1. Integrating skills in the language classroom
Peter Lucantoni

2. Peter Lucantoni
Started teaching in 1979 in UK, MA TESOL University of Edinburgh, lived and worked in Europe and Middle East, now based in Cyprus
Author, Educational Consultant & Teacher Trainer for Cambridge University Press
Cambridge TKT, CELTYL, CELTA & DELTA trainer and Cambridge CELTYL assessor
Examiner for Cambridge ESOL speaking examinations

3. Workshop overview What does integrated mean?
What are skills, language skills and sub-skills?
What does integrating skills mean?
How can we integrate language skills in the classroom?
Conclusions 3 3

4. What does integrated mean?
When we integrate things, they combine, or work together to make something more effective
An integrated system or organisation combines different groups or ideas in a way that works well

5. What does integrated mean?
The teeth on a zip fastener need to combine in order for it to become effective
Equally true is that language skills need to combine, to be integrated, in order for communication to become effective

6. What are skills?
Try not to think about ELT! Discuss and try to agree on a definition.

7. What are skills?
The ability to do something well needs to continue to be consolidated and practised or we can easily lose our skill
If Rooney stopped practising, would he continue to be a skilled footballer?
And what about the pianist and carpenter?

8. What are skills?
People who have a skill demonstrate the ability to do something well – a skilled footballer scores goals, a skilled pianist plays well, a skilled carpenter makes beautiful furniture

9. What are skills?
We are not necessarily born with the skill to do something
Usually, skills are developed during life –Rooney, the pianist and the carpenter all needed plenty of lessons and practice before they became skilled

10. Language skills and sub-skills
To be completely effective in a language we need to be competent in the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as in thinking about language
Look at Units 2 and 11. Find examples of all the language skills discussed here

11. Language skills and sub-skills
However, being skilled in a language necessitates also having good language sub-skills
What are sub-skills? Why are sub-skills important, and when do we use them?

12. Language skills and sub-skills
People who use a language employ a number of sub-skills, or strategies
Sub-skills are chosen depending on the task to be completed

13. Language sub-skills skimming note- taking analysing for details
presenting

14. Language sub-skills Skimming: WHY? note-taking: WHY? analysing: WHY?
for details: WHY?
presenting: WHY?

15. Language sub-skills
A language learner’s proficiency in the various sub-skills will be different; furthermore, every learner’s needs in each sub-skill will be different from the next learner’s needs

16. Language sub-skills
One of our roles as teachers of E2L is to help learners to develop those skills and sub-skills which they
are weak in
need for a particular purpose
Also, we need to help them identify which sub-skills are most appropriate for a particular task

17. Language sub-skills
Look again at Units 2 and 11. How many examples of sub-skills practice can you find? Make a list. Look at these examples:
Unit 2 Page 19 Exercise 3 – listening for gist;
Unit 11 Page 89 Exercise 3 – proof- reading writing
Compare your lists. Same or different?

18. Language sub-skills
So, learners need to be able to identify which sub-skills are required for a task, & then to implement them
Outside the classroom, this happens automatically: people ‘are able to select those sub-skills that are most important to their task’ (Harmer, 1991)

19. Language sub-skills
But language learners need to be trained to identify & apply sub-skills, & they need practice & consolidation, in the same way that Rooney does

20. Integrating skills
‘The learner must develop skills and strategies for using language to communicate meanings as effectively as possible’ (Littlewood, 2001)

21. Integrating skills
What does integrating skills mean?
‘Language skills are integrated; they ‘cooperate’ with each other’ (Lucantoni, 2002)
‘Language users employ a combination of skills at the same time’ (Harmer, 1991)

22. goal integrated communicative language competence
Integrating skills
goal integrated communicative language competence
Confidence and independence need to be built and developed in using language in ‘real’ ………. situations
While language and grammar are important, communicative ………. should be our ……….
And of course an ………. approach to language teaching & learning will find room for focusing on specific areas of ………. where necessary

23. Integrating skills
Confidence and independence need to be built and developed in using language in ‘real’ communicative situations
While language and grammar are important, communicative competence should be our goal

24. Integrating skills
And of course an integrated approach to language teaching & learning will find room for focusing on specific areas of language where necessary (eg, lexis, grammar)

25. Integrating skills
Choose an authentic text and think of one of your classes for which you think the content and level would be appropriate
Design an integrated skills lesson using the text and your ideas from this workshop

26. Workshop review What does integrated mean?
What are skills, language skills and sub-skills?
What does integrating skills mean?
How can we integrate language skills in the classroom?
Conclusions 26 26

27. Lucantoni, P, Teaching & Assessing Skills in E2L, Cambridge University Press 2002
Harmer, J, The Practice of English Language Teaching, Longman 1991
Littlewood, W, Communicative Language Teaching, Cambridge University Press 2001
Oxford, R, Integrated Skills in the EFL/ESL Classroom,
Oxford, R, Language learning strategies. What every teacher should know, Heinle & Heinle 1990
Nunan , D, Designing tasks for the communicative classroom, Cambridge University Press1989
Tanner & Green, Tasks for Teacher Education,, Longman 1998]
Bibliography

28. Any questions?

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