DEVELOPING SKILLS IN DEVELOPING SKILLS IN ENGLISHENGLISH

Listening SkillsListening Skills

• What kind of skill is ListeningWhat kind of skill is Listening??

Listening SkillsListening Skills

• Receptive not ProductiveReceptive not Productive

Listening SkillsListening Skills

• Why is this skill importantWhy is this skill important??

Listening SkillsListening Skills

• Students need to listen with Students need to listen with understanding to spoken English understanding to spoken English both inside and outside the both inside and outside the classroom.classroom.

Listening SkillsListening Skills

• Students can develop speaking skills Students can develop speaking skills only if they develop listening skills.only if they develop listening skills.

Listening SkillsListening Skills

• Can we identify all those activities Can we identify all those activities where the students need to use where the students need to use listening skills?listening skills?

Listening inside the Listening inside the classroomclassroom

• Directions/instructions Directions/instructions • LecturesLectures• DiscussionsDiscussions• Talks Talks • DialoguesDialogues• StoriesStories• Information in other subjectsInformation in other subjects• DescriptionsDescriptions

Listening outside the Listening outside the class roomclass room

• News broadcastNews broadcast• Telephone conversationsTelephone conversations• Enquiries/meeting a strangerEnquiries/meeting a stranger• Folk songsFolk songs• AdvertisementsAdvertisements• InterviewsInterviews

Activity 1 Activity 1

• Introduction 1Introduction 1• Listening without purpose and Listening without purpose and

without concentration – chatting to a without concentration – chatting to a friend, listening to a radio.friend, listening to a radio.

• What kind of listening is expected in What kind of listening is expected in a classroom?a classroom?

Activity 2Activity 2

Introduction 2Introduction 2

FocussedFocussed listening – listening – • drawing students’ attention to drawing students’ attention to

something specific to listen forsomething specific to listen for• reason to listen is givenreason to listen is given• teacher helps the students to listen teacher helps the students to listen

by leading them towards the main by leading them towards the main pointspoints

Activity 3Activity 3

• Lost My WayLost My Way• The teacher asks one student to come The teacher asks one student to come

out and stand at the front. Why?out and stand at the front. Why?• Before going to the listening exercise, Before going to the listening exercise,

she checks that the students know the she checks that the students know the places on the map and prepositions places on the map and prepositions like near, etc. Why? like near, etc. Why?

• What skill is being cultivated along What skill is being cultivated along with listening skill?with listening skill?

Extensive ListeningExtensive Listening

• general information, main points general information, main points givengiven

• students do not understand every students do not understand every wordword

• ability to predict what comes nextability to predict what comes next• people’s attitudes and opinionspeople’s attitudes and opinions

Intensive ListeningIntensive Listening

• specific information, particular items specific information, particular items to be notedto be noted

• organization of ideasorganization of ideas• sequence of eventssequence of events• lexical itemslexical items• structural items – their uses and structural items – their uses and

meaningmeaning• functional items – their forms and usesfunctional items – their forms and uses

Intensive ListeningIntensive Listening• if there is dialogue, bring in two different if there is dialogue, bring in two different

voices for the different speakersvoices for the different speakers• break the passage or dialogue into 2.3 or 4 break the passage or dialogue into 2.3 or 4

chunks each of which stops at a sensible point chunks each of which stops at a sensible point • isolate the more difficult sentences after isolate the more difficult sentences after

which you may want to leave a longer pause which you may want to leave a longer pause to give students some thinking and catching to give students some thinking and catching timetime

• mark in the margins places where you could mark in the margins places where you could vary things like volume of voice, speed of vary things like volume of voice, speed of delivery, quality of voice, expression; also delivery, quality of voice, expression; also places where you might have to mime or act places where you might have to mime or act or refer to a visual to make it clearer.or refer to a visual to make it clearer.

Why questions during Why questions during presentation of listening presentation of listening

material?material?

Two sign-post questions Two sign-post questions to promote purposeful to promote purposeful

listeninglistening

General comprehension General comprehension questions including one or questions including one or two very easy ones to check two very easy ones to check

whether students have whether students have grasped the main ideasgrasped the main ideas

More specific questions More specific questions to be answered after a to be answered after a second hearing of the second hearing of the

passage.passage.

• ..

Some questions to focus Some questions to focus attention on grammatical attention on grammatical

relations, cohesive relations, cohesive devices devices

Some more testing Some more testing questions for the questions for the brighter pupils on brighter pupils on inferred meanings, inferred meanings,

attitudes attitudes

Follow-up questions to Follow-up questions to promote oral work based promote oral work based

on the same topicon the same topic

Allied skills with Allied skills with listeninglistening

•Predicting what is to happen nextPredicting what is to happen next•Guessing at unknown words or Guessing at unknown words or phrases without panickingphrases without panicking•Using one’s knowledge about the Using one’s knowledge about the subject to help one understandsubject to help one understand•Identifying relevant points – Identifying relevant points – rejecting irrelevant informationrejecting irrelevant information•Retaining relevant points -- note Retaining relevant points -- note taking, summarizingtaking, summarizing

• Recognizing discourse markers – Recognizing discourse markers – well, well, ohoh, , another thing is, now, finallyanother thing is, now, finally etc. etc.

• Recognizing cohesive devices – such as, Recognizing cohesive devices – such as, link words like link words like whichwhich, pronouns, , pronouns, referencesreferences

• Understanding different intonation Understanding different intonation pattern, use of stressespattern, use of stresses

• Understanding inferred information – Understanding inferred information – co-speaker’s attitudeco-speaker’s attitude

Activity 4 Identifying Activity 4 Identifying ‘while’ listening and ‘while’ listening and ‘after’ listening tasks‘after’ listening tasksWhile While listening taskslistening tasksa.a. Take notesTake notesb.b. Complete flow-chartsComplete flow-chartsc.c. DrawDrawd.d. Fill in a table Fill in a table e.e. Follow directionsFollow directionsf.f. Write Write

After Listening TasksAfter Listening Tasks

• Discuss for or againstDiscuss for or against• Place in correct orderPlace in correct order• Continue the dialogueContinue the dialogue• True or falseTrue or false• Select a,b,c or dSelect a,b,c or d• Compare or discriminateCompare or discriminate

Reading SkillsReading Skills

Using a reading textUsing a reading text

Teaching basic readingTeaching basic reading

Reading activitiesReading activities

Before you readBefore you read

Here are some statements about reading:Here are some statements about reading:• Silent reading involves looking at a text Silent reading involves looking at a text

and saying the words silently to yourselfand saying the words silently to yourself• There are no major differences between There are no major differences between

how one reads in one’s mother tongue and how one reads in one’s mother tongue and how one reads in a foreign languagehow one reads in a foreign language

• To understand a word, you have to read all To understand a word, you have to read all the letters in it; to understand a sentence, the letters in it; to understand a sentence, you have to read all the words in ityou have to read all the words in it

• The teacher can help students to read a The teacher can help students to read a text by reading it aloud while they follow text by reading it aloud while they follow in their booksin their books

Reading skillsReading skills

The reading process:The reading process:• Reading for meaningReading for meaning• Reading aloudReading aloud

Read why?Read why?

• Read for pleasureRead for pleasure• Read for survivalRead for survival• Read for workRead for work• Read to studyRead to study

Reading for meaningReading for meaning

• Involves looking and understandingInvolves looking and understanding• ‘‘making sense’ of the written textmaking sense’ of the written text• We do not say the words we read, We do not say the words we read,

not even silentlynot even silently• We do not read every letter or wordWe do not read every letter or word

Reading aloudReading aloud• Purpose to understand and to Purpose to understand and to

convey the information to someone convey the information to someone else.else.

• Not an activity we engage outside Not an activity we engage outside the classroomthe classroom

• Involves looking at a text, Involves looking at a text, understanding it and saying itunderstanding it and saying it

A m– was walk --- d—n A m– was walk --- d—n the s----t, c-r----g a the s----t, c-r----g a

g---n ------- g---n -------

Man walking elephant the Man walking elephant the onto reading to helponto reading to help

Basic readingBasic reading

• Eyes take in whole phrases at a timeEyes take in whole phrases at a time• Our eyes do not move from word to Our eyes do not move from word to

word in a straight line, but flip word in a straight line, but flip backwards and forwards over the backwards and forwards over the text. text.

• Attempting one word at a time slows Attempting one word at a time slows down reading and very often we lose down reading and very often we lose the sense. the sense.

Basic readingBasic reading

• School School • ClassClass• StudentStudent• TeacherTeacher

Basic Reading Basic Reading ActivitiesActivities

•Using word cards in Look Using word cards in Look and Say methodand Say method•Using word cards in Look Using word cards in Look and Do methodand Do method•Match sentences with Match sentences with picture; match halves of picture; match halves of sentences together or draw a sentences together or draw a picturepicture

Reading ActivitiesReading Activities

•Picking the odd one outPicking the odd one out

•Focus on the different spellings of the Focus on the different spellings of the

same soundsame sound

Using a reading textUsing a reading text

What is involved in reading a text—What is involved in reading a text—• Does it help in organising reading?Does it help in organising reading?• What can be done before and after reading?What can be done before and after reading?

What is the purpose for which a reading What is the purpose for which a reading text is used?text is used?

• Is it to develop comprehension skills?Is it to develop comprehension skills?• Is it a way of presenting new words and Is it a way of presenting new words and

structures?structures?• Is it a basis for language practice?Is it a basis for language practice?

Two ways of reading a Two ways of reading a texttext

• Teacher reads aloud; students Teacher reads aloud; students follow.follow.

• Students read silently on their own.Students read silently on their own.

ActivityActivity

Comparing the two ways of Comparing the two ways of readingreading

• Understanding the textUnderstanding the text• Developing reading abilityDeveloping reading ability• Control of the classControl of the class

A third way of reading a A third way of reading a text:text:

• students read aloud in turnstudents read aloud in turn• Useful at the early stages; helps them to connect Useful at the early stages; helps them to connect

between sound and spelling.between sound and spelling.• Do all the students participate?Do all the students participate?• Are the students’ attention focussed on Are the students’ attention focussed on

understanding or pronunciation?understanding or pronunciation?• Unnatural as most people do not practice it in Unnatural as most people do not practice it in

everyday life.everyday life.• Takes up a lot of time as students read slowly.Takes up a lot of time as students read slowly.

Activities before readingActivities before reading

• Presenting new words which will Presenting new words which will appear in the textappear in the text

• Giving a brief introduction to the Giving a brief introduction to the texttext

• Giving one or two guiding questions Giving one or two guiding questions for students to think about as they for students to think about as they read.read.

Presenting new wordsPresenting new words

• Identifying words which need to be Identifying words which need to be presented before the text is read; presented before the text is read; the words which would make it very the words which would make it very difficult to understand the text if not difficult to understand the text if not knownknown

• Helping students to guess the Helping students to guess the meanings of words from the context; meanings of words from the context; helps in developing reading skillshelps in developing reading skills

Introducing the textIntroducing the text

• Presenting the themePresenting the theme• To increase their interest and make To increase their interest and make

them want to read the textthem want to read the textEg.Plane crashes in a desert –questions Eg.Plane crashes in a desert –questions

like ‘like ‘which planewhich plane’, ‘’, ‘which desertwhich desert’, ‘’, ‘anyany survivorssurvivors’, ‘’, ‘how did it happenhow did it happen?’, ‘?’, ‘whose whose faultfault?’, ‘?’, ‘was anyone I know involvedwas anyone I know involved?’?’

Students can write 5 questions on the Students can write 5 questions on the title or imagine what the title is going title or imagine what the title is going to highlight. to highlight.

Guiding questionsGuiding questions

• Teachers to identify ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Teachers to identify ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guiding questions; questions to give guiding questions; questions to give the students a the students a reasonreason to read or lead to read or lead them towards the main points of the them towards the main points of the text so that after the first reading text so that after the first reading they should have a general idea of they should have a general idea of what is about. what is about.

Preparing for silent Preparing for silent readingreading

• Activity Activity A doctor who worked in a village was very A doctor who worked in a village was very annoyedannoyed

because many people used to stop him in the street because many people used to stop him in the street and ask his and ask his adviceadvice. In this way, he was never paid . In this way, he was never paid for his for his servicesservices, and he never , and he never managedmanaged to earn to earn much money. He much money. He made up his mindmade up his mind to put an end to to put an end to this. One day he was stopped by a young man who this. One day he was stopped by a young man who said to him, ‘Oh, doctor, I’m so glad to see you. I’ve said to him, ‘Oh, doctor, I’m so glad to see you. I’ve got a got a severesevere pain in my left side.’ The doctor pain in my left side.’ The doctor pretendedpretended to be interested and said, ‘Shut your eyes to be interested and said, ‘Shut your eyes and and stickstick your tongue out of your mouth,’ Then he your tongue out of your mouth,’ Then he went away, leaving the man standing in the street went away, leaving the man standing in the street with his tongue hanging out….. And a large with his tongue hanging out….. And a large crowdcrowd of of people laughing at him.people laughing at him.

Reading activityReading activity

• Write the new words in italics in two lists:Write the new words in italics in two lists: Words presented before reading and words Words presented before reading and words

you could leave for students to guess.you could leave for students to guess.• How would you introduce the text?How would you introduce the text?• Choose two guiding questions from the Choose two guiding questions from the

ones given—ones given—• Was the doctor rich?Was the doctor rich?• Was the doctor unhappy?Was the doctor unhappy?• What was the young man’s problem?What was the young man’s problem?• Where was the young man’s pain?Where was the young man’s pain?• What did the doctor advise?What did the doctor advise?

Follow up activitiesFollow up activities

• Discussion questionsDiscussion questions• Reproducing the text – tell part of Reproducing the text – tell part of

the story using promptsthe story using prompts• RoleplayRoleplay• Gap-fillingGap-filling• Any other Any other