What makes teaching the language modalities (listening, speaking, reading, writing) in a second or additional language different from teaching them in the first language? How does teaching listening and reading as interpretive skills differ from teaching them in interpersonal communication? How can specific language skills such as grammar and pronunciation be taught and learned most effectively?

This section provides focused information on teaching specific communication modalities and skills. It also encourages you to incorporate cultural considerations appropriately and effectively in all learning activities.

  • Teaching Listening
  • Teaching Speaking
  • Teaching Reading

We hope that the material presented in this section will help you expand your repertoire of skills and strategies for teaching each of the communication modalities. We believe you will find that attention to the three modes of interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication, as well as awareness of the role of culture, enriches the language learning experience for both you and your learners.

Sources

Some material in this section is drawn from the following articles in Modules for the Professional Preparation of Teaching Assistants in Foreign Languages (Grace Stovall Burkart, Ed.; Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1998):