Sorphorn Pun *

Sovannaphumi School, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
* Email: sorphornpun980@gmail.com   

This article is jointly published by the Cambodian Education Forum (CEF) and Sovannaphumi School (SPS) as part of the Research Mentorship Program organized by SPS with support from CEF.

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the strategies that teachers can use to teach English speaking skills to young learners. Drawing on secondary sources, the article identifies a number of strategies that can be used to teach English speaking skills. These strategies included playing games, using songs, drilling, role playing, speaking practice, describing pictures, using discussion groups, and watching TV or movies. The article concludes with suggestions for students, parents, teachers, schools, and future researchers.

Keywords: Strategies to teach speaking skills; English speaking skills; young learners; strategies 

Introduction

English is used as means of global communication, and it is a foreign language used for academia, career advancement, and overseas travel. English is used universally, making it achieve the status of a global language (Crystal, 2003). There are four basics skills in the English language, such as speaking, writing, reading, and listening (Amoah & Yeboah, 2021; Rao, 2019). Among the four skills, speaking is crucial as it gives students a chance to perform real-life activities (Hossian et al., 2015). Amoah and Yeboah (2021) stated that speaking is one of the most important skills to acquire in learning a foreign language. Furthermore, speaking is one of the essential skills because individuals who learn a language are referred to as speakers of that language (Leong & Ahmadi, 2017). To be successful in learning English speaking skills, students need to not only practice in daily life but also receive support from their teachers about the strategies to learn English and improve speaking skills (Putri et al., 2017).

When teaching English speaking skills to students, teachers need to have some strategies to help them. Alrasheedi (2020) noted that teaching speaking English is not easy. There are challenges in teaching English language skills to young learners (Oktavia et al., 2022).  To solve the challenges, teachers need to find strategies that have been used to teach English language skills to young learners. In fact, there are various strategies in teaching English speaking skills, such as playing games, using songs, providing a lot of practices, and memorizing (Heng, 2017; Oktavia et al., 2022). Sudrajat (2022) stated that the main strategies most often used by English teachers to teach students to speak English are games, drilling, and songs. Wulandari et al. (2020) also noted that in teaching English speaking to young learners, teachers can use various strategies, such as playing games, doing group work, and drilling activities. According to Al-Eiadeh et al. (2016) and Heng (2017), to improve English speaking, students need to practice speaking both inside and outside the classroom. Rahayu (2015) also noted that students need to practice speaking English in everyday life if they want to speak English better. Moreover, role playing, drilling, games, describing pictures, using discussion groups, and watching TV or movies can help and motivate students to improve speaking skills and help teachers achieve their teaching goals (Maulidar et al., 2019).

This article relies on secondary sources and aims to answer one question: what are the strategies that teachers can use to teach English speaking skills to young learners? The purpose of article is to identify key strategies that can be used to teach English speaking skills to young learners. The article also aims to provide some suggestions for relevant stakeholders to help young learners succeed in their speaking skills.

Strategies to teach English speaking skills to young learners

Playing games

Language games do play a significant part in speaking courses, as argued by Kaur and Aziz (2020). Additionally, incorporating games into the classroom gives young learners a new setting, and they will automatically agree to participate. Since teachers must constantly ensure student participation, it is one of the benefits of speaking classes. Games provide amusement for both teachers and students, which encourages learners to compete more with one another. Games can also be played in two ways, either by competing with one another or by working together to accomplish the objective of the lesson (Rixon, 1986). Moreover, students are now interested in continuing to use communication games in the English classroom (Hernández-Chérrez et al., 2021). It was also found that students could speak English more and better when they participated in communication games during class. According to the findings of a study conducted in Indonesia, students’ confidence was also raised by the use of communicative games (Rumpak, 2022). Mahmoud and Tanni (2018) also found that games could help students communicate and learn in ways they truly enjoy, which boosts their self-esteem. Using communicative games could also improve students’ speaking skills, and they could enjoy the lesson, making them more motivate, interested, and confident in their learning (Dewi et al., 2017).

Using songs

Songs are a valuable teaching technique that could help English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students improve their spoken language proficiency (Almutairi & Shukri, 2016). Songs are one of the learning materials for teaching English that are appropriate for young learners (Setyaningsih, 2007). English language instruction through songs is an easy and efficient way to help learners learn the language. The use of songs improved learners’ motivation (Al-Smadi, 2020). Songs are adaptable, and they are regarded as an active learning technique that works incredibly well for teaching foreign languages. In addition, Khikmiyah and Hendrianto (2023) stated that teachers can choose songs as the best medium to use while instructing young learners in English speaking. Among the resources utilized in the teaching-learning process, songs are quite valuable. They are a vital component of young people’s emotional and psychological development and should be used as an effective teaching technique (Rukholm, 2015). Teachers can use songs as a tool to apply their English-speaking teaching to young learners, and it could work effectively (Hidayat & Aliyah, 2024).

Drilling

Drilling is a teaching strategy in which the instructor gives students exercises to gauge their proficiency with the presented content (Ahmada & Komariyah, 2021). Drilling is chosen as a suitable strategy within the Audiolingual method used by teachers when teaching English speaking to young children (Khikmiyah & Hendrianto, 2023). This method has been shown to be one of the most effective methods and has a big impact on young learners’ ability to speak English (Hidayat et al., 2022). It teaches students how to control their speaking abilities, which is necessary to become competent speakers (Kürüm, 2016).

Role-playing

According to Bhatti (2021), primary school students should be encouraged to practice speaking through role-playing, which is an effective technique to develop speaking skills. It helps to develop confidence and creativity in students as they are motivated to take part in speaking, and it makes the students fluent in English and helps develop vocabularies so they can choose suitable words to use in different situations (Neupane, 2019). Teachers can effectively educate their junior high school students to speak English by using the role-playing technique. Moreover, role-playing is one of the most effective methods for teaching and learning (Purnamawati & Suhartono, 2015). Furthermore, Jakob (2018) found that the role-play technique is a fun activity to do that can activate students to practice speaking in the class because this technique has many benefits for students, especially in speaking. Role-play is a relaxing activity to do. It can motivate students to practice speaking in the class more. It is also an attractive learning method that teaches many things in a simple way (Jakob, 2018). According to Pinatih (2021), role-playing techniques in teaching can often boost students’ ability, especially in speaking. In addition, it also emphasizes student-centeredness and it is more fun than learning by using only the textbook. Moreover, role play is crucial in teaching English because it gives students an opportunity to practice communicating in different social contexts and in different social roles (Dorathy & Mahalakshmi, 2011). Role playing can help students grow a real-world concept and they can build a real-world concept when they speak. It also grows a good habit for students in their social life (Pinatih, 2021).

Speaking practice

Students must practice speaking English both inside and outside the classroom in order to become capable in the language skill (Al-Eiadeh et al, 2016; Heng, 2017). Therefore, it is imperative that students practice speaking English on a daily basis. Rahayu (2015) asserted that if students wish to improve their English, they must practice speaking the language in daily situations. Furthermore, Al-Eiadeh et al. (2016) showed that the best strategy for pupils to overcome their speaking difficulties is practice. Both high- and low-performing students reported speaking to classmates and native speakers, and they attempted to use the English language in their everyday lives to improve their speaking skills (Gani, et al., 2015). Some strategies to practice speaking include singing along to well-known songs to improve our English, find speaking partners, and place ourselves in scenarios where we must communicate in English on a daily basis (Heng, 2017). Moreover, as argued by Suparlan and Rosyidi (2022), practice is the key to language acquisition.

Describing pictures

Speaking English is one of the abilities that young learners need to be taught and developed at this young age so they can communicate well (Suparlan & Rosyidi, 2022). Utilizing images as a method for teaching English is important for young learners. They can learn English through visual aids which can help develop a high level of creativity. Young learners can enjoy studying, as learning to speak with visual media makes them happier rather than miserable. Pratiwi and Ayu (2020) noted that teaching English with visual aids also fosters students’ creativity.

Using discussion groups

In the classroom, students have the opportunity to participate in group discussions regarding their course, engage in debate, and converse with classmates, partners, and the teacher. Furthermore, as Zare and Othman (2015) noted, the classroom debate experience can help students become more proficient speakers. Study which employed group work activities demonstrated that students’ speaking ability, including their knowledge of vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar can be enhanced (Rospinah et al. 2021).

Watching TV or movies

Students’ speaking abilities can be improved by the use of one of the best methods, that is, to watch English-language television or movies (Vijayakumar et al., 2020). As Liando et al. (2018) noted, students can use English-language films or movies as a means of honing their speaking abilities. English movies can provide the proper context and increase a person’s list of vocabularies through natural language delivered at a natural tone. Moreover, movies can provide a great way for the students to learn (Altun & Hussein, 2022).

Conclusion and recommendations

This article has discussed strategies teachers can use to teach English speaking skills to young learners. These strategies included playing games, using songs, drilling, role-playing speaking practice, describing pictures, using discussion groups, and watching TV or movies. Playing games make students enjoy communication and learning, while songs relax and entertain the classroom. Drilling includes reading words and repeating. Role-playing comprises acting out of situations with guidance of a teacher. Speaking practice is also vital for students to learn English speaking skills. Pictures can also be used to teach English speaking by showing and saying the words. Discussion groups provide opportunities for learning from one another. Finally, watching TV or movies can also be a useful tool for teaching English speaking to young learners.

This article has several recommendations for students, teachers, parents, and schools. First, students should practice speaking, reading, listening to English content, and watching videos in English. Furthermore, they should focus on their language learning such as practice speaking every day, and attend classes regularly. Second, teachers should combine outside lessons, assign homework, and come to teach regularly. They should find and use new methods to teach students, motivate them, and create an enjoyable classroom environment for them to learn. Third, parents should support their children’s learning at home such as by speaking with them or watching programs or movies in English with them. Fourth, schools should provide adequate resources such as English books and technology for students to improve their English-speaking skills, as well as create a positive learning environment for students to learn and grow.

Finally, in the context of Cambodia where research is limited (Heng et al., 2023), attention and support should be provided to researchers, teachers, or students to conduct research to discover effective strategies for teaching English speaking skills to young Cambodian learners so that they can develop their speaking skills and their overall English proficiency. 

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Sovannaphumi School for supporting its English teachers through the Research Mentorship Program, which has helped strengthen their research knowledge and skills. Appreciation is also given to the General English Programs team at Sovannaphumi School for their valuable support and coordination. In addition, special thanks go to Dr. Kimkong Heng, Editor-in-Chief of the Cambodian Education Forum, for his constructive feedback and editorial guidance on this article.

The author

Sorphorn Pun is an English teacher at Sovannaphumi School, Chamkar Doung II Campus. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Heng Somrin Thbongkhmum, Cambodia. Her professional interests focus on strategies for teaching English speaking skills to young learners.

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