[ad_1]
Often ESL learners are worried that when they learn new structures and forms in a target language, they "getting it right." Teaching form or accuracy is just as important as "getting the meaning across" which is both of fluency. fluency emphasizes meaning and accuracy emphasizes form and structure. However, accuracy is developed through fluency, which is why in our teaching, we should strive to provide the best method that caters to both these principles.
The Goal behind Successful ESL Teaching
In ESL classrooms, using language to communicate is the most effective way to learn a language. Teaching students to be communicatively competent is just as important as teaching reading strategies. By giving students the chance to use combinations of different functions and structures, they can develop their fluency and confidence in speaking the target language.
Start by Using Pre-Communicative Learning Activities
By using pre-communicative activities, the ESL learners is equipped with some of the skills required for communication without requiring him / her to perform communicative acts. This might be a good way to help build up confidence in speaking and grammar related activities. The criteria is not whether s / he has managed to convey an intended meaning, (accuracy) but rather if s / he has produced an acceptable piece of language. The activities also aim to help the learn develop links with meaning that will later enable him / her to use language for communicative purposes.
Principles behind Communicative Activities
Encouraging students to give a variety of responses both personal and practice using language creatively.
Giving students a purpose for using the language. Examples include discussion, games, problem solving and information-gap activities.
Organizing activities in pairs or small groups allow the students to use language in private face-to-face interaction
Teaching Form and Meaning
Teaching communicatively is closely connected with situation context. By that I mean, teachers can contextualize language and ask learners to practice responses which would be a) realistic ways of performing useful communicative acts and b) situations they might expect to encounter at some time. This makes language learning more relevant and useful. when encouraging students to use the correct forms in communicative teaching, errors are seen as natural to the learning process and are corrected only when studying grammar.
When teaching function meaning, teachers relate the language (structural forms of the language) to external reality such as a concrete situation or a picture or personal knowledge. For example, teachers can relate going to the movie with learners' likes and dislikes:
Example:
Student # 1: Should we go to the movies tonight?
Student # 2; I do not feel like going to the movies. (OR) The movies? Yes! That's a good idea.
Teaching language communicatively provides opportunities for positive personal relationships to develop among learners and between learners and the teacher. Communicative interactions also encourage cooperative relationships, promotes learners' security and allows them to share ideas and opinions and make them feel they are doing something useful.
[ad_2]
Source by Dorit Sasson