Oxford - Integrated Skills

ne of my favorite images for teaching ESL/EFL is that of a tapestry. The tapestry is woven from many strands auch asthe characteristics of the teacher (e.g., personality, teaching style, beliefs about language leaning, and prior experience), the leamer (e.g, personality, leaning style, language learning beliefs, and prior experience), the setting (ecg., available resources, institu- tional values, and cultural back- ground), and the relevant languages (eg. ESL or EFL, as well as the native language of the learner and that of the teacher). For the instructional oom to produce a large, strong, beautiful, colorful tapestry, the just-mentioned strands must be interwoven in positive ways. For instance, the instructor's teaching style must address the leaning style ‘of the leamer, the leamer must be motivated, and the setting must pro- vide resources and values that strong- ly support the teaching of the language. However, ifthe strands are not woven together effectively, the inst- uctional loom is likely to produce something small, weak, ragged, pale and not recognizable as a tapestry at all. Besides the four strands mentioned above—teacher, leamer, setting, and relevant languages—other important strands exist in the tapestry. Ina practical sense, one of the most crucial of these strands consists of the four primary skills of listening, read~ ing, speaking and writing. The strand also includes associated or related skills such as knowledge of vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, syntax, meaning and usage. Optimal ESL communication is present when all the skills are interwoven during instruction. Tho Idea of Language-as-Skills Literacy—as well as language itself — is sometimes viewed as a set of skills. According to Barton (1994), the skill image is a well-known, school-based metaphor. In this metaphor, “these skills are ordered into a set of logical variable which can be measured and assessed. Skills are treated as things which people own or possess; some are tranoforable.n, some aro not. Learning to read becomes a technical problem, and the successful reader is a skilled reader. As a school-based definition of literacy, this view is very powerful, and it is one which spills over into the rest of society." (pp. 11-12) ‘Although I adopt some parts of the Janguage-as-skills idea, I reject others. For instance, I agree that it is possible to assess the language skills (see, e.g., O°Malley & Valdez Pierce, 1996). However, I do not think that the language-as-skills concept necessarily implies that language skills are divisible into clearly defined stages that should be taught in a particular order. Likewise, I do not think that learning to read (or to use Janguage in general) is ‘merely a technical problem, nor that a skill is something that one “possesses” like a baseball glove or a TV. Instead, I view the main skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) and the associated Lear more about the various ways to integrate language skills in the classroom (e.g., content-based, task- based, or a combination). P Reflect on your current approach 19and evaluate the extent to which the Reraaces Skil are integrated Be 4 Le tt P Choose instructional materials, neues textbooks and technologies that pro: Smonansy, ©. 1387, Coneares tmewse | MA TTA mote the integration of listening, Chamos, AU. & O'Malley, JM. 1994, The CALLA reading, speaking and wring aswell foamed naomi i.e Cals | MPL as the associated skills of syntax, Language Leaming Approach. Reading, MA: Addison vocabulary and so on. a Ute . Crandall, J. (Ed.) 1987. ESL through content-area > Even if a given course is labeled fnaructon: Maemans, science Stodal mudice according to just one skill, remember Englewood Cis, NI: Prentice Hall that itis possible to integrate the other Mohan, B. 1986. Language and content. Reading, + Teinity Cert TESOL to begin your language skills through appropriate MA-Atison West. y Bin ye aoe eee Navan, D. 1989. Designing tasks for she communica. | career (F/T & P/T in Barcelona or te clanyoom. Cambeige. UK! Canbesiee | Rome) > Teach language learning strategies Unversity Prem ‘om: and emphasize that a given strategy O'Malley, 1M. & Valdes Pierce, L. 196. Auhemic | - London Chamber of Commerce Sane ane® PeFformance In crrchesfor deers. New ork Adios Waigy, | Cett TEBESOL to specialize in smuliple skills Orford, R 1990 Language leaning sraenes: Whar | teaching Business English (2 weeks With careful reflection and plan- Sir cach shoud hm Bowen ac ticnte'& | EFT in Barcelona). ning, any teacher can integraie the Heinle - language skills and. strengthen the Oxf, R. (E), 1996, Language teaming svareies | ~'Teinity Licentiate Diploma TESOL tapestry of language teaching and Sfmt (tent gr Hamar ara! erect“. | to develop your career (distance | teaming. pein) a encl Sh eftecr Oxford R (Ed). 2000, Tapestry Program: (2nd ed) learning), Well. leamers can use English effec- (Srey of ESL textbooks Bowen Henle & Hele. | - Algeady fully qualified? Looking ively for communication, Orford, R. & Seaclla, R 19921988. Tapers | 5 ee Program (ised) Boston Heinle & Heine for a jot nb ford, Fld. As direclor pergoy. SF. & Boye, OF 200, Reading. wring ‘of Second Language Education at the and learning in ESL.’ New York: Addison Wesley A dati ided f University of MD. In addition to other ongmsn ~ Accommodation provided for works, she edited the ESL textbook — Scucells, R.& Oxford, R. 1992. The pest of. | all-time courses. series Tapestry Program (Oxford & sins arin: Th nda in te commune © +3493 3220200 Searcella, 1992-1995; Oxford, 2000) © twsol@next-traninges ind couuthored The tapestey. or Trey: R. ReaSece, 3, & Dishnt E.(Ed). 1999 i honed Te Tapestry Of pandung snares ad pracices A compendia. (Sth Rocafort, 241-243 6°5* Language Learning: The Individual in S3}\ Benton Allyn 8 Hocon (08029 BARCELONA (SPAIN) the" Communicative | Classroom Vacca, 8. & Vascs. J 1993. Contensarea reading. (Scarcella & Oxford, 1992). (dived). New York: HarperCollins, Empower Your Students for Academic Success with the Tapestry series! Find out more and see how Tapestry enone http://tapestry.heinle.com Contact your * Free Sample Request Forms * Sample Chapters Heinle & Heinle Specialist * Web Activities * Tables of Contents or visit our web site + An interview with Rebecca Oxford http://tapestry.heinle.com 1-877-NEED ESL HEINLE & HEINLE —+—___- THOMSON LEARNING 20 Park Plaza Boston, MA 02116 Rebecca Oxford, Series Editor 2 © ESL MAGAZINE # JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003 ~

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