating output in the form of language
“A communication strategy that allows language learners to express themselves even when there is a gap in their linguistic knowledge. This is achieved through using descriptions, explanations and definitions instead of the unknown target structure” (Worden, 2016).