How to learn language skills and components successfully

YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA 1

HOW TO LEARN LANGUAGE SKILLS AND COMPONENTS MORE SUCCESSFULLY

LA SALLE UNIVERSITY – SCHOOL OF EDUCATION SCIENCESBA IN SPANISH, ENGLISH, AND FRENCH

YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO – BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA

2/16/2017


LISTENING

LISTENING IS AN ACTIVE, PURPOSEFUL PROCESS OF MAKING SENSE OF WHAT WE HEAR.

Principles Expose yourself to different ways of processing information: bottom-up (knowledge of sounds,

vocabulary, and grammar) and top-down (background knowledge from life experiences in general or given situations in particular).

Expose students to different types of listening: listening for the gist or global message, listening for specific information, making inferences, etc.

Work with a variety of tasks (choosing the correct answer, numbering pictures, checking true or false, etc.)

Consider text, difficulty, and authenticity (textbook audios, real spoken language, academic situations, simulations, etc.). 2/16/2017


LISTENING

LISTENING IS AN ACTIVE, PURPOSEFUL PROCESS OF MAKING SENSE OF WHAT WE HEAR.

Strategies

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LISTENING

HTTP://WWW.ESL-LAB.COM/

READING

AN ABILITY TO READ AT AN APPROPRIATE RATE WITH ADEQUATE COMPREHENSION.

Principles Use your background knowledge about the topic, the situation, the people involved, etc.

Build a strong vocabulary base (basic vocabulary, everyday expressions, informal phrases, etc.).

Use reading strategies: scanning, skimming, predicting, and identifying main ideas.

Read for comprehension (make predictions, make inferences, question the author, verify your understanding, etc.)

Work on increasing reading rate (spending a proper amount of time when analyzing and synthesizing the content).

Automatize reading: Move from conscious strategies to unconscious skills. 2/16/2017YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA 5

READING

AN ABILITY TO READ AT AN APPROPRIATE RATE WITH ADEQUATE COMPREHENSION.

Techniques

Activate prior knowledge. Think about what you already know about the topic.

Cultivate vocabulary. Use word webs, pictionaries, personal dictionaries, etc.

Verify reading strategies. Use think-aloud protocols about what you do and how you do it.

Evaluate progress. Use reading journals or reading charts. 2/16/2017YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA 6

READING

HTTP://WWW.BREAKINGNEWSENGLISH.COM/


WRITING

A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACT TO EXPRESS AND IMPRESS.

Principles Understand reasons for writing: what is the purpose and who is the audience?

Look for different opportunities for you to write different texts.

Know what kind of text you need to compose: formality, extension, norms, etc. 2/16/2017

WRITING

A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACT TO EXPRESS AND IMPRESS.

Techniques

Use Invention techniques: 1. brainstorming (list ideas related to the topic), 2. word-mapping (draw relationships among concepts), and 3. quick-writing (let ideas and words come out without concern for spelling, grammar, or punctuation).

When writing: 1. Drafting (make first version of a text), 2. Feedback (get opinions about the first version), and 3. Revising (reorganize and/or develop ideas better).

At the end: Proofreading (check grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and editing (make final adjustments).

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WRITING

HTTP://WWW.AUTOENGLISH.ORG/WRITING.HTM

SPEAKING IT IS A PRODUCTIVE ORAL SKILL TO GIVE AND RECEIVE INFORMATION IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS.

Principles

Be aware of the differences between second language (English is spoken everywhere) and foreign language contexts (English is spoken only in class).

Practice with both fluency (confidence and pace) and accuracy (correctness and structure).

Seek opportunities to talk by using group work or pair work. Learn to negotiate for meaning (checking to see if you have understood what

someone has said, clarifying your understanding, and confirming that someone has understood your meaning.)

Practice with both transactional (communicating to get something done, e.g. exchange of goods and/or services) and interactional speaking (communicating for social purposes). 2/16/2017YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA 11

SPEAKING IT IS A PRODUCTIVE ORAL SKILL TO GIVE AND RECEIVE INFORMATION IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS. Strategies

Information gap: People give and receive information they do not know or have. Jigsaw activities: People have different pieces of information of the same text or

activity and they need to exchange it in order to have the complete picture.

Role-plays: People assume particular roles in the target language.

Simulations: People use props and documents to practice language in a more realistic environment.

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SPEAKING HTTP://ELLLO.ORG/

GRAMMAR BEING ABLE TO SPECIFY THE CORRECT ORDERING OF WORDS AT THE SENTENCE OR TEXTUAL LEVEL.

Principles

Integrate both inductive (working out the principle or rule by yourself) and deductive (receiving explanations or examples) methods into your learning.

Practice with activities that make clear the connection between grammatical form and communicative function.

Focus on the development of knowing how to use grammar instead of knowing how to describe it.


GRAMMAR BEING ABLE TO SPECIFY THE CORRECT ORDERING OF WORDS AT THE SENTENCE OR TEXTUAL LEVEL.

Techniques Reproductive techniques (you basically reproduce models in textbook exercises,

grammar books, websites, etc.)

Creative techniques (you have the freedom to use a range of structures to express their meanings).

Input enhancement (techniques to notice the grammar: highlighting, bolding, capitalizing, circling, etc.)

Consciousness-raising (you learn to identity particular grammatical features, e.g. verb tenses, word endings, question formation, etc.)


GRAMMAR

HTTP://A4ESL.ORG/Q/H/GRAMMAR.HTML

PRONUNCIATION

BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND BE UNDERSTOOD WITH RELATIVE EASE.

Principles

Foster intelligibility during spontaneous speech (worry about meaningful communication instead of perfect sounds or accent).

Know how to work with affective considerations (anxiety, self-image, etc.)

Do not focus on individual sounds in isolation. Instead, pay attention to stress and intonation.


PRONUNCIATION

BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND BE UNDERSTOOD WITH RELATIVE EASE.

Techniques

Contextualized minimal pairs with pictures or situations.

Gadgets and props (rubber bands, plastic sheets, kazoos, whistles, etc.)

Slow motion speaking.

Tracking (Say the words presented in a song or video concurrent with the voices one is listening to.)


PRONUNCIATION

RACHEL’S ENGLISH

VOCABULARY

BEING ABLE TO PUT WORDS TOGETHER QUICKLY IN TYPICAL COMBINATIONS.

Principles

Focus on the most useful vocabulary first (High frequency words first).

Focus on the vocabulary in the most appropriate way (Using word parts, guessing from context, using word cards, and using dictionaries).

Reflect on and take responsibility for learning (Have personal dictionary, use individual assessment, make use of online resources, etc.).


VOCABULARY

BEING ABLE TO PUT WORDS TOGETHER QUICKLY IN TYPICAL COMBINATIONS.

Techniques Meaning-focused input activities (read graded readers, do regular silent extensive

reading, note unfamiliar words, preview readings, reflect on new vocabulary, etc.)

Deliberate learning activities (Understand the meaning and use of new words, learn prefixes and suffixes, study vocabulary on bilingual word cards, practice spelling rules, build word families, do cloze exercises with missing words you studied recently studied, etc.)

Meaning-focused output activities (Produce spoken or written messages).

Fluency activities (These involve receiving or producing easy messages with pressure to go faster). 2/16/2017YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA 21

VOCABULARY

HTTP://A4ESL.ORG/Q/H/VOCABULARY.HTML

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OTHER WEBSITESHTTP://LEARNENGLISH.BRITISHCOUNCIL.ORG/EN/



OTHER WEBSITESHTTP://WWW.ESLVIDEO.COM/

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OTHER WEBSITESHTTP://WWW.REAL-ENGLISH.COM/


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OTHER WEBSITESHTTP://WWW.ESLFLOW.COM/


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OTHER WEBSITESHTTP://WWW.MYENGLISHPAGES.COM/

YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA

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OTHER WEBSITESHTTP://WWW.ESLGOLD.COM/

YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA

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OTHER WEBSITESHTTP://WWW.EXAMENGLISH.COM


REFERENCES Anderson, N. (2003). Reading. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp.

67-86). USA: McGraw Hill. Bailey, K. (2003). Speaking. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 47-

66). USA: McGraw Hill. Helgesen, M. (2003). Listening. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp.

23-46). USA: McGraw Hill. Murphy, J. (2003). Pronunciation. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching

(pp. 111-128). USA: McGraw Hill. Nation, I.S.P. (2003). Vocabulary. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp.

129-152). USA: McGraw Hill. Nunan, D. (2003). Grmmar. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp.153-

177). USA: McGraw Hill. Sokokik, M. (2003). Writing. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 87-

110). USA: McGraw Hill. 2/16/2017YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO - BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA 30

Education

How to learn language skills and components successfully