Teach English in Xinglong Nongchang - Dandong Shi

Productive skills, also called active skills are writing and speaking - the production of language. There are some obvious differences between writing and speaking, in terms of vocabulary, some grammar structures, spelling and punctuation in writing, pronunciation in speaking etc. Writing, unlike speaking, is not an ability we acquire naturally, not even in our first language - it has to be taught. This is a pretty challenging task for both the teacher and his/her students. Learners often prefer to focus on speaking, plus writing, being considered ´quiet time´, is often neglected by teachers. Variety of genres, including poems, fairy-tales or diary entries may be included in writing skills lessons in order to arouse interest and make the writing more enjoyable, of course with respect to learners´ age and what is relevant to their personal and professional development. It is important for the teacher to be creative with pre-writing activities, to introduce the topic and get students to think about their personal knowledge or experience which relates to this topic. Pair- or group-work should be incorporated as much as possible, to share ideas and knowledge. Moreover, this provides a good opportunity for practising the speaking, listening and reading skills. Typical problems with speaking include lack of confidence and fear of making mistakes. There is no time to think and plan an answer, it requires more fluency but also willingness to experiment with the language. It can happen quite easily that some members will dominate, while passive/shy students won´t get the opportunity to participate in the class. Again, working in pairs or groups is preferable, as it provides a safe environment to share ideas. Also, a lot of controlled tasks should be done before the fluency activity.