Teaching ESL Speaking Through Genre-Based Models

🎯 Introduction

Many ESL students struggle with speaking because they don’t know how their ideas should be organized. Genre-based speaking models give learners a clear structure for common speaking situations. This post shows TEFL teachers how to use genre models to help students speak more clearly, confidently, and purposefully.

📄 Why It Matters / Why It Works

Spoken communication follows predictable patterns. Stories, opinions, explanations, and instructions each have typical structures. When students understand these patterns, they spend less energy guessing what to say next and more energy expressing ideas clearly. Genre-based models reduce anxiety, improve coherence, and support longer spoken responses.

📚 Practical Teaching Strategies / Steps / Activities

1. Model the Genre First

Before asking students to speak, provide a short spoken or written example.Highlight how it begins, develops, and ends.This gives learners a roadmap.

2. Genre Skeleton Outlines

Provide simple outlines such as:

• Opinion: opinion → reason → example

• Story: setting → problem → outcomeStudents use the outline as a speaking guide.

  
  

3. Compare Two Genres

Show two short responses on the same topic (e.g., a story vs. an opinion).Students identify structural differences.This sharpens awareness of purpose and form.

4. Guided-to-Free Speaking Progression

Start with heavily scaffolded speaking using the model.Gradually remove supports as confidence grows.This builds independence without pressure.

5. Genre Recycling Across Topics

Reuse the same genre structure with different topics.Familiar structure allows students to focus on language quality.

💡 Pro Tip

Use simple labels like “opening,” “support,” and “closing” instead of technical terms. Clarity matters more than theory.

📌 Final Thought

Genre-based models give students clarity about how to speak, not just what to say. GoTEFL trains teachers to structure communication effectively, while TEIK connects educators with classrooms where organized speaking leads to confident expression.