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Chapter 2 – Effective ways of developing productive skills

2.1. The importance of incorporating effective ways of developing

productive skills

After having discussed and analysed the characteristics of good speakers

and writers and general problems while developing productive skills, it is
vital to describe effective ways of improving them. For many years,
methodologists have been looking for useful ideas which may become
helpful for teachers of foreign languages. There is a number of reasons why
incorporating and looking for innovative and creative tools are gainful for
teachers because of the fact that they can help students learn more
productively.

The most crucial reason is stressed by Lewis (2007:10) – “today’s

teenagers feel ‘connected’ to the rest of the world – and indeed they are
[;] there is definitely a global youth culture – and not one dominated solely
by media and commercial interests [;] teenagers have always sought
avenues of self – expression.” This means that teachers may pay special
attention to the needs of their learners so as to make them more
preoccupied with a particular lesson. For example, providing students with
real – life aims of assigned activities or simply demonstrating them with
authentic materials from resources that they use on a regular basis may
raise their motivation to take active part in a lesson.

Furthermore, the fact that “teenagers strive to be independent [and] they

want more responsibility” (Lewis,2007:9) is fundamental for language
teachers since success of lessons depends on the attitude of the whole class.
Offering them with new classroom management techniques may result in
their fruitful collaboration, interest and accelerated progress in learning.
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The last but not least reason for incorporating successful concepts of
improving productive skills is that these skills are more complex and
tough for students. They require from them higher concentration,
understanding the main rules of writing and speaking and the use of
practised language. Consequently, teachers may benefit from providing
learners with sufficient knowledge and encouraging them to work on their
abilities.

2.2. The benefits of providing clear aims

One of the key decisions which have to be taken during the process of
planning a lesson is setting challenging, but achieveable goals for students.
It is an effective way of giving clues to students how they can fulfill the
requirements of activities. What is more, there is a need of making teaching
more purposeful and meaningful for students since they should see clear
aims of what is expected from them during English lessons. In order to
describe advantages of setting goals for tasks, it is crucial to analyse them
one by one.

The major benefit which is brought by providing students with clear aims
and sufficient introduction to them is that they are given “worthwhile
objective, the necessity of effort to attain it and a resulting sense of
satisfaction and triumph if it is achieved” (Ur,1991:214). The role of a
teacher is significant here because of the fact s/he is expected to be able to
present students with a goal which may become foremost for their work
during a whole lesson. As a result, students’ low motivation is heightened
and they are able to find it absorbing and engrossing to complete given
tasks. Real – life aims are especially preoccupying for students inasmuch as
they see the idea behind them which is to be prepared for future interaction
with native speakers or using authentic materials.
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Another advantage which should be highlighted is that visible and

understandable aims of activities make students sure of their progress
in learning. Gibbs (2007:24) points out that they “allow students to
identify what they ought to pay attention to, but also what they can safely
ignore”. In this way, teachers are enabled not only to arouse students’
interest but it also indicates how much they know after doing assigned
tasks. Consequently, students are given clear picture of what they know and
how much is left for them to work on. What is more, they are activated to
pay attention to some areas of language and they can see that doing
particular tasks made them more efficient in learning.

2.3. The benefits of using authentic materials

While presenting students with clear aims of their work, it is highly

essential to take into consideration the selection of materials which will be
used during a particular lesson. However, it should be noted that among
published materials devised for coursebooks, there is a wide range of
authentic materials. These are all teaching aids which are taken from real-
life sources and are not prepared or simplified for a language classroom.
The examples of such materials are photographs, articles from magazines
and newspapers, podcasts, short clips on the Internet, leaflets or tourist
brochures.

In the twenty – first century, every school has the opportunity to use a wide
range of authentic materials. There is a pedagogical need of applying them
to teaching since students are expected to possess basic knowledge about
using them efficiently. As Ur (199:189) suggests, “most language teaching
coursebook probably need supplementing to some extent, if only in order to
tailor them to the needs of a particular class or to offer richer options”. This
means that teachers may turn their lessons into more appealing ones,
captivate students’ attention and make them more activated.
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The first type of authentic materials is video. Sherman (2003:1) suggests

that “all the kinds of programme you normally see at the cinemas, on TV,
or on DVD: feature films, documentaries, commercials, game shows, etc.”
can be used frequently during lessons. The impact of integrating them into
lessons is undeniable and more and more teachers are willing to use them
on a regular basis. Videos are one of many resources which can be used in
the classroom, so in order to justify their exploitation, it is principal to
consider their strengths.

The first benefit is stressed by Stempleski (1993:8) – “carefully chosen

authentic video material can provide countless for cross – cultural
discussion and writing activities, heightening learners’ awareness of their
own culture, in addition to that of people who speak the target language”.
With the help of authentic stimuli, students are provided with needed
intercultural knowledge which is required from good writers and speakers
of foreign language, but it can also be a successful way of preparing
students for writing their own texts or for speaking activities in which the
need of additional information is highly appreciated. As Allan (1991:49)
suggests – “it can present a case with such impact that it sparks off fierce
debate”.

Another major advantage to authentic video was undercored by Sherman

(2003:14) – “ [it] provides not only interactive input, but also a stimulus
for activities which exercise interactive language output”. The problem
of lack of ideas while working on productive skills can be overcome by
virtue of helping students find themselves in a given situation and benefit
from the provided examples. In consequence, students are given the
opportunity to make use of stimuli which may trigger generation of ideas
and then, use them in writing or speaking tasks.
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The second type of authentic teaching aids are texts taken from numerous
resources. It should be pointed out that “written texts are often one of the
major sources through which language learners meet new vocabulary, so it
is … logical that they should be used extensively in classroom teaching”
(Redman, 1986:115). It may be assumed that their influence is undeniable
and all educators can take advantage of providing students with real – life
texts. Outlining the profits of applying them into language lessons is the
focal point owing to the fact that it may prove the strengths of this kind of
materials.

The major asset of the use of authentic texts during English lesson is that
“they have the great advantage of contextualizing new language items
for the learner, and an interesting text also serves to make that
language more memorable” (Redman,1986:115). It is pivotal to
remember that some students have linguistic problems which may result in
lack of participation or ideas. However, with the aim of preparing students
for a particular topic, teachers can provide them with a fascinating and
gripping text in which they are offered a wide variety of ready – made
language chunks. In this way, it is probable that students will feel more
secure and be sufficiently introduced to a subject. What is more, “learners
appreciate the relevance of such texts and the fact that they contain
vocabulary of immediate importance for them” (Krois-Lindner,Using
Authentic Texts In The ESP Classroom: A Varied Approach,2007:42).

Another benefit of providing learners with authentic texts is that they raise
students’ awareness when it comes to the differentiation between a
wide range of text types. “Since people write in different registers
depending on different topics and on the tone they wish to adopt for their
intended audience, then students need to be made aware of how this works
in English so that they too can choose language appropriately”
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(Harmer,2004:27). It may become a hurdle for some students since their

coursebooks do not present them with original texts which are to help them
to devise their own in the future. Authentic texts, however, present students
with a model which may be used by them in the future and on which basis
they can prepare their own pieces of writing. This is a far more creative
way of teaching students basic contrasts between text types such as tourist
brochures or articles.

2.4. The benefits of pre – teaching language chunks

Vocabulary is a broad term which is defined by Ur (1991:60) “as the words

we teach in the foreign language”. However, it must be remembered that it
does not only consist of single items, but also of more complex language
chunks which should be memorized by learners. They are usually ready –
made so students are able to use them in different situations. It is vital for
teachers of foreign language to draw learners’ attention to those
expressions because of the fact that they can help them to improve their
writing and speaking. In order to give deeper explanation of the advantages
of pre – teaching language items, they will be described in detail.

The first benefit of pre – teaching language chunks is that students are
prepared for writing their own texts or for speaking about a particular
subject. Students need to be familiarised with useful structures and
vocabulary items in order to help them construct their own speeches and
written texts. While presenting students with new vocabulary and then
practising more difficult language chunks, it is far more probable for them
to remember and use them in the future. Teachers have to pay attention to
this fact since without providing students with sufficient number of
linguistic devices, they will be deprived of the opportunity to express
themselves.
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Another significant benefit of pre – teaching language chunks is that

teachers are able to help students maximise the number of language
chunks which may be used in real life situations. Decarrico (2001:288)
points out that “new words should not be presented in isolation and should
not be learned by simple rote memorization [;] it is important that new
vocabulary items be presented in contexts rich enough to provide clues to
meaning and that students be given multiple exposure to items they should
learn”. This means that teachers are advised to pay special attention to
presenting new language chunks – it can be given in contextually rich
situations in order to reinforce memorization and production of these items.

2.5. The benefits of encouraging pair work and group work

Teachers are expected to make many decisions when planning lessons. As

mentioned earlier, the materials to be presented have to be carefully chosen
and prepared, tasks have to set out noticeable goals, but educators also take
into account classroom management and interaction between students. It is
truly significant because it may be decisive in success of a particular
lesson. One of the useful ways to encourage students to take part in a lesson
is pair work and especially group work.

Setting up pair work and group work means that “small groups of students
complete the task together to achieve a common goal, share
responsibilities, and develop into a single integrated whole”
(Pełczyńska,Usefulness Of Group Work Technique,2011:40).This means
that students are to work together to perform a task which should be
completed through interaction between every person in a given group. The
members of the group become responsible for the pace and shape of their
tasks. Group work and pair work are used by many teachers and their
advantages should be remembered and taken into consideration while
planning every lesson.
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The first benefit is that is can “contribute to a feeling of collaboration

and warmth in the class” (Ur,1996:232). The problem of inhibition and
low participation in activities can be overcome because of the fact that they
can practise language in the safety of their group or pair without
interference of the teacher or of the fear of appearing less intelligent in
front of the others. This type of activities provide students with a longer
rehearsal period when they can improve not only their language but also
personal relationships.

Another benefit which should be stressed is that working in larger groups

“gives the students more valueable talking time [;] it gives them more of
the time they require to practise the language than is possible when
[teachers] are dealing with the class as a whole” (Gower,2005:45). As a
result, the lack of ideas also when it comes to structures and vocabulary is
not an obstacle. Students are able to express themselves, share their ideas in
a group and check how much work they need to keep up with others.
Language practised during this type of activities is more probable to be
retained in students’ memory. “With group work activities, there are
several students using English at the same time, which is extremely
important and beneficial for … learners and which build their confidence”
(Pełczyńska,Usefulness Of Group Work Technique,2011:40). Then, during
speaking or writing activities , students can easily recall the language
needed.

2.6. The benefits of using games

While teaching a foreign language, it is essential to look for ideas of

improving lessons in a way that they will be more challenging, appealing
and intriguing for students. Having discussed earlier the advantages of
introducing pair work and especially group work, it is crucial to analyse the
beneficial features of games which are linked to collaboration and decision
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–making process within groups. Although games are rather neglected in

almost every language classroom, except from young learners, they are
profitable for more advanced students. Language work can be far easier
and pleasing for them, they can benefit from learning subconsciously,
remembering more difficult language items or the use of particular
grammar point. It is worth remembering this type of activities inasmuch as
it brings abundancy of benefits.

First of all, “game – like activities provide pleasureable tension and

challenge through the process of attaining some ‘fun’ goal while limites
by rules; the introduction of such rules can add spice to almost any goal –
oriented task” (Ur,1996:281). It suggests that games are valueable in terms
of their real – life goals since every group of students will want to win and
will do everything to do it. In this way, games may help in solving the
problem of remembering vocabulary and structures and using them
accurately because of the fact that students are activated and they can learn
previously presented language subconsciously. Despite of the fact that
students’ main aim is to be the best among the others, a teacher can see the
idea behind fun and entertainment which is being prepared for writing or
speaking tasks which follow a typical language game like domino or
memory.

The next gainful aspect of games which is worth pointing out is that
“games are helpful because they can make students feel that certain
words are important or necessary, because without those words, the
object of the game cannot be achieved” (Allen,1983:52). Not only does
the aim of the game matter here, but it is also truly significant for teachers
who want their students to use the presented and practised language items
when speaking or writing. Teachers are able to emphasise those structures
and vocabulary which are the most wanted to be remembered and used.
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2.7. The benefits of using project work

The best way to incorporate all the mentioned ways of developing

productive skills is to set up project work. It can “teach students how to
work together towards a common goal, give students an opportunity to
learn from each other, and create team spirit and pride” (McVey,Engaging
ESL Students In Group Projects,2010:25). What is more, project work is a
way to make English lessons more personal and real. The need of discovery
and accessing the language in students’ own way in order to complete the
tasks is influential because of the fact that when they are taking
responsibility for learning, it is memorable and more likely to lead in
progress in language. “Project work is also a great [chance] to see how
teenagers communicate with one another and with the world”
(Musielak,English Plus…Project Work,2011:13). Which means that
students are able to work collaboratively to achieve a particular goal with
the help of their background knowledge, interests and hobbies. The
analysis of beneficial features of project work will stress the strengths of it.

The major advantage of project work which may contribute to developing

productive skills is pointed out by Fried – Booth (1986:7) – “by
encouraging students to move out of the classroom and into the world,
project work helps to bridge the gap between language study and
language use [;] it is, therefore, a valueable means of extending the
communicative skills acquired in the classroom”. This precious feature of
project work helps teachers overcome the greatest of problems which are to
be faced during lesson – linguistic obstacles. It is vital to provide students
with time to learn new words, use them in a natural context and in a
meaningful way. Development and improvement of both skills – writing
and speaking – can be facilitated and accelerated when students are allowed
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to take advantage of a wide variety of grammar structures and vocabulary

which are learnt or found while preparing their own project.

Another critical advantage is that “the student is … offered the

opportunity of using the language skills already acquired, in a situation
which is new, challenging, and real” (Fried – Booth, 1986:8). This
characteristic feature of project work is worth pointing out since students
need to be motivated intrinsically in the classroom. It may be accomplished
by presenting students with a goal and a topic of a task which will not be
artificial for them. Meaningfulness of writing and speaking tasks while
preparing a project is a focal point because every situation prepared for a
lesson may be prepared in a way that it will resemble students’ own
experiences. They are to feel the need of learning and be ready to complete
the given tasks during devising their own project.

Taking everything into consideration, it should be pointed out that applying

numerous ways of developing and improving productive skills may become
helpful for English language teachers and their students. Innovative ideas
can bring linguistic and non – linguistic benefits for learners. Not only can
they become more open to try something new but it may also be an
opportunity to broaden their knowledge of language itself. As a result,
teachers are able to see their students making progress and developing into
successful and independent users of possessed abilities.