Integrated Skills

When it comes to teaching a language it is important to consider certain factors, such as the instructor's teaching style, the learning style of the learner, the characteristics of the setting, andthe relevant languages involved. We also have to take into consideration the four primary skills: listening, reading, speaking, and writing, and the associated or related skills, such as knowledge ofvocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, syntax, meaning, and usage. According to the integrated-skill approach, in order to success in the field of teaching English, we have to create an adequateenvironment using useful strategies and interleaving them in an appropriate way.
The integrated skill approach has some significant advantages. It exposes English language learners to authentic language andchallenges them to interact naturally in the language. In this way, students understand the true importance and complexity of the language as employed for communication, and realize that it is a realmeans of interaction and not just an object of academic interest. Moreover, it allows teachers to track students' progress in multiple skills at the same time, promoting the learning of real contentand not just isolated language forms. Last but not least, it motivates students of all ages and backgrounds.

As we can see, contextualizing learning and exposing students to everyday lifesituations, will lead them to the understanding of the language, the effective use of it to communicate with people and it will be highly motivating to them, since they will be able to appreciate the languagein a real context. Combining this strategy with a careful reflection and planning, the appropriate integration of skills and proper assessment, the teaching of the English language will be enriched.It is important to point out the difference between the integrated-skill approach and the segregated-skill approach, mainly because even if some courses are labeled according to one specific skill...