Skill of teaching

When speaking about language skills, the basic ones are: listening, speaking, reading & writing. However, other, more socially-based skills have been identified more recently such as summarizing, describing, narrating etc. In addition, more general learning skills such as study skills & knowing how learns have been applied to language classrooms.

In the 1970s & 1980s the basic skills were usually taught in isolation in a rigid order, such as listening before speaking. However, since then, it is been recognized that they usually use over skill at a time, leading to more integrated exercises.[4] Speaking is a skill that often is underrepresented in the traditional classroom. This might be due to the fact that it is thought about a less-academic skill than writing, is transient & improvised (thus harder to evaluate & teach through rote imitation).

More recent textbooks stress the importance of students working with other students in pairs & groups, sometimes the whole class. Pair & group work give opportunities for more students to participate more actively. However, supervision of pairs & groups is important to make positive everyone participates as equally as feasible. Such activities also provide opportunities for peer teaching, where weaker learners can find support from stronger classmates.