Purva Srivastava

25/11/2010 Module 1: EXPLORING

THE TEACHING OF THE FOUR

SKILLS
 The four language skills essential in EFL classroom are:

 Reading: A skill lesson in which the focus of the lesson is learning through reading text(s).  Listening: A skill lesson that focuses on learning skills by listening to a taped text that may be a dialogue or a conversation.  Speaking: A skill lesson in which students focus on learning skills by speaking on a given topic.  Writing: A skill lesson in which the students focus on learning by writing on a given topic.
The principles of the 4 main skills comprise :  the three stages into which they are divided in an EFL classroom  Purpose, Achievability, Relevance, and their realistic value The three stages into which a skill lesson is divided are:

Pre Task While Task Post Task

Pre Task A pre task in any skills lesson involves a warm up of the topic. It could be in the form of brainstorming ideas related to the topic, a discussion involving the topic, an anecdote from the teacher or a survey about the topic of the session. It mainly consists of any pair work, group work or an individual activity that sets the students thinking about the topic without the teacher giving it away to them. It may also include the pre teaching of words or a concept that the students will come across while actually practicing the skill. Since the students practice the main skill in the while task, pre task usually consist of activities that are different from the main skill that is to be practised. e.g. If its a reading skill, the pre task may have the students look at some pictures and think of what the pictures could be connected to. So while the actual skill to be practiced is reading, the pre task is aimed at gauging the awareness of the students of the topic and raising their knowledge of what they will be reading in the next stage. Similarly if the main skill is listening, the students may read a short text about a topic that is both interesting and motivating for the learners. For speaking, they may listen to a small conversation pertaining to the topic that sets the theme for

the actual task. And finally if its a writing task, then the students could have a small discussion that will elicit the vocabulary required for the actual writing task.

While Task This is the stage when the students actually carry out the main skill task . Each while task has a purpose clearly defined for the students. And the task is connected to what they learnt or discussed in the pre task stage. The while task in a listening skill lesson will involve the students actually listening to the text that the teacher has selected. They may need to listen to it three to four time depending upon the level of the students. But their will be a purpose involved each time the students listen to the tape. E.g. The first time that the students listen to the text, they will be expected to have general understanding of the text and there the teacher may prepare an easy question for the students thus underlining the purpose for their listening. The second time they listen to the text may demand a greater understanding of the text. A Further listening may demand a more subtle understanding of the dialogue/conversation. If its a reading skill then the while task will involve the students actually reading the text(s) but with a purpose again as the teacher first may give the students a few questions to answer to check their general understanding. It again may involve a second or third time reading to check a further and deep understanding o the text. A writing lesson will have the students actually write on a given topic and they also may be asked to use the language input they may have learnt in the pre task. A speaking skill lesson will expect the students to speak about a certain topic in the form of a discussion, conducting a survey where they go around and talk to as many people as they can or may b making a presentation in front of the whole class. Also each skill lesson consists of a number of Sub-skills that the students learn while carrying out the main task. e.g. Using new vocabulary pre taught in the pre task stage, finding out information or turn taking are some of the sub skills of a speaking task. Similarly if its a listening skill, the sub skills involve listening for gist or the main idea behind the text in the tape, or listening for specific information. A reading task involves the sub skills of skimming i.e. Reading for the gist, scanning i.e. Reading for specific information or it may include the skill of contextual guessing wherein the students guess the meaning of a certain language input based on the surrounding information. And writing task may involve sub-skills like focussing on accuracy, punctuation, or the formality or the informality of the context to be used for writing. Thus each skill lesson helps the students integrate a number of skills while practicing the main skill that is the focus of the lesson.

Post task Post tasks again integrate many other skills and are different from the while task which is the actual skill to be practiced in the lesson. This is the stage where the students get a chance of free speech. Thus it is far less controlled that the other two stages.

So for Reading - post task could be a discussion involving speaking about the topi. For Listening- post task may be speaking writing related to the topic. For Speaking post task may involve another speaking task connected to the topic but which may also give them a variety. A Writing post task may again involve making a presentation that in turn involves speaking.

Other principles of a skills lesson:  Purpose  Achievability  Realistic value  Relevance

Purpose: while planning a skills lesson, the teacher must keep in mind the purpose or aim for the lesson. e.g. If its a listening lesson, then the students must know what they are listening for, whether its for the gist to answer a specific question or for a subtle understanding of the text in the tape, again to check their deeper understanding of the topic. Realistic value: Since the students expect to incorporate their learnings from the classroom in their real life, the topic should be presented in such a way that the students can relate to it immediately.. One of the ways that the topic can be made realistic for them is by getting Realia which includes actual objects that the students into the classroom so the students can instantly connect to the topic. E.g. if the topic of any skills lesson is shopping then realia may include a receipt, a shopping bag etc. Relevance: the topic must be such that involves the students from the start. Thus it needs to be something that they come across in their real life. Thus materials like a hotel menu used to teach a lesson, or a holiday brochure picked up gain in order to teach a specific skill will work very well with the students of any level. Achievability: the topic must also be selected keeping in mind the students level. It must not be too easy or too tough for them but should be challenging yet suitable to the level. Thus the teacher needs to keep in mind that while authentic material may look genuine, they need to be adapted to the level of the students and most of the time they have to be graded to suit the level of the class.
Word count: 900 words

 5 sub-skills associated with one of the main skills

As I have already mentioned that a skill lesson doesnt involve teaching a skill in isolation but is more of an integration of a lot of other skills. Thus teaching of any of the four main skills consists of a combination of many other skills. . E.g. A reading task may involve numerous sub-skills like skimming, scanning, cloze

exercise, paraphrasing, and contextual guessing

Skimming Skimming is reading a text quickly to get a general idea of meaning. Example The students may be asked to read a short story and then write a journal entry summarizing the main points of the plot. Also a reading task may expect the students to match a list of topics with a few short compositions. For both the tasks mentioned above, the students need to read the text quickly in order to get the gist and then do the task at hand.

Scanning Scanning is reading a text quickly in order to find specific information, e.g. figures or names, dates etc. This is often compared to skimming thats done just to get the main idea. Example In a reading task, the teacher may give an activity wherein the students look at certain words/synonyms and then scan the texts for words that mean the same. The students may also be given a few short compositions with a list of titles that they have to match with the composition. They may skim the texts for this information. But then they also may be given one composition without a title and may be asked to think of a title. This will make the students read the text carefully(scan) in order to come up with a relevant title. Again, scanning as a skill is often practiced in comprehension questions asking for a particular date, name etc. for which the students have to read the text carefully.

Cloze exercise A cloze exercise is one in which the students do fill- in-the-blanks, in which some words are omitted. An exercise like this is specially designed to measure how well the students understand how a text is linked together. It is slightly different from a gap fill as in a cloze exercise there will be words missing at regular intervals,

Example READ THE STORY BELOW. SOME OF THE WORDS HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT ON PURPOSE . FILL IN THE BLANKS THAT WILL MAKE THE STORY MAKE SENSE.

Gwendolyn and Sharrie were about to take the _______ test of their lives. It was a long

____________ test and they had to be able to divide a 4 digit by 1 digit number. __________ of them had been working hard on this skill. Gwendolyn was __________ in Math and Sharrie was __________ at reading and writing skills. Their ______________, Mrs. Lawton had worked very _________ to teach them this math skill. Gwendolyn was _______ she knew how to do the problems _____________

Paraphrasing Paraphrasing is the students finds another way of saying or writing ideas. Paraphrasing is not only an essential skill for the student but also key to learners developing communicative ability beyond their existing knowledge of language. Example After reading a text, the students are expected to write a journal summarizing the main points of the plot thereby asking the students to paraphrase their knowledge of the text.

Contextual guessing Contextual guessing involves making guesses about the meaning of word by looking at the surrounding words or situation. Example Students get to read text(s) and are then asked to find out meanings of certain words from within the text. They will do this by looking at the text around the specific words and guessing the meaning from the context.

Word count:400 words

 A task that could be used to practice one of the sub skills listed
Skill Lesson: Reading Sub skill- Contextual Guessing Topic: Meet the K.I.P.P.E.R.S Level : upper intermediate

The students have to read about the K.I.P.P.E.R.S- children who stay at home along with their parents till late into their 30s or 40s. The students get to read a few texts talking about the kippers in general, the kipper children and the kipper parents.

In each text they come across many words related to money like: pay off the debt, strapped for cash, high rents, contribute to a bill, charge rent, accumulate debt, spend savings and money isnt everything. Next among other tasks given to the students to help them practice other sub skills they are given an exercise in order to help them practice contextual guessing. They are given about 9 sentences that have been picked up rom the text and then paraphrased. Each sentence consists of the above mentioned words which the students need to fill in. Thus they read the sentence in the exercise, look at a similar sentence in the text, guess the meaning of the word by looking at the surrounding words and then fill in the blank. Example 1. He couldnt a...............to pay ...............his d................ 2. Her friends are always ....................for ..............because they have to pay ................rents. 3.He ......................debts of 4,000. 4.She doesnt ...............him ........ Because he wouldnt pay it.
Word count-220 words