In the summer of 2004, English as a foreign language was introduced as a core subject to primary schools in all 16 federal states of Germany. This came as a result of many years of research and several years of experience teaching foreign languages at primary level in individual schools all over the country. With the development of different ideas and approaches to primary specific language teaching, the emphasis on the different skills involved and required in language learning has varied. In recent years, the importance of communicative skills has grown and speaking, not only as a productive and reproductive, but also as an interactive skill, has come into the focus of foreign language teaching at primary level. However, classroom observations show that most English lessons do not go beyond teaching the pupils to repeat phrases and little dialogues after the teacher or to recite them, usually under cover of their classmates. The question I want to deal with in this paper, which I have written as part of my final examination, is what aspects oral communication skills are comprised of and how far they can be successfully developed in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms at primary level. I will look at the aspects which must be considered in order to enable pupils to actively use the foreign language in the classroom and, resulting from this, in real life situations. In order to do so, I consulted several introductions to EFL learning and teaching both at primary and secondary level and literature dealing with the aspects of speaking and communicative competence, even though they were in most cases designed for secondary schools and adult education, as well as articles taken from primary English magazines, giving insights into the practice of language teaching.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. HOW LANGUAGES ARE LEARNED
2.1 FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
2.2 THEORIES OF FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
2.2.1 The behaviourist perspective
2.2.2 The innatist perspective
2.2.3 Interactionist/ developmental perspectives
2.3 SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
2.3.1 Learner characteristics
2.3.2 Learning conditions
2.3.3 Setting
2.4. THEORIES OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
2.4.1 The behaviourist perspective
2.4.2 The innatist perspective
2.4.3 The cognitivist/ developmental perspective
3. ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE – LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE GERMAN PRIMARY CLASSROOM
3.1 AIMS
3.2 METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES
3.3 LANGUAGE SKILLS
3.3.1 Functional communicative skills
3.3.1.1 Communicative skills
3.3.1.1.1 Listening
3.3.1.1.2 Speaking
3.3.1.1.3 Reading
3.3.1.1.4 Writing
3.3.1.2 Linguistic means
3.3.2 Methodological skills
3.3.3 Intercultural skills
4. SPEAKING AS A SKILL
4.1 FEATURES OF SPEECH PRODUCTION
4.1.1 Conceptualisation and formulation
4.1.2 Articulation
4.1.3 Self-monitoring and repair
4.1.4 Automaticity
4.1.5 Fluency
4.1.6 Managing talk
4.2 COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
4.3 CLASSIFICATION OF ORAL PRODUCTION
4.3.1 Oral production
4.3.2 Spoken interaction
4.3.3 Oral mediation
4.4 TYPES OF SPEAKING SITUATION
4.4.1 Transactional speaking situation
4.4.2 Interactional speaking situation
5. LEARNING AND TEACHING THE SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN THE PRIMARY ENGLISH CLASSROOM
5.1 PRINCIPLES WHICH SUPPORT LANGUAGE PRODUCTION AND INTERACTION
5.1.1 Atmosphere
5.1.2 Motivation
5.2 ROLES OF THE TEACHER
5.2.1 The teacher as provider of comprehensible input
5.2.2 The teacher as language model
5.2.3 Mime and gesture
5.3 TYPES OF SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
5.3.1 Accuracy-based non-communicative activities
5.3.2 Fluency-based communicative activities
5.3.2.1 Free discussion
5.3.2.2 Role play
5.3.2.3 Information-gap activities
5.3.3 Providing a range and balance of activities
5.4 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
5.5 HOW TO TEACH PRONUNCIATION
5.5.1 Aspects of pronunciation
5.5.2 The importance of teaching pronunciation
5.5.3 Choosing a model
5.5.4 Different approaches
5.5.5 Techniques and activities
5.6 THE USE OF THE L1
5.6.1 Reasons for pupils´ use of the L1 in the classroom
5.6.2 Attitudes to pupils´ use of the L1 in the classroom
5.7 ERROR TREATMENT
5.7.1 Which errors to correct
5.7.2 Interlanguage
5.7.3 Classifications of feedback
5.7.3.1 Feedback during accuracy work
5.7.3.2 Feedback during fluency work
6. INTERIM CONCLUSION
7. COURSE BOOK ANALYSIS: PLAYWAY 4 RAINBOW EDITION (2001) AND PLAYWAY 4 (2007)
7.1 AIMS AND STRUCTURE
7.2 ACTIVITY TYPES
7.2.1 Playway 4 Rainbow Edition (2001)
7.2.2 Playway 4 (2007)
7.3 PLAYWAY’S METHODOLOGICAL AND DIDACTICAL PRINCIPLES WITH REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES WHICH ENCOURAGE ORAL LANGUAGE PRODUCTION
8. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Core Topics
This paper aims to investigate how oral communication skills are structured and how they can be effectively developed within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms at the primary level. By analyzing both theoretical frameworks of first and second language acquisition and current teaching practices, the work seeks to identify methods and principles that encourage pupils to actively utilize the foreign language for real-life communication.
- Comparison between first language acquisition and foreign language learning processes.
- Analysis of teacher roles and classroom atmosphere as catalysts for oral production.
- Evaluation of accuracy-based vs. fluency-based speaking activities.
- Comparative analysis of the Playway 4 course book editions (2001 and 2007) regarding their approach to oral language development.
- Examination of error treatment strategies and the role of L1 in the EFL classroom.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1.1 Conceptualisation and formulation
Utterances need to be planned or conceptualised in terms of their discourse type (i.e. interactive discourse: conversations, interviews, greetings; narrative; report; singing) their topic (what do I want to say?) and their purpose (for what reason/ to what effect do I want to say it?). Furthermore, speakers have to take the speech situation and the interlocutors´ background into consideration (cf. Müller-Hartmann/ Schocker-von Ditfurthh 2004: 60). On the basis of these factors they have to choose the appropriate words to bring their message across (cf. Harmer 2005: 23). When the time has come to introduce the topic within the conversation, speakers have to formulate their utterances, which “[…] involves making strategic choices at the level of discourse, syntax, and vocabulary” (Thornbury 2005: 3). Also at the stage of formulation “[…] the words need to be assigned their pronunciation” (ibid.: 4), including stress and intonation, which signal the importance of what is said.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the introduction of English as a core subject in German primary schools and defines the research question regarding the development of oral communication skills.
2. HOW LANGUAGES ARE LEARNED: Provides a theoretical overview of first and second language acquisition processes, comparing factors like learner characteristics and learning environments.
3. ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE – LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE GERMAN PRIMARY CLASSROOM: Describes the specific aims, methodology, and language skills targeted by the curriculum for primary level English education.
4. SPEAKING AS A SKILL: Analyzes the complex features of speech production and the communicative strategies necessary for competent interaction in a foreign language.
5. LEARNING AND TEACHING THE SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN THE PRIMARY ENGLISH CLASSROOM: Focuses on practical classroom principles, including the teacher's role, types of activities, pronunciation teaching, and error treatment.
6. INTERIM CONCLUSION: Summarizes the theoretical findings before transitioning into the practical analysis of the course book.
7. COURSE BOOK ANALYSIS: PLAYWAY 4 RAINBOW EDITION (2001) AND PLAYWAY 4 (2007): Conducts a detailed comparison of two course book editions to evaluate their effectiveness in promoting active oral language production.
8. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the main findings and discusses the necessity for further research into primary-level oral communication methodology.
Keywords
Oral communication skills, Primary English education, Language acquisition, Speech production, Communicative competence, Foreign language learning, Teacher-student interaction, Classroom atmosphere, Playway, Speaking activities, Fluency, Accuracy, Error treatment, Interlanguage, Pronunciation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how oral communication skills can be successfully fostered in primary school English classrooms, looking at both theoretical foundations and practical teaching methods.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
Key areas include the processes of language acquisition, the specific role of the teacher, the design of speaking activities, and the pedagogical approach to error correction in primary schools.
What is the central research question?
The author investigates what oral communication skills consist of and the extent to which they can be developed in German primary school EFL classrooms.
Which scientific methodologies are utilized?
The work employs a literature-based theoretical analysis of language acquisition theories and a comparative case study analyzing the structure and activity types of the Playway 4 course book.
What is treated in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical basis for language learning, specific teaching principles for oral production, and an in-depth analysis of the Playway course book's methodological principles.
What are the characterizing keywords of this paper?
The paper is characterized by terms such as oral communication skills, communicative competence, primary English education, and speech production.
How does the author define the difference between accuracy and fluency activities?
Accuracy-based activities focus on the correct usage of specific linguistic forms and structures in a controlled environment, whereas fluency-based activities emphasize meaningful communication and interaction.
What are the findings regarding the Playway course book editions?
The 2007 revised edition shows a slight increase in fluency-based activities and more opportunities for creative language production compared to the 2001 edition, though the teacher remains crucial in supporting these tasks.
- Quote paper
- Anna Hohls (Author), 2007, Oral communication skills in the primary english classroom, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/90975
