Teaching Language Skills

One of the major activities I provide my English as a Second Language adult students is the opportunity to work with their new language tools in their own offices or homes as homework.

Even the brand-new-to-English students can write a basic two word sentence: "I run." I ask my students to use the sentence structure that we have in our curriculum books, in which there are several examples. If all else fails, I've had a few students take nearly all the words from the written example and re-write it with a different verb or different person (1st, 2nd, 3rd, singular or plural) so that not only are they working with the sentence structures, but with grammar concepts too. That's what I do with the Beginners!

I expect Intermediate students to come up with their own sentences, and then dissect them in class with me -- what is right or why not. The first two levels of Advanced students actually have to write paragraphs for homework. But they write about tangible articles, not abstract concepts. The last Advanced level writes about abstract concepts.

We prepare a LOT of examples verbally before we even get into our books. I use whiteboards, drawings, and pantomime, whatever to get meanings across. In fact, there is often so much laughter coming from our classrooms that other people in the offices will poke their heads in to find out what is happening. I may start bringing a few items with me, if they're light enough; perhaps I can bring a piece of twine, or a thumbtack. My dang books weigh over 20 lbs. for my daily commute as it is, so I don't really like the concept of more weight!

So, if I, as an ESL teacher, can come up with a specific plan to teach all four aspects of language learning to beginners through to advanced adult students, why can't school boards write curricula which will include the same for our children? The concepts are: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Teaching all four at once may seem complicated, but they are simple because they work together and assist in the interweaving of the language skills.

We have to get in there, play with words, get a little nitty gritty dirty, have fun, and WORK with language: any teacher will tell you that students learn better when different teaching modalities are used.

C'mon, politicians: municipal, state, province, and federal: let's get our acts together so that our young people can learn how to communicate properly.

As I used to state to my students back at the U of C:

"It is counter-productive to have a fabulous idea if you cannot TALK about it, WRITE about it and DEFEND it. Grants, money and research possibilities only open up for those people who communicate their ideas clearly."

We humans need to communicate with each other, and we use language to do so. Yes, if languages are not the same amongst those talking, other means can be found to get ideas across to each other. However, no matter the language we teach, we need a proper plan to be successful. The ability to communicate well with others contributes to information exchange and the understanding between cultures.

Whatever will happen to our young people if they don't learn basic communication skills?

Whatever will happen to our countries if people no longer know how to clearly communicate ideas both in written and verbal form?

Aaaaagh!