Difficulties when learning to speak and support by formative assessment

created by Angelika Zwerger Abstract: In my video I try to find an answer to my research question, which is: What are three different difficulties that learners face when learning speaking in the EFL classroom and how can the teacher support the learning process by formative assessment? The three difficulties I want to discuss are the fact that speaking is a very complex process, the high expectations of learners and pronunciation. The four-stages-model of Thomas Scovel is used the complexity of the speech production process. Concerning the high expectations learners bring to their EFL classroom, it is important for teachers to create many speaking opportunities and to use methods to keep the motivation of the learners at a high level. Regarding pronunciation I want to highlight four different features that can cause difficulties. These are: individual sounds, sound in connected speech, stress and rhythm and intonation. In the second part of my video I focus on formative assessment to support learners when learning to speak. Formative assessment can be done on a daily basis, by keeping record of the pupils' progress. According to the teachers' lesson goals she/he might specify the criteria according to which the students will be assessed. My research showed that formative assessment is very useful, especially when learning to speak, since it motivates the learners and might raise the learners' self-confidence.