[ESL] Types of Classroom Speaking Performance

Imitative
Imitation is carried out not for the purpose of meaningful interaction, but for focusing on some particular element of language form. (e.g., learners practicing an intonation pattern a certain vowel sound.)

Drills offer students an opportunity to listen and to orally repeat certain strings of languages that may pose some linguistic difficulty.

Intensive
Intensive speaking goes one step beyond imitative to include any speaking performance that is designed to practice some phonological or grammatical aspect of language.
Intensive speaking can be self-initiated, or it can even form part of some pair work activity, where learners are “going over” certain forms of language.

Responsive
A good deal of students speech in the classroom is responsive: short replies to teacher- or student-initiated questions or comments.

Transactional(dialogue)
Transactional language, carried out for the purpose of conveying or exchanging specific information, is and extended form of responsive language.

Interpersonal(dialogue)
It carried out more for the purpose of maintaining social relationships than for the transmission of facts and information.

Extensive(monologue)
Students at intermediate to advanced levels are called on to five extended monologues in the form of oral reports, summaries, or perhaps short speeches, Here the register is more formal and deliberative. These monologues can be planned or impromptu.