This document provides principles and techniques for improving language skills in listening, reading, writing, speaking, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. It discusses exposing students to different types of texts and tasks for listening and reading. For writing, it emphasizes understanding the purpose and audience. Speaking techniques include information gap activities, role-plays and simulations. Grammar instruction should integrate inductive and deductive methods while focusing on communicative use. Pronunciation focuses on intelligibility over perfection. Vocabulary development prioritizes high frequency words and using words in context.

1. HOW TO LEARN LANGUAGE SKILLS AND
COMPONENTS MORE SUCCESSFULLY
LA SALLE UNIVERSITY – SCHOOL OF EDUCATION SCIENCES
BA IN SPANISH, ENGLISH, AND FRENCH
YAMITH JOSÉ FANDIÑO – BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA
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2. LISTENING
LISTENING IS AN ACTIVE, PURPOSEFUL PROCESS OF MAKING SENSE OF WHAT WE HEAR.
Principles
 Expose yourself to different ways of processing information: bottom-up (knowledge of sounds,
vocabulary, and grammar) and top-down (background knowledge from life experiences in
general or given situations in particular).
 Expose students to different types of listening: listening for the gist or global message, listening
for specific information, making inferences, etc.
 Work with a variety of tasks (choosing the correct answer, numbering pictures, checking true or
false, etc.)
 Consider text, difficulty, and authenticity (textbook audios, real spoken language, academic
situations, simulations, etc.).
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3. LISTENING
LISTENING IS AN ACTIVE, PURPOSEFUL PROCESS OF MAKING SENSE OF WHAT WE HEAR.
Strategies
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4. LISTENING
HTTP://WWW.ESL-LAB.COM/

5. READING
AN ABILITY TO READ AT AN APPROPRIATE RATE WITH ADEQUATE COMPREHENSION.
Principles
 Use your background knowledge about the topic, the situation, the people involved, etc.
 Build a strong vocabulary base (basic vocabulary, everyday expressions, informal phrases, etc.).
 Use reading strategies: scanning, skimming, predicting, and identifying main ideas.
 Read for comprehension (make predictions, make inferences, question the author, verify your understanding,
etc.)
 Work on increasing reading rate (spending a proper amount of time when analyzing and synthesizing the
content).
 Automatize reading: Move from conscious strategies to unconscious skills.
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6. READING
AN ABILITY TO READ AT AN APPROPRIATE RATE WITH ADEQUATE COMPREHENSION.
Techniques
 Activate prior knowledge. Think about what you already know about the topic.
 Cultivate vocabulary. Use word webs, pictionaries, personal dictionaries, etc.
 Verify reading strategies. Use think-aloud protocols about what you do and how you do it.
 Evaluate progress. Use reading journals or reading charts.
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7. READING
HTTP://WWW.BREAKINGNEWSENGLISH.COM/

8. WRITING
A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACT TO EXPRESS AND IMPRESS.
Principles
 Understand reasons for writing: what is the purpose and who is the audience?
 Look for different opportunities for you to write different texts.
 Know what kind of text you need to compose: formality, extension, norms, etc.
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9. WRITING
A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACT TO EXPRESS AND IMPRESS.
Techniques
 Use Invention techniques: 1. brainstorming (list ideas related to the topic), 2. word-mapping
(draw relationships among concepts), and 3. quick-writing (let ideas and words come out
without concern for spelling, grammar, or punctuation).
 When writing: 1. Drafting (make first version of a text), 2. Feedback (get opinions about the
first version), and 3. Revising (reorganize and/or develop ideas better).
 At the end: Proofreading (check grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and editing (make final
adjustments).
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10. WRITING
HTTP://WWW.AUTOENGLISH.ORG/WRITING.HTM

11. SPEAKING
IT IS A PRODUCTIVE ORAL SKILL TO GIVE AND RECEIVE INFORMATION IN SOCIAL
Principles
 Be aware of the differences between second language (English is spoken everywhere) and
foreign language contexts (English is spoken only in class).
 Practice with both fluency (confidence and pace) and accuracy (correctness and structure).
 Seek opportunities to talk by using group work or pair work.
 Learn to negotiate for meaning (checking to see if you have understood what someone has
said, clarifying your understanding, and confirming that someone has understood your
meaning.)
 Practice with both transactional (communicating to get something done, e.g. exchange of
goods and/or services) and interactional speaking (communicating for social purposes).
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12. SPEAKING
IT IS A PRODUCTIVE ORAL SKILL TO GIVE AND RECEIVE INFORMATION IN SOCIAL
Strategies
 Information gap: People give and receive information they do not know or have.
 Jigsaw activities: People have different pieces of information of the same text or activity and
they need to exchange it in order to have the complete picture.
 Role-plays: People assume particular roles in the target language.
 Simulations: People use props and documents to practice language in a more realistic
environment.
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13. SPEAKING
HTTP://ELLLO.ORG/

14. GRAMMAR
BEING ABLE TO SPECIFY THE CORRECT ORDERING OF WORDS AT THE SENTENCE OR
LEVEL.
Principles
 Integrate both inductive (working out the principle or rule by yourself) and deductive
(receiving explanations or examples) methods into your learning.
 Practice with activities that make clear the connection between grammatical form and
communicative function.
 Focus on the development of knowing how to use grammar instead of knowing how to
describe it.
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15. GRAMMAR
BEING ABLE TO SPECIFY THE CORRECT ORDERING OF WORDS AT THE SENTENCE OR
LEVEL.
Techniques
 Reproductive techniques (you basically reproduce models in textbook exercises, grammar
books, websites, etc.)
 Creative techniques (you have the freedom to use a range of structures to express their
meanings).
 Input enhancement (techniques to notice the grammar: highlighting, bolding, capitalizing,
circling, etc.)
 Consciousness-raising (you learn to identity particular grammatical features, e.g. verb
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16. GRAMMAR
HTTP://A4ESL.ORG/Q/H/GRAMMAR.HTML

17. PRONUNCIATION
BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND BE UNDERSTOOD WITH RELATIVE EASE.
Principles
 Foster intelligibility during spontaneous speech (worry about meaningful communication
instead of perfect sounds or accent).
 Know how to work with affective considerations (anxiety, self-image, etc.)
 Do not focus on individual sounds in isolation. Instead, pay attention to stress and
intonation.
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18. PRONUNCIATION
BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND BE UNDERSTOOD WITH RELATIVE EASE.
Techniques
 Contextualized minimal pairs with pictures or situations.
 Gadgets and props (rubber bands, plastic sheets, kazoos, whistles, etc.)
 Slow motion speaking.
 Tracking (Say the words presented in a song or video concurrent with the voices one is
listening to.)
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19. PRONUNCIATION
RACHEL’S ENGLISH

20. VOCABULARY
BEING ABLE TO PUT WORDS TOGETHER QUICKLY IN TYPICAL COMBINATIONS.
Principles
 Focus on the most useful vocabulary first (High frequency words first).
 Focus on the vocabulary in the most appropriate way (Using word parts, guessing from
context, using word cards, and using dictionaries).
 Reflect on and take responsibility for learning (Have personal dictionary, use individual
assessment, make use of online resources, etc.).
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21. VOCABULARY
BEING ABLE TO PUT WORDS TOGETHER QUICKLY IN TYPICAL COMBINATIONS.
Techniques
 Meaning-focused input activities (read graded readers, do regular silent extensive reading,
note unfamiliar words, preview readings, reflect on new vocabulary, etc.)
 Deliberate learning activities (Understand the meaning and use of new words, learn prefixes
and suffixes, study vocabulary on bilingual word cards, practice spelling rules, build word
families, do cloze exercises with missing words you studied recently studied, etc.)
 Meaning-focused output activities (Produce spoken or written messages).
 Fluency activities (These involve receiving or producing easy messages with pressure to go
faster).
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22. VOCABULARY
HTTP://A4ESL.ORG/Q/H/VOCABULARY.HTML

23. OTHER WEBSITES
HTTP://LEARNENGLISH.BRITISHCOUNCIL.ORG/EN/
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COLOMBIA
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24. OTHER WEBSITES
HTTP://WWW.ESLVIDEO.COM/
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25. OTHER WEBSITES
HTTP://WWW.REAL-ENGLISH.COM/
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COLOMBIA
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26. OTHER WEBSITES
HTTP://WWW.ESLFLOW.COM/
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COLOMBIA
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27. OTHER WEBSITES
HTTP://WWW.MYENGLISHPAGES.COM/
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BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA
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28. OTHER WEBSITES
HTTP://WWW.ESLGOLD.COM/
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COLOMBIA
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29. OTHER WEBSITES
HTTP://WWW.EXAMENGLISH.COM
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30. REFERENCES
 Anderson, N. (2003). Reading. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 67-86). USA:
McGraw Hill.
 Bailey, K. (2003). Speaking. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 47-66). USA:
McGraw Hill.
 Helgesen, M. (2003). Listening. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 23-46). USA:
McGraw Hill.
 Murphy, J. (2003). Pronunciation. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 111-128).
USA: McGraw Hill.
 Nation, I.S.P. (2003). Vocabulary. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 129-152).
USA: McGraw Hill.
 Nunan, D. (2003). Grmmar. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp.153-177). USA:
McGraw Hill.
 Sokokik, M. (2003). Writing. In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English language teaching (pp. 87-110). USA:
McGraw Hill.
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