Communication skills

• Reading: Content 1


  • - We should introduce learners to a range of different text types on a variety of topics and we should encourage them to read widely in English both in class and at home.
  • They should read a range of short and longer text types: instructions, notices, advertisements, leaflets, articles, blogs, reviews and web pages
  • They should read texts with different purposes: descriptive, narrative, informational
• Reading: Content 2


  • - We should make students to identify and understand ideas, opinions and attitudes, in a range of texts and the connections between them.
  • They should read a range of short and longer text types: instructions, notices, advertisements, leaflets, articles, blogs, reviews and web pages
  • They should read texts with different purposes: descriptive, narrative, informational
• Reading: Content 3


  • - We should make students understand what is implied but not directly stated.
  • They should understand information that can be inferred (i.e., implied) but is not stated, e.g., the purpose of a text, or the writer's general opinion
  • They should understand words and phrases that suggest the writer's attitude or feelings, when this is not explicitly/openly stated
  • They should be able deduce meaning of an unfamiliar word/phrase from context
• Reading: Content 4


  • - We should select relevant details when reading for a specific purpose.
  • We should have a range of reading strategies:
  • – reading quickly to get a general idea about a text (skim reading)
  • – locating specific information in a text (scanning)
  • – reading carefully to understand detail
  • predict what the answers to questions will be
• Writing: Content 1


  • - We should make students communicate factual information, ideas and arguments clearly and with expansion.
  • They should understand the purpose of a text: informational, argumentative, discursive
  • They should have a range of everyday/familiar topics to write about
  • They should be familiar with models of clear language
• Writing: Content 2


  • - We should produce written texts that show control of language.
  • They should observe grammatical structures, vocabulary, punctuation and spelling
  • Their writing should be checked for accuracy
  • They should select and organize relevant information and ideas into coherent text using appropriate linking devices:
  • – cause/effect – therefore, because of, as a result, consequently, etc.
  • – addition – in addition, moreover, furthermore, as well as, etc.
  • – contrast and concession – however, in contrast, whereas, although, etc.
• Writing: Content 3


  • - We should produce written texts with a range of grammatical and lexical structures.
  • What we produce should have a range of grammatical structures – different verb forms and tenses, conditional forms, a variety of sentence structures
  • They should have a range of lexical structures – words, set phrases, phrasal verbs, collocations (words which typically go together), idioms
• Writing: Content 4


  • - We should make them respond to a written stimulus and use appropriate register, style and format for the given purpose and audience.
  • They should know the purpose of a text, and what sort of information it should include
  • They should know the audience of a text: how this might affect what to write, and what type of language (e.g., formal or informal) is appropriate
  • They should be made to follow conventions of:
• Listening


  • - Students should be introduced to a range of different text types on a variety of topics. They are also encouraged to listen to English widely both in class and at home.
• Listening: Content 1


  • - We should make them identify and understand factual detail and specific information in a range of spoken contexts and from a variety of sources.
  • They should be exposed to a range of short and longer audio texts: phone messages, announcements, radio programmes, TV, film, plays, newsfeeds or podcasts, conversations, interviews
  • They should be exposed to audio texts with different purposes and different levels of complexity
• Listening: Content 2


  • - We should make them identify and understand speakers' ideas, opinions, feelings and attitudes in a range of spoken contexts and from a variety of sources.
  • They should be exposed a range of short and longer audio texts: phone messages, announcements, radio programmes, TV, film, plays, newsfeeds or podcasts, conversations, interviews
  • They should be exposed to audio texts with different purposes and different levels of complexity
• Listening: Content 3


  • - They should be made to show understanding of the connections between ideas, opinions, feelings and attitudes in a range of spoken contexts and from a variety of sources.
  • They should understand how to identify speakers' ideas, opinions, feelings or attitudes – what gave the speaker an idea; what reasons the speaker gives for their feelings; or how the speaker formed a particular opinion
  • They should understand information and ideas that are linked or connected in some way
• Listening: Content 4


  • - Students should be made to show understanding of what is implied but not directly stated.
  • They should be made to understand information that is inferred but not stated – the gist or purpose of a text, or the speaker's overall intention
  • words and phrases that suggest the speaker's attitude or feelings, when not explicitly stated
  • They should be able to deduce meaning of an unfamiliar word/phrase by listening to the context
• Speaking


  • - Students should be encouraged to speak in a range of different situations and for different purposes, including brief transactions, conversations, expressing their opinions, and giving short talks on a range of topics.
• Speaking: Content 1


  • - We should communicate factual information, ideas and opinions with expansion.
  • We should encourage speaking in class – asking and answering questions, justifying ideas and opinions with reasons and explanations
  • They should discuss a range of everyday/familiar topics – environment, health, food, film, travel, the natural world, technology, celebrations, science, arts, shopping
• Speaking: Content 2


  • - We should make them produce coherent and relevant responses.
  • They should practice paraphrasing – if they cannot think of the word, or don't know it
  • They should made to use of discourse markers to link ideas:
  • – addition, e.g., in addition, as well as, plus, on top of that
  • – time and sequence, e.g., at the start of, first of all, finally
• Speaking: Content 3


  • - We should make students engage in different types of interaction (e.g., conversation, short talk, interview).
  • They should be exposed to interviews – transactional conversations (factual information)
  • short talks – describing an event, giving reasons for something, giving and explaining opinions (theirs or those of someone else)
  • conversations – discussion about a topic, or describing more abstract ideas and opinions
• Speaking: Content 4


  • - They should be made to produce responses using a range of grammatical and lexical structures.
  • a range of grammatical structures – different verb forms and tenses, conditional forms, a variety of sentence structures
  • a range of lexical structures – set phrases, phrasal verbs, collocations (words which typically go together), idioms
  • They should avoid repetition – using synonyms
• Speaking: Content 5


  • - They should be taught to communicate showing control of pronunciation and intonation.
  • We should emphasize pronunciation of language when teaching new words, phrases or structures
  • intonation patterns – rising and falling intonation in clauses
  • syllable stress in words
  • sentence stress – to show contrast or emphasis
• The importance of thinking and teaching thinking will be clearer we consider Descarte Rene's "I think, therefore I am"
• In other words "I will disappear if I do not think." So, it is very important to teach high level thinking skills today. One of these skills is critical thinking
• Critical thinking


  A disciplined and self-controlled way of thinking which brings out a perfect thinking related to a special domain or form of thinking
• Critical thinking


  Comes from the word "reasoning" whose root is"reason" having Latin meaning "ratio", which means "balance". In this context, critical thinking means coming to a balanced decision after studying the previous experiences information and thoughts.
• Critical thinking


  The process of perceiving the facts objectively; but, the facts may not be what we see. So, critical thinking means coming to decision after analyzing the fact wholly with all positive and negative sides that are visible or invisible to us.
• Critical thinking


  The process of reasoning depending on information. But, the process of getting information is a crucial one.
• The Process of getting Information


  • - Questioning the source of information
  • Cross-checking the information by means of questioning it in different sources
  • Determining the premises and prejudices
• Critical thinking


  A person who thinks critically is aware of why and how they think. They are not only aware of their own thinking process but they also consider others' thinking processes.
• Critical thinking


  Two of the important concepts that define critical thinking are independent and original thinking. A person who thinks critically does not accept others' views and thoughts passively, but analyzes them and thus creates his/her own thought independently. This sort of independence liberates the mind, heart and actions of a person
• When information develops and changes very quickly, individuals need to also adopt new situations quickly and find solutions for new problems immediately.
• Educational activities play an important role in growing up such individuals.
• These individuals must be very critical of all things in the quest for a new path.
• To eliminate the handicaps of passivity, individuals must be enabled to gain skills to process, assess, defer the information and states they encounter, and thus adopt them to new situations.
• For this enablement to be possible, individuals have to examine the information presented to them instead of accepting it as it is; they must consider the fact that there is always a possibility for a state or information to change in the future instead of accepting everything as a fact, they must avoid giving up looking for a second way and keep in mind that there may always be a second way.
• Intense mental activities are needed for all the processes mentioned above. In short, it is imperative that individuals who think should be raised for all the possibilities mentioned above.
• Thinking


  Reasoning, racking brain, having a view, reconsidering it, meditating on a subject; guessing, having in mind; remembering, calling back to mind, imagining, dreaming; worrying, mourning, getting anxious, saddening, being troubled; being interested in something, making tiny distinctions; designing, planning; holding a view, thinking in a way; examining, evaluating
• Thinking


  Reflection of the outer world on people's minds. Moreover, thinking means object and idea that are designed, shaped and imagined mentally
• Thinking


  All the intentional mental behaviours geared towards eliminating the situations that disturb the individual in terms of internal or external factors and situations that unbalance the individual physically and psychologically
• Thinking


  A process of symbolic mediation. "Mediation" means that thinking fills in the blank between the stimulant event and the behaviour of the individual for this event. In other words, thinking is processing the information about our surrounding
• Thinking


  • Reflection of the outer world on people's minds
  • Designing, planning, holding a view, thinking in a way, examining, evaluating
• Thinking Process


  All the intentional mental behaviours geared towards eliminating the situations that disturb the individual in terms of internal or external factors and situations that unbalance the individual physically and psychologically