Most non-native English learners get stuck in the middle of sentences. They struggle to pronounce certain sounds and understand idioms and slang used by native English speakers.

Talking in English can’t be mastered through grammar lessons! What amount of time have you spent in past English classes learning advanced grammar? Subject/verb understandings, Prepositions, Irregular verbs, Singular plural things and so on and so forth. What amount of grammar rules do you recollect now? Probably not a lot? Remembering grammar rules is an inefficient method for mastering speaking in English.

However, still most English schools focus on grammar as a key learning method as opposed to concentrating on communicating in English consistently in class.

The best way to learn and master talking in English is by continuously practicing English speaking. Extensive conversational practice is the best way to learn natural English.

Our tried and tested solutions:

1. Focus is on communication not correctness. As a rule of thumb teachers insist on students communicating in English during the lessons. Students are assured that grammatical errors are a minor concern in our daily interactions. What matters is if classmates understand them and they can respond accordingly. Remediation is done at an appropriate time.

2. Providing stimulus for speech through presentations. Students participate in the choice and research of speaking topics they are familiar or comfortable with then present them to the class. In lower levels pictures and video clips can be used to invite students to make comments on what they see.

3. Frequent use of instructional resources and media. Listening cds and videos are constantly used to acquaint students with English usage in context.

4. The sense of having a reason to speak is what makes language real. Students are given a platform to learn sentences they can use for a purpose. Real situations like ‘Checking in at the Airport’ or ‘Ordering a meal in a restaurant’ are created and practised in and out of the classroom.

5. Translations are avoided as much as possible. Teacher student interaction is encouraged to be done in English to improve communicative skills and to aid students to understand and think in English.

6. Small group or pair work activities are part and parcel of daily lessons. This allows for maximum interaction under minimum pressure. Shy students are able to communicate more freely in small groups or pairs where they receive sympathy from classmates. These groups are rotated to minimise over dependence on particular students and to encourage team work.

Good luck to our students and all English language learners!
Peter Hungwe
Senior Lecturer

After having taught English for more than ten years, I tend to discourage this way of learning. I encourage conceptualizing material in the language the students are learning. The reasons being:

• Research has proved that by thinking in English, students do not have to translate, which will help them to become more fluent.
• When students think in English, it helps them to internalize the language and they do not need to remember rules. That is, they just speak it.

My own ways of dealing with the challenge have been:

• In the classroom, I give simple activities of single English words that lead them to think in English. I do this when they are relaxed. This is also accompanied by the actions that I show the students which include gestures.
• Sometimes I introduce very simple dialogues with a few more words. For example: At the bus stop:
  • A: What’s your name?
  • B: Answer.
  • A: Where are you going?
• As homework, I encourage students to use their phones as reminders to think in English.
• To motivate themselves, students give themselves points as a game if they remember to think in English.
• Encouraging them to use English to English dictionaries because they have explanations and definitions

In learning English, as a second language, what happens outside of class matters most. Hence the limited learning environment is a huge challenge for second language learners of English as is certainly the case with the majority of Mozambican nationals studying English.

Students have a chance to speak English in the classroom. In their home and work environment people speak Portuguese or local language. As a result the crucial element of speaking practice cannot be sustained.

Our proposed solutions

We encourage our students to make deliberate and conscious efforts to learn on their own without a teacher. This can be done in a variety of ways namely:

• Limiting the use of Portuguese during lessons so as to think in English.
• Using audio materials with correct pronunciation like cds that accompany most books.
• Setting the Internet browser to English as default language
• Getting into the habit of being avid readers of news in English language on the internet.
• Making it a habit to watch TV or Internet programmes of special interest like football, cooking etc. in English language so as to enhance vocabulary and keep in contact with the English language.
• Surf the internet to look for appropriate learning programmes that extend knowledge gained in the classroom.
• Trying to have conversations in English with family members or co-workers to practice.
• Practicing by travelling to neighbouring English speaking countries.

Good luck to our students and all English language learners!
Peter Hungwe
Senior Lecturer at International English College

After having taught English for more than ten years, I tend to discourage this way of learning. I encourage conceptualizing material in the language the students are learning. The reasons being:

• Research has proved that by thinking in English, students do not have to translate, which will help them to become more fluent.
• When students think in English, it helps them to internalize the language and they do not need to remember rules. That is, they just speak it.

My own ways of dealing with the challenge have been:

• In the classroom, I give simple activities of single English words that lead them to think in English. I do this when they are relaxed. This is also accompanied by the actions that I show the students which include gestures.
• Sometimes I introduce very simple dialogues with a few more words. For example: At the bus stop:
  • A: What’s your name?
  • B: Answer.
  • A: Where are you going?
• As homework, I encourage students to use their phones as reminders to think in English.
• To motivate themselves, students give themselves points as a game if they remember to think in English.
• Encouraging them to use English to English dictionaries because they have explanations and definitions that are in English.

I have used the above tried and tested techniques to deal with the challenge and succeeded. Enjoy learning English!

Peter Tafara (Senior Lecturer at International English College)