Each of the four language skills--reading, writing, speaking, and listening--plays an important role in language learning, and successful teaching can benefit from including a combination of these skills in the classroom. This article shares strategies for integrating speaking into a writing-focused course, with the goal of improving students'…

For busy classroom teachers, integrating instruction for English learners with literacy, reading, discourse, and social-emotional learning (SEL) may seem daunting. This research-backed guide offers evidence-based strategies core content teachers can use immediately to improve daily practice. The authors explore the importance of SEL application to…

This article suggests a courtroom drama that can be used to sharpen student skills in telling all about themselves. The students are then invited to use these skills to get acquainted with each other. (Author/AB)

Discusses the use of visual materials in second language instruction to produce verbal utterances. (AM)

The process and elements of the actor's involvement in mounting a theatrical production are outlined and discussed, including vocal development, selecting a piece, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and learning the part while working together onstage. Similar techniques may be used in foreign language learning activities. (MSE)

Describes French language class simulation activities, based on life inside a Parisian apartment building, that combine oral and written language practice. (MSE)

A class activity is described involving a panel discussion of the role of dogs in French culture and related issues of public administration such as animal protection laws. Panel members' roles (public officials, veterinarians, etc.), audience roles (dog owner, father of a bitten child, etc.), and followup activities are outlined. (MSE)

Through a three-part method (class presentation, quiz, and written summary), reading texts can be used to promote conversational and writing skills as well as reading. Variations on traditional techniques of oral presentation and written summary provide a basis for student dialog, an individualized approach to grammar review, and language…

Argues that oral grammar correction in second-language classrooms produces overwhelming problems both in making corrections and dealing with their harmful side effects, and that the practice should be discontinued. Research evidence suggests that oral correction does not improve learners' ability to speak grammatically, and no good reasons have…

The central objective of language classroom instruction is learning to speak, and while the use of language for communication has a place in the classroom, it must be taught alongside other activities for which language is used. To achieve a significant level of speaking success in the classroom, the traditional syllabus must be replaced with one…

Oral tests for speaking skills evaluate two major skills: linguistic competence, including accuracy of pronunciation, vocabulary, and structure, and communication ease. Four factors affect students' oral performance: verbal intelligence, short-term auditory and visual memory, sound-symbol association skill, and grammatical analysis. Personality…

A successful advanced college-level French conversation course using French theater as a basis for students to learn oral skills has six phases: an overview of the history of French theater, reading, adaptation of the text, rehearsal-readings, final rehearsals, and performance. (MSE)

Argues that second-language learners should be given the opportunity to listen to authentic discourse within the language classroom and practice forms of language that will facilitate successful exchanges beyond the classroom. Examines the main questions confronting the classroom teacher when integrating authentic spoken discourse into a language…

Views on the role of speech in the early stages of English as second language (ESL) acquisition are discussed in relation to experiences with elementary school children. In examining the roles of speech and grammar in the early stages of ESL acquisition in an English speaking elementary school environment, six types of expressive language were…

A discussion of the role that interpersonal interaction plays in the perception and interpretation of oral expression looks at language styles, the use of the body for communication, the speaker's perspective on the audience, and the importance of oral skills in politics, business, and job seeking. (MSE)