“The four language skills� You have probably heard about the 4 English language skills, and maybe you are wondering how you can support your children from home to improve in each one of them? Let's start by citing the 4 skills: Listening, Speaking, Writing and Reading. All of them are related to each other. It is important, first, to remember how we learned the mother tongue. Everything in our environment was Spanish, music, television, conversations, relatives wanting to make us say our first word, after repeatedly naming ma-ma, ma-ma. And finally, after so much listening, we were able to emit our first sounds and / or syllables. We speak our language by associating what we heard with our environment, and bringing that information to reality through speech. The next process was to write and communicate our ideas in written form. And finally starting from all this previous, was that we began to develop our reading comprehension. The process of acquiring the English language should also be in a natural way. First, it starts by listening. By listening we are increasing our vocabulary. Regarding Speaking, it is recommended to read daily aloud, with the intention that the child listen to himself, if possible can perform this activity in front of a mirror .
It is important to consider that to work writing (writing) we must have vocabulary and we must also know certain grammatical rules, which will help us to form a correct structuring of ideas, that are useful for us to communicate. Finally, the ability to read (Reading), should be given gradually, the student should proceed to read texts according to their age. When we speak of learning a second language, there are four basic skills that must be learned to consider that we are fluent in the language which are represented as follows:
Listening = Speaking = Reading = Writing =
Oral Oral Reading Written
Comprehension Expression Comprehension Expression
Natural learning
In order to develop these abilities, it is necessary to put our senses to work, which we can practice by practicing some activities for each skill that will help you to learn English better. Next, you will see a list of activities for you to use in your learning.
1. In this game we will use music. The children dance and the teacher cuts the music periodically, when the music is interrupted, the teacher says loud and clear Sit down! And everyone sits down, putting the music back on, the teacher says Stand up! And all the children get up and continue the game. (This activity serves as a short introduction to this type of TPR methodology).
2. We continue with the same game, but this time we will introduce the learning of the prepositions: into / out and on, we will use some hoops and place them on the floor of the classroom. The game is that when the music goes off the teacher says, for example: Jump into the circle! And the children must do the action, the same will happen with the instruction Jump out the circle!
3.
Point to the word (listening) With blue paste, we will paste the different flashcards of the theme by the walls of the class. When they are all in place we will tell the children: "Point to number 2, point to number 15", "point to the pencil", "point to the rubber", more and more speed, until we see that children learn the words.
4.
Simon says (variant) The teacher is indicating actions (clap, jump, raise your hand, etc.) and does them at the same time as the children. In a second step the teacher indicates the actions. But do not do them, only children. In a last variant, the teacher can deceive the children by performing an action different from the one indicated. Those who make mistakes can be eliminated. All students like to be the last. It should not always be the same to keep the group motivated.
5.
Clap with words (listening) This is a very useful activity to work on the stress of words. We teach the flashcards to the students, we say the word, and the children repeat it by clapping each syllable.
6.
Raise the flashcards (listening) It is another type of exercise to present the vocabulary. Children will have their flashcards from a card that they have previously colored and trimmed. The teacher says a word and the children have to lift the corresponding flashcard. Children who make mistakes will be eliminated. Later, when the children have learned the written word, the teacher can show them the written word and the children will pick up the corresponding picture. In this way children relate the word to its meaning (the image) without translation.
7.
The numbers and the family The teacher asks the students to listen to an audio with a conversation about the members of a family and the amount. Then they will have to answer some questions about this conversation given in a worksheet.
8.
Hobbies and activities of the daily life: The teacher shows the students a flashcard and they have to act out the image (reading, painting, running ...; brushing teeth, eating, going to bed ...).
9.
Body parts: The teacher teaches the students an image and the children have to say and touch the corresponding part of the body: hair, eyes, feet ...
10. The Colors: The teacher places a song that mentions all the colors so that the students can sing. This will be recognized in a short time as the beginning of the English class.
1.
Topic: Ways to greet people and express farewells The teacher asks the students to leave the classroom to make groups of 4 or 5 and as they learned can establish a small conversation to greet, meet and introduce themselves to the group, then change groups to make the same dynamic.
2.
Offer And Ask For Foods. The teacher dramatizes with the students a scene in a restaurant where they will ask for food and drinks in English, using real foods to make this activity a little more pleasant and this way students will have a better learning applied to real life.
3.
En la siguiente actividad dividiremos la clase en varios grupos, según el número de alumnos/as los agruparemos en un círculo amplio. A cada niño/a le daremos un flashcard que contiene una fruta y lo esconderá. El maestro/a tirará el balón a un niño/a que será quién comience el juego, éste lanzará el balón a otro compañero/a realizando la pregunta: “which fruit do you have...?", a lo que el niño/a debe responder la fruta que contiene en su flashcard, por ejemplo: “I have… Una vez respondido, le preguntará el color de ésta: “What colour is your fruit?” Y el niño/a debe responder el color, por ejemplo: “It colour is…” Esta actividad también podemos llevarla a cabo para el aprendizaje de los números, realizando lo mismo, pero con números. Una vez que hayan participado todos los niños y niñas, éstos deberán coger el globo correspondiente al color de su fruta. (los globos se encontrarán en un rincón del aula).
4.
Mime the word (speaking) The teacher or a pupil mimics a word. The student who guesses it, leaves in front of the class and plays the next word. It can be done in reverse. The teacher teaches a flashcard and the children have to mimic it.
5.
Invisible word (speaking) We paste flashcards online on the board. We point to each one of them as the students say the words. We removed an image, but we continue pointing it for the children to name it. We take another, and so on until the children say all the words as the teacher points to the "invisible images." It is a useful activity for working memory.
6.
Which one is missing (‘cuĂĄl falta’) (speaking) For this activity, we will place, with blue rubber, the flashcards on the board, forming two lines. The teacher will give a few seconds for the children to notice them. The teacher will ask students to lower their heads toward their table. The teacher will remove a flashcard from the board. The children look again and have to guess what is missing. We will repeat the game several times to help reinforce the pronunciation of the vocabulary.
7.
Bingo (listening, speaking) The children will put six of the ten words of the vocabulary on their table. The teacher will show the flashcards one at a time. If the student has the same flashcard as the teacher has taught him, he will turn it over. The first student to turn all flashcards will say "bingo" and will be the winner.
8.
Sing a song (listening, speaking) We will teach the children a song that contains the vocabulary of the subject. We can share the different flashcards. Each time a child hears his word in the song, he will lift his flashcard for everyone to see. Another option is to stop the music just before the song says each word. We will show the corresponding flashcard in that pause and the children will have to say the word aloud. They will correct themselves by putting the song back.
9.
Jeopardy In this game, which is based on the famous gameshow Jeopardy, everyone writes down ten answers to questions about themselves. After writing down the answers, people have to form pairs or small groups and try to find out what the questions are. Example: (answer = purple) "What is your favorite colour?" "Blue." "What colour do you hate?" "Green." "What colour is your underwear?" "Purple!" You can stop at three guesses if you want, or keep going until someone in the club can guess the question.
10. Guess the word This activity is very useful to review the vocabulary of other units. For this activity, we will put all flashcards on the board and give a clue: "It's blue and yellow". And the children will have to guess what word it is: "The teddy" ('the plush'); "It has got blonde hair", "the sister". In this way we review vocabulary previously learned and strengthen the new.
1.
Personal Information. The teacher gives the students a text about personal information to read all together, then answer some questions that the teacher will write on the board.
2.
Bingo Extension (reading) When the children know the written word, the teacher will show you the word flashcard, they will have to read it and flip their picture flashcard.
3.
Order the sequences of a history (reading, speaking) When we have worked a story or comic with the students, we can elaborate flashcards related to each part of the story. After reading the story several times, we will distribute a card with the different flashcards disordered so that the students order them according to the order in which they appear in the story. Then the exercise will be corrected orally.
4.
Find the word (reading, speaking) If we are working with a story, we will teach vocabulary flashcards one at a time. Children will have to look at which vignette the word appears and say the number aloud. If, on the other hand, we are Working a song, we will teach the flashcard and the students will have to look for and say the number of the line or verse in which that word is written.
5.
Matching flashcards (reading) We will have the cards of the images, on the one hand, spread on the table, and vocabulary cards on the other. One of each rises. If the image does not match with your written word they are put face down again. Win the one that most couples can get.
6.
Snap (reading, speaking) It is a game in pairs where the children have in one pile the cards of images face down and those of vocabulary in another heap. Each time, a boy or girl raises a card from each pile. If the image matches your written word, the first student who says "snap" takes the two cards. At the end of the game, the child who gets the most cards is the winner or winner.
7.
Spell it (reading, speaking) In turn, the teacher will teach a flashcard, with an image, to each student who will have to spell the word. At lower levels we can teach the written word directly for the child to read and then spell it out.
8.
Connect the image with the word. The teacher gives each student a copy of the worksheet with words related to a story. They have to connect the word to the correct image. They must know at least ten words out of thirteen. Then the teacher helps them with the unknown words.
9. Change the format of a text This activity will force them to focus on some sentences or words in the text. We give the students a piece of text and ask them to draw what has been described in it. Then they can compare their drawings with those made by their colleagues, discussing the differences and explaining the reasons for them.
10. Use a movie to work the memory. We can use a short film or short film fragment. From time to time, we stop the movie and we give the children questions about the characters, the coherence and the cohesion of the story. This activity can be expanded by asking students to write the script for their own films. Movies that children have not seen are more effective for this activity.
1.
The teacher reads an information paragraph about a family trip which in his writing carries prepositions of time and place. Students should listen to this information and complete in a worksheet the blanks with the correct prepositions in each sentence.
2.
Chinese whisper (listening, speaking, writing) Children will be arranged in rows. To the last child in each row we will show you a flashcard. They have to whisper the word to the partner in front until the word reaches the first partner who will get up and write it on the board. The first row that manages to do everything correctly will be the winner.
3.
Memory tester (writing, speaking) We paste with blue rubber all the flashcards in the blackboard. We leave them a couple of minutes for the children to memorize. We remove them all and the students have to write in their notebooks how many they remember. The student or couple who has written the most will be the winner. To verify these students will read their words aloud. We can do this activity in groups and double or triple the number of flashcards to review words from previous topics.
4.
Picture dictionary (writing) Children can create their own dictionary without having to use their mother tongue. We will give them some cards with the printed flashcards so that they color them and write their name to them underneath. If we do not have these cards, children can even draw them in their notebook with their corresponding name in a box.
5.
Picture dictation (writing) This is one of the activities that are done almost at the end of the topic since it implies that the child understands, knows how to say and read the word to be able to write it. In this activity, the teacher shows the images of the flashcards, in a random way, so that the children write the written form in their notebook.
6.
Read and change (reading, writing) We will give the children a reading with holes in which the vocabulary flashcards will be drawn. Children will read the text by replacing the pictures with the written word.
7.
Describe a picture. The teacher gives the student a flashcard with the photo of a person, the students will have to describe it using adjectives.
8.
Describe about your day. The teacher asks the student to write about what they did yesterday (we work the past) or what they will do tomorrow (we work the future).
9.
Draw the Picture In this activity members split up into pairs or small groups. One person looks at a scene from a magazine or book (the leader should cut out enough pictures, or bring in enough magazines for the club). The other person has a pencil and a blank piece of paper. The person with the picture will try to describe everything he sees to the drawer. This is good practice for using prepositions of place. When the describer is finished, compare the drawings to the real thing! Whose is the closest to the original?
10. Letters of love and hate: The teacher divides the board into two. He heads one side with the word "love," and the other with the word "hate." Ask the students to think what motives can lead us to love or hate ... An object. They are asked to write in a sheet about this, there are hundreds of reasons: we love an object because it is useful, elegant, beautiful, light, clean ... We hate it because it is dirty, ugly, difficult to use, cumbersome. In this way they will use adjectives and build sentences.