Are your ELL students staying silent during class discussions no matter how much you encourage them to participate?

After laying the groundwork with listening in our previous episode, today’s spotlight is on the speaking domain—arguably one of the most intimidating and vulnerable areas for ELL students.

Speaking out loud in a new language can bring up fears of making mistakes, mispronunciations, and the anxiety of being judged by peers. But with the right classroom environment and simple, effective routines, we can remove those barriers and help our ELLs become confident communicators.

In this episode, Beth shares five practical speaking routines you can implement immediately to foster student participation, lower the affective filter, and create natural opportunities for language output—all without adding more work to your plate.

We also take a deep dive into oracy—a crucial, often overlooked skill that benefits not just multilingual learners, but all students. Beth explains how oracy encompasses physical, linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional skills and why developing strong communication habits is essential for academic success and real-world readiness.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why speaking is the next critical step after listening for language development.

✔️ The top barriers ELLs face when it comes to speaking, and how to remove them.

✔️ How to create safe, low-pressure environments that encourage risk-taking and participation.

✔️ The power of oracy and why communication skills must be a classroom priority.

✔️ Five simple and fun speaking routines that boost confidence and fluency.

Beth also shares bonus ideas for pre-speaking, active-speaking, and post-speaking routines like vocabulary brainstorms, talking chips, Four Corners, partner interviews, and self-assessments to keep your students engaged and growing.

If you're ready to transform your classroom into a space where ELLs feel excited and empowered to speak, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can start using tomorrow!

Links and Resources

169. Empowering ELLs Through Speaking: 5 Practical Oracy Routines