A Pause for Reflection

Now is the the perfect time to take a time-out and reflect.  We have just completed four modules of in-depth study of the four modalities of language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).  During our exploration of each the modalities, we have been exposed to a significant amount of new information, ideas, and terminology.  A review at this point will most definitely be helpful as we synthesize and apply our new learning.

As we move forward through this course and the coming ones in this certificate program (and then into the classroom!), these four modules and the information they contain about the four language modalities will be a core from which we can work.  I thought I would take this reflection post to just touch on some highlights from each module:

Reading

We learned that there are 6 kinds of knowledge that can be used to make sense of text:

• syntactic knowledge
• morphological knowledge
• general world knowledge
• sociocultural knowledge
• topic knowledge
• genre knowledge

We also learned that it is important to help learners use schematic knowledge in pre-reading activities where they can make predictions.

Another thing we learned about reading was that specific language knowledge can be used during a reading activity to help learners decode the text.  This can include text cohesion, deletion, discourse signals, and vocabulary.

Finally, we learned how teachers can apply certain strategies to help learners decode different types of text.  They can assign extensive reading, choose text in such a way as to capitalize on learner's existing knowledge, and engage learners in analytical activities that draw attention to specific features of the text.

Writing

As for writing, we learned about the different stages of writing and the purposes of each.

• planning:  deciding what to say (purpose, audience, content structures)
• drafting: writing first and / or subsequent versions with the intention for future editing
• editing: reading through a composition for general meaning, overall structure, detailed features, and perhaps receiving comments and suggestions from others
• final version:  incorporating changes, comments, or suggestions into a final version for presentation to audience

We also performed a very informative comparison of the two productive skills, writing and speaking.  

We examined the different possible purposes of writing including academic, creative, professional, functional, and electronic.

We learned about the qualities of a well-written narrative text, including the following:

• text construction suitable to genre, topic and audience (or discourse community)
• text is cohesive both lexically and grammatically
• text is coherent (both the writer's purpose and line of thought are clear)
• text uses appropriate register (tone and vocabulary)

Finally, we explored the role of the teacher in the development of learners' writing skills.  Specifically, this will include things like raising learners' awareness of the importance of genre, topic, audience and tone, explicitly teaching how and when to use cohesive devices, and providing for a significant amount of reading with the opportunity to analyze texts, as well as the use of some texts as models or examples from which to parallel write.

Listening

When learning about listening, it was quite surprising to learn that little research has been done about its use in the language learning classroom and that it is perhaps the most neglected of the four modalities.  

We learned that there are four main purposes for listening:

• listening for gist
• listening for specific information
• listening for details
• inferential listening

As we did with the two productive skills, writing and speaking, we compared the two receptive skills, reading and listening.  This was very enlightening.

We learned that many types of factors influence the difficulty level of a listening task.  These factors can be categorized into four main groups:

• characteristics of the message itself
• characteristics of the delivery
• characteristics of the listener
• characteristics of the environment

We learned that schematic knowledge may be significantly helpful for listeners' comprehension since the language makes connections to learners' prior knowledge.

We read a stimulating debate about whether or not texts used for listening tasks should be limited to authentic or include scripted ones, as well.  It seems that both are beneficial for different reasons.

We also learned about the development of different types of listening skills through various types of activities.

Speaking   

As we began the module on speaking, we learned first about the characteristics of good speakers.  With a focus on what good speakers do, we learned that they

• conceptualize, formulate, and then articulate messages
• self-monitor and repair
• exhibit automaticity and fluency
• manage talk

We learned what discourse markers are and how they are used to send certain signals during conversations.  We learned a significant number of these.

We learned specific strategies that speakers use to manage talk, including:

• turn-taking
• discourse markers
• backchannel devices

We learned that certain types of knowledge make significant contributions to communicative competence.  Some are listed below.

• extralinguistic: topic / culture / context
• sociocultural: social values / norms of behavior (these may be both linguistic or extralinguistic)
• linguistic: grammar / vocab / genre
• discourse: organization / connection of utterances / markers
• pragmatic: language in context / speech acts / functions / co-operative principle / politeness / register

We learned about the importance of tone and register in speech and that learners need to be taught this specifically.

Finally, we learned about the promotion of fluency and accuracy in speech through error correction, explicit drills, role plays, and other task-based activities like information gap activities.

Putting it all together

The study of the four modalities has been extremely helpful.  It has included a comparison and contrast of several separate modalities.  Learning what competent learners in each of these skills can do and what knowledge they need in order to do it is essential for language teachers.  The information contained in these modules will help us create and perform more balanced, comprehensive assessments of our learners' needs.  It will also help us approach the learning in the classroom using a balanced application of the four modalities that will enable our learners to achieve a grammatical, functional, and sociocultural competence.

I believe that since language involves these four modalities, it is only logical that we use them to teach language.  Even grammar, which may seem somehow separate or overly formulaic with a reliance on drilling, can be taught in a way that incorporates the four modalities.  In fact, it is probably best taught in such a way.  When the learners will have the opportunity to use all four language modalities to explore a structure or form, it is possible that they will actually be better equipped to use it outside the classroom.

Within each module, we learned about implications for the teaching and learning process.  If we apply these to our practice, it is more likely that our students' language competence will improve.  It remains our challenge to keep this detailed, complex information at our fingertips in order to empower us to provide the most effective, efficient and beneficial learning environment for our students.