Speaking practice

How can you improve your speaking?

Most of you spend all your time in the same classes with the same people. You often have lunch with friends who speak the same language so you have few opportunities to speak to different people and practise your speaking skills.

Here are some ways you can work on your speaking skills:

Holiday conversation

Can you complete this conversation using phrases common in spoken English:

Ryan: Hi, Aziz. How's it going?
Aziz:  Good, thanks. Guess what/ To be honest ! I've just booked a holiday.
Ryan: Good for you. Where are you going?
Aziz:  I'm going on a backpacking holiday in Australia.
Ryan: Wow/ Tell me about it. That sounds amazing!
Aziz:  Well, I usually end up/ decide  going to the beach, so this year I fancied doing something different.
Ryan: Good for you. Are you going by yourself or in a group?
Aziz:   It's a package. Going by yourself is really difficult to organise.
Ryan:  I know what you mean/ I mean. I travelled across Europe on the train and that was a nightmare!
Aziz:   To be honest/ Tell me about it, I didn't really want to think about the organisation. I just wanted to enjoy the trip.
Ryan:  I don't blame you. Well, I'm sure you'll love it.
Aziz:   I'm sure I will too. In fact/ I mean, I've already started packing. I've just bought some insect repellent.
Ryan:  And how much did that cost, if you don't mind me asking?
Aziz:   Only a fiver.
Ryan:  Five pounds!!! You must be joking!! That's extortionate!!

Answers after the jump:

Holiday vocabulary

Look at the picture below:

In English we go on holiday. What kind of holiday is this man on?
What's he wearing on his head? He's wearing a bandana and a pair of sunglasses.
He's holding a stick in his left. He's using the stick to help him walk. He's carrying a rucksack or backpack with red straps, and you can see his walking boots dangling from his backpack. Where do you think he is?

An anagram is a word puzzle. You change the order of the letters and ask someone to find the word. For example, hldiaoy is an anagram of ..... holiday Here are some anagrams of words we associate with backpacking holidays:

stneci plrelente
gleepins abg
dogkubedio
nett

Remember, try and use the words in a sentence. Every time you learn a new noun, what verbs do you use with it?

to wear sunglasses      to use/ to spray insect repellent    to wear suncream   to carry a backpack
to ski      to read/ to use a guidebook       to wear gloves     to pack/ to unpack/ to carry a suitcase
to put up/ to sleep in a tent     to wear a swimming costume    to put on/ to wear make-up

Practise the new vocabulary by writing a short paragraph:

I went on a backpacking holiday last year. I went to Australia. I had to spray a lot of insect repellent because there were many mosquitoes. I read a guidebook before I went. I can't put up tents, but my friend can. So he put up the tent every night and we slept in sleeping bags under the stars.


Think about these questions:
What kind of people usually go on backpacking holidays?
Where do they go?
Why do people choose backpacking holidays?
How long do they go for?
Have you ever been on a backpacking holiday? would you like to? do you know anybody who has?
What do you need to pack for a backpacking holiday?

You can find some answers and more information and vocabulary here:

http://www.purpletravel.co.uk/community/Holidaytypes/backpacking-holidays.html

Practise your speaking:
Use the questions above to interview a partner.
Prepare a short talk using the questions above.
Read the information on the purpletravel website aloud: think about your pronunciation.
Where do people go backpacking in the UK? Visit the Tourist Information Centre in Piccadilly Gardens and talk to the staff there.