Total Ability: Four Skills of Language

Communication

Troy Witt 19th April 2011

Zvolen

How will the seminar be structured?

• Part A – Theory: An Integration of Skills (20 mins)

• Part B – Methodology: Practice and Assessment of the Four Skills (120 mins)

• Part C – Conclusion: Materials, Summary and Main Points (10 mins)

Part A – Theory: An Integration of Skills

This part of the seminar will…• demonstrate that all 4 language skills

are interwoven and often exist in combination

• show that a student must be competent in all 4 in order to effectively operate in English

Full Integration

* face2face was the first series designed to directly reflect the CEFR, and the Reading & Writing portfolios are directly connected to the ‘task-based learning’ CEFR approach

CEFR face2faceEnglish

UnlimitedIESOL & ISESOL

EBC/SETB

A1 Breakthrough Starter Starter Preliminary

1/AA2

WaystageElementary Elementary Access

B1 Threshold

Pre Intermediat

e

Pre Intermediat

eAchiever

2/B

B2 VantageIntermediat

eIntermediat

eCommunicat

or

C1 EOPUpper

Intermediate

Upper Intermediat

eExpert

3/C

C2 Mastery Advanced Advanced Mastery

Integrated Experiences

Scenario 1: You buy a printer online from www.computerland.cz, but after a few weeks of use you are quite unsatisfied with its performance. You would like to either exchange it for store credit or a full refund. The actual website has some information on its ‘customer service’ page, and there is a telephone number and contact email address.

Scenario 2: You decide try a new restaurant that has recently opened in your neighbourhood. The experience is truly wonderful – service, food, value for money, everything. You are so impressed that you decide to let all your friends know about the place and recommend it to them.

Scenario 3:You’ve been very busy lately and a relaxing beach holiday with your partner and 6-year-old son is just what you need. You visit a small, local travel agent who offers several interesting all-inclusive packages in Cuba. However, the brochure you leave with is quite vague in terms of information, both about the country itself and exactly what the resort offers in terms of services, food, activities, etc.

Scenario 1: What Might You Do?

Read the operation manual sent with the product; the purchase terms and conditions on the website (following instructions, understanding rights/obligations)

Write an email out-lining the nature of the problem; a follow-up email after a conversation with an e-shop staff member (explaining, complaining, confirming)

Speak to the e-shop directly via phone explaining the situation; asking what steps to take to resolve the problem (explaining, complaining, requesting further information)

Listen to the staff member address your complaint after you call (responding, agreeing or disagreeing, justifying, following instructions)

Scenario 2: What Might You Do?

Read the menu; any feedback emails you receive after sending out your recommendation (vocabulary of food/restaurants, acknowledging, thanking)

Write an email to your friends suggesting they visit the restaurant; a letter to the restaurant expressing your satisfaction (recommending, persuading, praising)

Speak to the waiter to order your food; expressing your thoughts re your dining experience; asking more about the establishment (requesting, giving opinions, complimenting, enquiring)

Listen to the waiter respond to your order; respond to your opinion; answer any questions you have (vocabulary of food/restaurants, thanking, processing new information)

Scenario 3: What Might You Do?

Read the travel brochure; an on-line travel forum written by former travellers to the destination (vocabulary of travel and tourism, recommending, suggesting, cautioning)

Write an email to either the travel agent or the resort itself asking for more details (enquiring about specifics, outlining needs or expectations)

Speak to the travel agent outlining what you want; possible holiday packages (requesting information, expressing desires)

Listen the travel agent respond to your request (optioning, proposing, processing details, clarifying)

Part B – Methodology: Practice and Assessment of the Four Skills

This part of the seminar will…• examine different types of skills and

how they may exist in combination• review materials and resources that

help teach and support this integrated-skill approach

• consider how competence and ability in these skills might be assessed

Receptive vs. Productive Skills

Receptive Skills are the ways in which people extract meaning from the language discourse they see or hear.

Productive Skills are the ways in which we establish a language discourse that can be ‘received’ by someone else.

In order for true communication to take place, at least one receptive and one productive skill needs to be used.

reading and listening

speaking and writing

Skill Combinations

speaking

speaking

writing

writingreading

readinglistening

listening

Reading & Writing

• face2face Upper Intermediate WB pg 76 – 77 Reading & Writing Portfolio 7: Including relevant information

• City & Guilds EBC Level 2 (B1-B2) Additional Sample Paper 2, Task 1

A Semi-formal Letter with Information

Reading & Writing

Reading & Writing

Reading & Writing

What do you think?• materials draw on the link between receptive (reading)

and productive (writing) skills• the face2face Reading and Writing Portfolio presents

several genres that contribute the relevant input information, then draws focus to one main task type

• the Portfolio provides a leading example that is reproduced later by the students, as well as focusing on structural elements

• the EBC task requires students to process text and transform it to a written product – thus consolidating the integration of these two skills

Reading & Speaking

• face2face Upper Intermediate WB pg 74 – 75 Reading & Writing Portfolio 6: Describing a place you love

• English Unlimited Upper Intermediate SB pg 34Target Activity: Describe well-know sights to a visitor

• City & Guilds ISESOL Communicator (B2) Sample Paper 1, Part 4

Describing A Place

Reading & Speaking

Reading & Speaking

Reading & Speaking

Reading & Speaking

What do you think?• materials draw on the link between receptive (reading)

and productive (speaking) skills• the face2face Reading and Writing Portfolio focuses on lexis

and structures necessary for the speaking that will follow, illustrated through a solid textual example

• the English Unlimited Target Activity provides a well-structured speaking task, that moves well from closed to open practice

• the ISESOL task requires students to speak in free form using what was learned in the previous activities, and further expand their ideas verbally via follow-up questions

Listening & Writing

• English Unlimited Upper Intermediate SB pg 74Target Activity: Give a factual talk

• face2face Upper Intermediate WB pg 72 – 73 Reading & Writing Portfolio 5: Preparing a presentation

• City & Guilds IESOL Communicator (B2) Sample Paper 1, Listening Part 3

A Presentation

Listening & Writing

Listening & Writing

Listening & Writing

Listening & Writing

What do you think?• materials draw on the link between receptive

(listening) and productive (writing) skills• the English Unlimited Target Activity presents key lexis

through a well-structured listening task, and follows with closed practice of these structures

• the face2face Reading and Writing Portfolio first demonstrates these structures in practice, explores them in greater detail, and finally provides a productive written task for students

• the IESOL listening task requires students process verbal input and reproduce it in written form

Listening & Speaking

• face2face Upper Intermediate SB pg 12-13Real World: Keeping a conversation going

• City & Guilds IESOL Communicator (B2) Sample Paper 1, Listening Part 1

• City & Guilds ISESOL Communicator (B2) Sample Paper 1, Part 2

Social Responses

Listening & Speaking

Listening & Speaking

Listening & Speaking

Listening & Speaking

What do you think?• materials draw on the link between receptive (listening)

and productive (speaking) skills• the face2face Real World module frames the skills through

a natural, realistically conversational listening activity• the module further provides students with a chance to both

explore key lexis and then practice it via spoken role-play• the IESOL task requires students to listen to a scenario

before contributing a natural response (what in reality they would say)

• Following-up with the ISESOL task allows students to consolidate what they’ve learned, again through spoken role-play

Part C – Conclusion: Materials, Summary and Main Points

This part of the seminar will…• introduce some of the key features of

the face2face and English Unlimited course book series’ used in the seminar

• present an overview of the City & Guilds exam suite used as an assessment tool in the seminar

• review and summarize the seminar’s main theoretical and methodological aims

Main Components of face2face• Student´s Book with free CD-ROM• Workbook• Teacher´s Book• Audio CD• DVD• Test-Generator CD-ROM• Classware (to be used with projector, PC

and interactive boards)

Main Features of face2face• Six levels (Starter to Advanced)• Help with Grammar, Help with Vocabulary,

Help with Listening, Help with Fluency• Get Ready.. Get it Right (fluency practice)• Reading & Writing Portfolios• Integrated pronunciation• Interactive Language Summaries• Great photocopiable resources in TB

WHERE CAN ENGLISH TAKE YOU?

What is English Unlimited?• Six-level Adult English course (Starter

to Advanced)• Electronic / online support (E-Portfolio,

DVD-ROMs, Classware)• Goal-based lessons, internationally

accessible and inclusive, genuine natural language

• www.cambridge.org/elt/englishunlimited

And Now, Here’s How!

Core Explore• 2 double-page

lessons• ‘Target Activity’• ‘Look Again’

• ‘Explore Speaking’ & ‘Explore Writing’

• ‘Keyword’• ‘Across

Cultures’• Independent

Learning

• British examining and certification body providing 50% of the UK’s vocational qualifications.

• City & Guilds in ČR organizes exams in English through 35 approved testing centres.

• City & Guilds exams in English General English exams

IESOL (written) + ISESOL (spoken) Business English exams

EBC (written) + SETB (spoken) Exams for Young learners

YESOL (written) + YSESOL (spoken)

City & Guilds

Unique Features of the City & Guilds ESOL Exams

• Communicative: grammar tested in context• Monolingual Dictionary: allowed• On Demand: flexible exam dates; as soon as 14 days after order

is placed• Written and Spoken Exams: 2 independent exams; candidate

can sit each at a different level• Assessment: done in London; maximum objectivity; results in 4-6

weeks• Interlocutors: 1 candidate 1 interlocutor only; relaxed and friendly

atmosphere• Flexible Study Materials: a variety of course books or materials

can be used• Exams test “only” the level: drilling exam tasks not necessary;

focus is on language skills rather than strategy/logic

Continued Integration

More integrated resources are on the way…• a teacher’s Guide that serves as a bridge between the

face2face series and the City & Guilds IESOL exams• Currently, the Guide linking face2face Intermediate and

Achiever B1 level is in progress, which Guides for higher levels to follow

• organized according to the 4 skills• you will receive the Guide by email and it will be

available online at www.cityandguilds.cz website

In Conclusion

• a working competency of all 4 skills is necessary for successful functional operation in English

• the skills are best taught through an integrated approach, always bearing in mind how they can support each to maximize the benefits for students

• skills can effectively be tackled as a paired ‘receptive-productive; input-output’ type package

• CUP’s face2face and English Unlimited series’ offer materials that promote competency in all 4 skills, often in an integrated way

• the 4 skills can be tested and assessed via the City & Guilds exam suite, which allows you to gauge the extent to which a student has achieved ‘total ability’

Do You Have Any Questions?

Thank You For Your Time!

www.cambridge.org www.cityandguilds.cz/sk

www.cityandguildsenglish.com

www.chc.cztroy.witt@chc.cz