Giáo án tiếng Anh 12 - Developing language skills

 have the passage prerecorded on tape, read either by himself/herself or by someone else.
Randall Rockey (1983) suggests that the Barrett Taxonomy of reading comprehension can be used as a guide for developing structures and leveled listening comprehension exercises. In brief, the texonomy consists of four categories, each one designed to describe a discrete subset of skills:
Literal Recognition or recall 
Recognition or recall of details.
Recognition or recall of main ideas.
Recognition or recall of sequence.
Recognition or recall of comparisons.
Recognition or recall of character traits.
Inference
Inferring supporting details.
Inferring the main ideas.
Inferring sequence.
Inferring comparisons.
Inferring cause – and – effect relationships.
Inferring character traits.
Predicting outcomes.
Inferring figurative language.
Evaluation
judgments of reality or fantasy.
Judgments of fact or opinion.
Judgments of adequacy or validity.
Judgments of appropriateness.
Judgments of worth, desirability, or acceptability.
Appreciation
Emotional response to plot or theme.
Identification with the speakers’ use of language.
Reactions to the speakers’ use of language.
Imagery.
Celestre Zappolo (1985) presents some communication game which put extra emphasis on the task of the listener:
The Blindfolded Walk – This is done by pairs of students with whole - class attention. The grammar/ function focus is on understanding directions. Student 1 guides blindfolded student 2 toward him/her through a maze of obstacles (chairs) while he/she remains stationary at one end. The goal is to avoid bumping into or knocking over any of the obstacles.
Picture Dictations – This is done either by a pairs of students or a group with one student instructing the others and two students drawing individually. The grammar/ function focus is on understanding instructions. Student 1, using a simple line drawing, directs student 2 to duplicate it by means of series of instructions (e.g., “Draw one long straight line across the bottom of the page ”). Students work back – to – back. The goal is to duplicate the original sketch as clearly as possible.
Menu completion – This is done by pairs of students with different incomplete version of the same menu (Prices of food items might be missing). Each seeks to complete his/ her menu by asking questions of and listening to his/ her partner. The goal is to complete both versions. The grammar/ function focus is understanding information.
Lorraine Valdez Pierce (1988) suggests that for listening and speaking activities at all levels, the teacher should provide for pre-listening, listening, and post-listening sessions. At intermediate and advanced levels, these might take the following form:
1. Pre-listening
a. Set the students’ expectations about what they are going to hear by using visual aids (e.g. pictures, photos, and drawings.)
b. Set the theme/ topic/ setting by discussing it with regard to the students’ culture.
c. Give a reason/ purpose for listening; assign a concrete task to be completed by them.
2. Listening
a. Make the students listen the first time for general comprehension.
b. Have them listen the second time, pausing after meaningful “chunks” of language to discuss what has been said and what will follow, and checking for comprehension.
c. Make them listen several more times, stopping to answer their questions and to create pauses for language processing.
d. Allow time for completion of the listening task. The students should be responding in some physical way to the listening passage, either by indicating appropriate pictures or answers to multiple-choice questions, completing a cloze exercise, filling in the blanks of incomplete sentences or of a grid, or writing short answers to questions.
3. Post listening
a. Discuss the students’ reactions to the content of the listening selections.
b. Ask them thought-provoking questions to encourage discussion about how they relate to the speaker’s message.
c. Set the students to work in pairs to create dialogs or synopses based on the listening selection.
d. Assign reading and writing activities based on the listening passage.
Approaches and methods in communication arts: 
 An overview
 Human being need to communicate thoughts and feelings to other of their kind. The messages may be expressed, or transmitted, and received through any of the perception channels: visuals (sight), auditory (hearing), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), and tactile (touch). It is this need to share ideas which gave rise to language. Thus, language is defined as the expression or communication of thoughts and feelings by means of vocal sounds and written symbols, and the communication of such sounds to which meaning is attributed.
What is communication art?
The term communication arts or language arts encompasses a wide range of school activities designed to help students become knowledgeable about language so that they can use it effectively. Communication art suggests that language learning involves artistic as well as functional skills.
The diagram on page 2 shows that communication arts can be classified according to:
the task involved – listening, speaking, reading or writing
the role of the individual – receiving (reception) or expressing (production) a message
the manner of communication – oral or written
It also shows that although different skills are involved, they are interrelated. The implication is that mastery of one aspect enriches as well as reinforces mastery of the other aspects.
The communication arts teacher
The effective communication arts teacher has the following characteristics:
Is a competent user of the language? A good knowledge background (academic preparation) gives a sense of confidence and facilities creative thinking in a teacher. The teacher’s ability to conceptualize the structure and function of the language he/ she teaches enables him/ her to identify the knowledge and skills that students need and to break complex concepts and abilities into lesson-sized experiences. This means the teacher is a good role model.
Has the ability to interact with students? The teacher needs to know how to diagnose, plan, and instruct in consistent and meaningful ways, to stimulate his/her students’ interest in language, and to motivate them to learn the skills they need.
Has a healthy interest in literature? It is important that teachers effectively convey the idea that reading is enjoyable and that books are sources of enjoyment as well as of knowledge. Wholesome literature has much to offer. It has the power to educate the human heart and to develop a fully literate person.
Has a positive attitude toward the communication arts curriculum. The thoughts and attitudes of the teacher are communicated to his/ her students even when these are not stated directly. The teacher, therefore, must be interested in the fascinating world of language, for interest begets interest.
Applies various methods/ approaches and strategies of teaching. To meet individual needs, the teacher must be able to identify each students’ entry skills and knowledge and later on modify instruction based on:
continuous evaluation of the student’s competencies and learning needs
analysis of habits that the student has consciously or unconsciously developed
evidences of attitudes and interest in learning
Teaching the communication arts
 There are three levels of conceptualization and organization identified by Anthony (1963): approach, method, and technique or strategy. The arrangement of these levels is hierarchical, i.e., the techniques carry out a method which is consistent with an approach.
Approach → method → technique, technique, technique.
 An approach is a set of correlative assumptions dealing with the nature of language teaching and learning. It describes the nature of the subject matter to be taught. It is the level at which assumptions and beliefs about something to be learned are specified.
 A method is an overall plan for the orderly presentation of language material no part of which is based upon, the selected approach. It is the level at which theory is put into practice and choices are made about the particular skills and content to be taught, and the order by which the content will be presented. 
 Technique is the level at which classroom procedures are described. It is a medium of implementation (eg: a particular trick, strategy, or contrivance) used to accomplish an immediate objective.
 A brief description of the salient features of the major approaches and methods in teaching V and reading follows. Teachers of communication arts will find this information useful in their choice of strategies to fit their purpose and the needs of their students.
Grammar translation method
Goal
To read literature in the target language
To memorize grammar rules and vocabulary of the target V
Characteristics
The major focuses are reading and writing with little or no systematic attention to listening and speaking.
Vocabulary selection is based solely on the reading text used. Words are taught through bilingual word lists, dictionary study, and memorization.
The sentence is the basic unit of teaching and language practice. Much of the lesson is devoted to translating sentences from and into the target language.
Grammar is taught deductively. Rules are presented and studied then practiced through translation exercises.
The students’ native language is used to explain new items in the target language and to enable comparisons between the foreign language and the students’ native language.
Accuracy is emphasized. Students are expected to attain high standards in translation.
Sample activities:
The students are asked to translate, for example, the Spanish poem “Adios Patria Adorada” by Dr. Jose Rizal into English or into the native language, or vice versa.
The students answer the questions in the target language base