1999. Using the four linguistic skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing

A student can attend an English course where one language skill is exploited mostly, say for example speaking. 

However at regular classes of a school the four skills are interwoven often. I’m giving you an example. 

We can implement an activity where a text is exploited – a text of their interest or about a topic they should receive instruction, like one about good manners and what can bother other people. 

As a lead-in we can brainstorm lexis about the topic, say for example about Alhambra palaces from Granada, where we live. 

Then the students can suggest information that could appear in that text, according to their expectations, by speaking again. That speaking, by the way, entails listening. 

Then we can exploit the text by reading silently for example. 

Later there could be some clarification of difficult expressions, by the teacher or by a student that knows that expression. 

Next they can read the text aloud, by turns. 

And finally we could implement a follow-up where a student summarizes the text into its core contents, by speaking. Afterward another student can add something else, even a third student can add something he thinks it’s important as well. 

Thus we’ve had listening, speaking, and reading. The writing part can be to make a written outline according to each student’s favorite part of the topic. 

At other classes two or three skills can be treated. At regular classes of other school subjects alike diverse language skills are practiced: Spanish linguistics, biology, history… / Photo: Alhambra at sunset