The final assessment category for the PalFish demo class is “verbal expression”. As with the previous sections, this is scored out of five.
Speak clearly
Firstly, you must speak slowly and clearly – making sure your words are clearly enunciated in order that they may be understood. Avoid shortening words, ‘mushing’ words together or mumbling, as this makes your speech harder to understand. Bear in mind that your students have a beginners English level!
Speak expressively
When speaking, be sure to modulate the volume, tone and pitch of your voice in order to convey more interest and enthusiasm. Varied intonation helps make your speech more interesting and engaging, compared to speaking in monotone! This doesn’t mean you need to shout every word enthusiastically, but be sure to use your voice to emphasise keywords and instructions while maintaining interest.
Language level
Remember always that your student has a beginners English language level, and simplify your English accordingly. This doesn’t mean using incorrect grammar or fake accents, but instead just use basic sentence structures and easier words, without colloquialisms. Avoid using filler words such as “like” or “ummm” as these may distract from your key points.
State your instructions clearly – for example: “Click on the monkey!” rather than “Could you please click on the picture which shows a monkey?”. Use the same instructional language/ phrasing throughout, for example “Click on the… ” each time the same activity comes up for different animals. This helps students become more familiar with your instruction so they can focus on learning new vocabulary instead.
Similarly, avoid unnecessary speech such as “Ok, shall we move onto the next slide then?” – instead simply say “Awesome, next!”.