Deploying Oral,

Written,
Listening and
Grammar Skills
Table of Contents
I. Guide Card…………………………………………..
II. Activity Card………………………………….
III. Assessment Card…………………………
IV. Enrichment Card………………………..
V. Answer Card………………………………………
VI. Reference Card……………………………….
 I. GUIDE CARD

ORAL AND LISTENING

The two most basic language skills, listening and speaking, sound exactly alike when we describe them
as oral and aural skills. “Aural” language, of course, refers to language as we hear it. “Oral” language is
what we say.

These two words are “homophones” – words spelled differently that sound alike. There is no good
reason why they should be homophones, but they are. Perhaps that accident of spelling can serve as a
reminder that, while these two skills cannot be separated, they need to be developed in different ways.

Logically, listening should be the first skill you teach. In practice, however, most teachers get their
students talking on the first day of class, and many make speech the major focus of their lessons. They
tend to downplay the skill of listening, as do most foreign language textbooks. Yet listening is probably
the more important skill involved in foreign language learning, as it certainly is in the acquisition of one’s
native tongue.

Stephen Krashen and other thinkers have stressed that we acquire language best by using it in
communicative ways. He was also one of the first to stress that language acquisition and language
learning are not the same. Language learning (in the sense of making conscious discoveries about
grammar, for instance) involves different mental processes, and those processes play distinctly
secondary roles to those we use when we acquire language naturally. Language develops, he says,
through exposure to and use of “comprehensible input”

One reasonable conclusion from these observations is that language learners should understand what
they are listening to before they begin to speak. Especially at the initial phase of language acquisition,
teachers should avoid oral practice to some degree. Instead, they should have their students
concentrate on comprehending what they hear. This idea parallels the experience of young children,
who spend almost two years in linguistic silence before they begin to speak.

Pure listening is rarely a good strategy for sustained language acquisition. Even if students are still in
their silent period – a common phase for beginners, in which they speak very little if at all, – teachers
should encourage active participation from them. This is the only way to confirm that they have
understood. Participation can mean as little as a nod or a headshake, for example, or the words “yes”
and “no” in English or their native language. Listening without speaking is important for foreign
language learners, especially when their language learning has just begun, but at some level that
listening should be participatory.

Listening activities do not always involve some other skill, but they generally do; the best classroom
activities cross skill boundaries. Since the most typical pairing for a listening activity is to combine it with
speech practice, a focus on listening can actually promote the effective development of speaking skills.
WRITTEN SKILLS

Writing skills are an important part of communication. Good writing skills allow you to communicate
your message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience than through face-to-face or telephone
conversations.

Written Communication involves expressing yourself clearly, using language with precision; constructing
a logical argument; note taking, editing and summarising; and writing reports.

There are three main elements to written communication

 structure (the way the content is laid out)

 style (the way it is written)
 content (what you are writing about)

Structuring

A good structure will help you to express yourself more clearly, whether in a dissertation, an essay, a job
application letter or a CV. The following tactics may help you to structure your writing:

 Clarify your thoughts and the purpose of your communication before you start writing. In
business communications, clarity is more important than style.
 Identify the key points, facts and themes
 Decide on a logical order for what you have to say
 Compose a strong introduction and ending. The first will make an immediate and positive
impression on the reader; the second will remain in their mind after they have finished reading
 Use short paragraphs and sentences rather than long, rambling ones. Keep to one idea per
paragraph and put your point in the first line, then add the supporting information.
 Help key points to stand out by the use of headings, sub-headings and bullet points. This will
allow your reader to quickly scan your message for the main points.

Writing in a style appropriate to the audience

All good communicators should think about their readers:

 How much information and detail will they need?

 Should you use specialist terms or should you “translate” these to make yourself understood by
a generalist reader?
 How formal or informal should your writing be?

Content (what you are writing about)

 Have you carefully checked the spelling and punctuation?

 Have you thought through in advance what you want to say?
Have you a clear objective?

 Have you listed the essential points you wish to make?

 Have you made these points clearly?
 Have you developed your argument in a logical way?
 Have you allowed detail to obscure the main issues?
 Is the content positive and constructive?
 Have you shown an interest in the reader by writing with warmth, sensitivity and friendliness?
 Have you edited it through several revisions, honing the text until it is just right?
 Have you left it overnight if possible: your mind will assimilate it better and you will come back
with a fresh view.

The writing rules of George Orwell

 Never use a long word where a short one will do.

 If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
 Never use the passive voice (e.g. "Bones are liked by dogs") where you can use the active
voice ("Dogs like bones").
 Never use jargon if you can think of an everyday equivalent.

GRAMMAR SKILLS

Grammar is the sound, structure, and meaning system of language. All languages have grammar, and
each language has its own grammar. People who speak the same language are able to communicate
because they intuitively know the grammar system of that language—that is, the rules of making
meaning. Students who are native speakers of English already know English grammar. They recognize
the sounds of English words, the meanings of those words, and the different ways of putting words
together to make meaningful sentences.

However, while students may be effective speakers of English, they need guidance to become effective
writers. They need to learn how to transfer their knowledge of grammatical concepts from oral language
to written language.

Effective grammar instruction begins with what students already know about grammar, and it helps
them use this knowledge as they write. By connecting their knowledge of oral language to written
language, teachers can demystify abstract grammatical terminology so that students can write—and
read—with greater competence and confidence.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY ABOUT GRAMMAR AND THE TEACHING OF WRITING?

Research strongly suggests that the most beneficial way of helping students improve their command of
grammar in writing is to use students' writing as the basis for discussing grammatical concepts.
Researchers agree that it is more effective to teach punctuation, sentence variety, and usage in the
context of writing than to approach the topic by teaching isolated skills (Calkins, 1980; DiStefano and
Killion, 1984; Harris, 1962).

As students revise and edit their writing, teachers can provide grammar instruction that guides students
in their attempts to identify and correct problems in sentence structure and usage. For example, a
teacher who sees that many students are writing sentences containing misplaced modifiers can present
a minilesson on this concept, using examples from student writing. The teacher can have students edit
their own and one another's drafts for this problem.

TO WHAT SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF WRITING DOES GRAMMAR CONTRIBUTE?

Because writing is a complex and challenging activity for many students, teachers should focus on the
grammatical concepts that are essential for the clear communication of meaning.

Research conducted since the early 1960s shows that grammar instruction that is separate from writing
instruction does not improve students' writing competence (Braddock and others, 1963; Hillocks, 1986).
In addition, research indicates that the transfer of formal grammar instruction to writing is not
applicable to larger elements of composition. Through detailed studies of students' writing, Shaughnessy
(1977) concludes that the best grammar instruction is that which gives the greatest return for the least
investment of time. Shaughnessy advocates four important grammatical concepts: the sentence,
inflection, tense, and agreement. She recommends that teachers encourage students to examine
grammatical errors in their own writing. She also cautions teachers not to overemphasize grammatical
terminology to the detriment of students' ability to understand and apply the concepts.

HOW DOES SENTENCE COMBINING IMPROVE WRITING?

Sentence combining is the strategy of joining short sentences into longer, more complex sentences. As
students engage in sentence-combining activities, they learn how to vary sentence structure in order to
change meaning and style.

Hillocks (1986) states that "sentence combining practice provides writers with systematic knowledge of
syntactic possibilities, the access to which allows them to sort through alternatives in their heads as well
as on paper and to choose those which are most apt" (150). Research also shows that sentence
combining is more effective than freewriting in enhancing the quality of student writing (Hillocks, 1986).

When presented as a revising strategy, sentence-combining activities help students identify short,
choppy sentences in their own writing, leading them to combine their ideas in more fluid and
sophisticated ways. As students generate more complex sentences from shorter ones, they discover
how the arrangement of phrases and clauses, for example, affects meaning and its impact on their
readers.
II. ACTIVITY CARD
A. Multiple Choice

1. Words that spelled differently yet sound alike is called.

a. homographs

b. homophones

c. homonyms

d. none of the above

2. This skill allows you to communicate your message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience
than through face-to-face or telephone conversations.

a. Written skill

b. Listening skill

c. Speaking skill

d. Language skill

3. The following are the three main elements to written communication except:

a. Structure

b. Organization

c. Style

d. Content

4. Refers to the way the content is laid out

a. Structure

b. Organization

c. Style

d. Content

5. Refers to the way it is written

a. Structure

b. Organization
c. Style

d. Content

6. Refers to what you are writing about

a. Structure

b. Organization

c. Style

d. Content

7. The following are the writing rules of George Orwell except:

a. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

b. Always use long words for better composition

c. Never use the passive voice

d. Never use jargon if you can think of an everyday equivalent.

8. Teachers should focus on the this skill for they are essential for clear communication of meaning.

a. grammatical concept

b. Language concept

c. Listening concept

d. Speaking concept

9. It is the strategy of joining short sentences into longer, more complex sentences

a. Dividing words

b. words construction

c. sentence pattern

d. Sentence combining

10. The following questions should be prioritized in terms of writing in style except:

a. How much information and detail will they need?

b. Should you use specialist terms or should you “translate” these to make yourself understood by a
generalist reader?
c. What are the priorities to take note?

d. How formal or informal should your writing be?

III. ASSESSMENT CARD

B. True Or False

1. The two most basic language skills are listening and speaking.

2. Stephen Krashen and other thinkers have stressed that we acquire language best by using it in
communicative ways.

3. In listening, teachers should encourage inactive participation from them.

4. No matter what, listening should be participatory.

5. A focus on listening can actually promote the effective development of speaking skills.

6. In writing structure, Clarifying thoughts and the purpose of your communication before you start
writing is important.

7. Not all languages have grammar, and each language has its own grammar.

8. The most beneficial way of helping students improve their command of grammar in writing is to
use students' writing as the basis for discussing grammatical concepts.

9. Grammar instruction that is separate from writing instruction improves students' writing
competence.

10. Freewriting is more effective than sentence combining in enhancing the quality of student
writing.

IV. ENRICHMENT CARD

C. IDENTIFICATION

1-2 ________ language refers to language as we hear it. While_______language is what we say.

3. ________ is probably the more important skill involved in foreign language learning.

4. Language learners should understand what they are listening to before they begin to_________.

5. _______ Communication involves expressing yourself clearly, using language with precision;
constructing a logical argument; note taking, editing and summarizing

6. ___________ is the sound, structure, and meaning system of language.

7. It is important to transfer ones knowledge of grammatical concepts from oral language to
______language.

8. As students engage in sentence-combining activities, they learn how to vary sentence structure in
order to change meaning and _______ .

9. As students generate more complex sentences from shorter ones, they discover how the
arrangement of phrases and_______.

10. ___________involves different mental processes, and those processes play distinctly secondary
roles to those we use when we acquire language naturally.

V. ANSWER KEY

A. Multiple Choice

1. b

2. a

3. b

4. a

5. c

6. d

7. b

8. a

9. d

10. c

B. True of False

1. T

2. T

3. F

4. T

5. T
6. T

7. F

8. T

9. F

10. F

C. Identification

1. Aural

2. Oral

3. Listening/ aural

4. Speak

5. Written

6. Grammar

7. Written

8. Style

9. Clauses

10. Language Learning

 VI. REFERENCES

https://languageinstinct.blogspot.com/2006/10/aural-and-oral-skills.html

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/writing-skills.html

https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/written-communication.htm

http://people.uwplatt.edu/~ciesield/graminwriting.htm