“Small minds talk about people; average minds comment on events; great minds discuss ideas.”
Speaking is about English vocabulary and grammar, but it is also about confidence. No learner of a second language speaks without any errors, but at AGUSL all learners are encouraged to express themselves as much, and as well, as they can. Mistakes can be forgiven, as long as students work hard to speak clearly and authoritatively. In the AGUSL Speaking program, students build their confidence by starting gently; at the lower levels, students are asked to speak about what they can see, and what they know. Going into Level 2, and higher, students talk about a variety of topics in a way that is more analytical. Students are challenged to go past superficial reporting of events to think and talk about what lies beneath, and how the various relationships between ideas interact and influence the world around us.
Students practice and perform speaking tasks in a variety of formats, both in class, and in their own time between lessons. Extensive practice slowly builds proficiency. In presentations, students learn how to present information clearly and accurately. In discussion panels students apply problem-solving skills to the description and analysis of real-world issues and dilemmas. Students also learn how to respond and interact in interviews and formal panels, which gives them valuable practice and experience, not only for English Speaking examinations but also for one-to-one meetings and interviews in their future academic and professional lives.