3. Language
What is a language? Language is a tool we
use to communicate with other people. We
encode what we want to say using language
which is made u p of a range of components.
4. We interact with
different people for
different reasons in
different situations in
different situations.
There is a wide range
of expressions that
perform certain
‘functions’, i.e. the
things we do with
language, for
example, there are
general functions such
as thanking, asking for
information, inviting,
suggesting, greeting,
agreeing, and so on.
5. Language users need to make
choices about the language they
choose to communicate with. This
choice is very limited in the early
stages of learning a language.
In some languages, the relationship
between the speaker and listener is
reflected in the grammar.
6. We can divide language activities in the
classroom into two categories—introducing
language and using language that has already
been encountered. As learners progress,
they will constantly meet language for the
first time, sometimes inside the classroom,
sometimes outside.
7. There are many ways of helping learners
understand the meaning of a word or
phrase. For example, with a word like
‘job’ we can:
translate the word from English into the
L1
give the learners examples of types of
jobs, for example, by providing pictures
of people doing different jobs.
8. It is important for the language teacher to
know as much as possible about the language
that they are teaching. The language system
is complex and learners need to be guided
through it. They will often come across
language for the first time which they will
need to incorporate into their own language
system.
9. The Grammar-Translation Method
Background: The method itself came
from the way individual learners
studied classical languages such as
Greek and Latin. This was done
mainly by studying the grammar in
detail and translating texts from the
original into the learners’ language.
10. Sentences and longer
texts are translated
both to and from the
learners’ first
language. Little or no
attention is paid to
the ability to speak or
communicate.
Grammar rules are
given a lot of
attention, especially
word endings and
sentence formation.
11. CLT started in the late 1960s and continues
to evolve. It is not actually a method but an
approach to teaching based on the view that
learning a language means learning how to
communicate effectively in the world outside
the classroom.
12. TBL focuses on the ‘process’ of
communicating by setting learners tasks to
complete using the target language. During
this period, the learners acquire language as
they try to express themselves and
understand others. The tasks can range from
information gap to problem-solving tasks.
13. We listen for a
purpose, but
this purpose can
be very
different
depending on
the situation:
-listening for
specific details
Listening for
general
meaning
Listening for
the general idea
or gist.
14. Learners need to develop the following skills:
Learning to listen in various ways
Adapting the way they listen according to the
test and the reason for listening
Recognizing the features of spoken English
15. The speaking
process:
We speak in many
different types of
situation. For
example:
talking to someone
face to face
talking to someone
on the phone
a learner answering
a question in class
16. Spoken interaction involves two or more
people talking to each other, for example,
one person makes a request and the other
person responds. We call this an exchange.
17. Reading
There are two basic types of texts-authentic
and non-authentic. Examples of authentic
texts are newspaper articles, website pages,
emails, packaging and labels, and so on.
Non-authentic texts are written especially
for learners using imaginary contexts and
simplified vocabulary and sentence
construction.
18. Learners need to develop the following skill:
Learning to read in various ways, for
example, skimming and scanning
Adapting the way they read according to the
text and their reason for reading
19. Writing
When we are writing we have to do
something similar except that we do it with
letters rather than sounds. We put these
together to forms words, phrases, clauses,
and sentences, and put sentences together
to make a coherent text.
20. Spelling causes problems for lots of learners
because there is no one-to-one relationship
between sounds and spelling in Engllish.
21. Learners need to know the basic elements
of punctuation:
Capital letters: for the beginning of a
sentence, place names, and so on.
Full stops: for the end of a sentence
Commas: to mark the ends of phrases and
clauses
Question marks: to signal a question
Apostrophe: to show an abbreviation or
possessive.
22. Learners need to develop the skills of
note taking and record keeping. Note
taking is an essential skill in the
classroom particularly if learners are
going to be studying academically at some
stage. During a lesson the teacher should
always give learners time to make notes,
make sure that whatever they themselves
write on the board is clear and relevant,
and monitor learners’ note taking and give
advice if necessary.
23. Planning
Before we teach a lesson, we need to decide:
What the goals or aims of the lesson are
What resources to use: a coursebook or
textbook, handouts or worksheets, posters,
recorded material, etc.
24. The following guidelines should help to make
progress and achievement tests a positive
experience for your learners.
Test what you have taught.
Test what is useful.
Test all four skills.
Tell your learners ‘when’ and ’what’.