“I can’t speak because I don’t have anything to say.”
Hui wailed this in class one day, and honestly? I felt that in my bones.
Here was this Chinese student with an IELTS score that made no sense. Reading? Solid. Writing? Good. Listening? Fine. Speaking? She bombed it. Com-plete-ly. Her score was so low I initially suspected she’d frozen up and said nothing at all during the exam.
But the real problem wasn’t what I thought.
Sure, Hui was shy. Her affective filter shot through the roof whenever she had to speak aloud, even surrounded by supportive classmates. Terrified of making errors, her extensive vocabulary would vanish, her solid grammar would dissolve, and she’d spiral into self-criticism until whoever was interviewing her would finally dismiss her.
But even if we could fix the anxiety (and we did, eventually), there was something else going on.
Hui had spent her entire life studying. Just studying. Her worldview was sheltered, her life experiences narrow, and her opinions on current events? Non-existent.
She didn’t freeze because her English failed her. She froze because she genuinely had nothing to say.
The Blank Slate Problem
You know these students. They say their hobby is sleeping. They spend more time on their phones than in the community. You ask them what they think about literally anything, and they look at you like you’ve asked them to solve quantum physics.
There’s apathetic shrugging and avoiding eye contact. The silence roars in your ears.
And you’re ready to refuse to teach speaking classes ever again. And FORGET about having free talking!
Here’s the thing. They’re not actually blank slates with zero opinions. They’ve just never had the opportunity to think about these things, much less discuss them out loud. Not in their first language OR in English.
So where do you start?
Force Them to Have Opinions
I started with whatever theme we were covering in the textbook and developed hard-hitting, deep questions around it. Not “What’s your favorite food?” garbage. Real questions that made them think.
Then I gave each student two topic cards, let them discard one (because I’m not a monster), and made them talk about the remaining topic for as long as they could manage.
At first, they’d sputter out after 30 seconds. That was fine. We did it again the next class. And again. And again.
Eventually, I stopped letting them discard a card. They got one topic, and they had to talk. I’d time them, forcing them to keep going without stopping for one minute, then two minutes.
We did this over and over.
Hui’s speaking score jumped dramatically. But here’s what didn’t surprise me one bit: EVERYONE benefitted. Even the naturally chatty students got better at organizing their thoughts on the spot and initiating conversations with strangers. Turns out, having to generate an impromptu speech on a random topic is excellent practice for, you know, actual life.
But My Students Don’t Need the IELTS
Two words: class participation.
Many professors require it and count it as part of the grade. Your students need to be able to contribute meaningfully in an American classroom, not just sit there nodding.
Two more words: real life.
Unless your students plan to live as hermits, they’re going to need to speak. And I don’t mean making small talk about the weather. I mean actually expressing an opinion, informing someone about something that matters, or persuading another human being to see their point of view.
These skills make students stand out and MORE. They increase negotiation abilities. They build confidence. They enhance careers.
And most importantly? They give your students something to say beyond “my hobby is sleeping.”
Try This Tomorrow
Give your students a topic card. Set a timer for one minute. Make them talk without stopping.
See what happens.
Then do it again next class. And the class after that.
Want to join them? Draw a card yourself and talk about that topic for two minutes. Show them how it’s done. You might surprise yourself with what comes out when you’re forced to keep talking.
The Bottom Line
If you’re willing to PUSH them, you’ll create students who can eventually sustain a conversation for an entire class period instead of giving you one-word answers and pleading with their eyes for you to move on. Yes, they’ll resist at first. Do it anyway. It takes consistency, but the payoff is worth it.
Now, go make your students talk.
That’s it from me. See you in the next post!
P.S. If you want to create your own library of topics but aren’t sure how to develop questions that actually make students think, read Your Discussion Questions Suck…Here’s How to Fix Them. If you’d rather skip the work and have it made for you, I’ve got loads of themed discussion topic cards↗ in my TpT store that’ll save you hours of brainstorming.
