3 Development of the Linguistic Skills & the Communicative Competence in English Development of the Linguistic Skills: Oral expression and comprehension, Written expression and comprehension. â—? Communicative Competence in English â—?
3.1. Linguistic Skills in the FL classroom ●
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Listening: language skill which learners usually find the most difficult. Necessary to create a relaxed atmosphere in which pupils lose their anxiousness. Speaking: input must be of a higher level than language production expected. Also at first levels speaking activities should be promoted for minimal verbal response. Reading: teach not to worry about every word, in skimming and scanning activities. Writing: from isolated words to short paragraphs of familiary topics
3.2. Development of the Linguistic Skills ●
Recommendable: practice all skills together in all lessons (though may be one more predominant). –
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Oral Language before Written Language
Necessary:
- input before output - Realism (connected to experience) - Variety of topic (for semantics) - Atmosphere fostering confidence
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Classification according to participant's activity: –
Productive: speaking, writing
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Receptive: listening, reading
3.2.1. Oral Comprehesion (Listening) ●
Receiving input, interpreting and classifying the information and remembering it. –
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Requires time and effort. At early age, global comprehension is soon acquired.
Exposition to English should be promoted: English in the classroom whenever possible. –
Texts chosen carefully: context familiar to students prior knowledge.
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Purpose given to engage in the activity
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Comprehension strategies provided: redundancy, connectors, visual elements, gestures...
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PRINCIPLES related to listening activities: –
Should have specific aims
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Shoud use graded activities: first, short and easy
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Memorization: students should retain information
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Attention to children's characteristics for motivation
Comprehensive Capacity is reached when: –
Phonetic, lexical and grammatical elements are identified
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Most important facts are selected
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Information is retained
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Comprehesive ability is controlled by multiple choice or cloze tests
STRATEGIES towards oral comprehension: - Present the information in short and simple sentences - Check they understand by repeating or rephrasing - Use voice as a resource for keeping attention - Visual aids for referencing when explaining - Give “periods of silence” to interpret information and ask for “what the teacher has said” - In the last cycle: use organizers (sub-titles, sequence fo tasks, lists of instructions..) – Other: rehearsing mentally, focusing in key words, mnemonics... – Look for group learning situations for group assistance. – Review orally presented material regularly – Ensure understanding is taking place through monitoring – Ear training through listening laboratory – Prediction exercises – Extract specific and global information, but not all together – Do not understand word by word
METHODOLOGY for Oral Comprehesion ●
Practice of Intensive and Extensive oral compr. Aims: acquisition of vocabulary, structures and phonetics. Strictly controlled by the teacher Use of adapted material
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Student alone discovers the meaning of input. Less control from teacher Global meaning + important
Requirements for activity selection: –
Recorded beforehand: teacher's and native voices.
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Topics, functions and vocabulary to be practised
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Adapted to level and timing (avoid stress)
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Visual aids
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Insist on global meaning
3.2.2. Oral expression (speaking) ●
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Characteristics: –
Input meaning should be understood first.
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Interaction is necessary (conversation)
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Motivating speaking opportunities should be provided ●
Practice in pairs or groups
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Mistakes are not important
METHODOLOGY to practise Oral Expression: 1. Presentation through dialogue: teacher controlled. 2. Controlled practice: questions formulated by students/teacher. Visual aid and material presented beforehand. Teacher, correcting. 3. Directed and free production: creative stage. Teacher provides the context and makes the example; then in pairs/ groups, students choose the language. Teacher, assistant and animator
3.2.3. Written Comprehension (Reading) ●
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Reading as means of communication (e-mails, chats, programs in English) for motivation. Assure Speaking before Reading because influence in pronunciation. Competence in Reading is acquired when: –
Aware of the purpose of reading
- Underline, reread and make notes
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Gain an overview before reading
- Interpret the text
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Make predictions
- Evaluate the quality and usefulness
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Read selectively
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Associate ideas in the text with already known.
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Know when predictions are met in the text. - Review important points after
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Revise prior knowledge
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Figure out unknown meanings from context
of the text
reading
METHODOLOGY for teaching Reading ●
Aims in mind: –
To obtain certain piece of information
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To communicate in writing
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To read for pleasure
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To investigate any topic
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Silent Reading vs Aloud Reading
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Intensive (detailed analysis) vs Extensive (overall comprehension) reading
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Reading styles: –
Skimming: identify main ideas, done at speed. Useful for seeking specific information: dates, names, places.
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Scanning: searching for key words or ideas, concentrating in a particular answer.
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Reading Activities: –
Pre-reading exercises: give necessary background information for better comprehension.
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While-reading exercises: encourage active reading:
summarizing, reacting, questioning, evaluating a text with own experience. Dialogue between students should be encouraged. –
Post-reading: depend on the purpose of reading. Must check students' comprehension and lead them to deeper analysis. Link author's point of view with own.
3.2.4. Written expression (Writing) ●
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ASPECTS of Writing: –
Lacks of immediate feedback
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Has not expressive resources as OL, it has punctuation or underlining.
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Reinforces OL (taking notes for memorizing)
STRATEGIES for improving Writing: –
Use more than one word to express oneself
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Use descriptions as a basis of writing
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Paraphrase longer texts
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Simplify difficult ideas
METHODOLOGY for teaching Writing
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Controlled practice: limited usage of words and sentences. Teacher's control and pupil does not choose the language in use.
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Directed practice: based on definitions or
descriptions, letters and easy compositions. There is language example (given by the teacher) but can apply others. Less controlled by teacher.
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Free practice: letters, compositions or essays. They can choose language structures and vocabulary freely. Teachers help.
3.3. COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN ENGLISH ●
Hymes: communicative competence is more than grammatical competence for communicating effectively. Necessary to know how language is used.
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8 aspects to define Communicative Competence: LINGUISTIC Phonology and orthography Grammar Vocabulary Discourse (textual)
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PRAGMATIC Functions Variations Interactional Skills Cultural Framework
Canale&Swain: four components –
Grammatical competence: words and rules
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Sociolinguistic competence: appropriateness
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Discourse competence: cohesion and coherence
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Strategic competence: appropriateuse of communication strategies
3.3.1. Four sub-competences of Communicative Competence LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE (aka grammatical) â—?
How to use grammar, syntax and vocabulary. What words to use and how to put them into phrases and sentences.
SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCE â—?
How to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, topic and relationship between interlocutors. Which words fit the particular context and situation, specific attitude (cortesy, friendliness..)
DISCOURSE COMPETENCE ●
How to interpret the larger context and how to construct longer parts. How sentences are put together into conversations, speeches...
STRATEGIC COMPETENCE ●
How to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps and how to learn more about language.
+ SOCIOCULTURAL AND INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE ●
Emphazises the realtion of language with culture. Only by managing it, students can feel integrated in the foreign language community.
3.3.2. Activities related to Communicative Competence ●
Interactive Classroom activities:in pairs or small groups: interaction and meaningful communication fostered –
Information Gap: one-way or two-way gap activities.
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Jigsaws: make learners pool their info for completing the task.
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Conversation grid: for beginners.
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Ordering and sorting activities: classification, ranking and sequencing.
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Problem-based activities: with specific roles and have own cooperative purposes. ●
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For beginners: w/ pictures and teacher's help in WL
Discussions. They require preparation and linguistic objectives should be clear
3.3.3. Communicative Competence in the BAC Curriculum â—?
1st Competence of the Cross Curricular Competences
in Heziberri 2020: Competence for verbal, non-verbal and digital communication. â—?
Divided in 3 components: A) To use a oral and written communication that is fluent, autonomous, creative and efficient. B) To understand non-verbal codes and use them fluently, autonomously, creatively and efficiently. C) To use ICT creatively, critically, efficiently and safely, to participate in society for learning, leisure and inclusion.
Competence for verbal, non-verbal and digital communication
CHARACTERISTICS –
Communication is basic for the personal and social development of the human being. Related to affective and cognitive life, as it helps regulating feelings and is the main tool for learning. ● Related to creating and expanding culture, for creating constructive relationships with others and meet and considerate other cultures. It is necessary for the rest of the competences and subjects. ●
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Nowadays: not only reading and writing, also multimedia languages should take into account. Accept, look for and analyze critically information sources. It is a lifelong learning competence ●
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Competence for verbal, non-verbal and digital communication
1. To use a oral and written communication that is fluent, autonomous, creative and efficient. (VERBAL COMM) ●
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Necessary for personal, social and academic life. Need to learn certain abilities to become competent: through crosscurricular and disciplinary compentences. –
Interaction with others and the environment, such as with oneself should be promoted. Learn communication rules and characteristics in each context to understand and produce texts.
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Looking for information and selecting it critically, through reading and writing (variety of texts)
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Attitudes towards active listening and tolerance to others feelings and opinions. Social regulation strategies.
Spanish and Basque. FL1.
Competence for verbal, non-verbal and digital communication
B) To understand non-verbal codes and use them fluently, autonomously, creatively and efficiently. (NON VERBAL COMM) ●
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As expressive and necessary as verbal communication. Use of audiovisual and non-verbal languages for pariticpating efficiently in society. Abilities to be fostered: –
Proceduresand abilities in non verbal codes.
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Positive attitudes towards codes as they are used for learning
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Cultural diversity.
Competence for verbal, non-verbal and digital communication
C) To use ICT creatively, critically, efficiently and safely, to participate in society for learning, leisure and inclusion. (DIGITAL COMM) ●
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Information: looking for, filtering and classifying it. Sharing and having criteria for trusting it. Communication: choosing the right tools for certain communicative aims online. Social networking and cooperating and social conventions of communication online. Creating contents: formats, platforms and environments. Principles of programming
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Safety: risks and threatens online. Privacy. Health issues
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Problem Solving: technical problems and creativity.