Integrating skills in the language classroom Peter Lucantoni

Peter Lucantoni Started teaching in 1979 in UK, MA TESOL University of Edinburgh, lived and worked in Europe and Middle East, now based in Cyprus Author, Educational Consultant & Teacher Trainer for Cambridge University Press Cambridge TKT, CELTYL, CELTA & DELTA trainer and Cambridge CELTYL assessor Examiner for Cambridge ESOL speaking examinations

Workshop overview What does integrated mean? What are skills, language skills and sub-skills? What does integrating skills mean? How can we integrate language skills in the classroom? Conclusions 3 3

What does integrated mean? When we integrate things, they combine, or work together to make something more effective An integrated system or organisation combines different groups or ideas in a way that works well

What does integrated mean? The teeth on a zip fastener need to combine in order for it to become effective Equally true is that language skills need to combine, to be integrated, in order for communication to become effective

What are skills? Try not to think about ELT! Discuss and try to agree on a definition.

What are skills? The ability to do something well needs to continue to be consolidated and practised or we can easily lose our skill If Rooney stopped practising, would he continue to be a skilled footballer? And what about the pianist and carpenter?

What are skills? People who have a skill demonstrate the ability to do something well – a skilled footballer scores goals, a skilled pianist plays well, a skilled carpenter makes beautiful furniture

What are skills? We are not necessarily born with the skill to do something Usually, skills are developed during life –Rooney, the pianist and the carpenter all needed plenty of lessons and practice before they became skilled

Language skills and sub-skills To be completely effective in a language we need to be competent in the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as in thinking about language Look at Units 2 and 11. Find examples of all the language skills discussed here

Language skills and sub-skills However, being skilled in a language necessitates also having good language sub-skills What are sub-skills? Why are sub-skills important, and when do we use them?

Language skills and sub-skills People who use a language employ a number of sub-skills, or strategies Sub-skills are chosen depending on the task to be completed

Language sub-skills skimming note- taking analysing for details presenting

Language sub-skills Skimming: WHY? note-taking: WHY? analysing: WHY? for details: WHY? presenting: WHY?

Language sub-skills A language learner’s proficiency in the various sub-skills will be different; furthermore, every learner’s needs in each sub-skill will be different from the next learner’s needs

Language sub-skills One of our roles as teachers of E2L is to help learners to develop those skills and sub-skills which they are weak in need for a particular purpose Also, we need to help them identify which sub-skills are most appropriate for a particular task

Language sub-skills Look again at Units 2 and 11. How many examples of sub-skills practice can you find? Make a list. Look at these examples: Unit 2 Page 19 Exercise 3 – listening for gist; Unit 11 Page 89 Exercise 3 – proof- reading writing Compare your lists. Same or different?

Language sub-skills So, learners need to be able to identify which sub-skills are required for a task, & then to implement them Outside the classroom, this happens automatically: people ‘are able to select those sub-skills that are most important to their task’ (Harmer, 1991)

Language sub-skills But language learners need to be trained to identify & apply sub-skills, & they need practice & consolidation, in the same way that Rooney does

Integrating skills ‘The learner must develop skills and strategies for using language to communicate meanings as effectively as possible’ (Littlewood, 2001)

Integrating skills What does integrating skills mean? ‘Language skills are integrated; they ‘cooperate’ with each other’ (Lucantoni, 2002) ‘Language users employ a combination of skills at the same time’ (Harmer, 1991)

goal integrated communicative language competence Integrating skills goal integrated communicative language competence Confidence and independence need to be built and developed in using language in ‘real’ ………. situations While language and grammar are important, communicative ………. should be our ………. And of course an ………. approach to language teaching & learning will find room for focusing on specific areas of ………. where necessary

Integrating skills Confidence and independence need to be built and developed in using language in ‘real’ communicative situations While language and grammar are important, communicative competence should be our goal

Integrating skills And of course an integrated approach to language teaching & learning will find room for focusing on specific areas of language where necessary (eg, lexis, grammar)

Integrating skills Choose an authentic text and think of one of your classes for which you think the content and level would be appropriate Design an integrated skills lesson using the text and your ideas from this workshop

Workshop review What does integrated mean? What are skills, language skills and sub-skills? What does integrating skills mean? How can we integrate language skills in the classroom? Conclusions 26 26

Lucantoni, P, Teaching & Assessing Skills in E2L, Cambridge University Press 2002 Harmer, J, The Practice of English Language Teaching, Longman 1991 Littlewood, W, Communicative Language Teaching, Cambridge University Press 2001 Oxford, R, Integrated Skills in the EFL/ESL Classroom, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pric/is_/ai_3410705918 180408 Oxford, R, Language learning strategies. What every teacher should know, Heinle & Heinle 1990 Nunan , D, Designing tasks for the communicative classroom, Cambridge University Press1989 Tanner & Green, Tasks for Teacher Education,, Longman 1998] Bibliography

Any questions?

peter@cup-training.org 29