Listening and Reading

THE SKILLS - INTRODUCTION

At the end of this module you will:

• be able to identify a range of skills needed for successful reading
• know ways of training learners to develop those skills
• understand why learners have difficulty with listening
• be able to help students to develop listening skills
• begin to be aware of how a skills lesson is put together

There are 4 primary language skills, usually referred to as: speaking, listening, reading and writing. It is important to distinguish between them (though they are very much interlinked in many situations) as they demand different abilities, eg giving a speech requires a different skill from understanding what you hear when someone else gives a speech, or to presenting the information in the speech in written form or to reading what someone else has written on the subject. All these four skills must be included in a general English teaching syllabus.

There are courses in English for Specific Purposes, which need to be heavily weighted in one or two of the skills eg courses for telephone operators teach more listening and speaking. However, even courses as specific as that need a certain amount of the other skills - a telephonist may need to read a memo, or leave a written message for someone, thus needing the skills of reading and writing.

There are further sound reasons for including all the four skills in the syllabus and often in a single lesson:

1. People get tired after a certain period of activity, they need a rest or change of activity - the saying - 'A change is as good as a rest' certainly applies to the language classroom.
2. In any group there will be several different styles of learner. For example while some adults need to write what they learn in oral practice because they get comfort from the written word, others will not need to see the written word. If you give the class the chance to hear and say and see and write a piece of language you will be catering for all styles of learner.