Session 4: Integrated Teaching Strategies

The objectives of this session are:

  • To introduce tutor trainees to the communicative approach and the importance of an integrated approach to language teaching.
  • To familiarize tutor trainees with integrated teaching techniques and activities.
graphic of an overhead projector 5 minutes

Overview of the Session 4: Integrated Teaching Strategies

  • Discuss objectives.
  • Show overhead, Overview of Session 4.

The Four Language Skills

  • Show the overhead, The Four Language Skills (the average person spends...).
  • Show the overhead, The Four Language Skills (input/output).
  • Discuss the rationale (provided on the above noted overheads and in the tutor training manual) for teaching all four skills.
  • Suggest using one theme to teach all four skills during a session (in order to let the learner recycle new vocabulary and knowledge of form).
  • Introduce the communicative approach and link the rationale for use with the previous overheads.
  • Tell trainees that we will be looking at some communicative teaching strategies throughout the remainder of the session.

Integrated Teaching Strategies

20 minutes

A: Information Grids

  • Introduce information grids.
  • Have trainees write the names of three classmates in the first column of the grid provided in the tutor training manual.
  • Get the trainees to find these three people and ask them questions to fill out the rest of the grid.
  • After the activity is finished, ask trainees some follow-up questions. For example: What question word did the questions asked all start with? What verb tense was used? What type of learner would an exercise like this be good for (beginner, intermediate or advanced?) What changes could you make to the grid so it would be more challenging for a higher-level learner?
  • Discuss intended audience (Refer to the tutor training manual section, "Who is this intended for?")
  • Show the overhead, Information Grids (Basic steps in using information grids).