FOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS

LISTENING SKILL

In a language, the flrst skill to develop is the listening skill. It lays foundation of
all other skills. A child's mind is ever curious to know things. The child learns its mother-
natural way without anybody's conscious efforts. Parents do
tongue automatically in a
not teach it to the child, nor is a
teacher appointed for this purpose not it there any

conscious effort on the part of the child, the learner to learn it. Such
is the nature of tl.
situation presenting sights and sounds, it
child's mind that when it is exposed to a
listens to the sounds of speech, notices what is happening
voluntarily pays attention to it,
into their sense or meaning, associates the sounds
around it, converts these sounds
those sounds, imitates the sounds and
with the objects in situations represented by
m a n n e r it hears them spoken.
speaks its felt needs in the
While learning a second language/foreign
language like English then a child is
then better it speaks the language. First of all the
allowed to listen to the language,
to the language without asking him/her to speak it.
child should be allowed to listen
for a longer period, it automatically, like a child acquiring
When it listens to the language
out the language. So sufficient listening exposure
the first language, will be able to speak The teacher could develop the
the listeners to speak the language.
should be given to to radios.
discussions, dictation, note-taking, listening
listening skill" through group learners to be attentive
teacher should be meticulous to train their
TV.and so on. The the listening skill in the
explanations do not necessarily develop
while istening to. Long ing interesting.
his talk or teaching
makes
learners
arners unless the teacher
 SPEAKING SKILL
It is language which distinguishes man from animal. Therefore, it is rightly
which we live consists of things
called as "a talking animal. The human environment in
and persons. The human built a world words and. they live in it. "Welearn how
being of
to think, to feel, to judge through the aid of and within the constraint imposed upon us
by the words, idioms and syntax of our language.
We can assess the knowledge of a person and his thinking through his speaking.
It ispossible for the people to speak in mother-tongue, but it is not an easy task to
achieve efficiency in English.
Learning to speak has got a signiflcant place in the teaching of a language.
and
According to Champion "train the people to speak correctly, attend to his spelling
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punctuation and you need have no fear, he will not write correct English." The speaking
of English can form the basis of other aspects of teaching.
First of all the child learns to speak, then he learns to read, then he writes but it
is not possible for them to speak fluently and correctly. The speech has its own influence
and attraction. It takes person a long long way in life. It is therefore, necessary to make
the children efficient in this art of speaking.
How to develop the power of speaking
Power of speaking can be developed, by taking resort to the following steps.
1. The students should be provided with proper and ample opportunity for speaking
an conversation.
2. The more they converse, the more they grow practises.
3. Proper environment should be provided.

Saying and Doing Exercises

The art of speaking may also be encouraged by saying and doing exercises. This
can be employed as a good means of developing the art of speaking English.
Recitation of the poetry and the description of its lines can also serve as device
for developing the art of English speaking.
Debates, oral essays, preparation speeches ete. can also be employed, for
developing the speaking English.
Role of the English Teacher
It is not possible for every student to get the proper atmosphere that is available
in English schools. It becomes the duty of the English teachers to provide atmosphere,
to enable the students to practise conversation in English. Because the art of speaking
depends upon practice.
The teacher should encourage the students to practise the speaking. He should
encourage the students to speak English and this he should collect suitable materials for
the students, to encourage to practise speaking. The teacher should allow his students
to pay proper attention of what others are saying. When a child learns to grasp the idea
of others, he shall be encouraged to express his own ideas. Opportunity should be provided
by oral lessons and lessons in reading. Here the teacher should proceed from simple to
difficult.

READING SKILL
Reading is an important aspect in English language. The beginning of education
is termed as the knowledge of 3 Rs. Which means reading, writing and arithmatics. (ut
of the
of these three aspects, reading occupies the ftrst place because it is the beginning
reader.
The child
reading comes after speech in the learning of the mother-tongue.
The
world. In speech
makes sufficient practices in speech before he begins reading the printed
of the language,
he frames a clear idea of the sound system and the sentence patterns
knows a limited vocabulary. The speech proceeds reading.
It is
Reading enables the readers to solve his various problems of the language.
meaningful and it has three "s" such as a symbol, sound and sense.
In the study of the language teacher should make the efficient in art of reading.
students in the following way.
Thus, the teacher of language should help his
1. Accuracy in pronunciation
2. In reading easily, smoothly and fluently.
3. Reading loudly (for development of speech habits)
4.Reading silently (for promoting of understanding
and expression
The Stages of Reading
attitude for reading and motivate
It is the duty of the teacher to develop proper
habits. So that the pupils may be rightly
the pupils and create interest the reading
information from their reading material, by
developed in reading by gathering
their own ideas about the matter they read
understanding it and by expressing
Methods of Teaching Reading
Before we start reading we
should give pupils sufficient oral training. The process
must have definite aims and objectives of reading
of reading also requires planning. We
the reading materials art to find out ways and
at different stages of selecting and grading
our pupils.
means to initiate activity among
This is the oldest method of teaching. The methods
1. Alphabet Method:
and Rome in Europe. In this method, first letters and
started in the early days of Greece R-A-
sentences such as C-A-T
then words and
=
Cat;
their names are taught to pupils,
T Rat.
In phonetic method theteacher concentrates first on the
2. Phonetic method: and sound; like Fan, Pan, Man, Bat.
on words with
somewhat regular spelling
teaching on the sounds of letters instead of their names.
Rat, Fat. This method lays emphasis
3. The Word Method
o r Look &
Say Method: Here words are presented

a unit of thought. The teacher introduces some familiar

together aand the word is taken as
 the pen, Give me the book etc. In reading by this
words in the class like Bring me

meaning to what we read.

method, our attention is concentrated upon the

4. The Sentence Method: This method enables

the pupils to acquire the correct
intonation. Here the sentence is the unit
pronunciation, with proper stress, rhythm and
sentences are formed such as
of thought. From some known and familiar words, simple
sit down on the bench, go on reading etc.
through repetition.
5. The Imitative Method: This is a method of memorisation
and the pupils repeat as in rote
The teacher reads the words such as come, go, see, etc.
learning.
the sentence or
Story Method: The story method is a development
on
6. The
to form a story and this becomes the
phrase method. Sequence of sentences are used
natural tendency for reading story. This
unity of reading activity. Children have the
method leads more complete unit, small and interesting stories may
be said to the
pupils.
Types of Reading
types of reading which are given below
two
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There are

1. Loud Reading : Much of the reading to be done at the early stage will be
reading aloud. Loud reading is a test of the pupil. It is a practice where the pupils learn
phraseand words easily. According to P. Gurrey, "Reading aloud is used to be one of the
normal methods for giving pupils language practice quite regardless of its value." Loud
reading helps the pupils in correct pronunciation and correct the mistakes in the
pronunciation.
2. Silent Reading: This is the another form of reading. Reading aloud will all
its advantages is to be replaced by silent reading. In order to organise and arrange the
ideas, silent reading is more useful than the loud reading done by an adult is of this
natural. The purpose of the silent reading is be enable to comprehend the meaning of
what they read with speed. P. Gurrey & Ryburn are in favour ofsilent reading. According
to Ryburn, most important for most people in the art silent reading. So we have to
develop the habit of reading silently among our pupils.

WRITING SKILL
Writing occupies a significant place in the teaching of every language. Through
the medium of writing we are able to express our ideas. The young people must learn
how their manual and mental capacities in learning to write the language are going to
be utilised. According to Lord Bacon, "Writing makes a man exact."
Mr. Bell has written in his book "Good handwriting", "All through our school
days we are asked to write exercises and compositions and notes, we answer questions
in examinations etc."

writing is a tool which enables to express what is in our mind. Through

In fact
writing habits we write short stories, long stories, novels, essays etc. Writing trains
ears and eyes. We write what we speak or hear. It develops our memory power and
individual activity.
Methods of Teaching Writing
The educationists and thinkers have laid down the following three methods of

teaching Writing. They are

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1. Kinder Garten Method : In this method, children are taught the art of

writing with the help ofwooden pieces. This method is only helpful for the small children.
2. Tracing Method: Under this method, children trace the form ofletters. The
teacher draws or writes letters with chalk or pencils and then children are asked to
write those letters.
3. Free Hand Imitation: In this method the students are asked to imitate the
leters written before them. The students do a lot of practice in this method. Under this
method, they have to imitate the ideas of the letters before them, practice brings
perfection in them.
Experiments have proved that free hand imitation method is the best method.
Children taught under this method, develop the quality of self-reliance and practice
their work with a great interest.
Characteristics of Good Handwriting
1. Distinctiveness: Each letter stands from the neighbouring ones. It should not
be mistaken for another letters.
2. Proper Spacing : Each word is placed at a suitable distance form the others.
There should be proper and uniform space between the lines.
3. Proportion in size: The size of the letters should be moderate in proportion
and the same proportion should be maintained throughout.

4. Writing in Straight Lines: The lines should show reasonable distance apart
and they run straight all through.
5. Punctuation: The punctuation marks shouldbe used appropriately.
6. Simplicity: Letters should be simple in form.

7 Attractive: Handwriting should be such as the very first glance it may be able
to attract the readers towards it.
8.
8. Speed : Speed is the essential thing of a good writing.
The letters should not only be beautifiully drawn, but the writer should be capable
of
writing them with speed.
dow to Improve Your Handwriting
should be borne in mind-
While teaching writing, the following points
1.
1. In the initial stage pupils should first be taught to make fairly large finger
movements in a sand tray or with chalk on brown paper. First of all, thev should
make lines in different manners, they then snould make curves and lastly thev

to make them into a pattern.

should be taught to join these
curves

2 Don't teach letters in the alphabetical order a, b, e, d, e, f, etc. To do so to teach

Teach small letters before capital letters
sounds rather than letters.
 Small letters having similarly curves should be taught in a groups (1) a, e, d, c, (il)
33.
m, n, v, iii) b,h, k.
o or h, b, i should be taken up
Small letters having the same height as a, e,
together.
stressed.
5. Length of the letters as in "" and "p" should be particularly
6. One group of letters should be practised for about a week.
7. When pupils have learnt to write all the small letters, they should be taught to
write capital letters. Thesè letters should alsobe grouped as above as (Gi) 0, Q,C,
G, D, Gi) H, N, M, T, Z, A, X, D, V, w, Gii) E, F, L, K, I, J, and (iv) S, P, B, R.
8. When the pupils begin to write fairly on sand or paper, they should be allowed to
use four-lined exercise books, which will make them more familiar with the
height of different letters.
99. After individual letters have been learnt by the pupils they should be taught how
to join the different letters to form words.
10. They should first write names of familiar objects and persons, then lists of words
with the same sound e.g., "rat", "cat", "mat",
"bat", after the phrases as, "big
table", "on the table" and finally simple moralising sentences e.g. "Do not tell a
lie", "We should be.clean", "Try and try again."
11. While the pupils are writing, the teacher
should pay individual attention and
correct their defects of writing and postures.
AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS/TEACHING AIDS IN ENGLISH
Meaning of Audio-visual Aids
Audio-Visual aids work on the ears and eyes of
audio-visual. By giving aid to the ears and eyes, pupils and hence they are called
they help in making the
the lesson permanent on the
pupil mind. They include all means, impression of
like objects, models, which a teacher uses to catch the devices and techniques
eyes and ears of the pupil.
Need and Importance of Audio-Visual Aids
The main purpose of the
audio-visual aids for the
the teacher to make his lesson effective
and
teaching of English is to enable
impression of his lesson permanent on his interesting.
pupils
With their help, he
mind. Although the
makes the
principal device, yet he has to depend largely on the teacher is the
his lesson impressive and successful. various audio-visual aids to make
In the words of Prof. Menon
and Patel. "The term
all means, techniques and audio visual aids
generally accepted paraphernalia as the includes
books and those objects which teachers black-board,
the text
collect and
their pupils and to which the realm is display to catch the eyes and ears of
used effectively in the applied. All these are useful aids
English room." and they can be
In the words of
Deva Singh: These aids help to
of the matter. The
vocabulary and the subject matteracquire an indirect
are well experience
grasped. Power of