Introduction

Section Ⅰ Issues in teaching and researching speaking

1 Conceptual and historical background

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The skill of speaking

1.3 The nature of speech in contrast to writing

1.4 Where does speech fit in language studies?

1.5 Summary

2 The research space:paradigms and problems

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Classical research paradigms in relation to researching speaking

2.3 Attitudes to speech data

2.4 The applicability of research approaches and frameworks to the study of speech

2.5 The problem of the status of speech in applied linguistics

2.6 Where are the data for research into speech?

2.7 Summary

Section Ⅱ Issues for teaching and assessing speaking

3 Approaches,materials and the problem of'real'speech

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Spoken interaction in context

3.3 Teaching global speaking skills

3.4 Teaching spoken grammar

3.5 Perspectives on pronunciation and fluency

3.6 Bringing the skills together

3.7 Summary

4 Issues in assessing speaking

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Language proficiency versus speaking proficiency

4.3 The issue of interactivity

4.4 The issue of creating authentic conditions for speech testing

4.5 The issue of spoken genres and testing

4.6 Integrated versus discrete skills testing

4.7 A comparison of test paradigms for oral assessment

4.8 The criteria for three tests of speaking compared

4.9 Summary

5 Approaches to researching speech

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Research into global features of speech

5.3 Grammar,structural choices and the spoken language

5.4 Research into fluency and pronunciation

5.5 Summary

6 Some new directions

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Mode-based research

6.3 Theoretical orientations on the role and status of speech

6.4 Evidence from speech pathology

6.5 Modality,processing and memory

6.6 Speaking,writing and teaching spoken/written forms of language

6.7 Summary of central issues discussed in relation to new approaches to speech

6.8 Summary

Section Ⅲ Researching speaking

7 Classrooms,research and spoken mode

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Implications of the nature of spoken discourse on teaching speech

7.3 Moving towards your own project on spoken discourse

7.4 Sources of inspiration for research

8 Research project ideas and frameworks

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Projects on oral interaction:a discourse analysis approach and an experimental approach

8.3 Projects on one particular spoken discourse feature:an action-research approach and a conversation analysis approach

8.4 Projects on oral task difficulty:two approaches to quantifying complexity

8.5 Projects on differences between mode:two experimental approaches

Section Ⅳ Resources and further information

9 Research borders and boundaries

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Speaking and ethnographic or cross-cultural studies

9.3 Speaking and psycholinguistics

9.4 Speaking and neuro-linguistic studies

9.5 Speaking and corpus linguistics

9.6 Speaking and new technologies

10 Research resources

10.1 Traditional library resources

10.2 Databases and sound archives(both on-line and on CD-ROM)

10.3 Speech corpora

10.4 Societies and organisations

10.5 Speech recognition and text-to-speech

10.6 On-line pronunciation and intonation resources

10.7 Research skills summaries

10.8 Other on-line resources

Glossary

References

Index