Chapter Summaries

Chapter 2 – Starting Out:

Throughout this chapter, the reader is made to analyze the use of language systems and
language skills; two important factors that make up the core parts of teaching languages, whether its
focus is on grammar, vocabulary, etc. The initial points made is that both language systems and skills are
meant to be treated as equally important, however; just like people, they tend to shine individually
depending on the occasion as well as the necessities of the student. Systems tend to behave as the
theoretical and often seen as the most tedious aspect of either teaching or learning; conformed by
phonetics, lexis, grammar, function and discourse; which in simpler words are the intonation of
sentences, the meaning of the vocabulary, the structure of the sentences, the purpose given to the
sentences and lastly the context in which they’re being said.

Skills, on the other hand, are purely practical and it is slowly improved by the continuous use of
what is learned through language systems and translating it into reading, listening, writing and speaking.
It could be interpreted as the result of the mixture between acquired knowledge and the ever burning
need of expression that human beings have. And as both language systems and language skills depend
of each other, it tends to be rewarding to find balance between both on each and every single activity or
teaching technique used.

The general instructions for the beginning stages of a class include strategies that allow the
teacher’s work to be a lot smoother, due to preparation being key to any single lesson taught. The use of
coursebooks along with relevant activities to the topics being taught are “top of head” strategies;
however the magic starts to happen when a structure is built behind the lesson itself. This structure
should include its very own purpose or end goal; building a stronger foundation for the structure by
getting to know the way students interact with what they are learning in ways such as understanding
their personality and own personal goals with the course, as well as preparing them to learn on their
own and being comfortable with being put on the spot.

It is continuously encouraged for the teacher to be versatile in their own ways of teaching along
with showing confidence and last but not least; interest in the student group not only as vessels for
information but as human beings with aspirations as well as expectations; due to it being a major factor
into influencing the students to letting the teacher teach them.

Maria Claudia Poblete