Readings for Week 11

I think it is really important to discuss Brown’s chapter on integrating all of the language skills into one whole language approach. Although I can understand the importance of delving into each skill individually especially if one needs more help for a certain class, the best way to learn the language is integrating the skills and incorporating all of them so that the student is more prepared for any situation. Of the suggested models of skills integration, I think that my favorite was experiential learning because it is the best way to be sure to incorporate both the left and right brained learners. This type of learning is also thought to be more natural and realistic which is the best mode for ELL who are faced with language challenges daily because they are immersed in the English speaking culture.  More specifically, I think that the language experience approach is a great way to use the personal stories of the students and through these teaching both grammar points as well as vocabulary. This approach is great because students are sure to immediately be engaged because they had the experience happen to them and are most likely interested in how to have better handled a certain situation.

In Kumar chapter 9, the author stresses how important a student’s understanding of contextualized discourse and how shapes their communicative competence. I think this topic is very relevant especially for students who come to the United States because in our culture there are many topics that are considered taboo to discuss and are often discovered too late. For example, currently the debates are a hot topic in the United States but it is still considered rude to ask another person who they are voting for.  It may not be this way in certain other countries so it could start a sour relationship from the beginning if the language learner does not understand the harm in asking this question.

I think that the main importance of integrating the learning skills is that every student is likely to find their strengths and weaknesses and finally learn where it is they need the most special attention so that they can ensure a more productive learning process. More specifically, I really agreed with Kumar’s quote “the integration of learning skills has the potential to offer different opportunities for different types of learners” in Chapter 10. This is also beneficial because the students can see how their classmates get through the areas they may struggle with and begin to adapt their own learning process to be more successful. All in all, I think that learning how to integrate the four language skills in different exciting ways is one of the most important ways that a teacher can help their students.