In today’s episode our Publisher, Rachel, and Academic Director, Chris, sit down to discuss why integrated skills are beneficial in the classroom. They discuss how the real-life application of language is not separated into the four skills, why there is a reluctance from educational institutions to change and how integrated skills provides a way to exploit materials and engage students.

Let us know if you enjoyed the episode! Get in touch with any suggestions or questions – you can find us at @garneteducation everywhere!

LINKS

france.org/uploaded_files/files/TESOL%20Vol%208%202001%20C1.pdf">Journal article: Integrated Skills in the ESL/EFL classroom by Rebecca Oxford (10:28)

CHAPTERS

0:20 – Intro 0:52 – What are integrated skills? 1:33 – Are integrated skills a good thing for ELT? 2:54 – Do integrated skills reflect how we use language in real life? 4:22 – Teaching skills in isolation; focusing on specific skills 6:01 – Skills are already integrated: learning to write by speaking 7:28 – Teaching ‘speaking’ by using texts, pictures or audio 8:33 – Going from receptive to productive skills 9:36 – Focusing on the function of language 10:12 – Is there evidence that integrated skills are more effective? 11:51 – Learning strategies and ‘learning to learn’ skills 13:31 – Formative assessments and switching skills in daily life 15:52 – Integrated skills can flag up specific skills that need working on 17:11 – Reluctance to change: educational, institutional and exam culture 19:33 – Logistical change: institutional infrastructure and scheduling 21:27 – Exploiting materials and engaging students 22:13 – Technology has forced us to integrate skills 22:52 – Final thoughts