Teach English in Yincheng Zhen - Changzhi Shi

I have learned through this course and through observation that EFL teachers sometimes emphasize the productive skills (writing and speaking) at the expense of the receptive skills (reading and listening). The teaching of the receptive skills is critically important, however, so a good EFL teacher needs to be sure to balance the teaching of the productive skills with the teaching of the receptive skills. I also believe that the effective teaching of reading and listening leads to students learning writing and speaking skills much better. Students often need to read or listen for a specific purpose such as to gain information or receive instructions. They also typically read or listen for enjoyment and entertainment. It seems that many teachers consider the receptive skills harder to teach and learn, but there are many helpful materials and resources available, especially with the advent of the internet and sites such as YouTube. It is also much easier for a teacher and/or student to find interesting content. A skilled and experienced teacher will teach students the importance of context when reading through the use of predictive skills, scanning, skimming, concentration on details, and awareness of context. This mirrors the actions of native English speakers and allows for the understanding of unfamiliar vocabulary. One of the most effective ways to teach reading is to use both authentic and non-authentic texts that are of interest to the students. Non-authentic texts are created to have language that is appropriate for the level of the students, while authentic texts let the students gain confidence in understanding real materials and accomplishing tasks. One of the best pieces of advice I received when I began to learn a second language, Gujarati, was to focus at first on reading the language. Gujarati does not use Roman letters so, for me, learning to read Gujarati was very difficult. From that experience, I learned that doing a little bit of reading every day made a significant difference in my progress. I also learned that there are no shortcuts in learning to read another language. I also learned that there are no shortcuts in learning listening skills. A little bit every day over time seems to be the best way. It is also important to combine listening with reading. When one listens to a non-native language, it is hard to hear the differences in sound and/or tone that a native-speaker would notice. In Gujarati, for example, there are four distinct “d” sounds and four distinct “t” sounds. But when listening is combined with reading, the learning is much more effective. One of the activities I find very helpful is to listen to a popular Gujarati song on YouTube, then search for the lyrics on the internet. Then I read the lyrics while listening to the song. It is very effective for the learning of receptive skills. I affirm that the basic keys for the effective learning of receptive skills are choosing materials that are interesting and/or motivating for students, building interest before reading and/or listening, pre-teaching challenging vocabulary, grammar, and usage, using a variety of materials, using the material to practice different skills, and using realistic comprehension tasks to help with understanding and incorporating activate phrases that naturally lead on from the text. I also have found that focusing on receptive skills helps to increase vocabulary. I keep a small notebook with me in order to write down new Gujarati words that I read or hear. I have also found that listening to new vocabulary is a good way to learn, so I ask a native speaker of Gujarati to say the words in my notebook while I record him on my phone. Then I listen to the vocabulary as I am driving around. It not only helps to improve my vocabulary, it helps to improve my pronunciation. When I ask a new friend from China how she learned fluency in English, for example, a common response is that he or she learned by watching a news program or video or movie in English, and it is usually something that is of interest to them. So a focus on listening improves the productive skill of speaking. In conclusion, even though the receptive skills can be challenging to teach, a successful teacher will be sure to devote considerable effort to teaching reading and speaking. Also, there is a clear benefit to the learning of productive skills when the receptive skills are taught. As is true with much in education, the best approach is usually a balanced approach.