Course Title: Functional English

Credit Hours: 3
Duration: 16 Weeks
Contact Hours: 48
Level: Undergraduate
Program: BS Governance and Policy Studies, Area Study Center, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad

Lecturer: Riaz Laghari

Functional English: Week 11 - Speaking with Confidence

From Knowing English to Using English in Real Time

1. Week 11 Overview

Central Question

How can I communicate effectively in English when I have to think, speak and respond at the same time?

By Week 11, students have developed substantial control over:

• sentences;
• grammar;
• vocabulary;
• reading;
• comprehension;
• paragraph writing;
• professional writing;
• academic writing.

Yet a student may still write:

“I can understand English, but I cannot speak it confidently.”

This is not necessarily a contradiction.

Knowing a language and retrieving and using that language in real time are different skills.

Speaking requires simultaneous coordination of:

ideas + vocabulary + grammar + pronunciation + timing + listening + interaction

Therefore, speaking confidence cannot be developed simply by studying more grammar.

It develops through:

repeated, purposeful speaking.

2. Week 11 in the Course Progression

The course now makes a deliberate transition:

Week 8 — Organise ideas in writing

↓

Week 9 — Communicate professionally in writing

↓

Week 10 — Construct academic arguments

↓

Week 11 — Communicate those ideas orally

The underlying principle remains the same:

Good communication begins with clear thinking but requires appropriate delivery.

3. Learning Outcomes

By the end of this three-hour session, students will be able to:

• participate more effectively in everyday conversations;
• initiate, maintain and close conversations;
• use appropriate conversational strategies;
• introduce themselves professionally and socially;
• ask and answer questions naturally;
• pronounce common English words more accurately;
• recognise the importance of word stress and sentence stress;
• use intonation to signal meaning and attitude;
• control speaking pace;
• use pauses effectively;
• reduce excessive hesitation;
• speak spontaneously without relying on memorised scripts;
• use circumlocution when a word is unavailable;
• respond appropriately in real-time interaction;
• distinguish fluency from mere speed;
• give short spontaneous responses;
• use active listening during conversation;
• provide and receive constructive speaking feedback.

PART I — WHAT DOES “SPEAKING WELL” MEAN?

4. Speaking Is More Than Grammar

A grammatically correct sentence can still sound unnatural or ineffective.

For example:

“I want information regarding the schedule.”

Grammatically acceptable.

But in a natural conversation:

“Could you tell me what time the session starts?”

may be more appropriate.

Effective speaking requires:

Accuracy

Are the language forms sufficiently correct?

Fluency

Can I keep communicating without excessive breakdown?

Pronunciation

Can people understand what I say?

Intonation

Does my voice communicate the intended meaning?

Pace

Am I speaking too slowly or too quickly?

Interaction

Can I respond to what another person says?

Appropriacy

Is my language suitable for the situation?

5. The Six Dimensions of Effective Speaking

ACCURACY

↓

FLUENCY

↓

PRONUNCIATION

↓

INTONATION

↓

PACE

↓

INTERACTION

The goal is not perfection in every dimension.

The goal is:

intelligible, appropriate and purposeful communication.

PART II — EVERYDAY CONVERSATION

6. Conversation Is Co-Construction

A conversation is not two people taking turns delivering speeches.

It is a collaborative activity.

Speaker A:

“How was your presentation?”

Speaker B:

“It went better than I expected.”

Speaker A:

“Really? What part did you find most difficult?”

Speaker B:

“The questions at the end.”

The conversation develops because each speaker:

listens → processes → responds → extends

7. Conversation Has Moves

Teach students five basic conversational moves:

1. Opening

“Hi. How are you?”

2. Developing

“How is your semester going?”

3. Responding

“It has been quite busy.”

4. Extending

“What are you working on at the moment?”

5. Closing

“It was good talking to you. See you tomorrow.”

8. Conversation Starters

Students should build a repertoire of natural openings.

Social

“How have you been?”

“How is your day going?”

“Have you been here before?”

Academic

“What did you think of today's lecture?”

“Have you started the assignment?”

“Could I ask you about the research project?”

Professional

“Could I introduce myself?”

“What area do you work in?”

“How did you become interested in this field?”

9. Follow-Up Questions

A weak conversational habit:

Question → answer → silence.

A stronger pattern:

Question → answer → follow-up

Example:

“Where are you from?”

“I'm from Multan.”

“Oh, interesting. Are you studying here?”

“Yes, I'm studying Governance and Policy.”

“What made you choose that programme?”

The ability to ask follow-up questions is a major component of conversational competence.

PART III — ACTIVE LISTENING

10. Good Speaking Begins with Good Listening

Students sometimes concentrate so heavily on:

“What am I going to say next?”

that they stop listening.

Effective speakers:

listen for meaning;

identify key information;

notice emotional cues;

respond to what was actually said;

ask relevant follow-up questions.

11. Listening Response Signals

Natural conversation includes small signals such as:

“Right.”

“I see.”

“Exactly.”

“Really?”

“That makes sense.”

“I understand.”

These help demonstrate:

attention + engagement

They should be used naturally rather than mechanically.

PART IV — SPEAKING CONFIDENCE

12. What Is Speaking Confidence?

Speaking confidence does not mean:

never making mistakes.

It means:

being willing and able to communicate despite the possibility of making mistakes.

A useful distinction:

Perfection mindset

“I must speak correctly before I speak.”

Communication mindset

“I will speak, notice problems and improve through practice.”

The second mindset produces more practice.

More meaningful practice produces greater automaticity.

13. The Confidence Cycle

Attempt

↓

Experience difficulty

↓

Receive feedback

↓

Adjust

↓

Attempt again

↓

Improvement

↓

Greater confidence

Therefore:

Confidence is often an outcome of competence and repeated experience, not a prerequisite for speaking.

14. The “Speak Before You Feel Ready” Principle

Students should understand:

You do not need to feel completely confident before speaking.

Instead:

Speak → improve → become more confident.

This is especially important for spontaneous speaking.

PART V — PRONUNCIATION

15. Pronunciation Is About Intelligibility

The objective of pronunciation training in Functional English is not:

to eliminate a student's identity or accent.

The objective is:

to make speech easier for listeners to understand.

A learner may speak English with a Pakistani, South Asian, British, American or other accent and still communicate extremely effectively.

The key criterion is:

intelligibility.

16. Three Levels of Pronunciation

1. Individual sounds

How sounds are produced.

2. Word-level features

Especially:

syllables;

word stress.

3. Connected speech

How words behave when spoken together.

Students should gradually move from:

individual words

to:

natural connected speech.

17. Word Stress

English does not give equal prominence to every syllable.

Compare:

PREsent — noun/adjective in some uses

preSENT — verb

Similarly, stress can distinguish meaning in some word families.

The important lesson:

Stress can affect intelligibility and meaning.

Students should learn pronunciation through:

listening + repetition + meaningful use

rather than spelling alone.

18. Sentence Stress

In natural speech, important words often receive greater prominence.

Example:

I NEED the REPORT by FRIDAY.

The exact stress changes depending on what the speaker wants to emphasise.

Compare:

I need the report by Friday.

versus:

I need the REPORT by Friday.

versus:

I need the report by FRIDAY.

Stress communicates information structure.

PART VI — INTONATION

19. What Is Intonation?

Intonation refers broadly to:

changes in pitch across spoken language.

It helps communicate:

• questions;
• statements;
• emphasis;
• certainty;
• uncertainty;
• surprise;
• contrast;
• attitude.

20. Same Words, Different Meaning

Consider:

“You're coming.”

A relatively falling contour may sound like a statement.

“You're coming?”

A different contour may signal a question or surprise.

Therefore:

spoken meaning is not carried by words alone.

21. Intonation and Attitude

Compare:

“Thank you.”

It can sound:

• genuinely grateful;
• surprised;
• impatient;
• sarcastic;

depending on context, voice quality and intonation.

This is why effective speaking requires students to attend to:

how something is said, not only what is said.

PART VII — PACE

22. Fluency Does Not Mean Speed

One of the most damaging misconceptions:

“If I speak fast, I will sound fluent.”

Not necessarily.

Very fast speech can produce:

• unclear pronunciation;
• swallowed sounds;
• poor organisation;
• listener difficulty;
• increased anxiety.

Fluency is better understood as:

the ability to maintain meaningful communication with reasonable continuity and manageable pauses.

23. The Three-Speed Test

Students record themselves saying the same 30-second response:

Version A

Very slowly.

Version B

Natural conversational speed.

Version C

As quickly as possible.

Then ask:

Which version is easiest to understand?

The objective is:

controlled natural pace.

PART VIII — PAUSES

24. Pausing Is Not Failure

Students often fear silence.

They may fill every gap with:

“um…”

“actually…”

“you know…”

“like…”

Some hesitation is natural.

But strategic pauses can improve communication.

Instead of:

“I think um actually you know that the main problem is…”

Use:

“I think… the main problem is…”

The pause gives the speaker time to formulate the next idea.

25. Strategic Pausing

Pause:

• before an important point;
• between ideas;
• when changing direction;
• before answering a difficult question.

A useful speaking pattern:

Think → pause → speak

rather than:

panic → fill silence → speak

PART IX — HESITATION

26. Why Do Learners Hesitate?

Common causes include:

Linguistic retrieval

“What word do I need?”

Planning

“How should I organise this?”

Anxiety

“What if I make a mistake?”

Translation

Thinking in another language first.

Perfectionism

Trying to construct a perfect sentence before speaking.

27. The Translation Trap

Students may follow:

Idea in Urdu/Saraiki

↓

Translate into English

↓

Check grammar

↓

Speak

This creates a heavy cognitive load.

The goal is gradual movement toward:

meaning → available English → communication

rather than:

meaning → perfect translation → speech

PART X — COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

28. What If You Forget a Word?

A strong speaker does not always know every word.

Instead, use:

circumlocution

That means describing the concept using words you already know.

Example:

“I can't remember the exact word, but it's a person who…”

Or:

“It's a device that we use to…”

Or:

“It's similar to…, but…”

This is a major communication skill.

29. Useful Repair Strategies

Asking for help

“What do you call it in English?”

Buying time

“Let me think for a moment.”

Rephrasing

“What I mean is…”

Clarifying

“Let me put that another way.”

Correcting yourself

“Actually, I mean…”

Checking understanding

“Does that make sense?”

These strategies allow communication to continue despite gaps.

30. Never Let One Missing Word Stop the Conversation

Weak strategy:

Forget word → stop speaking.

Strong strategy:

Forget word → describe it → continue.

This principle is crucial:

Communication competence includes the ability to manage what you do not know.

PART XI — SPONTANEOUS SPEAKING

31. What Is Spontaneous Speaking?

Spontaneous speaking means:

producing meaningful spoken language without a fully prepared script.

Examples:

• answering a question;
• giving an opinion;
• responding in a meeting;
• introducing yourself;
• explaining a problem;
• asking for clarification;
• participating in a discussion.

32. The 3-Second Challenge

Ask students a simple question:

“What is the most useful skill you learned at university?”

They have:

3 seconds to begin speaking.

They do not need the perfect answer.

They need to:

start.

33. The PREP Framework

A powerful framework for spontaneous answers:

P — Point

State your answer.

R — Reason

Explain why.

E — Example

Give an example.

P — Point

Return to your main idea.

Example:

I think communication is one of the most useful university skills.

The reason is that almost every professional role requires people to explain ideas clearly.

For example, students may need to present research or participate in meetings.

So, communication skills can affect both academic and professional success.

This gives students a structure without requiring memorisation.

PART XII — 30-SECOND SPEAKING

34. The 30-Second Response

Students receive a prompt:

“What makes a good teacher?”

They have:

5 seconds to think;

30 seconds to speak.

Then repeat with:

45 seconds;

60 seconds.

The purpose is to develop:

retrieval + organisation + delivery

35. Speaking Without a Script

Teach students:

Do not memorise sentences. Memorise structures.

Instead of memorising:

“Good morning, respected teacher and dear fellows…”

teach students to think:

Opening → Point → Reason → Example → Closing

This creates flexibility.

PART XIII — CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH

36. Asking Questions Naturally

Closed question

“Did you attend the lecture?”

Open question

“What did you think about the lecture?”

Follow-up

“Which part did you find most useful?”

Clarification

“What do you mean by that?”

Extension

“Could you tell me a little more about that?”

Good conversation depends heavily on:

question quality.

37. Agreeing

Strong agreement

“Absolutely.”
“I completely agree.”

Moderate agreement

“I agree to some extent.”

“That's a good point.”

Partial agreement

“I agree with you on that, but…”

“That's true, although…”

38. Disagreeing Respectfully

Avoid:

“You're wrong.”

Prefer:

“I see it differently.”

“I'm not sure I agree.”

“I understand your point, but…”

“There may be another way of looking at this.”

This prepares students for Week 12:

Discussion and Argumentation.

PART XIV — PROFESSIONAL SELF-INTRODUCTION

39. The 60-Second Professional Introduction

Students should be able to answer:

Who are you?

What do you do/study?

What are you interested in?

What are you currently working on?

What are you hoping to do next?

40. Model

“Hello, I'm Ahmed Raza, a third-semester student of Governance and Policy Studies. I'm particularly interested in public policy and digital governance. At the moment, I'm working on a class project examining how young people use digital platforms to engage with public issues. I'm hoping to develop my research and communication skills through an internship next summer.”

This is:

concise;

structured;

natural;

professional.

PART XV — PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE

Students should practise high-frequency functional phrases rather than isolated vocabulary only.

Useful phrases

“Could you repeat that, please?”

“Could you clarify what you mean?”

“I agree with that point.”

“I see your point, but…”

“In my view…”

“The main issue is…”

“For example…”

“What I mean is…”

“Let me think about that.”

“Thank you for explaining that.”

The objective is:

automaticity through repeated meaningful use.

PART XVI — SHADOWING

41. What Is Shadowing?

Shadowing involves:

listening to a short model of natural speech and attempting to reproduce it closely.

Students attend to:

• rhythm;
• stress;
• pauses;
• intonation;
• connected speech;
• pace.

Procedure

Listen.

Listen again.

Read the transcript if available.

Speak with the recording.

Record yourself.

Compare.

Repeat.

The objective is not imitation of identity or accent.

It is:

developing control over spoken English patterns.

PART XVII — SPEAKING LAB

42. Activity 1: Find Someone Who…

Students circulate and ask classmates questions.

Find someone who:

• has travelled to another city this year;
• prefers reading to watching films;
• has participated in a debate;
• wants to work in government;
• has used an AI tool for learning;
• speaks more than two languages.

Rule:

Students must ask follow-up questions.

This prevents the activity from becoming a checklist.

43. Activity 2: One-Minute Conversation

Pairs receive a topic:

• university life;
• social media;
• public transport;
• education;
• technology;
• employment;
• environmental issues.

Student A speaks for one minute.

Student B must:

listen;

ask one follow-up question;

summarise A's main point in one sentence.

Then switch.

This integrates:

speaking + listening + comprehension.

44. Activity 3: No-Pause Challenge

Students speak for 45 seconds on:

“One change I would make to my university.”

Rules:

• no memorised script;
• no stopping for more than three seconds;
• students may reformulate;
• students may use circumlocution.

Success is measured by:

communication continuity, not grammatical perfection.

45. Activity 4: The Forbidden Word

Student must explain a concept without using the target word.

For example:

Explain “university” without saying “university.”

Possible response:

“It is an institution where people study after school, usually for a degree…”

This develops:

circumlocution + lexical flexibility + confidence.

PART XVIII — SELF-RECORDING

46. The Speaking Mirror

Students record a 60-second response to:

“What is the biggest challenge facing university students today?”

They then listen to their recording and identify:

Fluency

How many long pauses?

Vocabulary

Did I repeat the same words?

Grammar

Which errors recur?

Pronunciation

Which words were unclear?

Pace

Too fast or too slow?

Organisation

Did I have a clear point?

This creates:

self-awareness → targeted improvement.

PART XIX — PEER FEEDBACK

Do not allow classmates to say merely:

“Good.”

Teach a three-part feedback model:

1. Strength

“Your main point was clear.”

2. Evidence

“You supported it with a useful example.”

3. Next step

“Try slowing down slightly when you introduce your main point.”

PART XX — FLUENCY VS ACCURACY

47. Should Students Correct Every Error While Speaking?

No.

If students constantly interrupt themselves:

“I go—went—go—went to—”

fluency can collapse.

A useful classroom principle:

During fluency practice, prioritise communication. During accuracy practice, prioritise correction.

The teacher can record recurring errors and address them afterward.

48. Delayed Correction

Instead of interrupting:

“Yesterday I go—”

Teacher notes the error.

After the activity:

“Several students used go instead of went when talking about yesterday.”

Then practise:

“Yesterday I went…”

This protects:

confidence + communicative flow.

PART XXI — COMMON SPEAKING PROBLEMS

Problem 1: Speaking Too Fast

Solution:

Use shorter thought groups and deliberate pauses.

Problem 2: Speaking Too Slowly

Solution:

Practise high-frequency phrases until they become automatic.

Problem 3: Translating Everything

Solution:

Use simple English and circumlocution.

Problem 4: Fear of Mistakes

Solution:

Separate fluency practice from accuracy practice.

Problem 5: Memorised Speech

Solution:

Memorise structures, not complete sentences.

Problem 6: Limited Vocabulary

Solution:

Develop circumlocution and lexical flexibility.

Problem 7: Monotone Delivery

Solution:

Practise sentence stress and intentional intonation.

Problem 8: Excessive Fillers

Solution:

Replace fillers with controlled pauses.

Problem 9: No Interaction

Solution:

Use follow-up questions and active listening.

PART XXII — THE “CONFIDENT SPEAKER” MODEL

A confident speaker does not necessarily:

speak perfect English.

A confident speaker:

1. Starts

Does not wait for perfection.

2. Organises

Knows the main point.

3. Continues

Can recover from difficulty.

4. Repairs

Can reformulate.

5. Listens

Responds to others.

6. Adapts

Changes language according to audience and context.

7. Finishes

Can bring an answer to a clear conclusion.

PART XXIII — THREE-HOUR TEACHING PLAN

Time	Component	Focus
0–10 min	Retrieval	Week 10: academic argument
10–20 min	Diagnostic speaking	30-second spontaneous response
20–35 min	Mini-lecture	What makes effective speaking?
35–50 min	Lecture + practice	Conversation strategies
50–65 min	Pronunciation lab	Word/sentence stress
65–80 min	Pronunciation lab	Intonation, pace and pausing
80–90 min	Break	—
90–105 min	Lecture	Hesitation and communication strategies
105–120 min	Practice	Circumlocution and repair
120–135 min	Practice	PREP spontaneous speaking
135–150 min	Speaking lab	One-minute conversations
150–165 min	Speaking lab	Professional self-introduction
165–175 min	Recording	60-second speaking mirror
175–180 min	Exit ticket	Reflection and retrieval

PART XXIV — EXIT TICKET

1. What is the difference between fluency and speed?

Fluency is the ability to communicate continuously and meaningfully; speaking rapidly does not necessarily mean speaking fluently.

2. Why are pauses useful?

They give speakers time to organise thoughts and can make speech clearer and more controlled.

3. What is circumlocution?

Describing or explaining an idea when the exact word is unavailable.

4. What are the four stages of PREP?

Point → Reason → Example → Point.

5. What is the primary goal of pronunciation training?

Intelligibility, rather than elimination of a speaker's accent.

PART XXV — HOMEWORK

Functional Speaking Portfolio — Week 11

Students must submit three recorded speaking tasks.

Task 1 — Professional Self-Introduction

60 seconds

Include:

• name;
• programme;
• interests;
• current activity;
• future goal.

Task 2 — Spontaneous Opinion

Respond to:

“Should university students be required to complete community service?”

90 seconds

Use:

PREP: Point → Reason → Example → Point

No script.

Task 3 — Real-Life Situation

Choose one:

• asking a lecturer for clarification;
• requesting information from an office;
• introducing yourself at a professional event;
• responding to an unexpected interview question;
• explaining a problem to a colleague.

60–90 seconds

PART XXVI — WEEK 11 SPEAKING SELF-ASSESSMENT

Students score themselves from 1–5.

Skill	1	2	3	4	5
I can start a conversation
I can maintain a conversation
I can ask follow-up questions
I can speak without a script
I can explain an unfamiliar word
My pronunciation is intelligible
I use pauses effectively
My pace is controlled
I can express an opinion
I can recover after making a mistake
I listen before responding
I feel comfortable speaking English

The objective is not the score itself.

The objective is:

metacognitive awareness of speaking development.

PART XXVII — WEEK 11 SKILLS CHECKLIST

Students should now be able to:

☐ initiate everyday conversations;

☐ maintain a conversation;

☐ ask relevant follow-up questions;

☐ introduce themselves professionally;

☐ use appropriate conversational expressions;

☐ distinguish fluency from speed;

☐ use intelligible pronunciation;

☐ use word and sentence stress;

☐ use appropriate intonation;

☐ control speaking pace;

☐ use pauses effectively;

☐ reduce unnecessary fillers;

☐ manage hesitation;

☐ use circumlocution;

☐ repair communication breakdowns;

☐ respond spontaneously;

☐ organise short answers using PREP;

☐ listen actively;

☐ provide constructive peer feedback;

☐ speak without relying on a memorised script.

WEEK 11 — CORE TAKEAWAYS

1. Speaking is not the oral version of writing; it is real-time communication.
2. Speaking confidence comes largely through repeated successful communication, not through waiting for perfect competence.
3. Fluency does not mean speaking quickly. It means maintaining meaningful communication with reasonable continuity.
4. Pronunciation training should prioritise intelligibility rather than the elimination of accent.
5. Stress, intonation, rhythm, pauses and pace contribute significantly to spoken meaning.
6. A missing word does not have to stop communication; circumlocution allows the speaker to continue.
7. Good speakers do not merely produce language; they listen, respond, repair and adapt.
8. Spontaneous speaking improves when students practise structures rather than memorising complete speeches.
9. During fluency practice, communication should not be destroyed by constant self-correction.
10. The ultimate goal is not to speak perfect English but to use English effectively, intelligibly and confidently for real purposes.

WEEK 11 COURSEPACK PRINCIPLE

Speaking confidence is not the absence of mistakes; it is the ability to keep communicating when mistakes, hesitation or uncertainty occur.

The intellectual and practical progression now becomes:

WEEK 9 — WRITE TO ACT

↓

WEEK 10 — WRITE TO ARGUE

↓

WEEK 11 — SPEAK TO CONNECT

Or, across the entire course:

KNOW → UNDERSTAND → ORGANISE → WRITE → ARGUE → SPEAK → INTERACT

Riaz Laghari, Visiting Lecturer in English,  Area Study Center, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad