The Stages of Teaching Speaking: Pre-, While-, and Post-Speaking

 

The Stages of Teaching Speaking: Pre-, While-, and Post-Speaking

Teaching speaking is one of the most rewarding — and sometimes most challenging — parts of being an English language teacher. Speaking is the skill learners often want to master the most because it represents real communication. However, developing confident, fluent, and accurate speakers takes more than just asking students to “talk.”

Effective speaking lessons are usually structured in three main stages: Pre-speaking, While-speaking, and Post-speaking. Each stage plays a specific role in helping learners prepare, perform, and reflect on their oral communication.

In this post, we’ll explore these three stages in depth, offering practical tips, classroom activities, and examples you can use to plan engaging speaking lessons for your students.

 

🟢 Stage 1: Pre-Speaking — Preparing Students to Speak

The Pre-speaking stage sets the foundation for successful communication. It prepares students linguistically, cognitively, and emotionally before they start speaking.

This stage is about helping learners understand the topic, activate prior knowledge, and learn useful language they will need during the speaking task.

🎯 Objectives of the Pre-Speaking Stage

• Introduce and clarify the topic or context.
• Activate students’ background knowledge.
• Pre-teach key vocabulary or expressions.
• Set a clear communicative purpose.
• Build students’ confidence to speak.

💡 Pre-Speaking Activities and Ideas

1. Brainstorming and Discussion
• Ask students what they already know about the topic.
• Example: Before a discussion on “Travel,” ask: “What are your favorite places to visit?” or “What do you need to plan a trip?”
2. Vocabulary Preparation
• Introduce key words and useful phrases related to the topic.
• Example: For a topic like “Shopping,” teach expressions such as “How much is it?”, “I’m looking for…”, or “Can I try it on?”
3. Visual Prompts or Videos
• Show pictures, infographics, or short clips to stimulate ideas.
• Example: Show a photo of a busy market before a role-play about buying and selling.
4. Listening or Reading Input
• Give students a short listening or reading text related to the speaking task.
• Example: Read a short dialogue between two friends talking about weekend plans.
5. Setting the Task
• Clearly explain what students will do in the speaking stage and what the goal is.
• Example: “You will work in pairs to plan a weekend trip and present it to the class.”

🧑‍🏫 Teacher’s Role in Pre-Speaking

At this stage, the teacher acts as a facilitator — guiding students through preparation, modeling useful language, and ensuring everyone understands the topic and task.

 

🟡 Stage 2: While-Speaking — Engaging in Communication

The While-speaking stage is the core of the lesson. It’s where students use English to communicate — either through structured practice or freer activities.

This stage focuses on fluency, interaction, and meaning, not just grammatical accuracy. The main goal is to get students speaking as much as possible in a supportive environment.

🎯 Objectives of the While-Speaking Stage

• Encourage students to use English for real communication.
• Practice fluency, pronunciation, and functional language.
• Develop interaction skills such as asking questions, giving opinions, agreeing, and disagreeing.
• Reduce anxiety and build confidence in speaking English.

💬 While-Speaking Activities and Examples

1. Controlled Speaking Practice
• Short drills or substitution exercises to practice target language.
• Example: “Can I…?” requests — “Can I borrow your pen?”, “Can I open the window?”
2. Role-Plays
• Students act out real-life situations using the target language.
• Example: At the restaurant, at the doctor’s office, or making hotel reservations.
3. Pair or Group Discussions
• Students discuss questions or problems using prompts.
• Example: “Do you prefer online learning or classroom learning? Why?”
4. Information-Gap Activities
• Each student has different information and must talk to complete the task.
• Example: One student has a bus schedule, the other has a list of appointments — they must plan the best travel time together.
5. Problem-Solving Tasks
• Students collaborate to find solutions to real or imaginary problems.
• Example: “You are stranded on an island. Choose five items to survive.”
6. Games and Debates
• Speaking games like 20 Questions, Find Someone Who, or short debates build motivation and natural interaction.

🧑‍🏫 Teacher’s Role in While-Speaking

During this stage, the teacher should:

• Monitor rather than interrupt.
• Take notes on common errors for later feedback.
• Encourage shy students and balance participation.
• Support communication, not perfection.

Remember: fluency first, accuracy later.

 

🔵 Stage 3: Post-Speaking — Reflecting and Improving

The Post-speaking stage helps students reflect, evaluate, and consolidate what they have learned. It turns the speaking activity into a learning experience rather than just a one-time event.

🎯 Objectives of the Post-Speaking Stage

• Provide feedback on content, language, and pronunciation.
• Highlight useful expressions or common mistakes.
• Encourage self- and peer-evaluation.
• Extend or recycle the speaking topic into another skill (writing, reading, etc.).

📝 Post-Speaking Activities and Ideas

1. Feedback and Reflection
• Ask students: “What did you learn today?” or “What was difficult for you?”
• Give both positive comments and gentle correction.
2. Error Correction and Language Focus
• Write common mistakes on the board and discuss them anonymously.
• Example: Instead of “He go to school,” elicit “He goes to school.”
3. Speaking Journals or Reports
• Students summarize what they said or learned in writing.
• Example: “Write three sentences about what your partner told you.”
4. Follow-up Writing Task
• Extend the topic into writing practice.
• Example: After discussing “Healthy Lifestyle,” students write a short paragraph about their daily habits.
5. Repetition for Improvement
• Let students repeat the speaking task with a new partner or improved vocabulary.
• This boosts confidence and fluency.

🧑‍🏫 Teacher’s Role in Post-Speaking

At this stage, the teacher acts as a coach and evaluator — guiding reflection, giving feedback, and reinforcing language learning. The key is to correct selectively, focusing on patterns that affect communication most.

 

🗂️ Putting It All Together: Example Speaking Lesson Plan

Topic: Ordering food at a restaurant
Level: A2–B1

1. Pre-Speaking:
• Show pictures of restaurant menus.
• Teach useful phrases: “I’d like…”, “Can I have…?”, “Would you like something to drink?”
• Practice pronunciation of menu items.
2. While-Speaking:
• Students work in pairs — one as a waiter, one as a customer.
• Role-play taking and giving orders.
• Switch roles after each round.
3. Post-Speaking:
• Discuss what was easy or hard.
• Correct common pronunciation errors.
• Students write a short restaurant dialogue as homework.

This structure helps students move from controlled preparation to confident communication and finally to reflection and improvement — the core of effective speaking teaching.

 

🌟 Final Thoughts

Teaching speaking through Pre-, While-, and Post-speaking stages ensures your lessons are organized, engaging, and pedagogically sound. Each stage supports the others, guiding students step by step toward meaningful communication.

• The Pre-speaking stage builds readiness.
• The While-speaking stage develops fluency and interaction.
• The Post-speaking stage deepens learning through reflection and feedback.

By following this framework, you can help your students speak English with more confidence, fluency, and accuracy — the ultimate goal of any English classroom.