Tackling Speaking Errors

Overview

In this one-to-one lesson, the student identifies common speaking errors — particularly filler phrases and hesitation habits — and practises self-correction techniques to build greater confidence and fluency in spoken English.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand what filler phrases and common speech errors are and why they affect communication.
• Students will develop strategies for self-monitoring and self-correction during speech.
• Students will practise speaking with greater clarity and deliberate pausing in place of fillers.

Success criteria

• I can identify filler words and common errors in a spoken extract.
• I can use self-correction strategies during a short speaking task.
• I can reflect on my own speech patterns and set a personal improvement goal.
• I can speak for one minute on a familiar topic with noticeably fewer fillers.

Curriculum links

• IB MYP English Language and Literature — communication skills in spoken interaction and presentation.
• MYP key concept of communication, focusing on how language choices shape meaning and impression.
• MYP Approaches to Learning (ATL) — self-management and reflection skills, including monitoring one's own performance.
• MYP criterion for organising spoken language clearly and with awareness of audience.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

0–8 min | Hook and prior knowledge check Ask the student to speak for 90 seconds on "What I did last weekend" without any preparation. Record the response (voice memo on a phone or laptop). Explain that you will both listen back to it shortly — this builds curiosity and sets a real purpose for the lesson.

8–20 min | Introducing common speaking errors Share a short printed or on-screen list of the most common spoken errors: filler words (um, uh, like, you know, basically, sort of), false starts, repetition, and trailing sentences. Play or read aloud a brief example transcript (teacher-prepared, approximately 150 words) containing several of these errors. Ask the student to highlight every error they can spot. Discuss why these habits form and how they affect a listener's impression of the speaker — link this to audience awareness, a core MYP communication concept.

20–30 min | Listening back and self-analysis Play back the student's own recording from the opening activity. Provide a simple tally sheet with columns for each error type. The student marks every instance they hear. Together, count the totals and identify the student's most frequent habit. Keep the tone encouraging — normalise these patterns as universal and fixable. This reflection activity directly addresses ATL self-management skills.

30–42 min | Strategy introduction and guided practice Introduce three practical self-correction strategies:

• Deliberate pausing: replacing fillers with a brief, confident silence.
• Anchoring: using a prepared opening phrase to avoid false starts (e.g., "The key point here is…").
• Catch-and-correct: noticing a filler mid-sentence and calmly rephrasing without drawing excessive attention to it.

Model each strategy aloud. Then ask the student to choose a simple topic (e.g., describe their favourite film or a place they'd like to visit) and speak for two minutes, consciously applying one strategy. Offer live, low-pressure feedback after each attempt.

42–52 min | Timed speaking challenge Give the student a new, unseen topic card (e.g., "Should schools have longer lunch breaks?"). Allow 60 seconds of silent preparation, then ask them to speak for one minute. The teacher uses a simple observation checklist to note filler use and self-correction moments. Immediately after, the student self-assesses first before receiving teacher feedback — prioritising their own reflective voice.

52–60 min | Reflection and goal-setting Ask the student to complete a brief written reflection (3–5 sentences) responding to:

• What was my most common speaking error today?
• Which strategy helped me most?
• What is one specific thing I will practise before the next lesson?

Review the goal together and connect it to the unit's broader aim of building confidence in English. Preview lesson 6 briefly so the student knows what to expect next.

Resources

• Voice recording device (phone or laptop with a voice memo app)
• Teacher-prepared transcript with embedded speaking errors (printed or displayed)
• Filler word tally sheet (simple table — teacher-created)
• Topic cards for speaking tasks (3–4 options prepared in advance)
• Observation checklist for teacher use during the speaking challenge
• Pen and paper or a notebook for written reflection

Assessment

• Formative observation: teacher uses a checklist during the timed speaking challenge to track filler frequency and evidence of self-correction strategies in action.
• Self-assessment: the student's tally sheet and end-of-lesson written reflection provide evidence of awareness and metacognitive thinking, directly supporting ATL reflection skills.
• Verbal feedback: immediate, specific verbal feedback after the speaking challenge gives the student actionable guidance to carry into lesson 6.

Differentiation

• Support: if the student struggles to identify errors when listening back, provide a partially completed tally sheet with some errors pre-marked to scaffold the analysis before they attempt it independently.
• Extension: challenge the student to record a second one-minute response to the same opening topic from the hook activity, then compare both recordings and write a short commentary on the improvement they notice.
• EAL/SEN consideration: if the student's spoken English includes errors rooted in first-language interference rather than habit, acknowledge these sensitively and adjust the focus toward fluency and confidence rather than accuracy alone — consistent with IB's inclusive, student-centred philosophy.
• Pace adjustment: because this is a one-to-one lesson, timings can flex; if the student is highly engaged in the self-analysis phase, allow it to run slightly longer and compress the reflection writing at the end.