Teaching English as a
Second Language

Productive Skills

Writing

Tasks

Copying

Exercises

Guided writing

Process writing

Unguided writing

Ideas

Sample texts

Text-starts

Brainstorming

Give feedback on drafts

Possible procedure

1. Introduce topic

2. Explain task

3. Brainstorm

4. Fast-write

5. Select and reject ideas

6. Structure ideas

Give feedback

7. Plan the text

Look at models

Decide on style

Look up vocabulary and structures

Give feedback

8. Write draft

Give feedback

9. Revise and edit

Speaking

Ideas

Role playing

Simulation

Buzz groups

Brainstorming

Receptive Skills

Reading

Tasks

Extensive Reading

Map the story

Guess what's going
to happen

Intensive Reading

Put these
pictures in order

Read the text and make
a list of particular items

Listening

Tasks

General Overview

Specific Details

Don't

Overwhelm students

Change tasks or goals mid-way

Give them the answers

Do

Make sure all the group is following

Give feedback

Help when necessary

Repeat the recording enough times

Possible Procedure

Introduce Topic

Pre-task Work

Set Task

Read or Listen

Was the task accomplished?

Yes

Conclude

No

Strategies

Top-down

Analysis

Gets the general
idea first

Skimming

Scanning

Bottom-up

Synthesis

Builds meaning
from small details

Don't

Talk all the time yourself

Interrupt the flow of converstion

Use yes/no questions

Use overly broad topics

Do

Divide the class in small groups

Provide cues to give
the students ideas

Allow the students time to think

Make sure everyone
is participating