DEVELOPING LANGUAGE SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM by H. Pérez

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Assignment DEVELOPING LANGUAGE SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM

Students’ names: Diana Benavides Hernán Pérez Group: 2017-06 group Date: April 9th, 2018

Comparing and contrasting materials

Master of teaching English as a Foreign Language UNINI 2018

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Index

Assignment activity guidelines

Assignment description

Introduction

1. The learning theories

2. Skills integration

3. The product-process aspects of the units

4. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;authenticity/genuinenessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aspects

5. The issue of simplification of text

6. The learning/practice of grammar

7. The types of production required

8. The variety of activities

9. Unit preference

Conclusion

References

Appendices

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SUBJECT ASSIGNMENT: DEVELOPING LANGUAGE SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM GENERAL INFORMATION: This assignment must be done in pairs and has to fulfil the following conditions: -

Length: between 6 and 8 pages (without including cover, index or appendices –if there are any-). Type of font: Arial or Times New Roman. Font size: 11. Line spacing: 1.5. Alignment: Justified.

The assignment has to be written in this Word document and has to follow the instructions on quotes and references detailed in the Study Guide. Also, the assignment has to be submitted following the procedure specified in the document: “Subject Evaluation”. Sending it to the tutor’s e-mail is not allowed. It is strongly recommended to read the assessment criteria, which can be found in the document “Subject Evaluation”.

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Assignment instructions: Take the unit from the course book Bachillerato Made Easy, Richmond Publishing, available in the Evaluation materials section (at the same place where you can find this paper): Materials 1, and the unit ‘Botellón!’ from an English textbook published in the Basque Country (2010) for teenagers: Materials 2. Compare and contrast the way the two units deal with the four skills. You should refer to the following matters: -

The learning theories implicit in the way the units are presented and developed.

The extent to which the skills are integrated.

The product-process aspects of the two units.

The ‘authentic/genuine’ aspects.

The issue of simplification of text

The relationship between the skills work and the learning/practice of grammar.

The types of production required.

The variety (or otherwise) of the activity types.

Which unit do you prefer? Why?

Of course, add any other aspects that you consider relevant or important. The above list is simply a suggestion of the sort of considerations you will need to make in order to analyse the two books critically, and to arrive at a conclusion as to which of the two units you prefer, if indeed you have a preference.

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Important: you have to write your personal details and the subject name on the cover (see the next page). The assignment that does not fulfil these conditions will not be corrected. You have to include the assignment index below the cover.

Introduction It is crucial to know to which extend we can teach and develop all four skills together. Success in learning the language will depend on how skillfully the teacher integrates them. This assignment requires the analysis of the listening, reading, speaking and writing skills of two pieces of material, specifically, “Bachillerato Made Easy” unit 7 and a unit called “Botellón” (2010). In the same token, we will compare, contrast and discuss aspects like skills integration, relation product-process, authenticity and type of activities to determine how wellproportioned and methodologically correct presented materials are. The importance of this analysis exercise lies in avoiding the very frequent phenomenon of skills segregation, it is to say, favoring one skill over the others or just “overlooking” one that is less important for our goals. We will finally explain our unit’s choice, if there is any, based on the findings of this activity.

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1. The learning theories As we can see through simple observation, unit 7 from “Bachillerato Made Easy” has all the components of a communicative-centered lesson; it contains activities for the receptive and productive skills, as well as, grammar and vocabulary (reported speech, comparatives and superlatives) what indicates a surreptitious inclination to form. The unit is organized in such a way that skills tend to be associated around the same topic. “Botellón”, instead, does not show such a division into independent activities by skill, but it certainly puts them together. It focuses on opinion giving, organizing ideas and objecting; no grammar or explicit vocabulary is observable, something socially relevant is discussed through English without the implicit goal of learning or teaching grammar. According to Brown (2007) contextualization is a basic premise of CLT. Both units suggest a focus on all the components of communicative competence such as grammar, discourse, and functions. Although, grammar is not presented in a different section in Botellón, the examples given to introduce the learners to each one of the activities present examples with specific grammatical structures to bear in mind. This is a remarkable characteristic of the communicative approach since the teacher cannot know exactly what language the students will use. That is why, fluency and acceptable language are the primary goals, not accuracy. 2. Skills integration The phenomenon of integration of skills was first described by Widdowson in 1978, Oxford (2001) with her allegory of the tapestry and the interwoven strands has depicted a whole process (teaching and learning) and the combination of skills and sub-skills that a language could call for. It is clear, that several researchers including Oxford herself, Richard and Rodgers (2001) have found some solution on “segregation” by leaning on content-based and/or task-based and related models to reach this goal of bringing together competences and skills mentioned by the CEFR (2006). In other words, having in mind the two pieces of material, the one better equipped with activities leading to tasks or content could successfully integrate skills and reach goals efficiently. None of the separate language skills should be ever used in isolation.

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“Bachillerato Made Easy” unit 7 puts all the skills under the same thematic unit “Teen Links” pretending with this to get not only a connection with young students but keeping the same topic as to be more authentic, this attempt fails while introducing grammar explicitly and recurrently. The reading, listening, writing and speaking activities have a common thread, that is, young people, friendship and problems their age. They exploit the topic asking to do things dealing with the four skills. However, “Botellón” concentrates on specific communicative objectives such as giving opinions and activities that derivate from the same focus. They have certainly to read, write, listen to other people’s ideas and speak; grammar is not explicit, but they should have a good sense of the language to achieve that demanding goal. Young people might be really interested in the topic because it has to do with experience adolescents have at least in that place (Europe or specifically Spain). The integration of the four skills, or at least two or more skills, is the typical approach within a communicative, interactive framework. Then, when reading the objectives of both units, they are stated with verbs such as: listen, read, write, talk, revise, infer, defend one’s point of view, and express. Brown (2007) suggests that in an age of globalization, pragmatic objectives of language learning place an increased value on integrated and dynamic multi-skills instructional models with a focus on meaningful communication and the development of learner’s communicative competence. An interesting aspect of both units is the way the skills are integrated and how they lead to a speaking or discussion activity. Brown (2007) contends that often one skill will reinforce another; we learn to speak, for example, in part by modeling what we hear, and we learn to write by examining what we can read. It does not mean, however, that productive skills (speaking and writing) are the ultimate end but communicating in the target language and in real contexts is what is of paramount importance (it also includes receptive skills: listening and reading). 3. The product-process aspects of the units In terms of process and product aspects both units have different approaches; it means one supports the process and the other favors the product. “Bachillerato Made Easy” is an example of what McDonough and Shaw (1993) say about the ‘traditional’ teaching of writing including by the way grammar, where the emphasis is on accuracy, the finished product, the teacher’s role as a judge and the consolidation function of writing.

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Elaborating on that, we can evidence different grammar points like reported speech, irregular comparatives and superlatives, vocabulary as well as the importance of the results (product) as a way to assess the correctness of what was taught. It is evident a linguistic emphasis. “Botellon” focuses more on the process, it moves form “going about it the right way” to “the route one takes to that goal” (Lynch,1996). It involves a combination of reading and writing mainly creative that includes planning, organizing, processing, drawing and editing. Botellón is a social phenomenon, a problem among youngsters, which can be explored and solved asking students to brainstorm solutions. In general, the first material makes emphasis on usage since the user (student) has to demonstrate his knowledge of linguistic rules allowing him to answer question and corroborating answers. The second material points out “use” since the user is compelled to communicate effectively by having in mind these rules, for example by writing individually a personal point of view. As for the speaking process, it is evident that there is a tendency of group and pair work, the units allow group discussion, the first material uses more conventional standards such as common expressions, while the second one allows the use of realia through a development of a debate where the learner uses strategies to make a proposal to solve a problem. The integration of the four skills reveals the process in the “real” world language use. According to Brown (2007), most of our natural performance involves not only the integration of one or more skills, but connections between language and the way we think and feel and act. In the case of both books, the four skills are tackled in different ways. For example, in the course unit of “Bachillerato Made Easy” the first activity to be done is a “warm up” where students have the opportunity to discuss some statements and to agree or disagree with them. In this case, speaking skill is used as a preparation and stimulus. We often ask students to discuss a topic as a way of activating their schemata or engaging them in a topic that they are going to read or hear about. Speaking sessions allow students to investigate their thoughts and feelings about a topic (Harmer, 2007, pp. 267). Yet, in the course unit of Botellón the first activity students must do is to fill in the mind map with words that the associate with the “Botellón phenomenon.” One might think

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apparently that this has nothing to do with the four skills. However, Oxford (2001) clarifies this point. This author states that the four primary skills are listening, reading, speaking, and writing; but they include associated or related skills such as knowledge of vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, syntax, meaning, and usage. Then, the integration of such skills leads to optimal EFL communication when the skills are interwoven during instruction. 4. The ‘authenticity/genuineness’ aspects Widdowson (1978) makes distinction between “genuineness” that is a characteristic of the text itself, an absolute quality of not being adapted and “authenticity” that is the relationship between the reader and the appropriate response as in real life. “Bachillerato Made Easy” has interesting material (reading and listening, supposedly) but this is easily identifiable as adapted because its goal is the introduction of grammar topics in addition, it presents comprehension questions that are hardly ever found in real life context. Going ahead with the analysis, we can see a genuine resource where students

are

invited

make

friends

online

visiting

the

web

page

http://www.friendship.com.au/. In EFL contexts, it is normally to refer to an authentic text as genuine since authentic material is what our students encounter or will encounter in real life if they meet target language speakers, and, precisely because it is authentic, it is unlikely to be simplified or spoken slowly (Harmer, 2007, pp. 273). In the case of the chat room, students are likely to find people mainly from Australia, where English is the official language. There, they can chat in English by chatting with different people at the same time so that interactions occur in real time. The Friends Page Management says: “While we welcome everyone here to chat, speaking in a foreign language can confuse other chatters, this is an English-speaking public chatroom only. Please use our Translator or take the conversation to a private chat.” Authentic material which has been carelessly chosen can be extremely demotivating for students since they will not understand it. According to Harmer (2007), instead of encouraging failure, we should let students read and listen to things they can understand. Applying Widdowson’s theory to the unit called “Botellón” might have a more realistic response, in other words, an authentic response because of its relationship with the reality of young people their age expressing ideas, opinions, feelings and expectations. Students are given short excerpts related to people’s opinions regarding the “botellón” 9

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phenomenon, cannabis consumption, and curfew. From our point of view, the short texts are meaningful and easy to understand as they are not different from the core topic of the unit. It reflects the texts were chosen carefully without losing their authenticity. In conclusion, even if some scholars like Graddol (1997) and Lynch (1996) compared to Widdowson (1978) think differently about these two aspects (genuineness and authenticity), it remains as an important issue to be considered not only in reading but also in listening. 5. The issue of simplification of text One aspect of high concern for teachers and material writers is how to present learners materials that can serve a useful purpose. There is a debate between adapting or maintaining texts as they were written or said originally. According to Harris and Ball (n.d.) retaining a text in its original form goes a long way to generating interest and motivation in the classroom. It seems that adapting texts or simplifying them is not advisable. Grellet (1981) contends that simplifying a text often results in increased difficulty. When adapting texts, we can miss important information that makes part of a whole message or communicative intention. Harries and Ball (n.d.) suggest the guiding principles at the present regarding the authenticity of texts seems to be a practical balance between usage and use. It is worth to make a distinction between usage and use: the first is the extent to which the language user demonstrates his/her knowledge of linguistic rules, while the second is the extent to which these rules are used for effective communication (Widdowson, 1978). If we analyze both coursebook units, the texts and excerpts they present seem natural and genuine. In the unit of “Bachillerato Made Easy”, the reading passage presents some pieces of advice regarding making and keeping friends; it is a topic that might be familiar to students, easy to tackle. In the unit of “Botellón”, there is a video where some women are discussing about the Iraq War. The reading and the debate are not adapted but they are presented as if they were pieces of advice someone would give regarding friendship and as a debate carried out live on TV.

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In the process of presenting the texts as original, Harmer (2007) claims that it is vital for students to get practice in dealing with written and speech where they miss quite a few words but are still able to extract the general meaning. Also, the text must go with tasks that are well-designed and help students understand it better, rather than showing them how little they know. Widdowson’s (1978) contribution on the debate of adapting or not original texts is remarkable as well. He states that we may decide to adapt the text to the level of our students, or we may decide to leave it as the original; not adapting the text would make it genuine, however, a genuine text is not necessarily better than an adapted text. What matters, according to this author, is the response the reader brings to the text. If the reader can respond as he/she would in real life, then it is called an “authentic response”. 6. The learning/practice of grammar Brown (2007) claims that appropriate grammar-focusing techniques are embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts, and contribute positively to communicative goals. In the coursebook unit of “Bachillerato Made Easy” we can see that grammar is taught deductively because it is presented in a section called grammar where we can find reported speech and later, it shows a chart called optional grammar. In the unit of “Botellon”, grammar is taught inductively. In the section of “diplomatic on discussion” it says: you might have noticed that the speakers in the Town Hall meeting are very diplomatic when responding to each other opinions; and then, there is an example that highlights the words: suppose, could and but. In most contexts, an inductive approach is more appropriate because it allows students to get a communicative “feel” for some aspect of language before possibly being overwhelmed by grammatical explanations. Also, according to Brown (2007) it builds more intrinsic motivation by allowing students to discover rules rather than being told them. Yet, both inductive and deductive approaches can be useful, depending on the context and purpose of instruction. There is an interesting aspect in the coursebook unit of “Bachillerato Made Easy” called “Error analysis”. When dealing with grammar, incidental focus on form is valuable in that it treats errors that occur while learners are engaged in meaningful communication 11

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(Brown, 2007, pp- 421). Sometimes, learners are corrected in the very moment they are speaking, but they are neither aware of the mistake they did neither have they a valid explanation of such an error. Then, that opportunity to analyze errors lead students to correct them by themselves (sometimes with the help of the teacher or other classmates) and to get a grammatical explanation (the one provided in brackets in the “error analysis” section in the coursebook unit of “Bachillerato Made Easy”. 7. The types of production required The coursebook unit in “Bachillerato Made Easy” requires several activities. The first one is a speaking activity when students discuss in groups some statements related to the topic of the unit: Friends. After this drilling or warming up activity, students practice some receptive skills and some aspects of grammar and vocabulary. Before ending the unit, students are required to write an essay in the writing section by following the steps explained on page 66. Finally, in small groups, students must read and discuss about a situation proposed and make suggestions on similar situations and their reactions. A remarkable difference between both units is that “Bachillerato Made Easy” presents all the activities under clear headings depending on the focus of the activity. Thus, it spits up vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Contrary to what happens in the coursebook unit “Botellón”. Activities are divided into four main categories: introduction, points of view, discussion language and final task. 8. The variety of activities Several activities are proposed in both units. The unit of the book “Bachillerato Made Easy” includes activities to practice the four communicative skills: listening, writing, reading and speaking as well as activities to practice grammar and vocabulary. Some practice activities such as: matching, ordering, translating, selecting true or false are proposed in the reading section. Yet, in the vocabulary section students are asked to look for synonyms, review previous vocabulary, and find specific vocabulary in a text. To practice grammar, students must rewrite the sentences given and answer some questions, express coincidence and non-coincidence with the statements proposed, analyze grammatical errors.

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In the coursebook unit “Botellón” activities are divided into four main sections as mentioned before. In the introductory part students are asked to discuss the basic issues and factors of the botellón phenomenon. To explain their points of view, they must infer some author’s opinion, identify language features and arguments, agree and disagree, and identify pros and cons of a message. The discussion language section involves refuting and confirming, watching debates and comparing, and listening to information related to the main topic. The final task is checking, organizing and assessing a discussion. 9. Unit preference The issue of preference is not quite easy to answer due to the kind of approach the teacher is used to, the kind of objectives s/he is looking for or the type of skill s/he wants to favor over the others for course or student’s requirements. Especially in these two units, we can observe how they try to integrate as much as they can the four skills, that is already remarkable, but if we want to focus on skills and a little on form, because we consider it is vital for correctness and accuracy, “Bachillerato Made Easy” will be our choice, however if we prefer students to freely communicate without form “constraints” and encourage critical thinking we will obviously opt for “Botellón”. Grammar and vocabulary play an essential role in communication therefore a lot of teachers devote a great deal of time on them but unfortunately, they cannot assure success in interaction, that is why all skills should be learned in an integrated way like in real life without diminishing the role other factors play.

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Conclusion

Integration of skills is a process we often consider implied in the activities we constantly do in our classes but thinking it over we could be incurring in segregation if we do not take it seriously, it is by far a procedure we cannot do without at least all the time because skills complement each other. When we were asked to analyze the two units exhaustively mentioned before, we carefully observed similarities like the exploitation of the four skills or the selection of attractive topics for young people and, also remarkable differences like the approach on grammar, vocabulary or the skills themselves, such variances let us enrich our knowledge and ability to better combine activities while dealing with listening, speaking, writing and reading. All the aspects referenced in the introduction were discussed and supported using scholarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opinions relevant to the topic as well as the material found in Developing Language Skills in the Classroom.

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References Ball, P., Gassó, E., Palacios, I. (n.d). Individual Factors in the Learner's Development. Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana – FUNIBER. Brown, H. (2007). Teaching by Principles. San Francisco State University: Pearson Longman. Grellet, F. (1981). Developing Reading Skills. In Harris, T. & Ball, P. (n.d.) Developing language skills in the classroom. Funiber. Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching. (4th ed.). China: Pearson Longman Education. Harris, T. & Ball, P. (n.d). Developing Language Skills in the Classroom. Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana – FUNIBER. Lynch, T. (1996). Communication in the Language Classroom. Oxford University Press. Oxford. Oxford, R. (2001). Integrated Skills in the ESL/EFL Classroom. Eric Journal. Vol 6, N° 1. Retrieved from: http://www.cal.org/content/download/1543/16328/file/IntegratedSkillsintheESLE FLClassroom.pdf Widdowson, H.G. (1978). Teaching language as communication. In Harris, T. & Ball, P. (n.d.) Developing language skills in the classroom. Funiber.

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Appendices Bachillerato Made Easy sample 1

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Bachillerato Made Easy sample 2

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Botellรณn sample 1

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Botellรณn sample 2