PART B

Stop
Interaction is compulsory in this workshop

You cant produce what you dont own:

Inputs drive outputs

Input
Output

Input skills should always precede output skills

The brain of the beginner student is like an empty
warehouse that must be filled with the information

Q: Do you agree with this idea or you prefer to think

about integrated skills?. What would be the natural

sequence the learning should follow at the beginning
stages of foreign languages?

Input

Output

Output
Using language to express
orally or in written:
-Practicing
-Assessing

Output exists if certain

conditions are present

Q: What do you think these conditions are for both writing

and speaking?

Output:
Promotes learning through interaction
Allows assessment of prior learning

Output

Speaking is a way to
communicate in the L2
language.

SPEAKING
Understanding written words,
phases, chapters, paragraphs to set the
basis for speaking and interact in
a language. Ut enim ad minim veniam.

Speaking.
An activity is communicative if
Learners are involved
There is a purpose to speak
There is a real exchange of information
Success depends on the communicative
results

Speaking is difficult for the

students sometimes
Inhibitions (fear of mistake, shyness...)
Not having an opinion on a subject
Irregular participation within a group

Q: Do you think this happens at every level?.

Can you think of a solution for these
problems?

Speaking

Any speaking activity requires a plan

There are two basic types of interaction:
- Teacher-student
- Student-student

Q: Which one do you usually find more

challenging?

Speaking activities are a

great way to:
Practise pronunciation,
Use grammar and new structures
Interact and learn new vocabulary
Present ideas and express thoughts in the L2
language

Q: Which one do you usually find more challenging to

encourage, can you think of an activity for each?

Speaking assessment is
not easy
To design the test and the criteria
To be neutral or totally objective
Find a balance between fluency and accuracy
Is time consuming

Q: Any ideas to do this efficiently?

Speaking activities stages

Require to prepare, present, practise,
assessment and extension
INSTRUCTIONS are essential for an
speaking activities

Q: Can you think of a speaking activity and identify this

phases? Why do you think clear instructions are particularly important for this skill?

Speaking activities
1. Simulations or role plays
2. Problem solving
3. Games
4. Conversations
5. Q&A
6. Debates, discussions
7. Stories

Q: Whats your favourite or your least favourite?

1 Simulations and Role plays

They are good to promote creativity and motivate
They help memorizing
Time
Roles assignation
Create and present a history
Tools and/or handouts
Correction

Q: How would you plan for a role play? Why it could go

wrong? Can you think of an example of role play?

2 Problem solving
To work on vocabulary or question structures
Descriptions/comparisons
Complete informations in pairs
Opportunities to talk with an objective

Q: What to do when students stop using L2?

How to avoid it?

3 Games
Students love games
Is a good way to work on anything that needs
practising : numbers, places, objects, verbs,..
Guessing keeps the students engaged
Physical games are good for ice breaking and
remember

Q: Any ideas to make this efficient?

4 Presentation
Good for higher levels
Each student presents orally on a topic of their
choice or the teachers choice
Is followed by a discussion

Q: What can be challenging?

Output

Writing requires the ability to

present ideas in written

WRITING
Understanding written words,
phases, chapters, paragraphs to set the
basis for speaking and interact in
a language. Ut enim ad minim veniam.

Writing

Writing requires an ability to write in L1

A text remains and allows to think, organise
and assess more easily than the speech
In the communicative approach writing can be
left behind

Q: Why is writing important?

Writing
As a way to learn: grammar structures,
vocabulary, to speak, describe, express ideas
As a way to communicate: letter, emails
As a way to enjoy

Q: Can we combine them? How?

Writing according to the ECF

Setting up a writing activity

1. Pre-activity
2. Instructions
3. Writing
4. Presentation

Q: What steps would you usually follow?

1. Pre-activity
Arouse the students' interest or curiosity:
Activate their background or knowledge
Presentation of the subject
Some stimuli to generate interest and
give the tools

Q: What kind of stimuli can you think of?

2. Instructions
Description of the task
Activation of vocabulary> brainstorming
Presentation of the type of text they have to
produce (examples)
Giving tools> grammar, functions
Description of the dynamics of the activity
(groups, individual)

Q: Is it easy to make them write in groups? How

would you manage that?

3. Writing
Composition
Revision (in groups or individually

4. Presentation
Sharing the compositions
Final correction
Students can read again the texts and the errors
can be used to correct in a new exercise
Revision (in groups or individually

Q: What errors do you think teachers usually do when

assessing writing tasks?

5. Assessment errors
Lack of examples or instructions
Expecting something original (sometimes
rewriting is a great exercise)
Quantity is not Quality
Thinking writing is a waste of time
Expecting the students to be good writers
Lack of context
Lack of purpose or objectives
Not revising the final product
Assuming writing is an isolated skill

Types of writing activities

Work on cohesion
- Substitute words by pronouns
- Order a sentence
- Eliminate words or repeated sentences,..
Work on content
- Complete a description
- Summary
- Finish a text
- Put instructions in order,...
Recognise a style: letter, news paper,..

Thank you