FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

HBET4503
TEACHING AND EVALUATION IN ESL

YOUR NAME: Anuradha Lekamlage

Reg No: BED09019

Email: [email protected]
0779277637

LEARNING CENTRE:IIHS, Welisara, Sri Lanka

In a language there are four main skills to be developed. When our development
stage of language from small age to an adult age a child passes these four
development stages and within it the language comes out. If the child acquires
receptive skills that child shows productive skills properly. That is what we call
the language proficiency. If I get the chance to teach in an urban school
according to the assignment I will use the above simple theory as my plan.
How Would I access each of the four skills?
Before I come to this stage I would like to go deeper in to the main language skills. Let me explain my
findings first.

 Listening
Listening is a receptive skill. The development of children’s listening skills involves stages of
1. Receiving
2. Understanding
3. Remembering
4. Evaluating
5. Responding through feedback

Receiving
When an infant is in a mother’s womb even the infant can notice sounds that he/she can hear from
outside. These all words deposits in his/her minds and the infant collects these words. That is receiving.
Understanding
In this stage we try to understand the message that we receive.
This stage is somewhat difficult. Actually there are some barriers in this stage. Lack of background
knowledge, Language problems and in cleanliness/in clarity of the message are some barriers.
Remembering
Remembering begins with listening. If we listening something attentively we will never forget that.
Evaluating
This means thinking critically about the message. Evaluation of the same message can vary from one
listener to another. This can be depend on our mental situation, life experience, background, social status,
knowledge, etc.
Responding through feedback
Feedback can be verbal or nonverbal. For an example listener can show this respond by note-taking,
nodding, etc..

 Speaking
We speak what we listen. Speaking is a productive skill. There are four major stages.
 1. Conceptualization
2. Formulation
3. Articulation
4. Self-monitoring

Conceptualization

0–3 months: Babies recognize parental voices and make sounds that express their feelings.
4–6 months: They respond to changes in tone, follow sounds with their eyes, and babble.
7 months to 1 year: They understand basic words, respond to simple requests, and use their hands to
communicate.
1–2 years: Babies understand basic questions, follow stories, and regularly pick up new words.

Formulation
This is when we think of the particular words that are going to express our thoughts. However this time
we think about the response before responding. In this stage we formulate our words and decide how best
to reply.
Articulation
In this stage we physically say what we have thought of saying. It involves the training of physical actions
of several motor speech organs such as the lungs, larynx, tongue, lips, and other vocal apparatuses.
Self-monitoring
In this stage we reflect on what we said and try to correct mistakes.

 Reading
Reading is a receptive skill. There are five major stages.
The emerging pre-reader
The novice reader
The decoding reader
The fluent, comprehending reader
The expert reader

The emerging pre-reader (typically between 6 months to 6 years old)

The emergent pre-reader sits on ‘beloved laps,’ samples and learns from a full range of multiple sounds,
words, concepts, images, stories, exposure to print, literacy materials, and just plain talk during the first
five years of life. The major insight in this period is that reading never just happens to anyone. Emerging
reading arises out of years of perceptions, increasing conceptual and social development, and cumulative
exposures to oral and written language.” (Wolf, 2008, p 115)

The Novice Reader (typically between 6 to 7 years old)

In this stage the child is learning the relationship between letters and sounds and between printed and
spoken words. The child starts to read simple text containing high frequency words and phonically regular
words, and uses emerging skills and insights to “sound out” new one-syllable words.

The Decoding Reader (typically between 7 - 9 years old)

In this stage, the child is reading simple, familiar stories and selections with increasing fluency. This is
done by consolidating the basic decoding elements, sight vocabulary, and meaning in the reading of
familiar stories and selections.

The Fluent, Comprehending Reader (typically between 9 - 15 years old)

By this stage, reading is used to learn new ideas in order to gain new knowledge, to experience new
feelings, to learn new attitudes, and to explore issues from one or more perspectives. Reading includes the
study of textbooks, reference works, trade books, newspapers, and magazines that contain new ideas and
values, unfamiliar vocabulary and syntax. There is a systematic study of word meaning, and learners are
guided to react to texts through discussions, answering questions, generating questions, writing, and
more.

 Writing

Writing is a productive skill. We write what we read. But this is not a simple process as we think.
Writing skills include

Knowledge of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar

Understanding of how word order in sentences affects meaning

Ability to distinguish main ideas from supporting ideas or details

Grammar

Vocabulary

There are four major stages in writing.

1. Pre-writing
 2. Text production
3. Revising
4. Editing

Pre-Writing
This is the initial stage where ideas and plans for writing are formed.

Text production
In this stage, the actual writing takes place, including drafting and creating the content.

Revising
After writing, the text is reviewed and revised to improve its quality and clarity.

Editing
The final stage involves checking for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.

Above are the factors that I collected about four language skills since I wanted to go deeper as a language
teacher. I am sure this findings will be really helpful for my teaching carrier. After acquiring this
knowledge I realize this is very useful for language teachers to plan their lessons.

Now, I would like to come to the first part of the assignment.

There are some simple points be understood by a teacher. I would like to point out these points as they are
really important.

 Similarity between receptive skills and productive skills.

 Barriers in each language skills
 Simple and creative activities to develop students language skills
 How to plan the lesson according to your students’ age.

Through the above mentioned points I can access their language skills. I will consider above
points very carefully.

If the child listens the child will speak. If the child read the child will speak. Therefore to develop
childrens’ speaking skills the teacher should plan listening activities. By the other hand to
develop writing skills the teacher should encourage students to read more resources.
At the same time the teacher should have a proper knowledge of the barriers that an ESL child
faces when he/she is going to develop his/her language skills. The main barrier is the background.
If the child is not from an English speaking background the child faces number of difficulties.
Whatever we plan as a teacher we should always think that
Now, I would like to move on to the second part of the assignment.
 Descript of how the findings of your assessments would guide your preparation your students to
work on improving their English language proficiency.

I have planned different activities to develop their language skills. I will present it according to the order.
Here I would like to assume the age group of children and the time limit that I get to teach them.
According to my assimilation
Age group: Primary ( Grade 3-4)
Time period: 1 year

Listening
To develop listening skills I have selected some interesting activities.
Story time sessions
Simon says
Follow the leader
Telephone game
Nature walks
Guess the lyrics
Directional hearing

Story time sessions

In this activity we can select a suitable story according to their age.
I have selected
The Ugly Duckling
Goldilocks and the three bears
The Enormous Turnip
Teacher can create some booklets to do this listening activities. For an example I would like to show
some pages that I have created to do listening activities through story telling for my primary kids.
Above are some examles.

Follow the leader

Follow the leader is an interactive game that challenges children to listen closely and follow a series of
instructions. This introduces a playful twist to ensure that children listen attentively to each direction.

How to do it

 Designate a leader who will give out commands.

 The leader performs actions with an accompanying command starting with “Leader says.”
 Participants must follow the command only if it starts with “Leader says.”
 Introduce commands that require listening and quick response.
 Make the game more challenging by increasing the speed or complexity of commands.

Simon says
This is very interesting group activity. By the other hand this an ideal game for a teacher to understand the
children who have listening problems.
Telephone game
The Telephone game is a classic listening activity for elementary students that illustrates how easily
information can become distorted through verbal communication. This game opens up discussions about
the importance of clear communication and careful listening.

How to do it:

 Arrange the children in a line or circle.

 Whisper a message to the first child in the line.
 Each child whispers the message to the next until it reaches the last person.
 The last person says the message out loud to compare with the original.
 Discuss how the message changed and the importance of clear communication.

Nature walks
Nature Walks serve as excellent kindergarten listening activities, engaging children with the natural world
through the sounds it offers.

How to do it:

 Plan a route that includes a variety of natural sounds.

 Encourage children to quietly listen to the sounds around them during the walk.
 Stop at intervals to discuss the sounds heard and their sources.
 After the walk, have a discussion about why these sounds are important.
 Encourage children to describe their favorite sound and why they liked it.

Guess the lyrics

In this activity the teacher should select lyrics according to their age. The teacher can play the song to a
certain extend and stop it. Then the teacher can ask the next line.

Directional hearing
Directional Hearing is one of the most innovative active listening activities for students that focuses on
developing spatial awareness and auditory localization skills.
How to do it:

 Blindfold a child or have them close their eyes.

 Make a sound in different parts of the room.
 Ask the child to point or move towards the sound source.
 Use a variety of sounds to test different directions and distances.
 Discuss the experience and the importance of being aware of sound directions.

Above are the listening activities that I selected to improve my kids’ listening activities and I believe that
speaking skills will be also developed within them at the same time.
So then I will move on to the next skill

Speaking
After doing so many researches I realized that an ESL child can have different difficulties when he/she is
going to develop his/her speaking skills. The teacher’s main duty is to breakup these barriers and help the
child to overcome this situation. Here are some activities that I have selected by considering above
practical situation.
Who’s telling the truth?
Descriptive drawing activity
Secret word
Debates
Impromptu speaking
Desert island activity
Storytelling activity
True/Falls story telling

Descriptive drawing activity

Pair up the students and give each student a picture, placing it face down so partners cannot
see each other’s cards. They must describe the picture for their partner to draw.

Secret word
Students are given a random topic and a random word that is unrelated to the topic. The
students must hide the word in a speech about the topic—they’re trying to make sure the
other students can’t guess the secret word. The other students listen carefully to the speech
and attempt to guess the secret word.

Debates
Give each student a piece of paper with “agree” written on one side and “disagree” on the
other side. Read aloud a controversial statement, and have each student hold up
their paper showing the agree or disagree side depending on their opinion. Choose one
student from each side to explain their position and participate in a short debate.

Impromptu speaking
Prepare a list of topics that students will be able to talk about. Split the class into two teams,
and have each student choose a number —that’s the order they will go in. Each student will
respond to a statement without preparation. They must continue speaking for 45 seconds. As
the student is speaking, the other team listens for moments of hes itation, grammatical
mistakes, and vocabulary mistakes. If the other team can correctly identify an error, they get
a point.

Desert island activity

Give each student a piece of paper and tell them to draw an item —any item. Collect the
drawings and pass them out again; no student should receive their own drawing.

Storytelling activity
As mentioned above (In listening part)
Here in speaking part we can improve this into a roll play. After listen to the story students can get in to
groups and act out the story. This is a kind of re-telling a story.

Reading
Let us see what are the reading activities that we can implement to develop their reading skills.
Read aloud as a class
Partner reading
Find the secret word
Find the synonym
Word Searches
Thumbs up thumbs down
Read aloud as a class
This is the most common reading activity and the most effective way of developing ones reading skills. I
have noticed and I have seen that the students who are weak in reading also try to read when the other
students are reading. The disadvantage of this is the teacher cannot identify the students who are
struggling with reading. Then the teacher can go to partner reading.

Partner reading
This will be helpful for teachers to identify weak students. Some child may refuse individual reading.
This is the ideal way as a start for these type of children.

Find the secret word

Turn a reading lesson into a scavenger hunt! Give each student or pair of students a piece of text, then
speak the first secret word. Once they find it, have them circle it in a specific color, or circle and number,
then report back to you for word #2.

Keep this word search up for as long as you like — we recommend choosing about 8 to 10 words for
students to find. It’s one part competition, one part scavenger hunt! Choose a prize for each team to
receive when they complete the activity. Or celebrate everyone reaching the end with a classroom dance
party! It’s a great way to keep your kids moving and learning.

Find the synonym

Once your readers are feeling more confident, take our scavenger hunt game mentioned above and add a
new twist.

Instead of searching for the exact spoken words on your list, give students the challenge to find the
word’s synonym in the text. It’s a great way to keep the game challenging for older students.

Word Searches

For younger students, a word search is a challenging way to encourage early reading. You can do this
much like our scavenger hunt-style games, but instead of saying the words aloud, provide a list.
They can search for one word at a time, with you providing the next word to the team once the first is
found. Or provide a full list from the beginning and let them work individually. Add in some color
matching (marking the word in the same color as printed on the list) to keep this game fun and engaging.
Thumbs up thumbs down

Thumbs up, thumbs down (or the higher energy variation — stand up, sit down) is a great game to keep
your students engaged.

Check reading comprehension when you ask students to give a thumbs up if a statement about a recently
read story is true, or a thumbs down if it’s false. Help them grasp grammar concepts by having them stand
up when you say an adjective word or sit down if you say a noun.

It’s a fun way to keep their bodies and brains working.

Writing

According to my experience if the student follows other activities to develop listening, speaking and
reading students will be able to acquire this knowledge. If the child is rich with vocabulary the child can
write. If the child has read so many stories the child can create stories.

A-Z word describing

Story creating

Writing food recipes

Writing diary entries

Picture description

A-Z word describing

This is an activity implemented by me to improve my students writing skills. It is very effective. This
encourage them to listen, speak, write and read at the same time.

I select one word from one letter. This goes according to the alphabetical order. I ask students to name
one word from letter “a”

Example :

Apple

I ask them to draw a small picture of an apple and ask them to talk about that. After that I ask them to
write sentences according to their discussion. Finally I ask them to present their sentences to the class.

F for fish

Story creating
The teacher can give some pictures to create story. This can be done as a group or pair activity. Most of
the time I select these group activities or pair activities to motivate weak students. If the teacher ask them
to do the task individually they will not be able to complete it and they will refuse to engage the lesson.

Writing food recipes

I have seen number of writing activities in our curriculum (Both national and Cambridge) except writing
food recipes. The children like to do new things. I know this is a new experience for them.

Writing diary entries

The main purpose of doing this is to teach past tenses for them. To write a diary entry definitely they
should use past tense verbs.

Picture description

This is a most effective way of developing ones writing skills as it is very common.

Question 2

Assessment

Language Skill: Reading

My assessment will carry out 100%. Marks. It will include 4 tasks. There should be two options. After
taking so many effort a teacher can face some practical issues. In every class there can be some slow
learners and some student who cannot grasp the knowledge with other kids. Therefore I decided to have
two options.

Option 1

TASK 1 (25 Marks)

Read the poem and write the answers

Daddy’s Diet

Daddy’s on a diet

Taking care with what he eats

So, I guess

I should keep quiet

That I saw him

Wolfing sweet

Daddie’s on a diet

And for me

It’s turn out well

As I’ve join the secret feasting

To ensure that I won’t tell

Gereth Lancaster

1. What is the title of the poem?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Who is the poet?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Who is on a diet?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. What did the poet see?

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Find rhyming words.

Diet ---------------------------------

Well -------------------------------

TASK 2 (25 Marks)

TASK 3 (25 Marks)
TASK 4 (25 Marks)

Read the extract with correct expressions. Following areas will be considered.

Expression

Vocal variety
Focus

Hand gestures

Nominated Book: The Little Red Hen (Lady Bird Book Series)

References

5.2: Five Stages of Listening - Social Sci LibreTexts

Five Stages of Reading Development — The Literacy Bug
4 Stages of Speech Production (spencercoffman.com)
activities to develop listening skills for primary kids - Search (bing.com)
12 Fun Speaking Games for Language Learners | Edutopia
prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/reading-activities/