The aim of developing speaking skills in English has always presented itself as a challenge to teachers of all ages, be them newly-qualified or more experienced. The outcome of such an ambition depends on a number of variables that can or cannot be controlled by the teacher: the curriculum, the students themselves, the number of classes of English per week, the number of students in a class, and the methods and materials at hand.
In Romania, leaving aside bilingual schools, English classes are held twice a week, and the vast majority of teachers work with the whole class (some classes consist of up to 35 five students!). Given the context, I needed to reinvent myself as a teacher, I needed to reflect on my teaching and discover new teaching methods, techniques and activities that might involve students in real-life activities, with a focus on real communication, so as to provide them with a meaningful learning context. I invested time in my professional development, I did extensive research on the subject, and the good results did not hesitate to appear.
I will briefly present some of the student-centred activities that truly helped me motivate and encourage secondary level learners to use the language as a tool for real communication.