Posts
Mr. Kalpesh
Patel (AMITY B.Ed. College, Bharuch)
Listening
Listening is the first of the four language skills, which are: 1.
Listening 2. Speaking 3. Reading 4. Writing.
What Is Listening?
"Listening" is receiving language through the
ears. Listening involves identifying the sounds of speech and processing them
into words and sentences. When we listen, we use our ears to receive individual
sounds (letters, stress, rhythm and pauses) and we use our brain to convert
these into messages that mean something to us.
Components of Listening
When in the act of communicating with a fellow person, the majority of
the speaking and listening process is performed without conscious effort. You
talk, they listen. They talk, you listen. Although it might seem to be one
simple and flowing process, listening can be broken down into several core
components, including five parts and pieces.
Receiving
Extremely
simple and to the point, the first part of listening consists of being heard.
If you’re not hearing, you can’t listen; therefore, receiving is the first,
easiest and most significant step in the entire listening process. Sometimes
hearing is aided by external aids or through means of sign language in those
hearing-impaired.
Attending
Once a
message is heard, it must be attended to -- meaning that it requires attention
to be “listened” to. In today’s world, information often goes in one ear and
out the other, especially as most of what is heard comes from TVs, radios and
computers, as opposed to person-to-person contact. To effectively listen, the
object of desire must be the sole object under observation; otherwise, the risk
of not attending properly runs high.
Understanding
As people
rely on senses to process the world around them, small details quickly become
subjective interpretation. Listening involves taking in and learning new
information, meaning understanding can become especially problematic. Some
people speak reserved and quietly; others opt for a louder and bolder approach,
including enhanced non-verbal movements. Some words contain duplicate meanings,
meaning their mistaken identity becomes even easier.
Responding
To
effectively signify success in communication to the speaker, a response is
required. Usually occurring at the end of a statement or question, responses
often consist of casual, non-verbal body movements. Likewise, additional
statements or questions are also often brought forth, adding to what the
speaker was conveying.
Remembering
Most
listening requires remembering -- at least to a degree. To successfully listen,
you’re not out to memorize someone’s words word for word; however, the general
concept being conveyed needs to be remembered to a degree, otherwise, the
entire point of communicating might have been without purpose. Sometimes, remembering
must take place on an exact level, such as remembering phone numbers or names.
Hearing Something
Level 1
in the listening process is to hear something. Sound waves make their way to
your ear and stimulate your brain, which in turn makes you aware of the sounds.
How clear the sounds are depends on the environment and conditions you are in.
A loud disco might make it harder for you to notice anything but the loud
music, and a bad connection on your cellphone might lead to a loss of some
sounds.
Paraphrasing
The
fourth level of active listening, the technique of putting into your own words
what you have just heard can prove useful for clarifying an important point or
summarizing several issues. Always ensure that you let the speaker finish what
she is saying before you begin paraphrasing. Continue paraphrasing if the
speaker confirms that you have understood; otherwise, ask the speaker to repeat
or clarify a point and try again.
Speaking
Speaking is the second of the four language skills, which are: 1. Listening 2.
Speaking 3. Reading 4. Writing
What Is Speaking?
"Speaking"
is the delivery of language through the mouth. To speak, we create
sounds using many parts of our body, including the lungs, vocal tract, vocal
chords, tongue, teeth and lips.
Components of Speaking Skill
As proverb says ‘practice makes
perfect’. Therefore, students must practice to speak English as often as
possible so that they are able to speak English fluently and accurately. A part
of that, to speak English, we have to know some important component. The
component is what aspect influencing how well people speak English. Here is the
component of speaking skill according to syakur.According to Syakur (1987: 5),
speaking is a complex skill because at least it is concerned with components of
grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency.
1)
Grammar
It is needed for students to
arrange a correct sentence in conversation. It is in line with explanation
suggested by Heaton (1978: 5) that student’s ability to manipulate structure
and to distinguish appropriate grammatical form in appropriate one. The utility
of grammar is also to learn the correct way to gain expertise in a language in
oral and written form.
2) Vocabulary
Vocabulary means the appropriate
diction which is used in communication. Without having a sufficient vocabulary,
one cannot communicate effectively or express their ideas in both oral and
written form. Having limited vocabulary is also a barrier that precludes
learners from learning a language. Language teachers, therefore should process
considerable knowledge on how to manage an interesting classroom so that the
learners can gain a great success in their vocabulary learning. Without grammar
very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.
3) Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the way for
students’ to produce clearer language when they speak. It deals with the
phonological process that refers to the components of a grammar made up of the
elements and principles that determine how sounds vary and pattern in a
language. There are two features of pronunciation; phonemes and supra segmental
features. A speaker who constantly mispronounces a range of phonemes can be
extremely difficult for a speaker from another language community to understand
(Gerard, 2000:11).
4) Fluency
Fluency can be defined as the
ability to speak fluently and accurately. Fluency in speaking is the aim of
many language learners. Signs of fluency include a reasonably fast speed of
speaking and only a small number of pauses and “ums” or “ers”. These signs
indicate that the speaker does not have to spend a lot of time searching for
the language items needed to express the message (Brown. 1997: 4).
Reading
Reading is the third of the four language skills, which are: 1. Listening 2.
Speaking 3. Reading 4. Writing
What Is Reading?
"Reading"
is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning
from them. When we read, we use our eyes to receive written symbols (letters,
punctuation marks and spaces) and we use our brain to convert them into words,
sentences and paragraphs that communicate something to us.
Components of Reading Skill
1. Phonemic awareness
Phonemes
are the smallest units making up spoken language. English consists of about 41
phonemes. Phonemes combine to form syllables and words. For example, the word stop has four phonemes (s-t-o-p), while shop has three phonemes (sh-o-p). Phonemic
awareness refers to the ability to identify and manipulate these phonemes in
spoken words. It is also the understanding that the sounds of spoken language
work together to make words.
2. Phonics
Phonics
is the understanding that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes
(the sounds of spoken language) and graphemes (the letters and spellings that
represent those sounds in written language). Readers use these relationships to
recognize familiar words and to decode unfamiliar ones.
3. Vocabulary development
Vocabulary
development refers to the knowledge of stored information about the meanings
and pronunciations of words necessary for communication. Vocabulary development
is important for beginning reading in that when a student comes to a word and
sounds it out, he or she is also determining if the word makes sense based on
his or her understanding of the word. If a student does not know the meaning of
the word, there is no way to check if the word fits, or to make meaning from
the sentence. Vocabulary development is also a primary determinant of reading
comprehension. Readers cannot understand the content of what they are reading
unless they understand the meaning of the majority of words in the text.
4. Reading fluency, including
oral reading skills
Fluency
is the ability to read words accurately and quickly. Fluent readers recognize
words and comprehend them simultaneously. Reading fluency is a critical factor
necessary for reading comprehension. If children read out loud with speed,
accuracy, and proper expression, they are more likely to comprehend and remember
the material than if they read with difficulty and in an inefficient way.
5. Reading comprehension
strategies
Reading
comprehension is the culmination of all of the reading skills and the ultimate
goal of learning to read. The purpose of mastery of each of the four previous
skills is to enable comprehension. Likewise, reading comprehension facilitates
mastery of the other four skills. For example, the NRP found that reading
comprehension is clearly related to vocabulary knowledge and development. The NRP
also found that comprehension is an active process that requires an intentional
and thoughtful interaction between the reader and the text that can be
explicitly taught through text comprehension instruction.
Writing
Writing skills are an important
part of communication. Good writing skills allow you to communicate your
message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience than through
face-to-face or telephone conversations.
Components of writing
skill
I think there are three components to writing skill. Many people may be
able to get by with two out of three, but the greats have all three. These
components are: grammatical skill, compositional skill, and domain knowledge.
Grammatical skill
By grammatical skill, I don’t mean the ability to remember schoolbook
grammar rules. I mean the ability to construct meaningful sentences. It is the
ability to construct sentences, not the ability to diagram them, which is
necessary for writing. We all have a basic degree of grammatical skill. We
could not communicate without it. When people say that everyone can write, I
suspect that they mean simply that everyone can construct meaningful sentences
and record them on paper. Not quite everyone qualifies to this standard, but in
the developed world, most people do.
Compositional skill
Compositional skill is the ability to organize words to produce an
effect. Storytelling is a compositional skill. A compelling lecture or blog
post displays compositional skill.
Domain knowledge
Many technical writers would vehemently deny that domain knowledge is a
component of writing skill. Some even go so far as to suggest that ignorance of
the subject domain is an asset, that it allows them to appreciate the
perspective of the user. Yet I am quite sure I have never heard anyone praise a
book by saying, “This book is great because it is quite clear that the author
knows nothing about the subject.” Indeed, what people tend to say of the great
works of popular exposition on any subject is: “it is clear that the author
knows their subject extremely well.”
_____________________________________________________________
The 4 Language
Skills Problems & Remedies
When we learn a language, there are four skills that we need for
complete communication. When we learn our native language, we usually learn to listen first, then to speak, then to read,
and finally to write. These are
called the four "language skills":
The four language skills are related to each other in two ways:
- the direction of communication (in
or out)
- the method of communication
(spoken or written)
Note that these four language skills are sometimes called the
"macro-skills". This is in contrast to the "micro-skills",
which are things like grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling.
Listening
There
are three modes of listening: competitive, passive and active. Active listening
is considered the most effective because the listener is not only listening
with interest, but actively acknowledging listening by brief responses. Most
individuals are not as skilled at listening as they think. Depending on the
study, listeners likely remember 25 to 50 percent of what they hear, according
to Mindtools. Giving the speaker your undivided attention and not focusing on
what you are going to say in response while he is talking is a good way to
ensure you hear more of what is being said.
•
The First Basic Skill
•
Language unless heard cannot be learnt.
•
Listening precedes all other skills of
Language Learning.
•
Listening is an art.
What is Listening?
"Listening" is
receiving language through the ears. Listening involves identifying the sounds
of speech and processing them into words and sentences. When we listen, we use
our ears to receive individual sounds (letters, stress, rhythm and pauses) and
we use our brain to convert these into messages that mean something
to us.
Listening
in any language requires focus and attention. It is a skill that some people
need to work at harder than others. People who have difficulty concentrating
are typically poor listeners. Listening in a second language requires even
greater focus.
Like
babies, we learn this skill by listening to people who already know
how to speak the language. This may or may not include native
speakers. For practice, you can listen to live or recorded voices. The
most important thing is to listen to a variety of voices as often as you can.
Problems in Listening
•
Biological Problems
•
Giving no attention
•
No concentration
•
Lack of Interest
•
Improper Sounds
•
Unwanted Noises – Noise Pollution
How to eradicate Listening Problems?
•
Consult the doctor.
•
Make your students attentive. Use some
techniques.
•
Concentrate on one thing at a time.
•
Use interesting materials and
techniques.
•
Audible sound. Variation in speech.
•
Remove noise pollution.
Programme for Listening
•
Create English Atmosphere.
•
Train the ear with listening of
pronunciation, stress and intonation patterns of the same type.
•
Train the ear with listening of
pronunciation, stress and intonation patterns of different types.
•
Explanation of the distinctive features
of speech sounds, stress and intonation with reference to the speech-patterns
of the mother-tongue.
•
The use of Language Laboratory
Programmes.
•
Listening with closed eyes.
•
Listening of lectures of eminent personalities.
Speaking
Speaking can be an intimidating experience, even in
your native tongue, let alone when learning a new language. The best way to
learn how to speak, though, is by practicing, so put your inhibitions aside and
strike up a conversation whenever you are given an opportunity to do so. When
speaking, be aware of your pace, try not to mumble and use expression, both so
that you don't sound monotonous and to keep your listener interested.
•
Speech makes a man superior to other
animals.
•
Speech is born out of man’s inner urge
to express his self.
What is Speaking?
"Speaking" is the delivery of language through the
mouth. To speak, we create sounds using many parts of our body, including
the lungs, vocal tract, vocal chords, tongue, teeth and lips.
This vocalized form of language usually requires at least one
listener. When two or more people speak or talk to each other, the conversation
is called a "dialogue". Speech can flow naturally from one person to
another in the form of dialogue. It can also be planned and rehearsed, as in
the delivery of a speech or presentation. Of course, some people talk to
themselves! In fact, some English learners practise speaking standing
alone in front of a mirror.
Speaking can be formal or informal:
- Informal speaking is typically
used with family and friends, or people you know well.
- Formal speaking occurs in business
or academic situations, or when meeting people for the first time.
Speaking is probably the language skill that most language
learners wish to perfect as soon as possible. It used to be the only language
skill that was difficult to practise online. This is no longer the case.
English learners can practise speaking online using voice or video chat. They
can also record and upload their voice for other people to listen to.
Problems in Speaking
•
Biological problems
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Psychological problems
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Tendency of slurring over leads to
clipping sounds. i.e.
•
length – lenth, military – militry,
which – wich, memory – memry etc.
•
The less obvious differences in the
pronunciation of some words go undetected. i.e.Lion – loin, bed – bad, said – sad, set – sat etc.
•
Shifting intonation pattern. i.e.
I do not lend anyone my books.
I do not lend anyone my books.
This is a book, isn’t it?
This is a book, isn’t it?
•
Shifting in stress. i.e.
Are we passing through a bridge now?
How to eradicate Speaking Problems?
•
Consult a doctor.
•
Consult a psychiatrist and speech
therapist.
•
More and more Listening Experiences
should be provided.
•
Scientific knowledge of Sounds should
be provided. (Phonetics)
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Scientific knowledge about Organs of
Speech, Articulation and Components of Speech
skill
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Pronunciation
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Intonation
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Stress
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Rhythm
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Pitch
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Tone – Mood
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Volume
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Speed - Pause
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Style
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Expression
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Practice work for Rhyming words and Homonyms.
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Preparing Proper Material for the
students. (Slogans, Rhymes, Hymns, Tongue-Twisters)
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Demonstration
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Drill work (Chorus)
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Production
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Create English atmosphere.
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Create confidence among the students.
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Give chance to all.
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Correction work. Don’t be hasty. Have
some patience. Be positive.
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More and more Planned Oral work.
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Use different devices and techniques.
•
Create meaningful situations for
speaking.
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Use Conversation, Dialogues, Role-play,
Dramatization techniques.
•
Use Standard Courses for speaking
•
English.
Reading
Children learn to read by first learning their ABCs
and sounding out the letters to discover what sound they make. The phonetic
approach to reading---using sound units to figure out the words---is arguably
the best approach because theoretically, if you know the sounds, you can read
any word, regardless of the difficulty level. This is also the case when
learning a new language. Reading has many benefits, including improving memory
(it's exercise for the brain), increasing vocabulary and exposing you to new
ideas.
•
Decoding the symbols.
•
Understanding meaning/s of the text.
•
Reading between the Lines.
What is Reading?
"Reading" is the process of looking at a series of
written symbols and getting meaning from them. When we read, we use our eyes to
receive written symbols (letters, punctuation marks and spaces) and we use our
brain to convert them into words, sentences and paragraphs that communicate
something to us.
Reading can be silent (in our head) or aloud (so that other people
can hear).
Reading is a receptive skill - through it we receive information. But the complex process of reading
also requires the skill of speaking, so that we can pronounce the words that we
read. In this sense, reading is also a productive skill in that we are both receiving
information and transmitting it (even if only to ourselves).
Do we need to read in order to speak English? The short answer is
no. Some native speakers cannot read or write but they speak English fluently.
On the other hand, reading is something that you can do on your own and that
greatly broadens your vocabulary, thus helping you in speaking (and in
listening and writing). Reading is therefore a highly valuable skill and
activity, and it is recommended that English learners try to read as much as
possible in English.
Types of Reading
•
Oral Reading
•
Silent Reading
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Intensive Reading
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Extensive Reading
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Functional Reading
Problems in Reading
•
Physical problems
•
The dissimilarity of the scripts, which
is quite new to the pupils.
•
The variance between the print script
and the cursive script.
•
The internal alignment of letters into
words in a way different from one obtaining in Indian languages that follow
different regional patterns.
•
The nature of the movement of the eye
in reading English letters vis-Ã -vis those
in the regional languages
•
The direction of the scription. I.e.
Urdu is written from right to left, whereas it is otherwise in case of English.
•
The nature of stress and intonation and
its impact on reading skill.
•
The system of pronunciation and its
variance with the spelling and their likely impact on reading.
How to eradicate Reading Problems?
•
Consult the eye-specialist.
•
Good handwriting of a teacher.
•
Exposure of script at proper time.
•
The use of chalk-board, chits, slides,
notices, flashcards, pictures, computer soft wares etc.
•
Reading after sufficient oral work.
•
Model Reading/s.
•
Practice, Habit formation.
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Exact instructions.
•
Interesting tasks and activities.
•
Exercises.
Writing
Writing is perhaps the most complex of the
communication skills and takes the most time to master. As with any other
skill, it is improved through practice and a willingness to improve on past
attempts. Moving beyond the basics, there are many types of writing and many
levels. Writing can be a basic means of conveying information---such as in
newspapers---or it can be a tool to create elaborate new worlds, much like
those found in fiction novels such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
What is writing?
Writing skills are specific abilities which help writers put
their thoughts into words in a meaningful form and to mentally interact with
the message. Writing skills help the learner gain independence, comprehensibility, fluency and creativity in writing. If learners have mastered these
skills, they will be able to write so that not only they can read what they have written, but other
speakers of that language can read and understand it.
Problems in Writing
•
Graphic
* Letters of improper shape and size
* Improper/No spacing between
letters,
words, sentences and lines
*
Mistakes in Capital letters and Punctuation marks
* No fluent hand movement
•
Language
* Grammatically incorrect
* Mistakes in Parts of Speech
*
Shortage of Vocabulary and Spelling mistakes
•
Literature
* Improper Literary Forms
* No/Improper/Overuse of Figures of
Speech
* Limited/Improper Vocabulary and Style
•
Content
* No exactness
* No ideas, thoughts, imagination
* No logical development
* No lucidity– Improper Paragraphing
* No depth – Superficial writing
* Not from within
How to eradicate Writing Problems?
•
Graphic
* Start at proper time – No Haste
* Start with joyful drawing activities
* Use the course developed scientifically
* Sufficient demonstration
* Position of a note-book, holding of a
pencil
* Sufficient explanation and guidance
* Joyful, Regular practice
•
Language
* Teaching of Grammar – Structural/Functional
/ Pattern Practice
* Vocabulary Enrichment
* Spelling- Eye, Ear & Hand
•
Literature
* Exposure of Literary Forms
* Teaching of Figures of Speech
* Exposure of eminent writers’ work- Appreciation Programme
* Teaching Vocabulary with context
* More and more reading and discussion about
Theme, Presentation, Style etc.
•
Content
Demonstration
& Discussion / Reproduction & Discussion / Production & Discussion
about
* Exactness
* Ideas, Thoughts, Imagination
* Logical development
* Lucidity– Paragraphing
* Depth – Superficial writing / Writing
from within.
______________________________________________________________
Germanic invaders entered Britain
English Club
|
Germanic invaders entered
|
A short history of the origins and development of English
The history of the English language
really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain Denmark
and northern Germany Britain Wales ,
Scotland and Ireland England
 Part of Beowulf, a poem written in Old English. |
Old English (450-1100 AD)
The invading Germanic
tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain
 An example of Middle English by Chaucer. |
Middle
English (1100-1500)
In 1066 William the
Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of
modern France ), invaded and
conquered England Normans Royal Court Britain
Modern
English
Early
Modern English (1500-1800)
Towards the end of Middle English, a
sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great Vowel Shift) started,
with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the
British had contact with many peoples from around the world.
Hamlet's famous "To be, or not
to be" lines, written in Early Modern English by Shakespeare.
|
This, and the Renaissance of Classical
learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. The
invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print.
Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Printing also brought
standardization to English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect
of London
Late
Modern English (1800-Present)
The main difference between Early
Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has
many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the Industrial
Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the
earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign words from many
countries.
Varieties
of English
From around 1600, the English
colonization of North America resulted in the
creation of a distinct American variety of English. Some English pronunciations
and words "froze" when they reached America Britain (for
example trash for rubbish, loan as a verb instead of lend, and fall for autumn; another example, frame-up, was re-imported into Britain through Hollywood
gangster movies). Spanish also had an influence on American English (and
subsequently British English), with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that
entered English through the settlement of the American West. French words
(through Louisiana
Today, American English is particularly
influential, due to the USA
The
Germanic Family of Languages
English is a member of the Germanic
family of languages.
Germanic is a branch of the Indo-European language family.
Germanic is a branch of the Indo-European language family.
A brief chronology of English
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||
55
BC
|
Roman
invasion of
|
Local
inhabitants speak Celtish
|
AD
43
|
Roman
invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of
|
|
436
|
Roman
withdrawal from
|
|
449
|
Settlement
of
|
|
450-480
|
Earliest
known Old English inscriptions.
|
Old
English
|
1066
|
William
the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers
|
|
c1150
|
Earliest
surviving manuscripts in Middle English.
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Middle
English
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1348
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English
replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.
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1362
|
English
replaces French as the language of law. English is used in Parliament for the
first time.
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c1388
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Chaucer
starts writing The
Canterbury Tales.
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c1400
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The
Great Vowel Shift begins.
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1476
|
William
Caxton establishes the first English printing press.
|
Early
Modern English
|
1564
|
Shakespeare
is born.
|
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1604
|
Table
Alphabeticall, the first English dictionary, is
published.
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|
1607
|
The
first permanent English settlement in the New World (
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1616
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Shakespeare
dies.
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1623
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Shakespeare's
First Folio is published
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1702
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The
first daily English-language newspaper, The
Daily Courant, is published in
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1755
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Samuel
Johnson publishes his English dictionary.
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1776
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Thomas
Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence.
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1782
|
||
1828
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Webster
publishes his American English dictionary.
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Late
Modern English
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1922
|
The
British Broadcasting Corporation is founded.
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1928
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The Oxford English Dictionary is published.
|
|
What is a Club?
¨
Club (GROUP) /kl^b/ group noun [C]
¨
1 an organization of people with a
common purpose or interest, who meet regularly and take part in shared
activities:
¨ I've
just joined the local golf/squash/tennis club.
¨ Visitors
must be accompanied by club members.
English Club
¨
an organization for people who have a common interest in a particular activity or subject
the place where the members of a club meet
Objectives of English Club
¨
To create atmosphere supporting English
¨
To impart knowledge of English among
trainees, teachers and students
¨
To develop materials and soft wares to
learn and teach English
¨
To impart training in ELT and English
Literature
Activities of English Club
¨
Display Board Activities
¨
Spoken English Activities
¨
Training Activities
¨
Publishing Activities[i]
¨
Awareness Activities
Benefits of English Club
¨
English Atmosphere
¨
Work Experience
¨
Real Life Experience
¨
Rich Resources
¨
More Exposure
¨
Something More than the Syllabus
¨
Language Activities with Joy
¨
Leadership Training
¨
Working in a Group
¨
Development of Skills