Pavlína Charvátová

Breaking Barriers to Oral Communication in an English Lesson: Investigating and Analysing All Aspects That Prevent English Learners from Speaking the Language in Lessons Pavlína Charvátová

The book deals with a particular aspect of teaching English as a foreign language: speaking skill. The aim of the work is to investigate and analyse the core of the problem why Czech pupils/students have difficulties with speaking/oral communication in English lessons. It attempts to resolve the problem and to suggest how to overcome and break the barriers in speaking the foreign language. Furthermore, the theoretical knowledge and methods of speaking development have been applied in teaching practice research which is followed by analysis and conclusions. The first chapter consisting of four parts defines the difference between spoken and written language and gives some theoretical comments on the way of teaching speaking. Then, it refers to some difficulties with teaching speaking skill that are closely connected with learners' barriers in oral communication. The types of the barriers and the way how to overcome them make a part of the chapter. Last but not least, an overview of speaking activities supporting oral communicaton is provided. The fundamental part of the thesis is centralized in the second chapter. It analyses and sums up the results gained in the research.