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This unit talked about the two elements of productive learning - speaking and writing. These two types of learning are quite different from the two of receptive learning although some teaching principles or techniques may also be applicable to the teaching of speaking and writing. These two productive skills produce output for communications while the two receptive ones do not.
A proficient speaking not only requires accuracy but also fluency. If the wording used in the speaking is not accurate, the communication would not be effective to deliver thoughts or messages to the audience. Conversely, speaking with accuracy but not fluency will not make a communication perfectly desirable either. Therefore, like the two receptive skills, the two productive skills are too equally important.
For the teaching of speaking skill, there are accuracy based and fluency based strategies. The accuracy based teaching is carried out through the controlled activities and the guided activities in the Study phase while the fluency based is through creative communication activities in the Activate phase. In the controlled activities, teacher controls both the language and the output, yet in the guided activities, teacher controls the output but students have the freedom on the language. In the Study phase, mistakes or errors are corrected by the teacher to ensure the accurate output. In the creative communication learning, teacher provides scenarios for students to freely work on the language tasks through various interactive activities such as free role-play, free discussions, simulations, debating or communication games, etc. The Activate phase focuses on the fluency, therefore the learning activities are generally not interrupted by the teacher and mistakes or errors not corrected or corrected right away. If the teacher does need to correct students’ mistakes or errors, often times it is done at a later time. Corrections for the individual students are best done in a private setting.
To achieve the objective of accuracy and fluency, teacher needs to carefully design the lessons and allow students sufficient time to prepare and practice the activities. During the learning phases, the instructor should properly control, guide, supervise the learning process and give feedback but limit the corrections on mistakes or errors within the Study phase. Instructor should diligently arrange interesting group works to encourage student interaction.
While the speaking skill needs a greater fluency and the misunderstandings can be corrected on the spot, the writing skill to the contrary demands a greater accuracy and most of the times the imperfections in writing are not spotted or repaired in the instant manner. In contrast to the teaching of speaking, teaching for the writing not only focuses on the vocabulary, grammar, but also spelling, punctuation and layout. Although frequent reading and listening can help strengthen many of these components, for some students whose native language is not in alphabet letters, or does not use the same punctuation system or even use punctuation or does not write from right to left, learning the skill of writing is particularly difficult.
Regardless of whether it is the teaching for speaking or writing, just like the teaching for the two receptive skills, there are many techniques that can be used or integrated. Besides, instructor would also have to recognize the problems in the lesson or the hurdles in the learners and then find ways to overcome these obstacles to ensure the smooth progression of learning.
The problem-solving methods suggested for the teaching of receptive learning can also be very useful in the teaching of productive learning such as selecting interesting topics, creating students’ interest before starting the teaching, diversifying the topics over the time to fit all learners’ abilities, using the materials to practice different skills, and selecting realistic materials that keep the learners staying encouraged. Instructor should be very flexible, creative and able to identify the most suitable way to minimize the problems and sustain students’ engagement. Moreover, incorporating games to any type of the learning is always a good approach to facilitate the teaching as the games often create fun atmosphere, stimulate students’ enthusiasm for participation and enhance students’ productivity.
