Speak English for "Just A Minute"

Are you trying to improve your spoken English or get a better mark on an important speaking test such as the IELTS?



Are you interested in improving one specific aspect of your speaking?     

Watch the following video for some instructions on a speaking game called Just a Minute. This is a game that help you improve your speaking skills while you have  fun at the same time.

In the game, you can focus on all aspects of spoken English, OR
simply one aspect at a time, for example, grammar, vocabulary,
pronunciation OR fluency.  In order to play. you need at least one
partner, but playing with three people and even four people also works
well.



This is a useful game to play in an English classroom. but the great thing about it is that you don't
have to play it in class. You can play it with your friends anywhere
you want - at home, on the bus or subway, at the beach or at the park.
All you need is a series of topics and the instructions on how to pay
the game. 

Here are a few more suggestions:

Watch or listen to yourselves

Try video-taping or audio taping yourself. For example, you could use a
regular  video camera, or simply the video function of your smart phone.
After playing several rounds of Just A Minute, stop, watch
yourself and be prepared to discuss things you did right as well as
areas where you need improvement.  Remember, many athletes do this all
the time in order to improve their performance. Make sure you find both
the good and the bad. No one does everything wrong, so you need to acknowledge the positive aspects of your performance. 

Focus on specific problems:



Focus on
improving on specific areas you have problems with in grammar,
vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency. For example, if you have trouble
consistently using the past tense(s) when you speak, choose topics that
force you to use the past tense. Here are a few to get you started: your
first day in school, first time away from home. first kiss, first date,
first cigarette, first punishment, first teacher.

If you have problems with constantly saying uh...uh...uh..., focus on
trying not to hesitate.  Change the rules so that instead of taking your
place the first time you say ah, your partner simply counts the number
of times you do it. Keep a record, and focus on reducing the number of
times you stop and hesitate with ah..ah... In the Toastmasters
organization, this person is called an ah counter. 

Practice New Vocabulary  



If you are trying
to practice using new vocabulary, make it a rule that specific words
MUST be built into your one minute speech. Even if you speak perfectly
for one minute, you lose a point if you don't use ALL of the words. 
These could be any kind of words: words about the environment,
parenting, psychology, crime, descriptive adjectives, power verbs , etc.




Don't Get too Anxious  

As the speaker in
the first video said, no one is perfect. Native speakers can have
problems with this game, especially when it comes to repeating words, so
don't expect too much of yourselves. Make sure you are serious about
practicing, but make sure you have fun at the same time. Try to make
some of the content entertaining and funny. Laugh at yourself and your
mistakes.

Choose Appropriate topics



Choose topics are small and narrow enough for you to be able to come up
with something without having to think too hard.  For example, the
topics of  sausages, bottled water, showers, shoes, lip piercing are all
topics that you can probably start talking about immediately.
Controversial topics such as capital punishment and  euthanasia,
however, are better topics for prepared speeches in which you can do
some research.



Develop Some Strategies



There are a number of strategies you can use to help yourself improve
speaking about anything spontaneously. One of them, is to keep up with
things that are going on around you - not just  news, but interesting
developments in the areas of psychology, science, technology, child care
.....  The more you know,  the more you can say.



I will discuss other strategies you can use in another post, but in the meantime,  for
more information on preparing for important advanced level speaking
tests,  making presentations or simply holding a conversation.



One Minute topics

I
have several lists of potential ONE MINUTE TOPICS topics that I am
currently revising. I will post them within the next day or two. 

Download Setup File from Downloader (100% Working Link)