TEACHING LANGUAGE SKILLS

TYPES
Receptive skills: reading & listening skills -> Ss extract from the discourse. passive
Productive skills: speaking and writing -> Ss produce language themselves. active
SKILL TOGETHER
1. INPUT AND OUTPUT
Receptive skills and productive skills feed off each other in a number of ways.

2. INTEGRATED SKILLS
Weaving threads of different skills and topics is a major art of teachers who plan for
a sequence of lessons.
3. LANGUAGE SKILLS, LANGUAGE CONSTRUCTION
Work on language skills is often a precursor (tiền đề) to work on various aspects of
language construction.
if we take the following text, we can see how it can be used to look at a range of
different language points. comparisons, adjectives, present tenses...
I4. NTEGRATING SKILL AND LANGUAGE WORK
Many effective learning sequences will offer both skill integration and also
language study based around a topic or other thematic thread -> Ss practice a wide
range of language abilities
EX: completing a questionaire -> discussing responses -> reading a text -> answer
comprehension questions -> looking for language in the text & discussing how to
apply these words -> rewrite the text -> write some words & the class guess who is
being written about -> listen to a dialouge & role-playing
5. TOP-DOWN and BOTTOM-UP
BOTTOM -UP: words -> phrases, cohesive devices -> ideas/details -> Main ideas ->
theme/topic => low-level students
TOP-DOWN: Themes -> main ideas -> ideas/details -> phrases -> words
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 RECEPTIVE SKILLS
1. A PROCEDURE FOR TEACHING RECEPTIVE SKILLS
Receptive skills and productive skills feed off each other in a number of ways.

engage Ss in pairs/groups follow-up

to extract a
activate their activities
general
schema:
understanding
(background
knowlegde,
context..)
Ss can predict
through clues

2. THE LANGUAGE ISSUE

Sentence length and word length: Longer sentences and words
Vocabulary familiarity: A high number of unfamiliar words (~ 50%) significantly
hinders comprehension. Ideally, readers should recognize at least 95% of the
words without difficulty.
Incomprehensible input (too difficult texts) can demotivate students.
Strategies to address difficulty:
Pre-teaching vocabulary
Extensive reading/listening
Considering alternatives to authentic language (e.g., simplified texts)
2.1 Pre-teaching Vocabulary
Pros: Can remove barriers to understanding and improve comprehension.
Cons: May hinder students' ability to deal with unknown words in authentic texts.
Solution: Pre-teach only essential words. Encourage students to infer meaning
from context whenever possible. Use unknown words in the lead-in to activate
schema and encourage prediction.
2.2. Extensive Reading/Listening
Benefits: Enhances vocabulary acquisition, improves reading fluency, fosters a
love of reading, and develops automaticity in word recognition.
Importance: Crucial for overall language development.
Key: Requires appropriate level materials (e.g., graded readers) and may need
additional incentives beyond pleasure.

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 2.3. AUTHENTICITY
Importance: Exposing students to "real" language helps them develop the skills to
cope with authentic communication.
Challenges: Authentic materials can be difficult for beginners.
Solutions:
Start with carefully selected authentic materials.
Use well-designed tasks, a gently-pace sequence of activities with small
tasks to bigger ones to guide comprehension for fairy low-level Ss
Consider using roughly-tuned language or simplified materials that still
reflect natural language patterns.
*Roughly tuned input is the input which is more complex than learners' current proficiency
and stretches the boundaries of their current knowledge. It focuses on authentic use of
language in listening or reading passages.

3. COMPREHENSIVE TASKS
A key feature in the successful teaching of receptive skills concerns the choice of
tasks that we ask our students to perform on (and with) the text.
We need to use comprehension tasks which promote understanding, and we need
to match text and task appropriately.
Testing and Teaching
Traditional tests often focus on right/wrong answers, which can be demotivating.
Tasks can be designed to raise the ss’ expectations, bring Ss a greater
understanding of language and text construction.
Transforming Test-like Tasks:
Using comprehension questions for collaborative learning and discussion (work in
pairs to understand through conversation & comparisons).
Encouraging prediction to focus attention and activate schema. (we have turned a
potential test task into a creative tool for receptive skill training)
Appropriate Challenge
Finding the right balance between difficulty and achievability.
Matching text difficulty with task complexity.
Focusing on tasks that are challenging but manageable for students (ask them to
to try to identify the main topics)

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PRODUCTIVE SKILLS
1. A procedure for teaching productive skills

engage explain exactly what going round

ask them if they Ss will do listening
know about a demonstrate the helping if any
certain subject activity in some way With writing
get them to repeat the task tasks: actively
think about instructions back to involved in the
us writing process,
respond, point
To help Ss see how well they
them in new
have done
directions
show positive aspects
not focus solely on their failings

2. Structuring discourse
In writting
Coherence: Logical flow of ideas and points in written discourse.
Cohesion: Linguistic devices (pronouns, lexical repetition, linkers) that connect ideas
within a text.
Conversational discourse
More dynamic and interactive, with participants jointly constructing the conversation.
Requires turn-taking skills and the use of discourse markers (e.g., "firstly," "secondly,"
"as if that wasn't enough").
Sociocultural Rules:
Govern how language is used in different social contexts.
Include turn-taking, addressing others, performing speech acts (e.g., inviting,
agreeing).
Shape social identity and belonging.
Do not suggesting that students need to speak or write language exactly as native
speakers
3. Interacting with an audience
Adaptive Communication: Effective communication requires adjusting language to
the audience and their reactions.
Speaking: Speakers adapt their style based on audience feedback (e.g., laughter,
engagement).
Writing: Writers anticipate audience reactions and tailor their writing accordingly.
Importance of Audience Awareness: Understanding the needs and expectations of
the intended audience is crucial for effective communication in all contexts.

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4. Dealing with difficulty
Strategies for speakers
Improvising: Using a word that might be close in meaning, but may not be accurate.
Discarding: Abandoning the thought altogether.
Foreignising: Using a word from their first language, hoping it will be understood.
Paraphrasing: Describing the concept using other words or phrases.
General Coverage Terms: Using vague terms like "thing," "stuff," or "kind of" to refer
to something.
Teacher's Role:
Encourage helpful strategies: encourage paraphrasing and improvising as more
effective than discarding or foreignising.
5. What to do about language
Challenge of Language Production:
Students often lack the language they need to express themselves effectively in
speaking and writing activities.
Strategies to Help Students:
Supply Key Language: Pre-teach essential vocabulary and phrases relevant to the
task. However, avoid expecting immediate fluency with newly introduced language.
Plan Activities in Advance: Design activities that utilize language students have
already encountered and had time to process.
PROJECTS
Produce a class newspaper, books on history or culture, brochures
Prepare for a debate
Managing projects
1. Topic Choice & Briefing
Determine the project topic (student-driven, teacher-suggested, or assigned).
Define project goals, timeline, data gathering methods, and support.
2. Idea & Language Generation
Brainstorm ideas, plan approach, and identify necessary language.
Teacher guidance may be provided depending on project scope.
3. Data Gathering
Collect data from various sources (internet, books, interviews, observations).
4. Planning
Outline the final project (written report, presentation, performance, etc.).
Plan the structure and content of the project.
5. Drafting & Editing
Create a draft of the project.
Peer review and self-editing for improvement.
6. Final Product
Produce the final project (report, presentation, performance, etc.).

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7. Consultation/Tutorial
Ongoing teacher support and guidance throughout the project.
Address student questions, provide feedback, and help overcome challenges.
Project Examples
Webquests: Teacher-guided online projects with structured steps.
Student-Driven Projects: Allow students to explore their own interests and
research topics.
Real-World Projects: Simulate real-world tasks (e.g., planning a trip, creating a
marketing campaign).
Benefits of Projects
Develops key skills: Research, planning, critical thinking, collaboration,
presentation.
Engages students: Promotes active learning and student ownership.
Fosters creativity: Encourages innovative approaches and problem-solving.
Produces tangible outcomes: Students create meaningful and valuable
products.
Note: Effective project management requires careful planning, ongoing support, and
a focus on student learning and development.