Topic 7

The oral English language. The complexity of the comprehension of the general meaning in oral interpretation: from audition to active and selective listening. Beginning to speak: from imitative reproduction to autonomous production

(Communicative competence in English)

EXTRA

The complexity of the comprehension of the general meaning in oral interpretation: from audition to active and selective listening.

LISTENING

SPEAKING

Hymes (1971) Four aspects:

- Systematic potencial

- Appropriacy

-Occurence

-Feasability

Canale and Swain (1980) added 5 subcompenteces:

- Grammatical competence.

- Discourse competence.

- Sociolinguistic competence.

- Strategic competence.

- Sociocultural comepetence.

Defined as: the ability to understand (comprehend) and respond to the spoken language.

Defined as: the ability to communicate in speech in a context. Producing verbal communication.

Strategies:

a) For students: identifying the topic, listening for the general idea, for specific info, detailed info...

b) For teachers: present the infor in simple input language (short and simple sentences), use visual aids, use verbal and nonverbal communication...

Strategies:

Use minimal responses, nonverbal means of communication, extralinguistic means of communication (TPR), slow pace, using the language in an appropriate context, recognize the communicative situation (greetings...) loud and clear voice...

Stages:

1. Pre-listening: prepare the students for what they are going to hear, pre-teach key word, predict content from a title...

2. While-listening: keep the students active, ask questions to focus on crucial elements, skimming for global understanding.

3. Post-listening: check comprehension, scanning, focus on the process.

Stages:

1. Lead in: warm up

2. Presentation/imitation: fun activities, first contact with the new language (songs, chants..)

3. Practice: preferably in pairs or small groups. Controlled practice or guided practice.

4. Production: no control by the teacher (facilitator/animator). Playing cards, roleplay, drama...)

Activities:

Monologues (narration, oral description, jokes, songs)

Dialogues (spontaneous conversation, discussions, drama, role-plays, interview, expositions...)

Activities:

Bingo, Simon says, TPR, completing songs, finding diferences from 2 listenings, ordering pictures, extract information, audiobooks, ICT resources, TV programmes...

Beginning to speak: from imitative reproduction to autonomous production

The oral English language.

Savignon (1983): how these competences interact. The communicative competence is a dynamic concept, it is an interpersonal process rather than an intrapersonal one.

Some priciples:

- Input before output: listening to words before pronouncing them.

-Realism: situations close to the students experiences and interests.

-Variery of topics: acquire a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.

-Relaxed atmosphere: to let students feel confident to express themselves.

Aural (ear) medium: Listening and speaking.

Visual Medium: Reading and writing.

Receptive: Listening and reading.

Productive: Speaking and writing.