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TeachingEnglish: How to teach speaking

Develop your understanding of speaking skills and explore teaching techniques and activities that promote oral communication in the classroom for a range of ages and levels. This course is open now – enrol until 23 September.

A Black teacher and a learner in a wheelchair smiling at each other. There are other learners of different genders and ethnic backgrounds sitting at the same table.
TeachingEnglish
Understanding
9–12 hours
Start: 03/04/25
End: 30/09/25
Certificate
Workbook
Online community

How will the course help you?

By the end of How to teach speaking, you'll be able to:

  • evaluate and adapt activities to promote meaningful communication
  • adapt tasks to maximise learner interaction
  • identify and justify appropriate speaking activities that effectively support specific lesson objectives.

How can you enrol on the course?

Register for a free TeachingEnglish account or log in to your account.

Enrol on this free course

What does the course include?

  • Self-study modules that you can access at any time before the course closes
  • A certificate of achievement on successful completion of the self-study modules
  • A free workbook with extra learning content and resources connected to the course contents
  • A dedicated Facebook community of course participants with up-to-date insight, resources and innovative teaching ideas for you to try out (Facebook account required)
  • Learning content related to our courses on Facebook and YouTube
  • Live events and recordings with course tutors and language teaching experts on Facebook and YouTube

What are the self-study modules?

Module 1 – Understanding speaking – key terms and issues

The aim of this module is to explore key terms and issues in the teaching of speaking. You'll look at how to evaluate and modify activities in terms of communicative quality, and consider how to get your learners using 'real speaking', not just completing grammar tasks.

Module 2 – Understanding speaking – maximising interaction

The aim of this module is to introduce you to a range of techniques and activities which promote speaking in your classroom. You'll look at the benefits of pair and group work and adapt tasks to maximise learner interaction.

Module 3 – Understanding language practice activities

The aim of this module is to explore and evaluate a range of practice activities. The module also looks at flexible activities that can be adapted for different ages and levels. You have the opportunity to select appropriate activities which match with lesson aims, and justify your choices.

Course reviews

What have other teachers said about how How to teach speaking helped them?

"Today, I taught a beginner class how to participate in a role-play activity for the first time. Instead of giving them instructions and then moving on straight to the speaking activity, I extended the speaking practice by eliciting what a role-play is, and brainstorming possible situations and roles reducing teacher speaking time. Also, after the role-play I extended the activity by asking them how they felt during the role-play encouraging them to express their personality and inout on the activity."

Course participant, Argentina

"After learning about the importance of fluency-focused activities, I started including short speaking tasks earlier in my lessons instead of leaving them until the end. For example, I now use pair discussions or role-plays in the middle of class to give students more time to practise speaking freely. This has helped boost their confidence and made lessons more interactive."

Course participant, Malaysia

"The British Council, TeachingEnglish course on how to teach speaking was very insightful.  For example, I learned the importance of using communicative activities like role-plays in speaking lessons. I now regularly incorporate role-plays into my daily classes, allowing students to practice real-life conversations in a supportive environment to boost their confidence and helps improve their speaking skills more effectively."

Course participant, Nigeria

Do you have more questions?

Please see our FAQs or access further support through our Help button.

Downloads
File attachments
How to teach speaking workbook 20251.09 MB
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Comments

Submitted by La Paloma on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 14:07

Hi! I´ll be so happy to learn how to teach my students speaking. I want to register, how can I do it?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 22:13

 

Hi La Paloma,

The courses are timetabled at different times across the year and we don't have a new date for 'How to teach speaking' at the moment. Keep your eye on the main training page on our site for any new dates.. If you are interested, the next MOOC, starting June 7th,  is https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/language-resilience-teaching-english-refugees-and-displaced-learners. Also,  here is the link to a 'live session' on facebook about 'how to teach speaking', hope you find it interesting. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=251370933775521

Anne

TeachingEnglish team 

Submitted by Sarif on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 04:40

this course does not available in my account. please help

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 22:27

Hi Sarif,

The course starts on June 7th. On and after that date if you log in to your TeachingEnglish account and to your `portfolio', you should be able to access the course, and also to interact with all the teachers from across the world who will be doing it with you. Hope you enjoy it!

If you think there is a problem with your account on 7th or after, try logging out of TeachingEnglish, clear cache and log back in, that usually works.

Anne

TeachingEnglish team

Hi kallia_studies,

The course starts on June 7th. On and after that date if you log in to your TeachingEnglish account and to your `portfolio', you should be able to access the course, and also to interact with all the teachers from across the world who will be doing it with you. Hope you enjoy it!

Anne TeachingEnglish team

Submitted by AamirKhan64 on Wed, 05/25/2022 - 08:10

As Refugee teacher this course is very important to learn more about English and I am so excited to learn this course.

Submitted by cuctran on Tue, 05/24/2022 - 17:23

Hello Team!

I am so interested in the courses by British Council. I would like to enrol for the course. Although I have created the account and logged in also, I can't see any tab for the enrollment of the course "How to teach speaking". I can see My Portfolio: My course on the menu, but I am unble to see how to enrol for the course. Thank you so much.

Hi Cuctran,

Glad you are interested in our 'How to teach speaking' course - it will be available later in 2022, we don't have a date yet, but it will be published on the course page when it is set, keep checking in now and then :).

Regards from the TeachingEnglish team  

 

Submitted by Kamla Tolani on Tue, 05/24/2022 - 06:52

When would the next batch of the "How to teach speaking" start? Do you have any in person courses in London on teaching spoken English to adults?

Hi Kamla,

The team here are planning the schedule for our MOOCs so we don't have a definite date yet for 'How to teach speaking', please check back on the main page every now and then for news of upcoming course dates. Hoping that they bring it out soon too :).

To answer your question about face to face courses in London, you'll be able to get information from our colleagues in British Council, UK at the direct email : https://www.britishcouncil.org/contact. We don't run course, we are the 'accrediting body' for courses run in institutions across the whole of the UK. If that email for any reason doesn't respond quickly, get back to me here :).

Best regards,

Anne

TeachingEnglish team

Hi ifeloju alakija,

Information about any new courses is published on the main course page, so just like the speaking one you asked about, dates for the pronunciation course would be published there.

Anne 

TeachingEnglish team 

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/18/2022 - 22:31

Hi Neftali,
The course isn't running at the moment. Keep your eyes on the teaching English courses page, if there is a new run of it dates will be published there.
Anne
TeachingEnglish team

Submitted by cuctran on Mon, 05/16/2022 - 01:23

Though I have created an account, logged in and then logged out so that I would have seen 'My portfolio" icon, I can't see this icon or any others likely to enrol the course. Please help me to get enrolled. Thank you so much.

Hi Cuctran,
The course isn't running at the moment. Keep your eyes on the teaching English courses page, if there is a new run of it dates will be published there. the problem about not seeing your icon fro Portfolio is usually solved by logging out then back in, or clearing your cache.
Anne
TeachingEnglish team

Submitted by Zaw Linn Naing on Sat, 05/14/2022 - 18:32

I have created an account and logged in, but I cannot enroll this course. I have not found access icon.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/15/2022 - 20:12

Hi Zaw Linn Naing
This course is now finished and closed for registration. It may be offered again later in 2022, so please check back.
Thanks,
Anne
TE Team

Submitted by Nadia Rajab on Sat, 05/07/2022 - 13:25

I can't enroll in this course, how can I do it?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/07/2022 - 20:35

Hello
This course is now finished and closed for registration. It may be offered again later in 2022, so please check back.
Thanks,
Anne
TE Team

Submitted by Neyerdy on Tue, 05/03/2022 - 08:45

I've completed 2 modules (80%) and only 1 module is not finished, but I cannot open the links of this page. What do I do wrong?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/03/2022 - 22:29

Hi Neyerdy,
Sorry to hear you couldn't access the other module. Usually that's a temporary problem, try logging out and back in again, clearing your cache etc. Hope you can get back to it.
Anne
TEnglish team

Submitted by Esther Prieto … on Sun, 05/01/2022 - 21:23

I'm interested in this course because I think it will help me in my English teaching process. Besides I want to know when will it be available?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/02/2022 - 06:53

Hi Esther,
We don't have a confirmed start date for a new run of Teaching pathways: How to teach Speaking. New dates will be published on the main page when they are programmed. The course we are currently running is Teaching Pathways: Skills for Remote Teaching, you can still register until 9th May if you are interested. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teaching-pathways-skills-rem…
Anne
TeachingEnglish team

Submitted by ECE on Tue, 04/19/2022 - 22:26

I followed the steps you suggested, but I couldn't enroll the course!
:((

ECE the How to teach speaking course is not currently running/open for enrolment.

Courses you can enrol on right now (April 22') are:

New courses are added regularly, so keep checking back!

Hope that help, Chris

 

Submitted by Habibur Rahman on Tue, 04/12/2022 - 02:10

After completion all the procedures according to your direction , but did start the training . what is the reason ?

Hi Habibur,

I am sorry you have had some problems with the course. If you are looking for the  Teaching pathways: How to teach Speaking course, we are afraid it is now closed. But the next course we are running is Teaching Pathways: Skills for Remote Teaching and it started yesterday. 

  • Log in to TeachingEnglish
  • Click this link Explore courses
  • Click Enrol in activity on this course
  • Go to the menu My learning>My courses and start the course.

Good luck!

Kirsteen (the TeachingEnglish team)

Submitted by Roseanne on Mon, 04/04/2022 - 11:10

Hello, I've been looking for to be a certified teacher and i think I'm on the right way. When will this course start? please inform me.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/06/2022 - 09:48

Hi Roseanne,

We don't have a start date confirmed for this course yet, we'll publicise it on the Teaching English page when we do. The next course we are running is Skills for Remote Teaching from April 12th.
Anne
Teaching English team

Hi Omar,
We don't have a confirmed start date for a new run of Teaching pathways: How to teach Speaking. New dates will be published on the main page when they are programmed. The next course we are running is Teaching Pathways: Skills for Remote Teaching, starting on 12th April. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teaching-pathways-skills-rem…

Hi Nilufar,
I am sorry to hear you had technical problems, I hope that they reappeared for you so you could complete.
best regards,
Anne
TeachingEnglish team

Submitted by Bunmi Adesanya on Sat, 03/26/2022 - 09:34

I can't access any course, I can't find "My Portfolio" on the menu bar

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/07/2022 - 08:46

Hi,
I hope you have found this now - it may have been linked to some technical problems caused by an upgrade to the site. It should be fine now.
Anne
TeachingEnglish team

Submitted by Nitya Gopi on Thu, 03/24/2022 - 21:50

Hi,

I created an account but I am not able to enroll. Please help!

Thanks,
Nitya

Submitted by thepam on Wed, 03/23/2022 - 20:37

May training is taking ages because I can't access that. It's error all the time. =/

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/07/2022 - 08:22

Hi,
There were technical difficulties as we changed systems, I am sorry to hear that it slowed down your progress, hope that you managed to complete it and found it interesting.
Regards,
Anne
TeachingEnglish team

Submitted by Anna Kushkina on Wed, 03/23/2022 - 13:02

Hello.
Unfortunately, I can't enroll because the course How to teach speaking is still unavailable and the web-page of My courses is not opened, just blank page. Also I can't subscribe to newsletter, the same blank page.Help me, please, to solve these problems.

Hi Anna

We have just updated the website and we are having some issues with different parts of the website. We hope to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Paul

TeachingEnglish team

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