Learning and Acquisition of English as a Foreign Language

Mg. Roxanna Correa Prez.

Abilities Chart


What is the ability? Acquisition of the ability Types of performances The teaching of the ability
Listening Its the natural precursor
of language. It doesnt
need instruction.
Meaningful context (input)
Anxious situation.


Reactive: listen in a superficial way
Intensive: focus on components of
discourse.
Responsive: elicit immediate
responses.
Selective: scan the material.
Extensive: global understanding of
the spoken message.
Interactive: include all the
performances within learners
participation.
-Use authentic language context.
-Encourage the development of
listening strategies.
-Include bottom-up and top-down
techniques.

Bottom-up process: focus on
components of language.
Top-down process: activation of
schemata (comprehension and
storing).
Speaking Its our linguistic tool for
exchanging messages.
Listening: the development of
speaking is triggered by a
spoken input.
Imitation: this is the first step
for learners at the moment of
starting to speak.
Imitative:practicing intonation
through repetition.
Intensive:designed to practice
phonological aspects of the
language.
Responsive:short dialogs, authentic
and meaningful language.
Transactional:convey or exchange
information.
Interpersonal: maintain a social
interaction.
Extensive: intermediate and
advanced levellers are called to
record dialogs, recordings,
monologues, etc.
Focus on both fluency and
accuracy, depending on your
objective
Encourage the use of authentic
language in meaningful contexts.
Provide appropriate feedback and
correction.
Capitalize on the natural link
between speaking and listening.
Give students opportunities to
initiate oral communication.
Encourage the development of
speaking strategies.
Reading Its the aim of the reader
to get the meaning of a
contextual resource.
The goal of reading is
comprehension.
The ability to acquire a
meaningful print.
Cognitive and social linguistic
process: reading is
contextualized in certain
periods of society.
Four strands:
Meaning-focused input: what
we receive through listening
and reading.
Meaning focused output:
through speaking and writing,
reading informs these two
abilities.
Language focused learning:
language beyond
comprehension.
Fluency development: fast and
efficient reading.
Oral and silent: speaking and
comprehension.
Intensive: related to grammar, parts
of speech, linguistic analysis.
Extensive: personal and out of class
reading, just for self improving
purposes.
-Motivate student to create their
own material.
SQ3R sequence 5 pahses:
- Survey (skim the text)
- Question (previous
questions)
- Read
- Recite( reprocess of the
text oral or silent)
- Review (Importance)
Phases for teaching reading:
Pre-reading: prepare the context
for the reading.
During-reading: the actual reading.
After-reading: analysis and post

Writing Its the graphical
representation of spoken
language.
Expression of ideas.
-Composing vs writing:
writing is more natural.
Composing is more
professional
-Process vs. product:
(method vs final product)
involves strategies.
-Contrastive rhetoric:
relationship between L1
and L2 in the discourse
Extensive reading to learn the
way L2 is written.
Immersion: learn writing as a
human behaviour.
Exposition to models/genres.
Sound spelling: learning
through sounds recognition.
Imitative or writing down: structures,
dictations
Intensive or controlled: in order to
improve grammar, practice in an
intensive way.
Self-writing: write learners own words.
Real writing: real world writing.
Display writing: students show their
knowledge
Goals of the writer and models of the
reader: give a purpose.
Gathering ideas: is the topic known
(brain storming)
Organizing ideas.
Ideas to text: put thought into words.
Incorporate practice of
good writers
Use feedback (writing process)
Balance between process
and productivity: apply
process of writing
Account for cultural/
literary background:
explain the topic before
writing
Connecting reading and
writing, learn how to write
and reading
Authentic writing as
possible

Reviewing
Editing: critical part. Give feedback
Stages: pre writing-
drafting- revising stages
Interactive techniques
Apply methods of
responding to and
correcting students
writing.
Four stands of l2 teaching:
(nation)
Meaning- focused input: bring
students past experiences, talk
about a topic the already learn.
Successful writing
Meaning focused output: focused
in the process. Teacher is
supporting the writing. Aim of
communicating a message to an
audience. Interest learners.
Language focus learning: teach
how to develop strategies.
Fluency development: writer
should be fluent in order to write.
With repetition student will
develop fluency.