Cambridge ESOL CELTA. Written Assignment 1. Language Skills Assignment –
Clive Elsmore. Part 1. In English language teaching, the four main skills tend to ...
Cambridge ESOL CELTA Written Assignment 1 Language Skills Assignment – Clive Elsmore Part 1 In English language teaching, the four main skills tend to be classified as of two types: receptive (reading and listening skills) where language is acquired and meaning is extracted, and productive (writing and speaking skills) where language is produced. Note that extracting meaning is an active process requiring a degree of engagement (Harmer, 2007: 265). This assignment tasks us to identify the receptive skills which can be practised during a reading lesson. The division between the four skills is useful for language analysis and for focusing teaching where certain aspects are lacking. However, in everyday or classroom use, language skills are not used in isolation. For example a lesson may involve listening to a tutor, reading a text, speaking with a neighbour and writing notes. A discussion of a TV programme will involve both speaking and listening skills, and writing a letter will, hopefully, involve reading of what has just been written to check for mistakes. Receptive skills are further categorised into sub skills in Harmer, 2001: 201-202. Applying equally to listening, amongst them are: • identifying the topic (by activating students' schemata – relating topic to preexisting knowledge) • reading for general understanding (skimming for gist - reading quickly to establish key topics, ideas, theme and structure) • reading for specific information (scanning - reading quickly to establish facts, figures, dates, names etc) • reading for detailed information (reading carefully and intensely to extract understanding of all details - such as when carefully completing a tax form) • extensive reading (reading widely) • predicting (including speculating, inferring, deducing) • interpreting text (takes us beyond the literal meaning - depends on shared schemata) Listening has additional sub skills associated with it, such as understanding contracted forms in connected speech, understanding fast speech, accents and incorrect pronunciations. However, it is significant to notice that in edition 4 of Harmer, 2007, the author no longer separates out the sub skills. Indeed he states "It makes little sense to talk about skills in isolation." (Harmer, 2007: 265) Williams (1996: 36) identifies three phases of a reading lesson: Pre-Reading, While Reading and Post Reading. Similarly, Scrivener (2011: 267) categorises Pre-text, Text and Post-text stages. Below, I identify the receptive skills that could be practised in these stages. 1. Pre-Reading Stage The general aims here are to generate interest, to motivate by giving a reason to read, and to activate schemata. The text to be analysed is not introduced in this phase.
Introductory tasks might include discussion relating to the theme of text that students are about to read, connecting to their lives and experiences, and introducing essential lexis that will come later in the text. Discussions may be seeded with guiding questions. A follow-on pre-reading task might be to give the students some words or extracted information to make predictions from, or get students to compose their own questions. This enables learners to anticipate content by having them think and talk about what they are about to read. The main skill typically practised in this phase is speaking, but it also includes the receptive skills of listening when, for example, listening to instructions or taking part in discussions. Some reading could also be involved - for example during pre-teaching essential lexis. Associated with this stage is the sub skill of making predictions. 2. While Reading Stage This phase is centred on the main reading text which is now introduced. The aims of this phase are to help understand the text writer's purpose, help understand the text structure, to clarify the text content. (Williams, 1996: 38) A common pedagogical principle is to start with a general understanding of the text and then move to paragraphs, sentences, phrases and words; the top-down approach helps refine the context. First tasks might include • Reading for gist, eg checking the text against the predictions made earlier • Guessing title from options • Putting broad events (or illustrations) in correct order Next, scanning the text for specific information • Find the name of the villain, the room the lead pipe was found in etc • Find answers to questions inserted at various points in text • match headings to definitions Then tasks to focus on understanding • Comprehension exercises (confirm understanding through writing, acting, drawing, using a sentence in another context etc) • Discuss ideas, arguments, theories, issues Finally, tasks to focus on language items • • • •
Grammar (deducing rules) Lexis, Function, Phonology Using Dictionaries Deducing meaning from context
The receptive sub skills involved in this While Reading stage include skimming, scanning and intensive reading (defined above). 3. Follow Up Stage In this post-reading phase, the main text may or may not be referred to. The aims of this stage are to consolidate, or reflect upon, what has been read, and to relate the text to the learner's own schemata (pre-existing knowledge, interests, views). (Williams 1996: 39)
Tasks might involve debate, writing a summary, personalisation, drawing an explanatory diagram, interactive work, relating the story from another perspective, or continuing the story. Both receptive and productive skills will typically be involved in this stage. For example, pairs or teams may collaborate on producing and presenting a report or mini-drama to the whole group, involving speaking, listening, writing and reading in the production stage. In its presentation, the team would use both reading and speaking skills. Homework, such as researching on the internet or newspapers, or writing an individual or collaborative blog article may also help to consolidate the learning. In conclusion, a reading lesson can involve receptive skills in all stages but to a greater extent in the While Reading stage. References: Harmer, J. (2001)The Practice of English Language Teaching. Essex, England: Pearson Longman Harmer, J. (2007)The Practice of English Language Teaching. Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited Williams, E. (1996) Reading in the Language Classroom. Hemel Hempstead, England: Phoenix ELT Scrivener, J. (2011) Learning Teaching. Oxford, England: Macmillan Education Stott, N. (2001) Helping ESL Students Become Better Readers: Schema Theory Applications and Limitations. http://iteslj.org/Articles/Stott-Schema.html Retrieved 2012-02-11
Part 2 Activities to exploit the text "How to have the perfect interview," from MORE! Level: Intermediate. Pre-Reading • Show Wordle of key words. Discuss in pairs. Elicit the topic. [aim: introduce theme] • Discuss in pairs/small groups: Have you ever had a job interview? What was it like/what might one be like? Feedback to group. [aim: relate to schemata] • Imagine a friend is going for a job interview - what five pieces of advice would you give her? Discuss/compare in pairs/small groups. Feedback from pairs to group [aim: make predictions] • Pre-teach essential lexis: conducting an interview, position they hold, dress code, on the spot, firm handshake, slump in the chair, control your nerves [aim: aid understanding of main text] While Reading • Distribute text, face down. On signal, skim the text for 1 minute. Turn face down again. Pairs compare: who might be giving this advice? where might this article appear? [aim: skimming] • Handout - match the 8 headings to the text (include one or two redundant options) [aim: scanning] • Grammar exercise - eg because the text is generally looking at advice, look at function of modal auxiliary (could, should, must, might and ought to). [aim: grammar] • Underline any modal aux verbs in the text: Relate to promise/prediction, ability, possibility, probability, permission, advisability, necessity, requesting assistance, deducing, instructing, suggesting, showing preference making offers [aim: reading in detail] • Put advice sentences (modified to add variety of modals) onto a scale between Must Do and Must Not Do. [aim: check understanding] • In pairs, chose five words in text not mutually understood. Use dictionary for definition. Group feedback - see who chose same word and elicit definition [aim: vocabulary] After Reading • • •
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[aim for all of these: consolidate, personalise] In pairs, tell each other about interviews experienced (job, college etc). Discuss what points in text you agree with and disagree with. Show photos of various people. If they were attending interviews, what advice would you give? Compare in pairs. Game. Divide group into teams A & B. One representative from each team sits at front with back to board. Tutor writes word/phrase on board. Team A give 3 clues to representative of team A. If guesses correctly, team A gets point. etc Role play. Split students into pairs and, using their mobiles (not turned on!) Student A phones B and tells her she has a job interview the next day and asks her for advice. Student B asks about the job and gives advice. Then swap. Homework, on Linoit.com (an on-line noticeboard that messages can be pinned to), answer (eg) “How was your job interview today?”
