Importance of oral expression for teaching spanish as a foreign language

Abstract

The complexity of teaching Spanish as a foreign language has led to search for new ways to improve the development of the communicative skills in this language. Although they are all parts of the linguistic system, the oral expression is the most commonly used in everyday life and in the teaching processes as well. However, non- Spanish speaking students still have difficulties on oral communication, once the introductory course has finished. Therefore, the Spanish professors have tried to find interesting topics that motivate them to learn and contribute to a greater development of their oral expression. The purpose of this article is to substantiate the importance of this skill when learning a foreign language and to give an example of a task which has stimulated students during the class and has contributed to improve their oral communication. As a result, this type of task not only improves the students’ oral expression but also fosters their creativity and interaction in a real context based on their own experience.