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The present paper intends to provide a brief view about the distinctive features of spoken language, the different functions it performs in everyday communication and how these elements must be considered for the creation, implementation and assessment of speaking activities from a communicative perspective. It takes as starting point the priority learners give to this skill when learning a foreign language and the challenge it represents for teachers to fulfill the students´ expectations regarding its successful acquisition because of its complex nature. From there, the article moves to the analysis of the main characteristics and functions of spoken language, emphasizing on the elements the students should master to use speaking skills for different purposes and the demands they entail for teachers to plan, conduct and evaluate communicative speaking activities. Afterwards, there is a short reference to the specific case of higher education, due to the important role of English in the students' academic and professional formation and the growing need to use spoken language to interact within their academic and scientific environments. Finally, the paper highlights the necessity of following a communicative methodology when using speaking activities and points out some of the conditions they should meet in order to maximize speaking opportunities and stimulate learners´ autonomy while learning the language. The article relies on theoretical contributions provided by several authors who have developed important studies in this field. Such are the cases of Byrne (1986), Brown and Yule (1989), Lavery (2001), Thornbury (2005), Penny Ur (1996); (2011) and Richards (2006); (2008).

A COMMUNICATIVE VIEW TOWARDS THE TEACHING OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE: DISTINCTIVE FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS